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How Much Can The Partnership With Amazon Contribute To VMware's Top Line? | VMware announced a partnership with Amazons AWS a few years back, as the companies jointly developed the VMware Cloud on AWS offering. Per AWSs website, the offering delivers a highly scalable, secure and innovative service that allows organizations to seamlessly migrate and extend their on-premises VMware vSphere-based environments to the AWS Cloud running on next-generation Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) bare metal infrastructure. The unique selling point of this partnership is that VMware is facilitating the development of a hybrid cloud for its customers, with the cloud side being AWS and the on-premise as an open system. While the partnership is mutually beneficial, given that VMwares overall revenue is much lower than AWS, the impact of the partnership is likely much more significant for VMware than Amazon. Below we take a look at how much this partnership impacts VMwares revenue and valuation. While VMware does not break out the revenue contribution from AWS within the broader Hybrid Cloud and SaaS, we estimate that the AWS partnership currently accounts for a low single-digit percentage of VMwares total revenue (likely in the ~2% range). Our interactive dashboard on the VMware AWS Partnership Revenue outlines our estimates for the impact to VMwares revenue from this partnership. You can modify any of the key drivers to visualize the impact of changes, and see all Trefis technology company data here. Our estimates are based on management commentary about incremental growth from AWS and on the commentary across the last few quarters around VMwares relationship with AWS and the traction in the partnership. We believe, given the current adoption momentum, by 2020, this partnership may contribute ~4% to VWwares total revenue. For reference, this would imply estimated 2020 revenue of around $400 million from the partnership. Embed them in your own posts using the Trefis WordPress Plugin. | We estimate that the AWS partnership currently accounts for a low single-digit percentage of VMwares total revenue. We believe, given the current adoption momentum, by 2020, this partnership may contribute 4% to VWwares total revenue. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/03/13/how-much-can-the-partnership-with-amazon-contribute-to-vmwares-top-line/ | 0.29699 |
How Much Can The Partnership With Amazon Contribute To VMware's Top Line? | VMware announced a partnership with Amazons AWS a few years back, as the companies jointly developed the VMware Cloud on AWS offering. Per AWSs website, the offering delivers a highly scalable, secure and innovative service that allows organizations to seamlessly migrate and extend their on-premises VMware vSphere-based environments to the AWS Cloud running on next-generation Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) bare metal infrastructure. The unique selling point of this partnership is that VMware is facilitating the development of a hybrid cloud for its customers, with the cloud side being AWS and the on-premise as an open system. While the partnership is mutually beneficial, given that VMwares overall revenue is much lower than AWS, the impact of the partnership is likely much more significant for VMware than Amazon. Below we take a look at how much this partnership impacts VMwares revenue and valuation. While VMware does not break out the revenue contribution from AWS within the broader Hybrid Cloud and SaaS, we estimate that the AWS partnership currently accounts for a low single-digit percentage of VMwares total revenue (likely in the ~2% range). Our interactive dashboard on the VMware AWS Partnership Revenue outlines our estimates for the impact to VMwares revenue from this partnership. You can modify any of the key drivers to visualize the impact of changes, and see all Trefis technology company data here. Our estimates are based on management commentary about incremental growth from AWS and on the commentary across the last few quarters around VMwares relationship with AWS and the traction in the partnership. We believe, given the current adoption momentum, by 2020, this partnership may contribute ~4% to VWwares total revenue. For reference, this would imply estimated 2020 revenue of around $400 million from the partnership. Embed them in your own posts using the Trefis WordPress Plugin. | We estimate that the AWS partnership currently accounts for a low single-digit percentage of VMwares total revenue. We believe, given the current adoption momentum, by 2020, this partnership may contribute 4% to VWwares total revenue. For reference, this would imply estimated 2020 revenue of around $400 million from the partnership. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/03/13/how-much-can-the-partnership-with-amazon-contribute-to-vmwares-top-line/ | 0.423037 |
Can Jackson, Freeman, Banderas And Hayek Turn 'Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard' Into A Breakout Sequel? | In a world where IP and nostalgia rules, The Hitmans Bodyguard was one of the more surprising hits of summer 2017. Not only was it an entirely original and R-rated action comedy, but it was one of the only big summer releases (along with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) to be a hit despite majority-negative reviews. But when a straight-up original earns $75 million from a $17m debut and $176m worldwide on a $30m budget, and you can get the key players back again, you go for a sequel and hope for the best. And now, so sayeth Lionsgate, a sequel to The Hitmans Bodyguard has begun production. And it may have at least some elements for a potential breakout sequel. For those who dont keep up with the reading, a breakout sequel is when an original becomes a surprise hit, usually with a comparatively leggy run from a good-but-not-great debut, and then is slowly discovered both in theaters and then in post-theatrical (VOD, DVD, cable, etc.). The goodwill from that first installment pays off with a sequel that opens noticeably higher than its predecessor. On a smaller scale, think John Wick: Chapter 2. On a larger scale, think Pitch Perfect 2. While those films sprung from well-reviewed predecessors, the other elements (strong legs, an encouraging theatrical and post-theatrical run, an overall profit) are in place. And there are a few added value elements this time out. Released in August of 2017, Patrick Hughes The Hitmans Bodyguard starred Ryan Reynolds as a squeaky-clean bodyguard who ends up having to protect an infamous paid assassin (Samuel L. Jackson) who is attempting to survive long enough to testify against a genocidal politician (Gary Oldman). The film boasted decent-enough action and strong chemistry from straight-man Reynolds and firecracker Jackson. It was also Jacksons first outright leading role in a major studio feature (give-or-take The Hateful Eight, which was an ensemble) in nearly a decade, which made the picture something of a demographically-specific event. It was a rare new opportunity to see Jackson do his Sam Jackson: Movie Star shtick in an era defined by IP-driven tentpoles. Since then, weve seen Jackson reprise his role as Elijah Price in Universal and Walt Disney's M. Night Shyamalans Glass ($244 million worldwide) and take a co-starring turn as Nick Fury in Captain Marvel ($525m-and-counting). Hell also play modern-day cynical Nick Fury in Sony's Spider-Man: Far from Home in July along with a starring role in New Line and Netflix's new Shaft and (screen time to-be-determined) Fury again in Avengers: Endgame. Point being, Jackson is having a heck of a year and may (emphasis on may) end the year with $18 billion in global cumulative grosses. If seeing Jackson as a co-lead in an R-rated action comedy isnt as much of an event as it was two years ago, then Hughes and friends have a few aces up their sleeve. Maybe you didnt see or didnt like The Hitmans Bodyguard and you have little interest in a sequel. Oh, and Antonio Banderas is coming over to play as well. Throw in Frank Grillo and a returning Richard E. Grant, there is much to look forward to no matter what you think of The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. That doesnt mean the movie will be any good (its not like Millennium Medias London Has Fallen, Expendables 3 or Criminal were big winners), but it does mean it probably wont be boring. I root for sequels like this to succeed because it encourages studios to take a chance on more non-IP or outright original genre fare. If Baby Driver is successful enough to spawn Baby Driver 2, that makes it easier for the next proverbial Baby Driver to get a green-light. Ditto Hitmans Bodyguard 2, which is a follow-up to an enjoyable three-star action romp that also features Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas (presumably in Expendables 3/The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water mode) and Salma Hayek in the same movie together. Whether or not it breaks out like John Wick: Chapter 2, merely plays about as well as the first film like Kingsman: The Golden Circle or proves that once was enough like The LEGO Movie 2, that cast alone has my attention and my interest. As always, well see. | A sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard has begun production. Samuel L. Jackson and Antonio Banderas will return for the sequel. The film was a surprise hit in summer 2017. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/03/13/hitmans-wifes-bodyguard-ryan-reynolds-samuel-l-jackson-morgan-freeman-antonio-banderas-salma-hayek/ | 0.204446 |
Can Jackson, Freeman, Banderas And Hayek Turn 'Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard' Into A Breakout Sequel? | In a world where IP and nostalgia rules, The Hitmans Bodyguard was one of the more surprising hits of summer 2017. Not only was it an entirely original and R-rated action comedy, but it was one of the only big summer releases (along with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) to be a hit despite majority-negative reviews. But when a straight-up original earns $75 million from a $17m debut and $176m worldwide on a $30m budget, and you can get the key players back again, you go for a sequel and hope for the best. And now, so sayeth Lionsgate, a sequel to The Hitmans Bodyguard has begun production. And it may have at least some elements for a potential breakout sequel. For those who dont keep up with the reading, a breakout sequel is when an original becomes a surprise hit, usually with a comparatively leggy run from a good-but-not-great debut, and then is slowly discovered both in theaters and then in post-theatrical (VOD, DVD, cable, etc.). The goodwill from that first installment pays off with a sequel that opens noticeably higher than its predecessor. On a smaller scale, think John Wick: Chapter 2. On a larger scale, think Pitch Perfect 2. While those films sprung from well-reviewed predecessors, the other elements (strong legs, an encouraging theatrical and post-theatrical run, an overall profit) are in place. And there are a few added value elements this time out. Released in August of 2017, Patrick Hughes The Hitmans Bodyguard starred Ryan Reynolds as a squeaky-clean bodyguard who ends up having to protect an infamous paid assassin (Samuel L. Jackson) who is attempting to survive long enough to testify against a genocidal politician (Gary Oldman). The film boasted decent-enough action and strong chemistry from straight-man Reynolds and firecracker Jackson. It was also Jacksons first outright leading role in a major studio feature (give-or-take The Hateful Eight, which was an ensemble) in nearly a decade, which made the picture something of a demographically-specific event. It was a rare new opportunity to see Jackson do his Sam Jackson: Movie Star shtick in an era defined by IP-driven tentpoles. Since then, weve seen Jackson reprise his role as Elijah Price in Universal and Walt Disney's M. Night Shyamalans Glass ($244 million worldwide) and take a co-starring turn as Nick Fury in Captain Marvel ($525m-and-counting). Hell also play modern-day cynical Nick Fury in Sony's Spider-Man: Far from Home in July along with a starring role in New Line and Netflix's new Shaft and (screen time to-be-determined) Fury again in Avengers: Endgame. Point being, Jackson is having a heck of a year and may (emphasis on may) end the year with $18 billion in global cumulative grosses. If seeing Jackson as a co-lead in an R-rated action comedy isnt as much of an event as it was two years ago, then Hughes and friends have a few aces up their sleeve. Maybe you didnt see or didnt like The Hitmans Bodyguard and you have little interest in a sequel. Oh, and Antonio Banderas is coming over to play as well. Throw in Frank Grillo and a returning Richard E. Grant, there is much to look forward to no matter what you think of The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. That doesnt mean the movie will be any good (its not like Millennium Medias London Has Fallen, Expendables 3 or Criminal were big winners), but it does mean it probably wont be boring. I root for sequels like this to succeed because it encourages studios to take a chance on more non-IP or outright original genre fare. If Baby Driver is successful enough to spawn Baby Driver 2, that makes it easier for the next proverbial Baby Driver to get a green-light. Ditto Hitmans Bodyguard 2, which is a follow-up to an enjoyable three-star action romp that also features Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas (presumably in Expendables 3/The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water mode) and Salma Hayek in the same movie together. Whether or not it breaks out like John Wick: Chapter 2, merely plays about as well as the first film like Kingsman: The Golden Circle or proves that once was enough like The LEGO Movie 2, that cast alone has my attention and my interest. As always, well see. | A sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard has begun production. Samuel L. Jackson and Antonio Banderas will return for the sequel. The film was a surprise hit in the summer of 2017. It earned $75 million from a $17m debut and $176m worldwide on a $30m budget. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/03/13/hitmans-wifes-bodyguard-ryan-reynolds-samuel-l-jackson-morgan-freeman-antonio-banderas-salma-hayek/ | 0.263549 |
Is Trump asking for a record amount for wildfire prevention? | President Donald Trump says in his budget that hes asking for the highest amount ever for certain wildfire prevention programs. His proposal actually contains less money for wildfire prevention efforts than the current federal spending plan. Its a small difference, just $6 million out of about $1.4 billion for wildfire prevention programs managed by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But, it would be a cut if Congress approves it. Meanwhile, Trumps budget would increase money that could contribute to harvesting timber and clearing trees. Trump has encouraged more logging in the past year. He publicly blames California and environmental groups for lax forest management on federal lands, where it is the responsibility of the federal government. His administrations budget proposal says, In light of historically catastrophic wildfire seasons in recent years, the budget significantly increases funding for wildland fire management programs to reduce hazardous fuel loads and support wildfire preparedness efforts. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Trump is requesting $450 million $15 million more than the current budget for hazardous fuel mitigation under the U.S. Forest Service, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense. That increase is offset by his proposal for a reduction to a separate wildland fire management program under the Department of Interior. Hes asking for $920 million $21 million less than the current budget for the departments wildland fire management budget. Hes also proposing to reroute more money from that fund to cover fuel management activities and increase spending on forest products, which specifically deals with timber harvesting. Both of those budget items directly relate to wildfire prevention on different federal lands. A spokesman for the Trump administration did not comment. More than 147 million trees have died in California since 2010, with 18 million dying last year. The U.S. Forest Service has struggled to manage those forests, where dead trees act as ripe kindling when fires start. The Camp Fire last year the deadliest on record, killing 85 civilians was one of many fires that officials said was worsened by a lack of adequate forest management. Congress has consistently granted more to wildfire prevention funding than Trump has requested. Trump last year requested $390 million for hazardous fuel management and Congress budgeted $435 million. And because of a fix Congress made in how wildfire funding is handled last year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said they should have even more money for prevention efforts, since they shouldnt be borrowing as much from those funds to cover unforeseen costs in suppressing the fires. Thanks to provisions in the recent farm bill and the wildfire budget fix that goes into effect later this year, the Forest Service now has additional resources to better manage our forests, Feinstein said. Wildfire funding has broad bipartisan support in Congress and hopefully this is a sign the administration plans to use all the tools weve provided. California also stands to benefit from an unheralded law passed last year to improve the way the federal government assists with disaster recovery efforts in the states. Pete Gaynor, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), testified this week that the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 will give California access to somewhere between $400 million and $1 billion of pre-disaster mitigation funds that they could apply across the state to reducing fire risk. The funding is calculated based off the total costs of disaster recovery requested by a state in a given year. According to Gaynor, the relevant provision in the 2018 law authorizes the government to provide an additional amount for disaster prevention equal to 6 percent of those recovery costs. Those funds could go toward work to prevent mudslides and floods in areas hit by wildfires, something California communities are now grappling with after the torrential rains of the past few months. With the funding authorized under the new law, were in much better shape to address that problem, Gaynor told lawmakers at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Western lawmakers said those funding changes and Trumps proposed increase to the U.S. Forest Service boded well for more wildfire prevention money from Congress in the coming years. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, said he believed Trump saw the need for more forest management and prevention after visiting his district last year in the aftermath of the Camp Fire. He also credited a push by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. More funding is going to help, but it still comes back to me that were going to have to engage much more outside, private sector work to get the volume of work that needs to be done on forest thinning, LaMalfa said, revisting a frequent argument by Republicans that environmental groups oppose. The past pattern has been the Forest Service only covers 1 percent of its acreage per year, so it would take 100 years to get to everything. | President Donald Trump says in his budget that hes asking for the highest amount ever for certain wildfire prevention programs. | bart | 0 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article227469734.html | 0.339062 |
Is Trump asking for a record amount for wildfire prevention? | President Donald Trump says in his budget that hes asking for the highest amount ever for certain wildfire prevention programs. His proposal actually contains less money for wildfire prevention efforts than the current federal spending plan. Its a small difference, just $6 million out of about $1.4 billion for wildfire prevention programs managed by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But, it would be a cut if Congress approves it. Meanwhile, Trumps budget would increase money that could contribute to harvesting timber and clearing trees. Trump has encouraged more logging in the past year. He publicly blames California and environmental groups for lax forest management on federal lands, where it is the responsibility of the federal government. His administrations budget proposal says, In light of historically catastrophic wildfire seasons in recent years, the budget significantly increases funding for wildland fire management programs to reduce hazardous fuel loads and support wildfire preparedness efforts. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Trump is requesting $450 million $15 million more than the current budget for hazardous fuel mitigation under the U.S. Forest Service, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense. That increase is offset by his proposal for a reduction to a separate wildland fire management program under the Department of Interior. Hes asking for $920 million $21 million less than the current budget for the departments wildland fire management budget. Hes also proposing to reroute more money from that fund to cover fuel management activities and increase spending on forest products, which specifically deals with timber harvesting. Both of those budget items directly relate to wildfire prevention on different federal lands. A spokesman for the Trump administration did not comment. More than 147 million trees have died in California since 2010, with 18 million dying last year. The U.S. Forest Service has struggled to manage those forests, where dead trees act as ripe kindling when fires start. The Camp Fire last year the deadliest on record, killing 85 civilians was one of many fires that officials said was worsened by a lack of adequate forest management. Congress has consistently granted more to wildfire prevention funding than Trump has requested. Trump last year requested $390 million for hazardous fuel management and Congress budgeted $435 million. And because of a fix Congress made in how wildfire funding is handled last year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said they should have even more money for prevention efforts, since they shouldnt be borrowing as much from those funds to cover unforeseen costs in suppressing the fires. Thanks to provisions in the recent farm bill and the wildfire budget fix that goes into effect later this year, the Forest Service now has additional resources to better manage our forests, Feinstein said. Wildfire funding has broad bipartisan support in Congress and hopefully this is a sign the administration plans to use all the tools weve provided. California also stands to benefit from an unheralded law passed last year to improve the way the federal government assists with disaster recovery efforts in the states. Pete Gaynor, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), testified this week that the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 will give California access to somewhere between $400 million and $1 billion of pre-disaster mitigation funds that they could apply across the state to reducing fire risk. The funding is calculated based off the total costs of disaster recovery requested by a state in a given year. According to Gaynor, the relevant provision in the 2018 law authorizes the government to provide an additional amount for disaster prevention equal to 6 percent of those recovery costs. Those funds could go toward work to prevent mudslides and floods in areas hit by wildfires, something California communities are now grappling with after the torrential rains of the past few months. With the funding authorized under the new law, were in much better shape to address that problem, Gaynor told lawmakers at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Western lawmakers said those funding changes and Trumps proposed increase to the U.S. Forest Service boded well for more wildfire prevention money from Congress in the coming years. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, said he believed Trump saw the need for more forest management and prevention after visiting his district last year in the aftermath of the Camp Fire. He also credited a push by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. More funding is going to help, but it still comes back to me that were going to have to engage much more outside, private sector work to get the volume of work that needs to be done on forest thinning, LaMalfa said, revisting a frequent argument by Republicans that environmental groups oppose. The past pattern has been the Forest Service only covers 1 percent of its acreage per year, so it would take 100 years to get to everything. | President Donald Trump says he's asking for the highest amount ever for certain wildfire prevention programs. His proposal actually contains less money for wildfire prevention efforts than the current federal spending plan. Congress has consistently granted more to wildfire prevention funding than Trump has requested. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article227469734.html | 0.410432 |
Is Trump asking for a record amount for wildfire prevention? | President Donald Trump says in his budget that hes asking for the highest amount ever for certain wildfire prevention programs. His proposal actually contains less money for wildfire prevention efforts than the current federal spending plan. Its a small difference, just $6 million out of about $1.4 billion for wildfire prevention programs managed by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But, it would be a cut if Congress approves it. Meanwhile, Trumps budget would increase money that could contribute to harvesting timber and clearing trees. Trump has encouraged more logging in the past year. He publicly blames California and environmental groups for lax forest management on federal lands, where it is the responsibility of the federal government. His administrations budget proposal says, In light of historically catastrophic wildfire seasons in recent years, the budget significantly increases funding for wildland fire management programs to reduce hazardous fuel loads and support wildfire preparedness efforts. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Trump is requesting $450 million $15 million more than the current budget for hazardous fuel mitigation under the U.S. Forest Service, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense. That increase is offset by his proposal for a reduction to a separate wildland fire management program under the Department of Interior. Hes asking for $920 million $21 million less than the current budget for the departments wildland fire management budget. Hes also proposing to reroute more money from that fund to cover fuel management activities and increase spending on forest products, which specifically deals with timber harvesting. Both of those budget items directly relate to wildfire prevention on different federal lands. A spokesman for the Trump administration did not comment. More than 147 million trees have died in California since 2010, with 18 million dying last year. The U.S. Forest Service has struggled to manage those forests, where dead trees act as ripe kindling when fires start. The Camp Fire last year the deadliest on record, killing 85 civilians was one of many fires that officials said was worsened by a lack of adequate forest management. Congress has consistently granted more to wildfire prevention funding than Trump has requested. Trump last year requested $390 million for hazardous fuel management and Congress budgeted $435 million. And because of a fix Congress made in how wildfire funding is handled last year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said they should have even more money for prevention efforts, since they shouldnt be borrowing as much from those funds to cover unforeseen costs in suppressing the fires. Thanks to provisions in the recent farm bill and the wildfire budget fix that goes into effect later this year, the Forest Service now has additional resources to better manage our forests, Feinstein said. Wildfire funding has broad bipartisan support in Congress and hopefully this is a sign the administration plans to use all the tools weve provided. California also stands to benefit from an unheralded law passed last year to improve the way the federal government assists with disaster recovery efforts in the states. Pete Gaynor, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), testified this week that the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 will give California access to somewhere between $400 million and $1 billion of pre-disaster mitigation funds that they could apply across the state to reducing fire risk. The funding is calculated based off the total costs of disaster recovery requested by a state in a given year. According to Gaynor, the relevant provision in the 2018 law authorizes the government to provide an additional amount for disaster prevention equal to 6 percent of those recovery costs. Those funds could go toward work to prevent mudslides and floods in areas hit by wildfires, something California communities are now grappling with after the torrential rains of the past few months. With the funding authorized under the new law, were in much better shape to address that problem, Gaynor told lawmakers at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Western lawmakers said those funding changes and Trumps proposed increase to the U.S. Forest Service boded well for more wildfire prevention money from Congress in the coming years. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, said he believed Trump saw the need for more forest management and prevention after visiting his district last year in the aftermath of the Camp Fire. He also credited a push by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. More funding is going to help, but it still comes back to me that were going to have to engage much more outside, private sector work to get the volume of work that needs to be done on forest thinning, LaMalfa said, revisting a frequent argument by Republicans that environmental groups oppose. The past pattern has been the Forest Service only covers 1 percent of its acreage per year, so it would take 100 years to get to everything. | President Donald Trump says in his budget that hes asking for the highest amount ever for certain wildfire prevention programs. His proposal actually contains less money for wildfire prevention efforts than the current federal spending plan. Congress has consistently granted more to wildfire prevention funding than Trump has requested. California stands to benefit from an unheralded law passed last year. | bart | 2 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article227469734.html | 0.527939 |
How much does Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan get paid? | Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloans compensation is increasing more than 5 percent to $18.4 million for his work last year, the San Francisco-based bank disclosed Wednesday. The banks board awarded Sloan an unchanged base salary of $2.4 million and $14 million in stock $1 million less in stock than the previous year, the bank reported in its annual proxy filing. His total compensation is up because of a $2 million cash bonus, which the board did not award him for his performance in 2017 as the bank continued to struggle to move past a series of scandals. Sloan, 58, has run the bank since the fall of 2016, when his predecessor retired following a massive scandal involving Wells employees opening accounts without customer knowledge. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer Sloan has pushed to turn the bank around, including by eliminating product sales goals for retail bankers in branches and call centers. But Wells has become mired in newer revelations of customer harm that has led to ongoing probes from federal authorities and regulators. In Wednesdays filing, the bank listed accomplishments under Sloan, including continued efforts to create a simpler, more collaborative Wells Fargo and efficiently serve our customers. Also last year, Wells Fargo customer loyalty and satisfaction scores reached a two-year high, the filing said. Under Sloan, the bank has also made steady progress against key goals, including risk management, according to the filing. But the board noted that more progress is needed to meet regulatory expectations for managing risk. The disclosure comes one day after members of the House Committee on Financial Services questioned Sloan during a roughly four-hour hearing into the banks consumer abuses. Some lawmakers praised him for changes hes made to repair the bank. But others blasted him for revelations of additional customer harm that Wells has disclosed since he became CEO. This hearing has revealed Wells Fargo has failed to clean up its act, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, the Democrat who chairs the committee, said at the conclusion of the hearing. Its too big to manage. Adding to the banks woes, on Tuesday a spokesman for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said that the regulator continues to be disappointed with Wells performance under the OCCs consent orders. The bank has shown an inability to execute effective corporate governance and a successful risk management program, the spokesman said. Wells Fargo has its largest base of employees is in the Charlotte metro area, where it employs approximately 25,700. New problems in 2018 Sloans compensation is rising following a year in which Wells continued to stumble and disclosed more problems. In August, Wells announced that about 545 of its customers lost their homes to foreclosure because of an error by the bank as it calculated their eligibility for modifications to make their mortgages more affordable. And in March of last year, the bank disclosed that federal authorities were looking into its wealth and investment management business. Among the biggest setbacks for Wells last year, the Federal Reserve in February took the unprecedented step of restricting the banks growth until it can fix its problems. The Fed cited widespread consumer abuses and compliance breakdowns at Wells in issuing the restriction, which remains in effect. What other banks pay Wells Fargo becomes the latest bank to disclose new compensation figures for their CEOs and other top executives. Those disclosures show Sloans compensation remains below that of his peers. Wells noted Wednesday that Sloan has not received a base salary increase since March 2016 and that his last increase was awarded before he became CEO. In January, New York-based JPMorgan Chase reported that it increased CEO Jamie Dimons total compensation by more than 5 percent to $31 million. The figure includes a base salary of $1.5 million. Last month, Charlotte-based Bank of America reported that CEO Brian Moynihans compensation is increasing by 15 percent to $26.5 million for his performance in 2018. The figure is made of $25 million in stock and an unchanged base salary of $1.5 million. Bank of America, which also released its proxy filing on Wednesday, disclosed in the document how much more Moynihan earned last year than the banks rank-and-file workers. Publicly traded companies must report such median compensation for employees meaning half the pay is above and half is below that amount to comply with a federal rule that started last year. Moynihan earned 247 times the median pay figure of $92,040 based on his total 2018 compensation of $22.7 million, according to the filing. Wells Fargo said Wednesday that Sloans total compensation is roughly 283 times that of the median pay figure of $65,191. In another disclosure Wednesday, Wells Fargo announced that Dallas, Texas, will be the location of its April 23 annual shareholders meeting. Wells Fargo says it has about 5,800 workers across various lines of business in the Dallas area. | Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan's compensation is increasing more than 5 percent to $18.4 million. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/banking/article227548079.html | 0.325165 |
How much does Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan get paid? | Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloans compensation is increasing more than 5 percent to $18.4 million for his work last year, the San Francisco-based bank disclosed Wednesday. The banks board awarded Sloan an unchanged base salary of $2.4 million and $14 million in stock $1 million less in stock than the previous year, the bank reported in its annual proxy filing. His total compensation is up because of a $2 million cash bonus, which the board did not award him for his performance in 2017 as the bank continued to struggle to move past a series of scandals. Sloan, 58, has run the bank since the fall of 2016, when his predecessor retired following a massive scandal involving Wells employees opening accounts without customer knowledge. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer Sloan has pushed to turn the bank around, including by eliminating product sales goals for retail bankers in branches and call centers. But Wells has become mired in newer revelations of customer harm that has led to ongoing probes from federal authorities and regulators. In Wednesdays filing, the bank listed accomplishments under Sloan, including continued efforts to create a simpler, more collaborative Wells Fargo and efficiently serve our customers. Also last year, Wells Fargo customer loyalty and satisfaction scores reached a two-year high, the filing said. Under Sloan, the bank has also made steady progress against key goals, including risk management, according to the filing. But the board noted that more progress is needed to meet regulatory expectations for managing risk. The disclosure comes one day after members of the House Committee on Financial Services questioned Sloan during a roughly four-hour hearing into the banks consumer abuses. Some lawmakers praised him for changes hes made to repair the bank. But others blasted him for revelations of additional customer harm that Wells has disclosed since he became CEO. This hearing has revealed Wells Fargo has failed to clean up its act, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, the Democrat who chairs the committee, said at the conclusion of the hearing. Its too big to manage. Adding to the banks woes, on Tuesday a spokesman for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said that the regulator continues to be disappointed with Wells performance under the OCCs consent orders. The bank has shown an inability to execute effective corporate governance and a successful risk management program, the spokesman said. Wells Fargo has its largest base of employees is in the Charlotte metro area, where it employs approximately 25,700. New problems in 2018 Sloans compensation is rising following a year in which Wells continued to stumble and disclosed more problems. In August, Wells announced that about 545 of its customers lost their homes to foreclosure because of an error by the bank as it calculated their eligibility for modifications to make their mortgages more affordable. And in March of last year, the bank disclosed that federal authorities were looking into its wealth and investment management business. Among the biggest setbacks for Wells last year, the Federal Reserve in February took the unprecedented step of restricting the banks growth until it can fix its problems. The Fed cited widespread consumer abuses and compliance breakdowns at Wells in issuing the restriction, which remains in effect. What other banks pay Wells Fargo becomes the latest bank to disclose new compensation figures for their CEOs and other top executives. Those disclosures show Sloans compensation remains below that of his peers. Wells noted Wednesday that Sloan has not received a base salary increase since March 2016 and that his last increase was awarded before he became CEO. In January, New York-based JPMorgan Chase reported that it increased CEO Jamie Dimons total compensation by more than 5 percent to $31 million. The figure includes a base salary of $1.5 million. Last month, Charlotte-based Bank of America reported that CEO Brian Moynihans compensation is increasing by 15 percent to $26.5 million for his performance in 2018. The figure is made of $25 million in stock and an unchanged base salary of $1.5 million. Bank of America, which also released its proxy filing on Wednesday, disclosed in the document how much more Moynihan earned last year than the banks rank-and-file workers. Publicly traded companies must report such median compensation for employees meaning half the pay is above and half is below that amount to comply with a federal rule that started last year. Moynihan earned 247 times the median pay figure of $92,040 based on his total 2018 compensation of $22.7 million, according to the filing. Wells Fargo said Wednesday that Sloans total compensation is roughly 283 times that of the median pay figure of $65,191. In another disclosure Wednesday, Wells Fargo announced that Dallas, Texas, will be the location of its April 23 annual shareholders meeting. Wells Fargo says it has about 5,800 workers across various lines of business in the Dallas area. | Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan's compensation is increasing more than 5 percent to $18.4 million. The bank's board awarded Sloan an unchanged base salary of $2.4 million and $14 million in stock. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/banking/article227548079.html | 0.425387 |
How much does Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan get paid? | Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloans compensation is increasing more than 5 percent to $18.4 million for his work last year, the San Francisco-based bank disclosed Wednesday. The banks board awarded Sloan an unchanged base salary of $2.4 million and $14 million in stock $1 million less in stock than the previous year, the bank reported in its annual proxy filing. His total compensation is up because of a $2 million cash bonus, which the board did not award him for his performance in 2017 as the bank continued to struggle to move past a series of scandals. Sloan, 58, has run the bank since the fall of 2016, when his predecessor retired following a massive scandal involving Wells employees opening accounts without customer knowledge. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer Sloan has pushed to turn the bank around, including by eliminating product sales goals for retail bankers in branches and call centers. But Wells has become mired in newer revelations of customer harm that has led to ongoing probes from federal authorities and regulators. In Wednesdays filing, the bank listed accomplishments under Sloan, including continued efforts to create a simpler, more collaborative Wells Fargo and efficiently serve our customers. Also last year, Wells Fargo customer loyalty and satisfaction scores reached a two-year high, the filing said. Under Sloan, the bank has also made steady progress against key goals, including risk management, according to the filing. But the board noted that more progress is needed to meet regulatory expectations for managing risk. The disclosure comes one day after members of the House Committee on Financial Services questioned Sloan during a roughly four-hour hearing into the banks consumer abuses. Some lawmakers praised him for changes hes made to repair the bank. But others blasted him for revelations of additional customer harm that Wells has disclosed since he became CEO. This hearing has revealed Wells Fargo has failed to clean up its act, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, the Democrat who chairs the committee, said at the conclusion of the hearing. Its too big to manage. Adding to the banks woes, on Tuesday a spokesman for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said that the regulator continues to be disappointed with Wells performance under the OCCs consent orders. The bank has shown an inability to execute effective corporate governance and a successful risk management program, the spokesman said. Wells Fargo has its largest base of employees is in the Charlotte metro area, where it employs approximately 25,700. New problems in 2018 Sloans compensation is rising following a year in which Wells continued to stumble and disclosed more problems. In August, Wells announced that about 545 of its customers lost their homes to foreclosure because of an error by the bank as it calculated their eligibility for modifications to make their mortgages more affordable. And in March of last year, the bank disclosed that federal authorities were looking into its wealth and investment management business. Among the biggest setbacks for Wells last year, the Federal Reserve in February took the unprecedented step of restricting the banks growth until it can fix its problems. The Fed cited widespread consumer abuses and compliance breakdowns at Wells in issuing the restriction, which remains in effect. What other banks pay Wells Fargo becomes the latest bank to disclose new compensation figures for their CEOs and other top executives. Those disclosures show Sloans compensation remains below that of his peers. Wells noted Wednesday that Sloan has not received a base salary increase since March 2016 and that his last increase was awarded before he became CEO. In January, New York-based JPMorgan Chase reported that it increased CEO Jamie Dimons total compensation by more than 5 percent to $31 million. The figure includes a base salary of $1.5 million. Last month, Charlotte-based Bank of America reported that CEO Brian Moynihans compensation is increasing by 15 percent to $26.5 million for his performance in 2018. The figure is made of $25 million in stock and an unchanged base salary of $1.5 million. Bank of America, which also released its proxy filing on Wednesday, disclosed in the document how much more Moynihan earned last year than the banks rank-and-file workers. Publicly traded companies must report such median compensation for employees meaning half the pay is above and half is below that amount to comply with a federal rule that started last year. Moynihan earned 247 times the median pay figure of $92,040 based on his total 2018 compensation of $22.7 million, according to the filing. Wells Fargo said Wednesday that Sloans total compensation is roughly 283 times that of the median pay figure of $65,191. In another disclosure Wednesday, Wells Fargo announced that Dallas, Texas, will be the location of its April 23 annual shareholders meeting. Wells Fargo says it has about 5,800 workers across various lines of business in the Dallas area. | Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloans compensation is increasing more than 5 percent to $18.4 million for his work last year. The banks board awarded Sloan an unchanged base salary of $2.4 million and $14 million in stock $1 million less in stock than the previous year. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/banking/article227548079.html | 0.377485 |
Can Sacramento land a Major League Soccer franchise? | After several years of coming up short, Sacramento has hit a make or break moment in its effort to become a Major League Soccer city. MLS Commissioner Don Garber this week laid out the scenario: After a period of rapid expansion, the New York-based MLS has room for one more team this year. The league will then take a breather, with no immediate plans to expand more. Two cities head the pack, Sacramento and St. Louis. The league will discuss expansion at an April board of governors meeting in Los Angeles. A league spokesman said the league doesnt expect to make a final decision on expansion at the April meeting. But Sacramentos group says it is treating the moment as its final audition and it is rushing to tie up loose ends. The clock is ticking, said Matt Alvarez, one of two wealthy Los Angeles businessmen who recently signed on to lead Sacramentos effort. This is crunch time. Were wrapping up a lot of things right now. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Alvarez, a Hollywood film producer, and his partner, Ron Burkle, a billionaire businessman, movie producer and owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League, represent the key new element to Sacramentos bid. Sacramento Republic FC soccer officials and Mayor Darrell Steinberg recruited the pair two months ago after MLS officials indicated the local effort needed better financial backing. Speaking to The Sacramento Bee in Sacramento during an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Alvarez said he and Burkle agreed to sign on as principle owners of Republic FC because theyve been looking for a joint sport venture and view Sacramento as a city that has grown substantially. Burkle and Alvarez have signed an agreement to take control of Republic FC and build a $300 million stadium, contingent on the MLS granting the city a franchise. The new ownership group, which will include current Republic FC owner Kevin Nagle and possibly other Sacramento investors, would pay MLS a franchise fee of at least $150 million. On a visit to St. Louis Monday, Garber told officials there its between that city and Sacramento. He noted that the St. Louis group still has a few steps it needs to take. Garber declined comment on Sacramento this week, but Alvarez said the Sacramento effort has been in almost daily contact with MLS officials in recent weeks, and believes it has done everything the league has asked. Burkle and Alvarez recently made a presentation to Garber in New York. We came out of that meeting feeling confident with where we sit, he said. Were in a great position. The team has one notable item to add to its resume before the April 18 board meeting. Alvarez was in town on Wednesday to negotiate a term sheet or business agreement with city officials. Under that agreement, the city would set up an infrastructure financing district for the 31-acre stadium site east of 7th Street in the downtown railyard. The financing district will allow the developers to bond against future tax revenue on the site. The city also would waive some stadium development fees and allow the team to build several digital billboards. Steinberg, whose staff has been in talks with the soccer group, said he hopes to have a deal in hand to bring to the City Council for its approval before the MLS board of governors meets. We are very close and I intend to bring this to council on April 9 and recommend strong support, Steinberg said on Wednesday. Then it is a full pivot toward the league to not only make our case, but to say we have stepped up big time. Steinberg said the project will help kick-start development of the railyard into a major new section of downtown. This is about soccer, but it is about so much more, the mayor said. Ron and his team are interested in Sacramento. That is a great thing as we continue to grow and build. Alvarez, a Bay Area native, attended UC Davis before going to Hollywood, where he produced numerous movies. Alvarez and rapper and actor Ice Cube co-founded Cube Vision, a film and television production company behind nearly 20 movies, including Are We There Yet?, Ride Along and Straight Outta Compton. The Sacramento soccer effort is an extension of his entertainment business, Alvarez said. We got very excited about Sacramento very quickly, he said. This is an amazing city. Its already over the cusp of being a very cultured, diverse, great city that has a lot to offer to a lot of different people. Burkle, a supermarket tycoon who seldom talks publicly, previously headed a group that planned to buy the Sacramento Kings when the Maloof family was threatening to move the team. Burkle dropped out of that effort. But, according to Steinberg, the businessman has maintained a strong interest in Sacramento. Burkle, described as a huge sports fan, has co-owned the Penguins hockey team for 20 years. He was seen on national TV enthusiastically cheering at the Super Bowl a month ago in a luxury box with Gisele Bundchen, the wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. A new MLS franchise would take the place of Republic FC, which has represented Sacramento since 2014 in the second-division United Soccer League, but would keep the Republic FC name. Sacramento has vied for MLS status for several years, but has lost out to Cincinnati, Nashville and Austin. League officials indicated it passed Sacramento over previously because the ownership group before the arrival of Burkle and Alvarez did not have the financial wherewithal that league officials preferred. The group plans to develop about 15 acres it will buy adjacent to the stadium. Alvarez said that way the team can control the land use around the stadium to make it compatible and symbiotic. Its a great way to drive traffic to our business, Alvarez said. Those plans include a light rail station along 7th Street a block from the stadium. If Sacramento were to win an MLS franchise, officials say they would plan to have a stadium completed by the 2021 season. | Sacramento has hit a make or break moment in its effort to become a Major League Soccer city. | bart | 0 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article227472439.html | 0.14242 |
Can Sacramento land a Major League Soccer franchise? | After several years of coming up short, Sacramento has hit a make or break moment in its effort to become a Major League Soccer city. MLS Commissioner Don Garber this week laid out the scenario: After a period of rapid expansion, the New York-based MLS has room for one more team this year. The league will then take a breather, with no immediate plans to expand more. Two cities head the pack, Sacramento and St. Louis. The league will discuss expansion at an April board of governors meeting in Los Angeles. A league spokesman said the league doesnt expect to make a final decision on expansion at the April meeting. But Sacramentos group says it is treating the moment as its final audition and it is rushing to tie up loose ends. The clock is ticking, said Matt Alvarez, one of two wealthy Los Angeles businessmen who recently signed on to lead Sacramentos effort. This is crunch time. Were wrapping up a lot of things right now. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Alvarez, a Hollywood film producer, and his partner, Ron Burkle, a billionaire businessman, movie producer and owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League, represent the key new element to Sacramentos bid. Sacramento Republic FC soccer officials and Mayor Darrell Steinberg recruited the pair two months ago after MLS officials indicated the local effort needed better financial backing. Speaking to The Sacramento Bee in Sacramento during an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Alvarez said he and Burkle agreed to sign on as principle owners of Republic FC because theyve been looking for a joint sport venture and view Sacramento as a city that has grown substantially. Burkle and Alvarez have signed an agreement to take control of Republic FC and build a $300 million stadium, contingent on the MLS granting the city a franchise. The new ownership group, which will include current Republic FC owner Kevin Nagle and possibly other Sacramento investors, would pay MLS a franchise fee of at least $150 million. On a visit to St. Louis Monday, Garber told officials there its between that city and Sacramento. He noted that the St. Louis group still has a few steps it needs to take. Garber declined comment on Sacramento this week, but Alvarez said the Sacramento effort has been in almost daily contact with MLS officials in recent weeks, and believes it has done everything the league has asked. Burkle and Alvarez recently made a presentation to Garber in New York. We came out of that meeting feeling confident with where we sit, he said. Were in a great position. The team has one notable item to add to its resume before the April 18 board meeting. Alvarez was in town on Wednesday to negotiate a term sheet or business agreement with city officials. Under that agreement, the city would set up an infrastructure financing district for the 31-acre stadium site east of 7th Street in the downtown railyard. The financing district will allow the developers to bond against future tax revenue on the site. The city also would waive some stadium development fees and allow the team to build several digital billboards. Steinberg, whose staff has been in talks with the soccer group, said he hopes to have a deal in hand to bring to the City Council for its approval before the MLS board of governors meets. We are very close and I intend to bring this to council on April 9 and recommend strong support, Steinberg said on Wednesday. Then it is a full pivot toward the league to not only make our case, but to say we have stepped up big time. Steinberg said the project will help kick-start development of the railyard into a major new section of downtown. This is about soccer, but it is about so much more, the mayor said. Ron and his team are interested in Sacramento. That is a great thing as we continue to grow and build. Alvarez, a Bay Area native, attended UC Davis before going to Hollywood, where he produced numerous movies. Alvarez and rapper and actor Ice Cube co-founded Cube Vision, a film and television production company behind nearly 20 movies, including Are We There Yet?, Ride Along and Straight Outta Compton. The Sacramento soccer effort is an extension of his entertainment business, Alvarez said. We got very excited about Sacramento very quickly, he said. This is an amazing city. Its already over the cusp of being a very cultured, diverse, great city that has a lot to offer to a lot of different people. Burkle, a supermarket tycoon who seldom talks publicly, previously headed a group that planned to buy the Sacramento Kings when the Maloof family was threatening to move the team. Burkle dropped out of that effort. But, according to Steinberg, the businessman has maintained a strong interest in Sacramento. Burkle, described as a huge sports fan, has co-owned the Penguins hockey team for 20 years. He was seen on national TV enthusiastically cheering at the Super Bowl a month ago in a luxury box with Gisele Bundchen, the wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. A new MLS franchise would take the place of Republic FC, which has represented Sacramento since 2014 in the second-division United Soccer League, but would keep the Republic FC name. Sacramento has vied for MLS status for several years, but has lost out to Cincinnati, Nashville and Austin. League officials indicated it passed Sacramento over previously because the ownership group before the arrival of Burkle and Alvarez did not have the financial wherewithal that league officials preferred. The group plans to develop about 15 acres it will buy adjacent to the stadium. Alvarez said that way the team can control the land use around the stadium to make it compatible and symbiotic. Its a great way to drive traffic to our business, Alvarez said. Those plans include a light rail station along 7th Street a block from the stadium. If Sacramento were to win an MLS franchise, officials say they would plan to have a stadium completed by the 2021 season. | Sacramento has hit a make or break moment in its effort to become a Major League Soccer city. MLS Commissioner Don Garber this week laid out the scenario: After a period of rapid expansion, the New York-based MLS has room for one more team this year. The league will discuss expansion at an April board of governors meeting in Los Angeles. | bart | 2 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article227472439.html | 0.159727 |
Who has been on Californias death row the longest? | When Douglas Stankewitz arrived on Californias death row in October 1978, Jimmy Carter would still be president for two more years. Stankewitz, 60, has been awaiting execution for 40 years. And hes not alone several other death row inhabitants have been at San Quentin State Prison for nearly as long. Theyre just some of the more than 700 people sentenced to die in California whove had their death sentences put on hold by an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom. At age 88, David Carpenter is the oldest current inmate on Californias death row, but he didnt arrive until 1984 at age 50. He was convicted in the Bay Areas Trailside Killer cases. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Here are the five inmates whove spent the longest time on death row. All of their cases have undergone numerous appeals, reversals and retrials. Douglas Stankewitz Sentenced to die by a Fresno County court in October 1978, Stankewitz arrived on death row a few days later at age 19. He was convicted in the 1978 killing of Theresa Graybeal, 22, after he kidnapped and robbed her, The Fresno Bee reported. Earl Jackson Earl Jackson, now 61, arrived on death row in March 1979 at age 21 and has spent 39 years awaiting execution. He was convicted by a Los Angeles County court of the 1977 beating deaths of two elderly Long Beach women, one of whom he also raped with a wine bottle, the Los Angeles Times reported. David Ghent Now 69, David Ghent arrived on death row in October 1979 at age 29. Hes spent 39 years there after being sentenced to die by a Santa Clara County court in the 1979 killing of Patricia Bert, 25, inside her San Jose apartment, reported The Mercury News. Richard Montiel Richard Montiel, now 70, arrived on death row in November 1979 at age 30, and has spent 39 years awaiting execution. A Kern County court convicted him of slashing a 78-year-old mans throat during a robbery in 1979, The Bakersfield Californian reported. James Anderson Now 66, James Anderson arrived on death row in December 1979 at age 26 after being sentenced to die by a Riverside County court. Anderson has spent 39 years on death row in the 1979 kidnapping, robbery and slayings of two women whose car had been stranded on the freeway, the Los Angeles Times reported. | Douglas Stankewitz, 60, has been awaiting execution for 40 years. David Carpenter is the oldest current inmate on Californias death row, but he didnt arrive until 1984 at age 50. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article227663179.html | 0.311523 |
Who has been on Californias death row the longest? | When Douglas Stankewitz arrived on Californias death row in October 1978, Jimmy Carter would still be president for two more years. Stankewitz, 60, has been awaiting execution for 40 years. And hes not alone several other death row inhabitants have been at San Quentin State Prison for nearly as long. Theyre just some of the more than 700 people sentenced to die in California whove had their death sentences put on hold by an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom. At age 88, David Carpenter is the oldest current inmate on Californias death row, but he didnt arrive until 1984 at age 50. He was convicted in the Bay Areas Trailside Killer cases. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Here are the five inmates whove spent the longest time on death row. All of their cases have undergone numerous appeals, reversals and retrials. Douglas Stankewitz Sentenced to die by a Fresno County court in October 1978, Stankewitz arrived on death row a few days later at age 19. He was convicted in the 1978 killing of Theresa Graybeal, 22, after he kidnapped and robbed her, The Fresno Bee reported. Earl Jackson Earl Jackson, now 61, arrived on death row in March 1979 at age 21 and has spent 39 years awaiting execution. He was convicted by a Los Angeles County court of the 1977 beating deaths of two elderly Long Beach women, one of whom he also raped with a wine bottle, the Los Angeles Times reported. David Ghent Now 69, David Ghent arrived on death row in October 1979 at age 29. Hes spent 39 years there after being sentenced to die by a Santa Clara County court in the 1979 killing of Patricia Bert, 25, inside her San Jose apartment, reported The Mercury News. Richard Montiel Richard Montiel, now 70, arrived on death row in November 1979 at age 30, and has spent 39 years awaiting execution. A Kern County court convicted him of slashing a 78-year-old mans throat during a robbery in 1979, The Bakersfield Californian reported. James Anderson Now 66, James Anderson arrived on death row in December 1979 at age 26 after being sentenced to die by a Riverside County court. Anderson has spent 39 years on death row in the 1979 kidnapping, robbery and slayings of two women whose car had been stranded on the freeway, the Los Angeles Times reported. | Douglas Stankewitz, 60, has been awaiting execution for 40 years. David Carpenter is the oldest current inmate on Californias death row, but he didnt arrive until 1984 at age 50. All of their cases have undergone numerous appeals, reversals and retrials. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article227663179.html | 0.378189 |
Who won the Odell Beckham Jr. trade? | By Daniel Tran In one of the most shocking trades in the NFL offseason thus far, the New York Giants are sending superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. In exchange, the Giants will get safety Jabrill Peppers, plus first- and third-round picks in the upcoming 2019 draft. The Browns now have one of the most potent offenses on paper, emerging as Super Bowl contenders. However, the Giants were able to shed a diva wideout, get a solid safety and draft picks to rebuild the team. Here's what the Browns are looking at on the offensive end: Baker Mayfield (who broke the record for rookie passing touchdowns), Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt (eventually). This is a team destined for the playoffs, at least. Cleveland went from playoff hopeful to playoff contender with one move. They may have given up draft assets, but they got a wide receiver who is a game changer. The Browns won this trade. "A great move for the Cleveland Browns. One of the Top 5 moves in franchise history. They have woke up a sleeping beast in Cleveland. And you have to give credit to the ownership in Dorsey. He'll be Executive of the Year." Beckham may be talented, but saving the locker room is also important. New York did itself a favor by cutting him loose. Not only did the Giants let him go, but they also got a pretty decent return. The first-round and third-round draft picks will help the team rebuild, and Jabrill Peppers will provide solid play from the strong safety position for a defense that needs some stability. Giants fans may be panicking, but they won this trade. The Giants draft picks this year after the latest trade with the Browns. Lots to work with. Round/pick 1 - 6 1 - 17 2 - 37 3 - 95 4 - 108 4 - 132 5 - 142 5 - 143 5 - 171 6 - 180 7 - 232 7 - 245 Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 13, 2019 Giants wisely trade Odell Beckham to Cleveland Browns to dodge another Antonio Brown migraine The New York Giants' Odell Beckham deal was much better than the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown deal. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | The New York Giants are sending superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. | bart | 0 | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/who-won-the-odell-beckham-jr-trade.html | 0.120143 |
Who won the Odell Beckham Jr. trade? | By Daniel Tran In one of the most shocking trades in the NFL offseason thus far, the New York Giants are sending superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. In exchange, the Giants will get safety Jabrill Peppers, plus first- and third-round picks in the upcoming 2019 draft. The Browns now have one of the most potent offenses on paper, emerging as Super Bowl contenders. However, the Giants were able to shed a diva wideout, get a solid safety and draft picks to rebuild the team. Here's what the Browns are looking at on the offensive end: Baker Mayfield (who broke the record for rookie passing touchdowns), Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt (eventually). This is a team destined for the playoffs, at least. Cleveland went from playoff hopeful to playoff contender with one move. They may have given up draft assets, but they got a wide receiver who is a game changer. The Browns won this trade. "A great move for the Cleveland Browns. One of the Top 5 moves in franchise history. They have woke up a sleeping beast in Cleveland. And you have to give credit to the ownership in Dorsey. He'll be Executive of the Year." Beckham may be talented, but saving the locker room is also important. New York did itself a favor by cutting him loose. Not only did the Giants let him go, but they also got a pretty decent return. The first-round and third-round draft picks will help the team rebuild, and Jabrill Peppers will provide solid play from the strong safety position for a defense that needs some stability. Giants fans may be panicking, but they won this trade. The Giants draft picks this year after the latest trade with the Browns. Lots to work with. Round/pick 1 - 6 1 - 17 2 - 37 3 - 95 4 - 108 4 - 132 5 - 142 5 - 143 5 - 171 6 - 180 7 - 232 7 - 245 Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 13, 2019 Giants wisely trade Odell Beckham to Cleveland Browns to dodge another Antonio Brown migraine The New York Giants' Odell Beckham deal was much better than the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown deal. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | The New York Giants traded superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns now have one of the most potent offenses on paper, emerging as Super Bowl contenders. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/who-won-the-odell-beckham-jr-trade.html | 0.187917 |
Who won the Odell Beckham Jr. trade? | By Daniel Tran In one of the most shocking trades in the NFL offseason thus far, the New York Giants are sending superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. In exchange, the Giants will get safety Jabrill Peppers, plus first- and third-round picks in the upcoming 2019 draft. The Browns now have one of the most potent offenses on paper, emerging as Super Bowl contenders. However, the Giants were able to shed a diva wideout, get a solid safety and draft picks to rebuild the team. Here's what the Browns are looking at on the offensive end: Baker Mayfield (who broke the record for rookie passing touchdowns), Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt (eventually). This is a team destined for the playoffs, at least. Cleveland went from playoff hopeful to playoff contender with one move. They may have given up draft assets, but they got a wide receiver who is a game changer. The Browns won this trade. "A great move for the Cleveland Browns. One of the Top 5 moves in franchise history. They have woke up a sleeping beast in Cleveland. And you have to give credit to the ownership in Dorsey. He'll be Executive of the Year." Beckham may be talented, but saving the locker room is also important. New York did itself a favor by cutting him loose. Not only did the Giants let him go, but they also got a pretty decent return. The first-round and third-round draft picks will help the team rebuild, and Jabrill Peppers will provide solid play from the strong safety position for a defense that needs some stability. Giants fans may be panicking, but they won this trade. The Giants draft picks this year after the latest trade with the Browns. Lots to work with. Round/pick 1 - 6 1 - 17 2 - 37 3 - 95 4 - 108 4 - 132 5 - 142 5 - 143 5 - 171 6 - 180 7 - 232 7 - 245 Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) March 13, 2019 Giants wisely trade Odell Beckham to Cleveland Browns to dodge another Antonio Brown migraine The New York Giants' Odell Beckham deal was much better than the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown deal. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | The New York Giants traded superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns now have one of the most potent offenses on paper, emerging as Super Bowl contenders. The Giants fans may be panicking, but the Browns won this trade, experts say. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/who-won-the-odell-beckham-jr-trade.html | 0.549987 |
Did a mobster ruin Rascal Flatts restaurants? | Trump grounded a plane, a "Full House" star posted $1 million bail and a mobster maybe ruined a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants. What a Wednesday. I'm Ashley. It's Short List. But first, this : A goat sworn in as mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont, on Tuesday, started her term by immediately defecating on the ground. We love a politician with candor. That Boeing is barred, Trump says The Boeing plane model involved in Sunday's crash that killed 157 people won't fly above the USA for now. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he signed an emergency order grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 planes involved in recent catastrophic crashes. American pilots voiced concern about perceived safety problems with the aircraft in recent months. Two pilots reported that their aircraft unexpectedly pitched nose down after they engaged the autopilot after departure. The United States was the last nation to ground the Boeing 737 planes Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration stood by the safety of the Boeing 737. Relatives react at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene, AP) Internet to celebrity's daughter: 'Expel this cheater' There is so much tea to spill (I wrote this in all caps originally) on this college admissions scandal. A quick recap: 33 rich parents and nine college coaches are caught up in America's largest college admissions bribery case. According to prosecutors, the elaborate conspiracy involved "enormous" bribes from parents to get kids into schools plus SAT and ACT cheating schemes. Here's all the latest: Actress Felicity Huffman is accused of participating in a college admissions scam. (Photo: DAVID MCNEW, AFP/Getty Images) Paul Manafort's very bad day Paul Manafort, who helped guide Donald Trump to the presidency, was sentenced to 73 months in prison Wednesday over two conspiracy charges. He'll serve most of that on top of a 47-month sentence imposed last week tied to tax- and bank-fraud charges. His total sentence: about 7.5 years. Making matters worse for Manafort, he was hit with new charges in a 16-count New York indictment over more than $1 million he allegedly received to submit false financial statements when applying for a loan. The new charges landed about an hour after Manafort received his latest prison sentence. After being sentenced to prison, Paul Manafort faces more charges. (Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/epa-EFE) Tucker Carlson joked about a 17-year-old's sexual activity Tucker Carlson made some choice comments about the 2007 Miss Teen USA contestant from South Carolina in a newly unearthed recording, joking about sexual activity and the intelligence of the then-17-year-old. The recordings, released by the media watchdog group Media Matters on Tuesday, feature Carlson calling the teenager, Caitlin Upton, "appealing" and speculating whether the pageant's host, Mario Lopez, had sexual relations with her. This is the third batch of Carlson's former remarks including homophobic comments and talk of child rape released by Media Matters this week. Carlson refused to apologize for his statements, saying he will never bow to the leftist "mob." Tucker Carlson says he won't bow to the left. A New York Mafia turncoat walked out of prison and became an Arizona businessman. Frank Capri was later involved in a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants that collapsed across the country, according to an Arizona Republic investigation. Gone. Rascal Flatts restaurants failed nationwide. (Photo: Audrey Tate/The Republic) This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up, and tell your friends. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/13/instagram-paul-manafort-and-bomb-cyclone-wednesdays-top-news/3145659002/ | The U.S. is the last nation to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8. A mobster may have ruined Rascal Flatts restaurants. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/13/instagram-paul-manafort-and-bomb-cyclone-wednesdays-top-news/3145659002/ | 0.337984 |
Did a mobster ruin Rascal Flatts restaurants? | Trump grounded a plane, a "Full House" star posted $1 million bail and a mobster maybe ruined a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants. What a Wednesday. I'm Ashley. It's Short List. But first, this : A goat sworn in as mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont, on Tuesday, started her term by immediately defecating on the ground. We love a politician with candor. That Boeing is barred, Trump says The Boeing plane model involved in Sunday's crash that killed 157 people won't fly above the USA for now. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he signed an emergency order grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 planes involved in recent catastrophic crashes. American pilots voiced concern about perceived safety problems with the aircraft in recent months. Two pilots reported that their aircraft unexpectedly pitched nose down after they engaged the autopilot after departure. The United States was the last nation to ground the Boeing 737 planes Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration stood by the safety of the Boeing 737. Relatives react at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene, AP) Internet to celebrity's daughter: 'Expel this cheater' There is so much tea to spill (I wrote this in all caps originally) on this college admissions scandal. A quick recap: 33 rich parents and nine college coaches are caught up in America's largest college admissions bribery case. According to prosecutors, the elaborate conspiracy involved "enormous" bribes from parents to get kids into schools plus SAT and ACT cheating schemes. Here's all the latest: Actress Felicity Huffman is accused of participating in a college admissions scam. (Photo: DAVID MCNEW, AFP/Getty Images) Paul Manafort's very bad day Paul Manafort, who helped guide Donald Trump to the presidency, was sentenced to 73 months in prison Wednesday over two conspiracy charges. He'll serve most of that on top of a 47-month sentence imposed last week tied to tax- and bank-fraud charges. His total sentence: about 7.5 years. Making matters worse for Manafort, he was hit with new charges in a 16-count New York indictment over more than $1 million he allegedly received to submit false financial statements when applying for a loan. The new charges landed about an hour after Manafort received his latest prison sentence. After being sentenced to prison, Paul Manafort faces more charges. (Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/epa-EFE) Tucker Carlson joked about a 17-year-old's sexual activity Tucker Carlson made some choice comments about the 2007 Miss Teen USA contestant from South Carolina in a newly unearthed recording, joking about sexual activity and the intelligence of the then-17-year-old. The recordings, released by the media watchdog group Media Matters on Tuesday, feature Carlson calling the teenager, Caitlin Upton, "appealing" and speculating whether the pageant's host, Mario Lopez, had sexual relations with her. This is the third batch of Carlson's former remarks including homophobic comments and talk of child rape released by Media Matters this week. Carlson refused to apologize for his statements, saying he will never bow to the leftist "mob." Tucker Carlson says he won't bow to the left. A New York Mafia turncoat walked out of prison and became an Arizona businessman. Frank Capri was later involved in a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants that collapsed across the country, according to an Arizona Republic investigation. Gone. Rascal Flatts restaurants failed nationwide. (Photo: Audrey Tate/The Republic) This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up, and tell your friends. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/13/instagram-paul-manafort-and-bomb-cyclone-wednesdays-top-news/3145659002/ | The U.S. is the last nation to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8. A mobster may have ruined a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants. Tucker Carlson joked about a 17-year-old's sexual activity. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/13/instagram-paul-manafort-and-bomb-cyclone-wednesdays-top-news/3145659002/ | 0.541331 |
Did a mobster ruin Rascal Flatts restaurants? | Trump grounded a plane, a "Full House" star posted $1 million bail and a mobster maybe ruined a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants. What a Wednesday. I'm Ashley. It's Short List. But first, this : A goat sworn in as mayor of Fair Haven, Vermont, on Tuesday, started her term by immediately defecating on the ground. We love a politician with candor. That Boeing is barred, Trump says The Boeing plane model involved in Sunday's crash that killed 157 people won't fly above the USA for now. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he signed an emergency order grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 planes involved in recent catastrophic crashes. American pilots voiced concern about perceived safety problems with the aircraft in recent months. Two pilots reported that their aircraft unexpectedly pitched nose down after they engaged the autopilot after departure. The United States was the last nation to ground the Boeing 737 planes Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration stood by the safety of the Boeing 737. Relatives react at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene, AP) Internet to celebrity's daughter: 'Expel this cheater' There is so much tea to spill (I wrote this in all caps originally) on this college admissions scandal. A quick recap: 33 rich parents and nine college coaches are caught up in America's largest college admissions bribery case. According to prosecutors, the elaborate conspiracy involved "enormous" bribes from parents to get kids into schools plus SAT and ACT cheating schemes. Here's all the latest: Actress Felicity Huffman is accused of participating in a college admissions scam. (Photo: DAVID MCNEW, AFP/Getty Images) Paul Manafort's very bad day Paul Manafort, who helped guide Donald Trump to the presidency, was sentenced to 73 months in prison Wednesday over two conspiracy charges. He'll serve most of that on top of a 47-month sentence imposed last week tied to tax- and bank-fraud charges. His total sentence: about 7.5 years. Making matters worse for Manafort, he was hit with new charges in a 16-count New York indictment over more than $1 million he allegedly received to submit false financial statements when applying for a loan. The new charges landed about an hour after Manafort received his latest prison sentence. After being sentenced to prison, Paul Manafort faces more charges. (Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/epa-EFE) Tucker Carlson joked about a 17-year-old's sexual activity Tucker Carlson made some choice comments about the 2007 Miss Teen USA contestant from South Carolina in a newly unearthed recording, joking about sexual activity and the intelligence of the then-17-year-old. The recordings, released by the media watchdog group Media Matters on Tuesday, feature Carlson calling the teenager, Caitlin Upton, "appealing" and speculating whether the pageant's host, Mario Lopez, had sexual relations with her. This is the third batch of Carlson's former remarks including homophobic comments and talk of child rape released by Media Matters this week. Carlson refused to apologize for his statements, saying he will never bow to the leftist "mob." Tucker Carlson says he won't bow to the left. A New York Mafia turncoat walked out of prison and became an Arizona businessman. Frank Capri was later involved in a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants that collapsed across the country, according to an Arizona Republic investigation. Gone. Rascal Flatts restaurants failed nationwide. (Photo: Audrey Tate/The Republic) This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up, and tell your friends. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/13/instagram-paul-manafort-and-bomb-cyclone-wednesdays-top-news/3145659002/ | The U.S. is the last nation to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8 planes. A mobster may have ruined a chain of Rascal Flatts restaurants. Tucker Carlson joked about a 17-year-old's sexual activity in a newly unearthed recording, joking about sexual activity and the intelligence of the teenager. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/13/instagram-paul-manafort-and-bomb-cyclone-wednesdays-top-news/3145659002/ | 0.609407 |
What impact will China's new foreign investment law have? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Only a handful of delegates at China's People's Congress ever vote against legislation China is rushing through a foreign investment law in an apparent attempt to placate Washington as negotiators try to dig the world's two largest economic powers out of an ongoing trade war. The 3,000 or so delegates to China's annual National People's Congress (NPC) will endorse the new law on Friday. They don't oppose legislation. That's not how it is done here. When a vote is taken there are normally only a handful who vote against. Some of them potentially for show, because 100% "yes" votes one after another would look ridiculous. If there is pushback against a draft bill and amendments made, this happens well before the NPC sits, at a series of standing committee meetings behind closed doors. The process can take years. This time it took three months. The Chinese government appears to have rushed through the investment law as an olive branch to the US amid trade war negotiations. However, many in the business community here in China see this law as a kind of sweeping set of intentions rather than a specific, enforceable set of rules. They fear it could be open to different and changing forms of interpretation. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Foreign companies may no longer have to partner with local firms to enter the Chinese market The big-ticket items it is said to address, in terms of the concerns of foreign companies, include intellectual property theft, the requirement for international firms to partner up with a local entity, and unfair subsidies to Chinese companies. It will also address the preferential treatment in awarding contracts to Chinese companies, and forcing foreign firms to hand over their technological secrets as the price of entry to the massive Chinese market. But this law isn't going to help everyone. There is a "black list" of 48 sectors that will not be open to foreign investment or, in some cases, not open without conditions or special permission. For example, there is a complete ban on investing in fishing, gene research, religious education, and news media, and television broadcasting. Partial investment is allowed in oil and gas exploitation, nuclear power, airlines, airport operation, and public health, amongst others sectors. Non-renewable energy automobile production will require partnerships for a few years but then be phased out. For industries not on the list, the principle is that foreign companies will receive the same treatment as their Chinese counterparts. One of the provisions will include a requirement for the local subsidiaries of international firms to report various details of their operation to Chinese officials. This could include performance indicators relating to labour relations, overall staffing numbers, pollution records and the like. That sounds fine except that foreign companies have asked for - and not received - legal guarantees that this data will not be passed on to their Chinese competitors. Then there is the promised complaints procedure should you seek redress following any perceived violations of the new law. If this system is run through the normal Chinese courts, which routinely guarantee results favourable to the Communist Party, then to many this would not seem like a satisfactory enforcement mechanism. One part of the law specifies that there is to be a ban on "illegal government interference" in the activities of foreign business. The further you go up the government ladder the more implausible it would be to win in such a dispute. Over the years we have reported on many cases of foreign businesspeople, especially ethnic Chinese, who have been sent to prison on highly questionable charges following a commercial dispute with a local business person who enjoys the backing of low-level Communist Party cadres. Those here with long memories know this and are approaching the new law with an understandable level of caution. | Only a handful of delegates at China's People's Congress ever vote against legislation. The new investment law is expected to be endorsed by the NPC on Friday. It will address issues such as intellectual property theft and unfair subsidies. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47550559 | 0.114933 |
What impact will China's new foreign investment law have? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Only a handful of delegates at China's People's Congress ever vote against legislation China is rushing through a foreign investment law in an apparent attempt to placate Washington as negotiators try to dig the world's two largest economic powers out of an ongoing trade war. The 3,000 or so delegates to China's annual National People's Congress (NPC) will endorse the new law on Friday. They don't oppose legislation. That's not how it is done here. When a vote is taken there are normally only a handful who vote against. Some of them potentially for show, because 100% "yes" votes one after another would look ridiculous. If there is pushback against a draft bill and amendments made, this happens well before the NPC sits, at a series of standing committee meetings behind closed doors. The process can take years. This time it took three months. The Chinese government appears to have rushed through the investment law as an olive branch to the US amid trade war negotiations. However, many in the business community here in China see this law as a kind of sweeping set of intentions rather than a specific, enforceable set of rules. They fear it could be open to different and changing forms of interpretation. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Foreign companies may no longer have to partner with local firms to enter the Chinese market The big-ticket items it is said to address, in terms of the concerns of foreign companies, include intellectual property theft, the requirement for international firms to partner up with a local entity, and unfair subsidies to Chinese companies. It will also address the preferential treatment in awarding contracts to Chinese companies, and forcing foreign firms to hand over their technological secrets as the price of entry to the massive Chinese market. But this law isn't going to help everyone. There is a "black list" of 48 sectors that will not be open to foreign investment or, in some cases, not open without conditions or special permission. For example, there is a complete ban on investing in fishing, gene research, religious education, and news media, and television broadcasting. Partial investment is allowed in oil and gas exploitation, nuclear power, airlines, airport operation, and public health, amongst others sectors. Non-renewable energy automobile production will require partnerships for a few years but then be phased out. For industries not on the list, the principle is that foreign companies will receive the same treatment as their Chinese counterparts. One of the provisions will include a requirement for the local subsidiaries of international firms to report various details of their operation to Chinese officials. This could include performance indicators relating to labour relations, overall staffing numbers, pollution records and the like. That sounds fine except that foreign companies have asked for - and not received - legal guarantees that this data will not be passed on to their Chinese competitors. Then there is the promised complaints procedure should you seek redress following any perceived violations of the new law. If this system is run through the normal Chinese courts, which routinely guarantee results favourable to the Communist Party, then to many this would not seem like a satisfactory enforcement mechanism. One part of the law specifies that there is to be a ban on "illegal government interference" in the activities of foreign business. The further you go up the government ladder the more implausible it would be to win in such a dispute. Over the years we have reported on many cases of foreign businesspeople, especially ethnic Chinese, who have been sent to prison on highly questionable charges following a commercial dispute with a local business person who enjoys the backing of low-level Communist Party cadres. Those here with long memories know this and are approaching the new law with an understandable level of caution. | Only a handful of delegates at China's People's Congress ever vote against legislation. The new investment law is expected to be endorsed by the NPC on Friday. It will address issues such as intellectual property theft and unfair subsidies to Chinese companies. But not everyone will be happy with the new law. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47550559 | 0.16941 |
Can all of Wales be powered by renewable energy? | Video Wales could meet 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2035, under an "ambitious" new plan set out by policy experts. It urges Welsh Government to allocate more of its budget to green energy. The Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) predicts 20,150 jobs could be supported annually if the target is achieved. First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales was making good progress and the IWA provided a "welcome insight" into what the future could look like. Watch our video guide to how 100% of Wales powered by renewable energy might look like. Video production by Gwyndaf Hughes. | Wales could meet 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2035. Watch our video guide to how 100 per cent of Wales powered by renewable energy might look like. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-47557690/can-all-of-wales-be-powered-by-renewable-energy | 0.38553 |
Can all of Wales be powered by renewable energy? | Video Wales could meet 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2035, under an "ambitious" new plan set out by policy experts. It urges Welsh Government to allocate more of its budget to green energy. The Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) predicts 20,150 jobs could be supported annually if the target is achieved. First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales was making good progress and the IWA provided a "welcome insight" into what the future could look like. Watch our video guide to how 100% of Wales powered by renewable energy might look like. Video production by Gwyndaf Hughes. | Wales could meet 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2035. New plan set out by policy experts urges Welsh Government to allocate more of its budget to green energy. Institute of Welsh Affairs predicts 20,150 jobs could be supported annually if the target is achieved. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-47557690/can-all-of-wales-be-powered-by-renewable-energy | 0.317517 |
Can the Botched Doctors Give Danielle Milian the Full-Body Revamp She's Looking For? | For Danielle Milian, putting physical scars in the past meant freeing herself from emotional ones, too. "I've worked so hard to recover from everything bad that I've gone through, and I want my body to reflect that," Christina Milian's sister explained during Wednesday's new Botched. As she went on to tell Drs. Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow, the last decade was hard on both her mind and body. Danielle underwent lap-band surgery when she was 23. "It took me about two years to lose the weight," she remembered. "Then, all of a sudden, my boobs were gone." So, she found a plastic surgeon and got herself a pair of sizable breast implantsones that rose to considerable fame within the Milian family. Even mom Carmen fondly referred to them as her daughter's "Vegas boobs" during this week's episode. When Danielle found out she was pregnant again, it hardly took a few months for the reality star and her loved ones to realize something wasn't right. "I started becoming pretty violently ill," she told the Botched camera. After losing roughly 25 pounds during her first trimester, she consulted a doctor, who told her the lap-band had "slipped" four months earlier. | Danielle Milian underwent lap-band surgery when she was 23. After losing weight, she got breast implants. The reality star now wants a full-body revamp. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/1023231/can-the-botched-doctors-give-danielle-milian-the-full-body-revamp-she-s-looking-for?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories | 0.12532 |
Can the Botched Doctors Give Danielle Milian the Full-Body Revamp She's Looking For? | For Danielle Milian, putting physical scars in the past meant freeing herself from emotional ones, too. "I've worked so hard to recover from everything bad that I've gone through, and I want my body to reflect that," Christina Milian's sister explained during Wednesday's new Botched. As she went on to tell Drs. Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow, the last decade was hard on both her mind and body. Danielle underwent lap-band surgery when she was 23. "It took me about two years to lose the weight," she remembered. "Then, all of a sudden, my boobs were gone." So, she found a plastic surgeon and got herself a pair of sizable breast implantsones that rose to considerable fame within the Milian family. Even mom Carmen fondly referred to them as her daughter's "Vegas boobs" during this week's episode. When Danielle found out she was pregnant again, it hardly took a few months for the reality star and her loved ones to realize something wasn't right. "I started becoming pretty violently ill," she told the Botched camera. After losing roughly 25 pounds during her first trimester, she consulted a doctor, who told her the lap-band had "slipped" four months earlier. | Danielle Milian underwent lap-band surgery when she was 23. After losing weight, she got breast implants. The reality star now wants a full-body revamp. She appeared on Wednesday's episode of Botched, which airs on Bravo. For more, see CNN.com/Botched. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/1023231/can-the-botched-doctors-give-danielle-milian-the-full-body-revamp-she-s-looking-for?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories | 0.121129 |
Why Did I Get A Check From My 401(k) Plan? | Did you recently get a check from your 401(k) plan that you didn't request Whether this is the first time it has happened to you or it is a regular annual occurrence, it can be confusing. It might even leave you wondering why this happens, will it happen again, and what you can do about it. The answer is that every 401(k) plan must go through "nondiscrimination testing" on an annual basis. If the IRS considers you a Highly Compensated Employee (HCE), you could be affected. The Why of Nondiscrimination Testing Each year, 401(k) plans must perform nondiscrimination testing. Per the IRS, this process ensures 401(k) and other workplace retirement plans "provide substantive benefits for rank-and-file employees, not only for business owners and managers." There are many layers to this process but specifically, two tests must be run: Average Deferral Percentage (ADP) test which relates to employee salary deferrals Average Contribution Percentage (ACP) Tests which primarily relates to employer matching contributions. The short version of these tests is they compare the 401(k) contribution rates in the prior plan year of Highly Compensated Employees (HCEs) to those of Nonhighly Compensated Employees (NHCEs). For the year 2018, the IRS considers you an HCE if you meet any of these conditions: Earned $120,000 or more in the prior year (2017 for the 2018 testing year) Owned 5% or more of the business at any point during the year Related to a 5% or more owner An NHCE is someone who does not meet any of the three conditions. To keep this manageable, we are going to focus on the ADP portion of the tests. Once your 401(k) administrator determines the HCEs and NHCEs, they compare the salary contributions each group made to the plan. It is not unusual and even expected that the HCE group will have contributed more as a percentage of their salary on average than the NHCEs. However, if the gap, or difference in the average contribution rates exceeds certain guidelines, then your company is deemed to have failed nondiscrimination testing. Of note, when calculating the group averages the test includes zeros for those employees who are eligible and not participating in the 401(k) plan. This is one of many reasons most employers pay close attention to their plan participation rate. To illustrate the concept, if the HCE group contributes 6% of their salary on average and the NHCE group contributes 3% of their salary on average the gap between them is too large. At that range the gap is only allowed to be a 2% difference. Thus the ADP portion of the test will fail. Your employer now has two options to close the gap between HCEs and NHCEs and pass the test: Raise the NHCE average, or Lower the HCE average A common way employers raise the NHCE average is through a Qualified Non-Elective Contribution (QNEC). However, this can be very expensive for your employer so it not frequently done. The more common method to close the gap is to lower the HCE average by returning what have been deemed to be excesses contributions to HCEs. If you recently received a check and money reversed out of your 401(k) account, then your company chose option number two. The check you received is a mix of your contributions and any earnings (or losses) associated with your account for the year. In addition to the check, you will eventually get a Form 1099R for the same amount. You will need to report that amount as income in the year you receive it, not retroactively to the plan year the contributions were made. Sometimes when you get a check in the mail, it is a good thing. For obvious reasons, this is not. While you are now free to use the money as you like, you will be taxed on the amount and it doesn't help your journey to retirement. Nondiscrimination testing must be performed every year. If your company failed testing this year, there is a reasonable chance they will fail next year and in the future. Most of this will depend on the type of company you work for and the demographics. For example, nondiscrimination testing is challenging for companies with few employees who are executives or are considered HCEs but have a large percentage of their workforce that are NHCEs. Classic examples are retailers, restaurants, manufacturers or other similar groups. The 401(k) participant data consistently show that younger, lower-paid workers are not as likely to participate and save smaller percentages of their pay in company retirement plans than older, higher paid employees. Whether this is the first time you had money reversed out of your 401(k) account and returned to you, or it has happened consistently over the years, you can take action to improve results in the future and keep more money in your plan for your retirement. There are several options you may discuss with your employer to help your plan pass or improve nondiscrimination testing results in the future. Keep in mind, many of these may add expense to the company, require plan changes, disrupt your fellow employees or all of the above. Safe Harbor Plan - If your employer changes your plan to a safe harbor plan, your company is considered exempt from nondiscrimination testing. There are three variations of a safe harbor plan but the most common version requires that an employer matches 100% of the first 3% and 50% of the next 2% of compensation employees contribute to the plan. It also requires that all safe harbor matching contributions be 100% vested. The good news is that as an employee, if you contribute 5%, you get a 4% match from the company that is 100% yours. The bad news, depending on the current match your employer provides and the vesting schedule, this is a very expensive way to fix a nondiscrimination testing problem. However, it is the only way to automatically pass the ADP portion of nondiscrimination testing every year which would allow HCEs to keep their 401(k) contributions in the plan. Increase participation and contribution rates - If your employer does not elect to make your plan a safe harbor plan, the next option is to increase the participation and contribution rates of the NHCEs. Historically this has been done through education meetings or lunch and learn presentations. More recently, employers have been adding plan features such as automatic enrollment. This means that either all new hires or all employees who are not currently making salary contributions are enrolled in the 401(k) plan at a designated percentage of their income; unless they opt out. Some employers will also pair this concept with annual automatic contribution increases. For example, if someone is automatically enrolled at 4%, their 401(k) contribution would increase by 1% every year they are employed until they hit a 10% contribution, or they choose to stop the automatic increases. What we have learned, is that about 90% of employees who are automatically enrolled in the plan will stay in the plan and have their contributions increased every year. This is a very effective option, but can be disruptive. While it may be a big help to improve nondiscrimination testing results, it does not guarantee your company will pass. Finally, keep in mind that if your company provides a matching contribution it will also increase their employer matching costs as more employees join the plan. Stretch The Match - If your employer offers a matching contribution, the way it is designed could impact testing. If your company match is currently 100% of the first 3% then many employees will only contribute 3% to the 401(k) plan. This is due to some rule of thumb guidance employees have heard over the years to save up to the amount their employer matches. You company could use conventional wisdom and research in behavioral finance to improve your testing results. If they rephrase the match to 50% of the first 6% it could improve testing results. The actual company contribution does not change (still a maximum of 3%), but now employees must contribute 6% to get the full match. As a result, many employees will raise their contribution to the new 6% target to get the full match. This strategy helps employees save more money towards their retirement, doesn't increase costs to the company and will likely improve nondiscrimination testing results. Cap HCE Contribution Rates - Another strategy your company may take is to set a cap on HCE contribution rates. Your employer should have the information on what your NHCEs have historically contributed to the plan. Some employers will cap the contributions of their HCEs so that they do not receive refunds or a return of contributions each year because of a failed nondiscrimination test. While this is an option, it does not guarantee they will pass the test. This strategy may also potentially mean that you are leaving money on the table that you could have kept in your 401(k) plan. Half of a percent difference, that might not sound like much. However, on a $150,000 salary, it is $750. If your company matches employee contributions that might be another $750 for a total of $1,500 in contributions. If that happens multiple times over the years and with some appreciation that could translate to tens of thousands of dollars. Testing Tricks A few simple things can help your companys nondiscrimination testing results and can help you keep more money into your 401(k). Some of these may already be happening behind the scenes, others may not. Catch-up contributions - For HCEs who are age 50 or older and contribute to the plan, and they fail nondiscrimination testing, a portion of their contributions may be recharacterized as catch-up contributions. For example, if an HCE who is catch-up eligible contributes $15,000 during the year with no contributions already being designated as catch-up, their 401(k) administrator may reclassify those contributions up to the catch-up limit ($6,500 for 2018) as a catch-up contribution. Then, in this example only the remaining $8,500 would count towards the ADP test. This then lowers the percentage of income that the employee contributed to the plan. It will also lower the average for the HCE group as a whole. In turn, it could help the plan pass testing or lower the overall return of excess contributions to HCEs in the plan. Remove Newly Hired - A 401(k) plan administrator may also remove people who have not met certain plan eligibility conditions to improve testing results, even if they were eligible for or participated in the plan during the year. Using certain testing methods, employees who have not worked a full year, have not met a plan entry date or are not 21 years old may be removed from the nondiscrimination test. The logic is that having fewer newly hired employees who generally participate at lower rates than employees who have been with the company longer is better. By removing them from the test, it could raise NHCE average contributions, close the gap between the HCEs and improve nondiscrimination testing results. Top Paid Group - If a large percentage of the employees at your company are considered HCEs, they may elect the Top Paid method to determine who the HCEs in your plan are. Under this option, instead of designating all employees who have gross compensation over the IRS income threshold as HCEs, only the top 20% earners in the company will be considered HCEs for testing purposes. This may be beneficial as it requires a lower percentage contribution for someone making a higher income to max out on their 401(k) contributions. For example, someone earning $250,000 only needs to contribute 7.6% of their salary to reach the $19,000 IRS maximum 401(k) contribution for 2019. While someone earring $120,000 must contribute 15.8% of their pay to "max out". By limiting the HCEs group to the Top Paid group, your company could improve testing results by taking advantage of the lower percentage of pay the highest earners contribute to hit the IRS maximums to close the gap with the NHCEs. Current vs. Prior Year - Finally, your employer also has the option to designate whether they will look at the NHCE contribution rates for the year prior when they perform nondiscrimination testing, or whether they will look at the NHCE rates in the current year. As we sit here in 2019, testing is being performed on the 2018 plan year. However, if your employer is using the prior year testing method, they are actually looking back to the 2017 plan year to see what NHCEs contributed to determine what HCEs may contribute in 2018. Employers who are capping HCE contributions generally rely on this strategy. However, if your employer has taken steps to add automatic enrollment or automatic increases they should consider current year testing to capture the benefits of those strategies in their testing results sooner. The 401(k) nondiscrimination testing process is complex and involves a lot of math. For your employer, the trick is to understand how the math works and get it to work in their favor. If you received a check this year due to failed nondiscrimination testing, express your concerns, ask good questions and engage in a thoughtful dialogue. Mention a few of the points above and see what else they have considered or explored to improve results now or in the past. Keep in mind, many plan changes that could improve nondiscrimination testing results may increase company expenses, require plan changes or disrupt employees. Who knows, you might walk away with a stronger appreciation for what your employer has already done to get the best possible testing outcome, or maybe they will explore a few of your ideas to improve results in the future. | Each year, 401(k) plans must perform nondiscrimination testing. If the IRS considers you a Highly Compensated Employee (HCE), you could be affected. The check you received is a mix of your contributions and any earnings (or losses) associated with your account for the year. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rickunser/2019/03/14/why-did-i-get-a-check-from-my-401k-plan/ | 0.300724 |
Who is Beto O'Rourke, the latest Democrat to enter the race for president? | After months of speculation, former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, hoping to rekindle the liberal enthusiasm around his enthusiastic but ultimately failed Senate bid in deep-red Texas in 2018. Along with mounting a formidable challenge to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last year, O'Rourke represented a majority Latino border district in the House of Representatives for three terms, served as a city councilman in El Paso for six years and was part of several rock bands as a young adult. Here's everything you need to know about the latest candidate to enter the crowded and diverse Democratic primary race: Biography O'Rourke was born and raised in the Texas border city of El Paso. Although his legal first name is Robert, he has been known as Beto, the nickname Spanish-speaking communities give names that end in "berto," like Roberto and Alberto, since childhood. He was an avid musician as a teenager and was part of various rock bands, including the El Paso-based punk group Foss after graduating from Columbia University in New York in 1995. O'Rouke's music career, however, was short-lived and he spent several years working in start-up companies and civic groups when he returned to El Paso from New York City. After working on several local political campaigns, O'Rourke ran for the El Paso City Council in 2005 and defeated a two-term incumbent. He served two terms in the council and spearheaded a controversial effort to revamp the city's downtown. In 2012, O'Rourke, who speaks fluent Spanish, announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary in the race to represent Texas 16th Congressional District, a Latino-majority district encompassing El Paso and the surrounding communities. He managed to topple eight-term incumbent Silvestre Reyes in the primary and defeated his Republican challenger in a landslide general election victory. While in Congress, the Texas Democrat compiled a moderate voting record during his three terms, where he served on the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees. On immigration, O'Rourke has been a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and but has shifted to a more progressive stance on the issue recently. In 2014, he called President Obama's executive action creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation "noble" but "hard to stomach" because he believed it bypassed Congress. He also backed Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan's leadership challenge against then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in 2016. O'Rourke launched a long-shot, insurgent campaign to oust Cruz in 2018. His robust Senate bid in Texas along with his Obama-esque oratory powers and social media dominance on the campaign trail catapulted him to national fame. Although he failed to unseat Cruz, O'Rourke shattered fundraising records, galvanized a broad electoral coalition in Texas, including the state's large and growing Latino community, and lost by less than three percentage points. No Democrat had come that close to winning a Senate race in Texas since 1988. Despite the loss, O'Rourke left many wondering if he would be running for president. Although he told "60 Minutes" shortly before the election that he was "completely ruling out" running for president for 2020, O'Rourke admitted shortly after the election that he had become open to the idea. Issues In his six years in Congress, O'Rourke supported the legalization of marijuana, investing in clean energy like solar and wind to combat climate change, more expansive gun control legislation, LGBT rights and had a pro-choice stance on abortion rights. He often called for improvements to the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature domestic policy achievement. During and after his Senate campaign, O'Rourke made immigration a central issue. He has routinely denounced the White House for its hardline immigration agenda, including the discontinued "zero tolerance" policy that led to the separation of thousands of migrant families near the U.S.-Mexico border. He also strongly supports legislation to put young undocumented immigrants, known as DREAMers, on a pathway to U.S. citizenship. During a fiery speech in El Paso last month where he drew sharp contrasts with President Trump's stringent policies and tough rhetoric on immigration, O'Rourke condemned Mr. Turmp's long-promised wall along the southwestern border. "We know that walls do not save lives. Walls end lives," he said in a border rally that competed with one of Mr. Trump's nearby rallies. "In the last 10 years, more than 4,000 children women and men have died trying to come to this country to work jobs that no one will take, to be with a family member, to flee horrific violence, brutality and death." Controversy In addition to the scrutiny O'Rourke will likely face for launching a presidential campaign a few months after losing a Senate race, the Texas Democrat can expect to be questioned by political rivals about his tenure in Congress and personal life. Although he had a generally liberal voting record in Congress, O'Rourke's progressive bona fides may come under scrutiny from the left. In the House, he was a member of the pro-business New Democrat Coalition and received donations from the oil industry, which will likely not bode well with progressives who are pressuring the Democratic Party to support more audacious efforts, like the "Green New Deal," to mitigate climate change. During his Senate campaign, O'Rourke refused to back "Medicare for all," a proposal many 2020 Democrats have vouched their support for. Some candidness may also follow the lead of O'Rourke previous political opponents and raise the issue of his arrest in the 1990s. In 1998, he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, but the charges were dismissed after he participated in a DWI program the following year. O'Rourke has apologized for the incident, but he was criticized last year for claiming he did not try to leave the scene after hitting a truck. The Houston Chronicle reported in August that witnesses told police he had attempted to leave the scene. What Trump says Mr. Trump has repeatedly mocked the speculation around an O'Rourke presidential campaign to challenge him in 2020, pointing to the Texas Democrat's unsuccessful Senate bid. "I thought you were supposed to win before you run for president," Mr. Trump told reporters in December. When the two men held dueling rallies to tout completely different immigration agendas last month, the president bragged his event drew a larger crowd and ridiculed O'Rourke's "great defeat" in November. "CBS This Morning" co-anchor Gayle King will speak with O'Rourke for his only national TV interview following his 2020 announcement, Friday on "CBS This Morning" with a preview airing on "CBS Evening News" Thursday night. | Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/beto-orourke-2020-the-contenders-political-party-views-stance-issues-age-candidate-for-president/ | 0.118895 |
Who is Beto O'Rourke, the latest Democrat to enter the race for president? | After months of speculation, former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, hoping to rekindle the liberal enthusiasm around his enthusiastic but ultimately failed Senate bid in deep-red Texas in 2018. Along with mounting a formidable challenge to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last year, O'Rourke represented a majority Latino border district in the House of Representatives for three terms, served as a city councilman in El Paso for six years and was part of several rock bands as a young adult. Here's everything you need to know about the latest candidate to enter the crowded and diverse Democratic primary race: Biography O'Rourke was born and raised in the Texas border city of El Paso. Although his legal first name is Robert, he has been known as Beto, the nickname Spanish-speaking communities give names that end in "berto," like Roberto and Alberto, since childhood. He was an avid musician as a teenager and was part of various rock bands, including the El Paso-based punk group Foss after graduating from Columbia University in New York in 1995. O'Rouke's music career, however, was short-lived and he spent several years working in start-up companies and civic groups when he returned to El Paso from New York City. After working on several local political campaigns, O'Rourke ran for the El Paso City Council in 2005 and defeated a two-term incumbent. He served two terms in the council and spearheaded a controversial effort to revamp the city's downtown. In 2012, O'Rourke, who speaks fluent Spanish, announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary in the race to represent Texas 16th Congressional District, a Latino-majority district encompassing El Paso and the surrounding communities. He managed to topple eight-term incumbent Silvestre Reyes in the primary and defeated his Republican challenger in a landslide general election victory. While in Congress, the Texas Democrat compiled a moderate voting record during his three terms, where he served on the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees. On immigration, O'Rourke has been a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and but has shifted to a more progressive stance on the issue recently. In 2014, he called President Obama's executive action creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation "noble" but "hard to stomach" because he believed it bypassed Congress. He also backed Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan's leadership challenge against then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in 2016. O'Rourke launched a long-shot, insurgent campaign to oust Cruz in 2018. His robust Senate bid in Texas along with his Obama-esque oratory powers and social media dominance on the campaign trail catapulted him to national fame. Although he failed to unseat Cruz, O'Rourke shattered fundraising records, galvanized a broad electoral coalition in Texas, including the state's large and growing Latino community, and lost by less than three percentage points. No Democrat had come that close to winning a Senate race in Texas since 1988. Despite the loss, O'Rourke left many wondering if he would be running for president. Although he told "60 Minutes" shortly before the election that he was "completely ruling out" running for president for 2020, O'Rourke admitted shortly after the election that he had become open to the idea. Issues In his six years in Congress, O'Rourke supported the legalization of marijuana, investing in clean energy like solar and wind to combat climate change, more expansive gun control legislation, LGBT rights and had a pro-choice stance on abortion rights. He often called for improvements to the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature domestic policy achievement. During and after his Senate campaign, O'Rourke made immigration a central issue. He has routinely denounced the White House for its hardline immigration agenda, including the discontinued "zero tolerance" policy that led to the separation of thousands of migrant families near the U.S.-Mexico border. He also strongly supports legislation to put young undocumented immigrants, known as DREAMers, on a pathway to U.S. citizenship. During a fiery speech in El Paso last month where he drew sharp contrasts with President Trump's stringent policies and tough rhetoric on immigration, O'Rourke condemned Mr. Turmp's long-promised wall along the southwestern border. "We know that walls do not save lives. Walls end lives," he said in a border rally that competed with one of Mr. Trump's nearby rallies. "In the last 10 years, more than 4,000 children women and men have died trying to come to this country to work jobs that no one will take, to be with a family member, to flee horrific violence, brutality and death." Controversy In addition to the scrutiny O'Rourke will likely face for launching a presidential campaign a few months after losing a Senate race, the Texas Democrat can expect to be questioned by political rivals about his tenure in Congress and personal life. Although he had a generally liberal voting record in Congress, O'Rourke's progressive bona fides may come under scrutiny from the left. In the House, he was a member of the pro-business New Democrat Coalition and received donations from the oil industry, which will likely not bode well with progressives who are pressuring the Democratic Party to support more audacious efforts, like the "Green New Deal," to mitigate climate change. During his Senate campaign, O'Rourke refused to back "Medicare for all," a proposal many 2020 Democrats have vouched their support for. Some candidness may also follow the lead of O'Rourke previous political opponents and raise the issue of his arrest in the 1990s. In 1998, he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, but the charges were dismissed after he participated in a DWI program the following year. O'Rourke has apologized for the incident, but he was criticized last year for claiming he did not try to leave the scene after hitting a truck. The Houston Chronicle reported in August that witnesses told police he had attempted to leave the scene. What Trump says Mr. Trump has repeatedly mocked the speculation around an O'Rourke presidential campaign to challenge him in 2020, pointing to the Texas Democrat's unsuccessful Senate bid. "I thought you were supposed to win before you run for president," Mr. Trump told reporters in December. When the two men held dueling rallies to tout completely different immigration agendas last month, the president bragged his event drew a larger crowd and ridiculed O'Rourke's "great defeat" in November. "CBS This Morning" co-anchor Gayle King will speak with O'Rourke for his only national TV interview following his 2020 announcement, Friday on "CBS This Morning" with a preview airing on "CBS Evening News" Thursday night. | Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso is the latest Democrat to enter the race for president. He is known as Beto, the nickname Spanish-speaking communities give him. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/beto-orourke-2020-the-contenders-political-party-views-stance-issues-age-candidate-for-president/ | 0.215928 |
Who is Beto O'Rourke, the latest Democrat to enter the race for president? | After months of speculation, former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, hoping to rekindle the liberal enthusiasm around his enthusiastic but ultimately failed Senate bid in deep-red Texas in 2018. Along with mounting a formidable challenge to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last year, O'Rourke represented a majority Latino border district in the House of Representatives for three terms, served as a city councilman in El Paso for six years and was part of several rock bands as a young adult. Here's everything you need to know about the latest candidate to enter the crowded and diverse Democratic primary race: Biography O'Rourke was born and raised in the Texas border city of El Paso. Although his legal first name is Robert, he has been known as Beto, the nickname Spanish-speaking communities give names that end in "berto," like Roberto and Alberto, since childhood. He was an avid musician as a teenager and was part of various rock bands, including the El Paso-based punk group Foss after graduating from Columbia University in New York in 1995. O'Rouke's music career, however, was short-lived and he spent several years working in start-up companies and civic groups when he returned to El Paso from New York City. After working on several local political campaigns, O'Rourke ran for the El Paso City Council in 2005 and defeated a two-term incumbent. He served two terms in the council and spearheaded a controversial effort to revamp the city's downtown. In 2012, O'Rourke, who speaks fluent Spanish, announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary in the race to represent Texas 16th Congressional District, a Latino-majority district encompassing El Paso and the surrounding communities. He managed to topple eight-term incumbent Silvestre Reyes in the primary and defeated his Republican challenger in a landslide general election victory. While in Congress, the Texas Democrat compiled a moderate voting record during his three terms, where he served on the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees. On immigration, O'Rourke has been a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and but has shifted to a more progressive stance on the issue recently. In 2014, he called President Obama's executive action creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation "noble" but "hard to stomach" because he believed it bypassed Congress. He also backed Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan's leadership challenge against then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in 2016. O'Rourke launched a long-shot, insurgent campaign to oust Cruz in 2018. His robust Senate bid in Texas along with his Obama-esque oratory powers and social media dominance on the campaign trail catapulted him to national fame. Although he failed to unseat Cruz, O'Rourke shattered fundraising records, galvanized a broad electoral coalition in Texas, including the state's large and growing Latino community, and lost by less than three percentage points. No Democrat had come that close to winning a Senate race in Texas since 1988. Despite the loss, O'Rourke left many wondering if he would be running for president. Although he told "60 Minutes" shortly before the election that he was "completely ruling out" running for president for 2020, O'Rourke admitted shortly after the election that he had become open to the idea. Issues In his six years in Congress, O'Rourke supported the legalization of marijuana, investing in clean energy like solar and wind to combat climate change, more expansive gun control legislation, LGBT rights and had a pro-choice stance on abortion rights. He often called for improvements to the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature domestic policy achievement. During and after his Senate campaign, O'Rourke made immigration a central issue. He has routinely denounced the White House for its hardline immigration agenda, including the discontinued "zero tolerance" policy that led to the separation of thousands of migrant families near the U.S.-Mexico border. He also strongly supports legislation to put young undocumented immigrants, known as DREAMers, on a pathway to U.S. citizenship. During a fiery speech in El Paso last month where he drew sharp contrasts with President Trump's stringent policies and tough rhetoric on immigration, O'Rourke condemned Mr. Turmp's long-promised wall along the southwestern border. "We know that walls do not save lives. Walls end lives," he said in a border rally that competed with one of Mr. Trump's nearby rallies. "In the last 10 years, more than 4,000 children women and men have died trying to come to this country to work jobs that no one will take, to be with a family member, to flee horrific violence, brutality and death." Controversy In addition to the scrutiny O'Rourke will likely face for launching a presidential campaign a few months after losing a Senate race, the Texas Democrat can expect to be questioned by political rivals about his tenure in Congress and personal life. Although he had a generally liberal voting record in Congress, O'Rourke's progressive bona fides may come under scrutiny from the left. In the House, he was a member of the pro-business New Democrat Coalition and received donations from the oil industry, which will likely not bode well with progressives who are pressuring the Democratic Party to support more audacious efforts, like the "Green New Deal," to mitigate climate change. During his Senate campaign, O'Rourke refused to back "Medicare for all," a proposal many 2020 Democrats have vouched their support for. Some candidness may also follow the lead of O'Rourke previous political opponents and raise the issue of his arrest in the 1990s. In 1998, he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, but the charges were dismissed after he participated in a DWI program the following year. O'Rourke has apologized for the incident, but he was criticized last year for claiming he did not try to leave the scene after hitting a truck. The Houston Chronicle reported in August that witnesses told police he had attempted to leave the scene. What Trump says Mr. Trump has repeatedly mocked the speculation around an O'Rourke presidential campaign to challenge him in 2020, pointing to the Texas Democrat's unsuccessful Senate bid. "I thought you were supposed to win before you run for president," Mr. Trump told reporters in December. When the two men held dueling rallies to tout completely different immigration agendas last month, the president bragged his event drew a larger crowd and ridiculed O'Rourke's "great defeat" in November. "CBS This Morning" co-anchor Gayle King will speak with O'Rourke for his only national TV interview following his 2020 announcement, Friday on "CBS This Morning" with a preview airing on "CBS Evening News" Thursday night. | Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso is the latest Democrat to enter the race for president. He is known as Beto, the nickname Spanish-speaking communities give him. He ran for Senate in 2018 but lost to Republican Ted Cruz. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/beto-orourke-2020-the-contenders-political-party-views-stance-issues-age-candidate-for-president/ | 0.328351 |
Can Detroit Pistons overcome Reggie Jackson injury in playoff push? | CLOSE The Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey and forward Blake Griffin talk about team's blowout loss at Miami on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press MIAMI Reggie Jackson grimaced as walked through the visitors locker room at American Airlines Arena late Wednesday night. The limp was pronounced although Jackson and Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey said the point guards right ankle would be fine. But with the games coming quickly and Pistons fans recalling previous struggles when point guards Jackson and Ish Smith missed significant time because of injuries, a small sense of panic has gripped the fan base especially the timing of two-straight blowout losses during a playoff push. Jackson re-injured the right ankle that forced him to miss 37 games last season in the fourth quarter of the Pistons 108-74 loss to the Miami Heat. Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) drives to the basket as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) defends during the second half at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports) Jackson suffered the injury when he rolled his ankle after stepping on Zaza Pachulias foot. He went down, clutching his ankle. He rose and struggled to the Pistons bench with his team trailing by 32 points. Pistons medical staff attended to Jackson, but he was escorted to the locker room. I stepped on Zazas foot. It just hurt, Jackson said. Ill be good. Im not worried about it. After he spoke with reporters, Jackson needed assistance to the shower. Toward the end of the media sessions in the locker room, Jackson was moving under his own power, but the limp was still very noticeable. With the game out of hand, Casey was asked his reasoning for leaving Jackson in the game. It was six minutes to go and I was ready to get him out and he turned his ankle that was the rationale, Casey said. I was about to get him out. He hadnt played very much. Its highly doubtful the injury is serious considering Jackson was walking without the aid of crutches. He wasnt receiving any extra attention. But the injury instantly reminds you of what happened to the Pistons last season when Jackson first hurt the ankle. The Pistons were 19-14 and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Jackson suffered a Grade 3 sprain against the Indiana Pacers on the day after Christmas, forcing him to miss the next 37 games. The Pistons went 12-25 and missed the playoffs. Its not a simple matter of just relying more on Smith. Smith missed 25 games earlier this season with a groin injury and the Pistons went 8-17. Jose Calderon was signed as insurance against Jacksons injury issues he missed the start of the 2016-17 season because of left knee tendinitis. But Calderon struggled mightily in Smiths absence so its not clear where Casey would turn. Veteran Isaiah Whitehead and Former Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas were signed to two-way contracts so Casey might bring one of the players up from Grand Rapids. The Pistons could also try Luke Kennard or rookie Bruce Brown. The Pistons (34-33) have 15 games remaining and are seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff chase four games clear of ninth-place Orlando just below the playoff cut line. Follow Vince Ellis on Twitter @vincent_ellis56. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter. | Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson re-injured right ankle. Pistons have lost two-straight games during a playoff push. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2019/03/14/detroit-pistons-reggie-jackson/3159496002/ | 0.421806 |
Can Detroit Pistons overcome Reggie Jackson injury in playoff push? | CLOSE The Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey and forward Blake Griffin talk about team's blowout loss at Miami on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press MIAMI Reggie Jackson grimaced as walked through the visitors locker room at American Airlines Arena late Wednesday night. The limp was pronounced although Jackson and Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey said the point guards right ankle would be fine. But with the games coming quickly and Pistons fans recalling previous struggles when point guards Jackson and Ish Smith missed significant time because of injuries, a small sense of panic has gripped the fan base especially the timing of two-straight blowout losses during a playoff push. Jackson re-injured the right ankle that forced him to miss 37 games last season in the fourth quarter of the Pistons 108-74 loss to the Miami Heat. Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) drives to the basket as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) defends during the second half at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports) Jackson suffered the injury when he rolled his ankle after stepping on Zaza Pachulias foot. He went down, clutching his ankle. He rose and struggled to the Pistons bench with his team trailing by 32 points. Pistons medical staff attended to Jackson, but he was escorted to the locker room. I stepped on Zazas foot. It just hurt, Jackson said. Ill be good. Im not worried about it. After he spoke with reporters, Jackson needed assistance to the shower. Toward the end of the media sessions in the locker room, Jackson was moving under his own power, but the limp was still very noticeable. With the game out of hand, Casey was asked his reasoning for leaving Jackson in the game. It was six minutes to go and I was ready to get him out and he turned his ankle that was the rationale, Casey said. I was about to get him out. He hadnt played very much. Its highly doubtful the injury is serious considering Jackson was walking without the aid of crutches. He wasnt receiving any extra attention. But the injury instantly reminds you of what happened to the Pistons last season when Jackson first hurt the ankle. The Pistons were 19-14 and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Jackson suffered a Grade 3 sprain against the Indiana Pacers on the day after Christmas, forcing him to miss the next 37 games. The Pistons went 12-25 and missed the playoffs. Its not a simple matter of just relying more on Smith. Smith missed 25 games earlier this season with a groin injury and the Pistons went 8-17. Jose Calderon was signed as insurance against Jacksons injury issues he missed the start of the 2016-17 season because of left knee tendinitis. But Calderon struggled mightily in Smiths absence so its not clear where Casey would turn. Veteran Isaiah Whitehead and Former Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas were signed to two-way contracts so Casey might bring one of the players up from Grand Rapids. The Pistons could also try Luke Kennard or rookie Bruce Brown. The Pistons (34-33) have 15 games remaining and are seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff chase four games clear of ninth-place Orlando just below the playoff cut line. Follow Vince Ellis on Twitter @vincent_ellis56. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter. | Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson re-injured his right ankle. The Pistons have lost two-straight games during a playoff push. Jackson missed 37 games last season with the same injury. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2019/03/14/detroit-pistons-reggie-jackson/3159496002/ | 0.488303 |
Can Detroit Pistons overcome Reggie Jackson injury in playoff push? | CLOSE The Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey and forward Blake Griffin talk about team's blowout loss at Miami on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press MIAMI Reggie Jackson grimaced as walked through the visitors locker room at American Airlines Arena late Wednesday night. The limp was pronounced although Jackson and Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey said the point guards right ankle would be fine. But with the games coming quickly and Pistons fans recalling previous struggles when point guards Jackson and Ish Smith missed significant time because of injuries, a small sense of panic has gripped the fan base especially the timing of two-straight blowout losses during a playoff push. Jackson re-injured the right ankle that forced him to miss 37 games last season in the fourth quarter of the Pistons 108-74 loss to the Miami Heat. Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) drives to the basket as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) defends during the second half at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports) Jackson suffered the injury when he rolled his ankle after stepping on Zaza Pachulias foot. He went down, clutching his ankle. He rose and struggled to the Pistons bench with his team trailing by 32 points. Pistons medical staff attended to Jackson, but he was escorted to the locker room. I stepped on Zazas foot. It just hurt, Jackson said. Ill be good. Im not worried about it. After he spoke with reporters, Jackson needed assistance to the shower. Toward the end of the media sessions in the locker room, Jackson was moving under his own power, but the limp was still very noticeable. With the game out of hand, Casey was asked his reasoning for leaving Jackson in the game. It was six minutes to go and I was ready to get him out and he turned his ankle that was the rationale, Casey said. I was about to get him out. He hadnt played very much. Its highly doubtful the injury is serious considering Jackson was walking without the aid of crutches. He wasnt receiving any extra attention. But the injury instantly reminds you of what happened to the Pistons last season when Jackson first hurt the ankle. The Pistons were 19-14 and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Jackson suffered a Grade 3 sprain against the Indiana Pacers on the day after Christmas, forcing him to miss the next 37 games. The Pistons went 12-25 and missed the playoffs. Its not a simple matter of just relying more on Smith. Smith missed 25 games earlier this season with a groin injury and the Pistons went 8-17. Jose Calderon was signed as insurance against Jacksons injury issues he missed the start of the 2016-17 season because of left knee tendinitis. But Calderon struggled mightily in Smiths absence so its not clear where Casey would turn. Veteran Isaiah Whitehead and Former Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas were signed to two-way contracts so Casey might bring one of the players up from Grand Rapids. The Pistons could also try Luke Kennard or rookie Bruce Brown. The Pistons (34-33) have 15 games remaining and are seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff chase four games clear of ninth-place Orlando just below the playoff cut line. Follow Vince Ellis on Twitter @vincent_ellis56. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter. | Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson re-injured his right ankle. The Pistons have lost two-straight games during a playoff push. Jackson missed 37 games last season because of the same injury. He says he's not worried about the ankle injury and that he'll be fine. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2019/03/14/detroit-pistons-reggie-jackson/3159496002/ | 0.525418 |
Do universities contribute enough to the UK economy? | Universities are set to be evaluated on how they boost the local economy, but not everyone is convinced by the metrics For Prof Dan Parsons, director of the energy and environment institute at Hull University, being based in one of the windiest areas in Britain is a major bonus. Its where hes set up a wind farm cluster called Aura, named after the Greek deity who could run as fast as the wind. Hes doubly fortunate because last week the government announced it would be investing in a major expansion of the offshore wind sector, in the hope that the renewable energy source will provide a third of Britains electricity by 2030. Parsonss team, just down the road from the worlds largest wind farm on the Humber Estuary, will be at the heart of it. 'Society has a duty to help poor students': university leaders on tuition fees Read more To make sure the university understands what the industry needs, Auras board brings together all the major business players with academic experts from Hull and elsewhere to identify gaps in research, innovation and skills. The new wind deal is set to triple jobs in this sector, with nearly 20,000 new highly skilled jobs by 2030. We will be crucial in meeting those skills needs, with courses including degree apprenticeships. Aura has been working to identify what sort of people are needed to drive this technology into the future, Parsons says. It is this sort of collaboration with business, and the way it powers the economy both locally and nationally, that the governments new knowledge exchange framework aims to reward within universities. But the arrival of the Kef, as the new framework is to be known, has been met privately with weariness by many academics, who say they are already under enough pressure to show they are offering value. Parsons is relaxed about the idea of more assessment, as long as it doesnt erode support for fundamental discovery science. Industry is all about immediate need. They are solving todays problems and they need it yesterday, he explains. But blue-skies research takes a long time and you go down cul-de-sacs. We need both. The Kef is about finding a middle ground. Research England, the government agency overseeing research funding, has set out how the new exercise which was first announced in October 2017 - might work. Universities have until 14 March to respond. Gordon Brady, business partnership manager at Bedfordshire University, welcomes the Kef because it will persuade academics to work with external companies. Academics who do that tend to be pretty successful, he adds. They bring in money and are promoted fast. But Brady is disappointed that the Kef isnt giving the sector the boost it needs. The perception is often that knowledge exchange is all about universities putting out clever new ideas into the world. But thats utter nonsense. The problems are out there in the real world, and there is nothing in the Kef that measures how many real world problems are brought into universities. He is not the only person worried about the metrics the Kef will use to rank universities. One problem is that knowledge exchange is such a broad concept: it could mean creating local jobs, using research to develop products, doing consultancy for companies or running a museum. Sarah Jackson, director of research, partnerships and innovation at Liverpool University, stresses that the Kef mustnt force universities to be all things to all people. It needs to celebrate specialisation and diversity, she says. Read more To deal with this huge diversity, the Kef will divide universities into eight clusters, or peer groups. Their performance will be benchmarked against an average for their cluster. Inevitably there has been debate about whether institutions are in the right cluster, but Jackson thinks the idea is workable. Her one concern is that the results shouldnt be hard for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to interpret; she thinks the Kef should show absolute scores as well as in relation to their cluster. Universities are also focusing on different aspects of the Kef. Prof Martin Jones, deputy vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University, says they are looking at ways to keep talented young people in the region. Hes currently seeking to emulate an innovative new postgraduate entrepreneurship programme at Falmouth University, funded by the European Union (EU). Launchpad offers small teams of graduate software engineers, digital creatives and business developers the chance to do a free masters in entrepreneurship, while setting up a new digital business solving a real-life business challenge. Jones says they are trying to challenge the idea that Staffordshire is just a place for low-skilled jobs: this is the famous Potteries, but the ceramics industry needs to move beyond plates to survive. Academics are helping to create advanced materials, from parts for jet engines to x-ray tubes, that will inject new life into the industry, and are training graduates with the skills needed to succeed the ageing workforce. All of this is core Kef activity, which can be assessed pretty easily. Mark Reed, chair of socio-technical innovation at Newcastle University, thinks the Kefs obsession with economic return is its greatest flaw. The problem is that when you focus on economic impact you narrow and instrumentalise what knowledge is for and what value means, he argues. Prof Reed believes research can enlighten people and change attitudes, which is something of real value but may be hard to measure. For instance, research showing the connectedness of different races and cultures has changed attitudes to racism and led to a reduction in hate speech on social media. The government is very good at evaluating the economic impact of proposed policies, but they are very poor at evaluating the social impact and that applies as much to the Kef, he says. [The Kef] will be a narrow and superficial vision of whats going on, but [it will be] numbers and thats what the government wants. Parsons is less cynical. There is real value for us as academics in really engaging and understanding how our work can make a difference. For many, the elephant in the room is the prime ministers impending review of post-18 education funding, which is expected to recommend a considerable cut to fees. Many vice-chancellors say that if there is no compensatory funding from government, knowledge exchange will be one of the areas cut. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, says: The smart lobbying position would be to say to government, We recognise that the political environment might mean lower fees, but either that has to mean less of what you care about, or you have to find new ways of leveraging funding to sustain those things. Hillman says that vice-chancellors are already discussing using the governments industrial strategy to lobby for extra support in this area, but they could also look to EU regional development funding. The Kef metrics could be one way of doing that. | Universities are set to be evaluated on how they boost the local economy. But not everyone is convinced by the metrics the Kef will use to rank universities. Some academics say they are already under enough pressure to show they are offering value to the UK economy, and need to find a middle ground. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/mar/14/do-universities-contribute-enough-to-the-uk-economy | 0.111893 |
Was Paul Manaforts sentence fair? | By Cait Bladt Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign manager, has been convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. Manafort was charged in both Virginia and Washington, D.C., with the Virginia sentence drawing widespread ire. Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Manafort to 47 months in prison, ignoring the recommendation of 19 to 24 years, which the judge said would be far too harsh a sentence. Manaforts sentence in Virginia was immediately criticized. However, Judge Ellis argued the recommended sentence was far too harsh considering Manaforts crimes and he was using his best judgment in the sentencing. Judge Elliss sentence set off a firestorm of criticism from commentators who complained it was overly lenient for a defendant who had orchestrated a multimillion-dollar fraud over a decade. Much of the legal world considered the sentencing guidelines in the Virginia case, which called for a prison term of 19 to 24 years, far too harsh. ...Instead, some predicted, she would most likely allow Mr. Manafort to serve his sentences simultaneously, which would cap his prison term at 10 years. What is happening today is not and cannot be a review and a revision by a sentence imposed by another court, Judge Jackson said on Wednesday, referring to the sentence Mr. Manafort received last week. Many felt that Manaforts crimes, including that he hid millions of dollars of income in overseas accounts and lied to banks to obtain millions more in loans and worked with foreign governments without disclosing his affiliation, indicated a persistent disregard for the law. Additionally, Manafort had originally agreed to work with Robert Muellers team, yet he lied to investigators and broke his plea deal. According to Vox, Mueller himself recommended a harsh sentence for Manafort. The special counsel did not recommend a specific sentence for Manafort, but as a ballpark, he said he agreed with the probation departments proposed guidelines for a sentence of at least 19 and a half years. Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars, Mueller wrote. The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct. Public figures and legal experts alike criticized the dramatically reduced sentence. Per the New York Times: ...Its atrociously low, said Barbara McQuade, a former United States attorney who teaches law at the University of Michigan and watched much of Mr. Manaforts trial over the summer. While many judges do sentence leniently in white-collar cases, she said, dropping all the way from 19 years to four years is absurd. Some were also quick to point out the dramatic disparity between Manafort's sentence and sentences regularly doled out to low-level criminals. Scott Hechinger, a lawyer and director of policy with the Brooklyn Defenders, listed several clients he personally worked with, as well as nationally known cases, where people had faced far harsher sentences for arguably much smaller crimes. While Hechinger did not argue for a harsher sentence for Manafort, he drew attention to the differences in the way the richest and poorest Americans are treated by the judiciary. For context on Manaforts 47 months in prison, my client yesterday was offered 36-72 months in prison for stealing $100 worth of quarters from a residential laundry room. Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) March 8, 2019 Judge Amy Berman Jackson, during Manaforts sentencing hearing in Washington, did not come out in full-throated support of Judge Ellis ruling. She did, however, agree with the judge that the recommended sentence was overly long. She also stated she would allow her sentence to run concurrently with the Virginia sentence, as the crimes were similar. Per the Washington Post: Jackson said Manaforts crimes were not just a failure to comply with some pesky regulations but lying to the American people and the American Congress. ... It is hard to overstate the number of lies and amount of money involved. His motivation, she added, was not to support a family, but to sustain a lifestyle that was ostentatiously opulent and extravagantly lavish more houses a family can enjoy, more suits than one man can wear. But she agreed with Judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria that sentencing guidelines in the case were excessive. She said that 30 months of her sentence must run concurrently to his Virginia term because the underlying conduct is the same. Promptly after receiving his sentence from Judge Jackson, Manafort was indicted on 16 counts by prosecutors in Manhattan. While Trump could pardon Manafort for the federal crimes he was just sentenced for, he would not be able to garner a presidential pardon for these new state charges. Those who are frustrated with Manaforts sentence now have another opportunity to see justice, as they see it, done. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Paulafort to 47 months in prison, ignoring the recommendation of 19 to 24 years. | bart | 0 | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/was-paul-manaforts-sentence-fair.html | 0.219369 |
Was Paul Manaforts sentence fair? | By Cait Bladt Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign manager, has been convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. Manafort was charged in both Virginia and Washington, D.C., with the Virginia sentence drawing widespread ire. Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Manafort to 47 months in prison, ignoring the recommendation of 19 to 24 years, which the judge said would be far too harsh a sentence. Manaforts sentence in Virginia was immediately criticized. However, Judge Ellis argued the recommended sentence was far too harsh considering Manaforts crimes and he was using his best judgment in the sentencing. Judge Elliss sentence set off a firestorm of criticism from commentators who complained it was overly lenient for a defendant who had orchestrated a multimillion-dollar fraud over a decade. Much of the legal world considered the sentencing guidelines in the Virginia case, which called for a prison term of 19 to 24 years, far too harsh. ...Instead, some predicted, she would most likely allow Mr. Manafort to serve his sentences simultaneously, which would cap his prison term at 10 years. What is happening today is not and cannot be a review and a revision by a sentence imposed by another court, Judge Jackson said on Wednesday, referring to the sentence Mr. Manafort received last week. Many felt that Manaforts crimes, including that he hid millions of dollars of income in overseas accounts and lied to banks to obtain millions more in loans and worked with foreign governments without disclosing his affiliation, indicated a persistent disregard for the law. Additionally, Manafort had originally agreed to work with Robert Muellers team, yet he lied to investigators and broke his plea deal. According to Vox, Mueller himself recommended a harsh sentence for Manafort. The special counsel did not recommend a specific sentence for Manafort, but as a ballpark, he said he agreed with the probation departments proposed guidelines for a sentence of at least 19 and a half years. Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars, Mueller wrote. The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct. Public figures and legal experts alike criticized the dramatically reduced sentence. Per the New York Times: ...Its atrociously low, said Barbara McQuade, a former United States attorney who teaches law at the University of Michigan and watched much of Mr. Manaforts trial over the summer. While many judges do sentence leniently in white-collar cases, she said, dropping all the way from 19 years to four years is absurd. Some were also quick to point out the dramatic disparity between Manafort's sentence and sentences regularly doled out to low-level criminals. Scott Hechinger, a lawyer and director of policy with the Brooklyn Defenders, listed several clients he personally worked with, as well as nationally known cases, where people had faced far harsher sentences for arguably much smaller crimes. While Hechinger did not argue for a harsher sentence for Manafort, he drew attention to the differences in the way the richest and poorest Americans are treated by the judiciary. For context on Manaforts 47 months in prison, my client yesterday was offered 36-72 months in prison for stealing $100 worth of quarters from a residential laundry room. Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) March 8, 2019 Judge Amy Berman Jackson, during Manaforts sentencing hearing in Washington, did not come out in full-throated support of Judge Ellis ruling. She did, however, agree with the judge that the recommended sentence was overly long. She also stated she would allow her sentence to run concurrently with the Virginia sentence, as the crimes were similar. Per the Washington Post: Jackson said Manaforts crimes were not just a failure to comply with some pesky regulations but lying to the American people and the American Congress. ... It is hard to overstate the number of lies and amount of money involved. His motivation, she added, was not to support a family, but to sustain a lifestyle that was ostentatiously opulent and extravagantly lavish more houses a family can enjoy, more suits than one man can wear. But she agreed with Judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria that sentencing guidelines in the case were excessive. She said that 30 months of her sentence must run concurrently to his Virginia term because the underlying conduct is the same. Promptly after receiving his sentence from Judge Jackson, Manafort was indicted on 16 counts by prosecutors in Manhattan. While Trump could pardon Manafort for the federal crimes he was just sentenced for, he would not be able to garner a presidential pardon for these new state charges. Those who are frustrated with Manaforts sentence now have another opportunity to see justice, as they see it, done. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Paulafort to 47 months in prison, ignoring the recommendation of 19 to 24 years, which the judge said would be far too harsh a sentence. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/was-paul-manaforts-sentence-fair.html | 0.329704 |
Was Paul Manaforts sentence fair? | By Cait Bladt Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign manager, has been convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. Manafort was charged in both Virginia and Washington, D.C., with the Virginia sentence drawing widespread ire. Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Manafort to 47 months in prison, ignoring the recommendation of 19 to 24 years, which the judge said would be far too harsh a sentence. Manaforts sentence in Virginia was immediately criticized. However, Judge Ellis argued the recommended sentence was far too harsh considering Manaforts crimes and he was using his best judgment in the sentencing. Judge Elliss sentence set off a firestorm of criticism from commentators who complained it was overly lenient for a defendant who had orchestrated a multimillion-dollar fraud over a decade. Much of the legal world considered the sentencing guidelines in the Virginia case, which called for a prison term of 19 to 24 years, far too harsh. ...Instead, some predicted, she would most likely allow Mr. Manafort to serve his sentences simultaneously, which would cap his prison term at 10 years. What is happening today is not and cannot be a review and a revision by a sentence imposed by another court, Judge Jackson said on Wednesday, referring to the sentence Mr. Manafort received last week. Many felt that Manaforts crimes, including that he hid millions of dollars of income in overseas accounts and lied to banks to obtain millions more in loans and worked with foreign governments without disclosing his affiliation, indicated a persistent disregard for the law. Additionally, Manafort had originally agreed to work with Robert Muellers team, yet he lied to investigators and broke his plea deal. According to Vox, Mueller himself recommended a harsh sentence for Manafort. The special counsel did not recommend a specific sentence for Manafort, but as a ballpark, he said he agreed with the probation departments proposed guidelines for a sentence of at least 19 and a half years. Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars, Mueller wrote. The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct. Public figures and legal experts alike criticized the dramatically reduced sentence. Per the New York Times: ...Its atrociously low, said Barbara McQuade, a former United States attorney who teaches law at the University of Michigan and watched much of Mr. Manaforts trial over the summer. While many judges do sentence leniently in white-collar cases, she said, dropping all the way from 19 years to four years is absurd. Some were also quick to point out the dramatic disparity between Manafort's sentence and sentences regularly doled out to low-level criminals. Scott Hechinger, a lawyer and director of policy with the Brooklyn Defenders, listed several clients he personally worked with, as well as nationally known cases, where people had faced far harsher sentences for arguably much smaller crimes. While Hechinger did not argue for a harsher sentence for Manafort, he drew attention to the differences in the way the richest and poorest Americans are treated by the judiciary. For context on Manaforts 47 months in prison, my client yesterday was offered 36-72 months in prison for stealing $100 worth of quarters from a residential laundry room. Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) March 8, 2019 Judge Amy Berman Jackson, during Manaforts sentencing hearing in Washington, did not come out in full-throated support of Judge Ellis ruling. She did, however, agree with the judge that the recommended sentence was overly long. She also stated she would allow her sentence to run concurrently with the Virginia sentence, as the crimes were similar. Per the Washington Post: Jackson said Manaforts crimes were not just a failure to comply with some pesky regulations but lying to the American people and the American Congress. ... It is hard to overstate the number of lies and amount of money involved. His motivation, she added, was not to support a family, but to sustain a lifestyle that was ostentatiously opulent and extravagantly lavish more houses a family can enjoy, more suits than one man can wear. But she agreed with Judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria that sentencing guidelines in the case were excessive. She said that 30 months of her sentence must run concurrently to his Virginia term because the underlying conduct is the same. Promptly after receiving his sentence from Judge Jackson, Manafort was indicted on 16 counts by prosecutors in Manhattan. While Trump could pardon Manafort for the federal crimes he was just sentenced for, he would not be able to garner a presidential pardon for these new state charges. Those who are frustrated with Manaforts sentence now have another opportunity to see justice, as they see it, done. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | Paul was convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion. Judge T.S. Ellis III sentenced Paul to 47 months in prison, ignoring the recommendation of 19 to 24 years, which the judge said would be far too harsh a sentence. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/was-paul-manaforts-sentence-fair.html | 0.370821 |
What Happened to Wisconsin? | On election night last fall, I found myself staying up past midnight, even though it was clear by then that the Democrats had taken back the House of Representatives. I wanted to find out who had won the closely contested governors race in Wisconsin between two-term incumbent Scott Walker and his Democratic challenger, Tony Evers. Walker had not been just any Republican governor: During his time in office, the stateand much of the regionhad adopted the agenda of the Republican far right. Although you could find right-to-work and voter-ID laws in the South when Walker was elected in 2011, such policies had yet to spread to the industrial Midwest. Under Walker and his Republican legislature, they took firm root in Wisconsin, and other Midwestern statesincluding Michigan and Indianafollowed Walkers lead. Even in Illinois, the Republican governor attempted to pressure the Democratic-controlled legislature to enact anti-union measures. Ad Policy Books in Review The Fall of Wisconsin: The Conservative Conquest of a Progressive Bastion and the Future of American Politics By Dan Kaufman Buy this book In The Fall of Wisconsin, Dan Kaufman, a journalist and Wisconsin native, offers an account of how his state went from a pioneering beacon of progressive, democratic politics to the embodiment of that legacys national unraveling. Kaufman blames this transformationwhich culminated in Donald Trump winning the state in 2016on powerful conservative donors and organizations across the country [that] had Wisconsin in their sights. helping Governor Scott Walker and his allies systematically change the states political culture. Kaufmans book is a valuable contribution toward understanding Wisconsins politics today. He shows how Walkers rise was due in part to Milwaukees far-right and anti-labor Bradley Foundation, and he also profiles the leading Democratic opponents in the state. But Kaufman doesnt explore in any depth why voters supported Walker and the Republicanssomething that Katherine J. Cramer did in her book The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker. Kaufman interviews Cramer, but he suggests that the origins of the rural resentment she observed might be found in the deliberate agitation by conservative leaders as well as the dark money pouring into the state from powerful right-wing donors like the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). In doing so, Kaufman misses the deeper roots of Wisconsins conservative turn. Long before Walkers arrival, the state had ceased to be unabashedly progressive. Walker did not push Wisconsin from left to right, but from center-right to further rightand while the network of conservative donors played a role, they were simply appealing to sentiments that already existed among many of the states voters. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Wisconsin was indeed a beacon of progressivism and grassroots democracy. In 1854, anti-slavery Whigs, Free Soilers, and Democrats founded the Republican Party at a meeting in the small town of Ripon, Wisconsin. After the Civil War, Wisconsin farmers, organized in the Grange, battled price-gouging by the railroads. In the early 20th century, the University of Wisconsin fostered the use of social science to develop government reforms that would alleviate the ills of industrial capitalism. The universitys role in aiding the state government was called the Wisconsin Idea, and its economics department, led by Richard Ely and John Commons, helped create a brain trust for state legislators. Beginning with the election of progressive Republican Robert La Follette as governor in 1900, Wisconsin also became a center of state-based progressive-policy experiments, enacting a spate of reforms that included the nations first workers compensation act, bills limiting work hours for children and women, industrial health and safety legislation, and a state income tax. The city of Milwaukee, in particular, became a hotbed of sewer socialism, with the Socialist Party successfully sending a candidate to Congress in 1918 and Socialists ruling the municipality for almost half a century. But Wisconsins leading role in American progressivism began to falter in the late 1930s. In 1938, Philip La Follette, Roberts son, was ousted as governor; in 1944, the state voted for the Republican presidential candidate, Thomas Dewey, over Franklin Roosevelt; and in 1946, Robert Jr., La Follettes other son, lost his seat in the US Senate to anti-labor upstart (and later notorious red-baiter) Joseph McCarthy. After World War II, most of the states Republican progressives became Democrats instead. From that point to the present, Democratic presidential candidates won Wisconsins electoral votes 10 times. But Republicans won them eight times, held the states governorship for 47 of the next 73 years, andin line with the national partymoved ever farther to the right. Having once dominated the state, progressives were now concentrated in the industrial and heavily unionized southeastern cities, including Milwaukee, Racine, and Madison, and in the northern farm communities that had been largely settled by Scandinavians; the Republicans held much of the rest of the state, including the white-collar suburbs around Milwaukee and the farming towns of southern and central Wisconsin, which had been largely settled by Germans. Democrats had the support of the growing black population in Wisconsins industrial cities, but the rise of the civil-rights movement sparked a powerful backlash among some white voters, who abandoned the party. In the 1964 Democratic presidential primary, the segregationist candidate George Wallace won 25 percent of the vote statewide and 31 percent in Milwaukee. Current Issue View our current issue Changing economic conditions also pushed the state and its voters to the right. During the 198182 recession, much of Wisconsins industry began closing down, diminishing organized labors power in the state. Blue-collar whites, who had already begun to move rightward in response to the civil-rights movement, continued to migrate to the suburbs and small towns, making these areas even more Republican. Democrats became heavily dependent on liberal Madison and the surrounding Dane County, which continued to grow, and on Milwaukee. By the 1980s and 90s, La Follettes Wisconsin was looking more like conservative Ohio or Missouri (with their sharp demarcations between the segregated inner cities and suburbs) than Illinois or Minnesota. Democrats, drawing votes from Madison and Milwaukee, found themselves increasingly isolated as the rest of the statethe suburbs, small towns, and rural areasbecame predominantly Republican. Scott Walker was able to exploit these divisions. The son of a Baptist preacher from Colorado, he attended (but did not graduate from) Marquette University in Milwaukee. He was elected to the state assembly from a Milwaukee suburb in 1992. Unlike Tommy Thompson, the states longtime Republican governor, or former senator Bob Kasten, Walker was not a typical pro-business Republican. Instead, he emerged from the Republican new right that had been forged in the 90s by firebrand congressman (and future House speaker) Newt Gingrich and political strategist Grover Norquist. He was also more attuned to the partys religious right and less amenable to compromising with the Democrats. This younger, more intransigent right embraced Norquists program of defunding its opponents, a hallmark of which was the attempt to cripple the political power of public-employee unions like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association. As Kaufman recounts, Walker was an early recruit to the American Legislative Exchange Council, which drafted legislation meant to weaken unions and discourage Democratic voters. Related Article A Starting Point for Politics Bruce Robbins Walkers political rise was also partly due to good luck. In 2002, he ran for Milwaukee County executive on the heels of a pension scandal that doomed the Democratic incumbent. In 2010, he ran for governor in the wake of another scandal that discredited the Democratic incumbent, Jim Doyle, and after an enormous loss of jobs in the state caused by the Great Recession, which voters blamed on Doyle and on President Obama. But according to Kaufman, Walker also benefited from the financial support of Charles and David Koch, who contributed more than $40,000 to his race, and from the support of the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity. Once in office, and with a Republican majority in the state assembly and senate, Walker set out uncompromisingly to enact the agenda that the new right had devised over the prior two decades. In early 2011, over massive protests from public employees and their supporters, Walker got the state legislature to pass Act 10, which drastically limited collective bargaining for public employees, made union dues voluntary, and forced the unions to seek recertification every year. Walker won support for Act 10, in part, by dividing Wisconsins working class, drawing on the perception that public workers had gotten off easy during the recession thanks to their generous contracts, even as other workers had suffered. The measure led to a sharp decline in public-union membership in the state: AFSCME lost two-thirds of its rank and file, and the Wisconsin teachers union went from 98,000 to 36,000 members. That same year, Walker and the legislature also adopted a law that required voters to show a photo ID at the polls and to verify their current address. (A University of Wisconsin study found that, in 2016, nearly 17,000 residents of Dane and Milwaukee counties were discouraged by the law from voting.) Democrats fought back, but their efforts were mostly ineffective. In 2012, the party and the unions launched a recall vote to force Walker from office. Kaufman blames a Koch-funded group and its $400,000 contribution for the recall efforts defeat. The group ran ads arguing that removing Walker over a piece of legislation wasnt the Wisconsin way. Exit polls suggested that the ads struck a chord with voters: When asked, Do you think recall elections are appropriate only for official misconduct?, 60 percent of the voters agreed and only 37 percent disagreed. After Walker won a second term in 2014when he received a third of the union votehis assault on organized labor continued, including a right-to-work law barring union contracts that required workers to belong to the union. While dark money was a factor in Walkers re-election, his win was also part of the Republican wave that swept over many states in 2014 and had begun building after the disastrous rollout of the Affordable Care Actbetter known as Obamacare a year before. That wave carried other Wisconsin Republicans to victory as well. Kaufman, whose book appeared before the midterm elections last year, took Trumps 2016 victory in Wisconsin as the culmination of the states fall from progressivismbut in retrospect, Trumps victory may have paved the way for Walkers defeat in 2018. Trump won the state by breaking somewhat with the pattern of Walker and previous Republican presidential candidates: He carried the northern and central counties that had backed Obama in 2008 and 2012, but he did worse than Walker or Obamas 2012 challenger, Mitt Romney, in the wealthy suburbs outside Milwaukee. In the 2016 presidential race, Hillary Clintonwho didnt even visit Wisconsin during the general-election campaignlost because she failed to turn out the Democratic vote in Dane County and Milwaukee and failed to take advantage of Trumps unpopularity in the suburbs. In many ways, Clinton lost the state more than Trump won it. In the 2018 races, the Democrats, with Trumps assistance, nationalized many of the Senate, House, and gubernatorial seats, and this time, they were able to turn out their base in Wisconsin as well, taking advantage of the growing disillusion with Trump among college-educated suburban votersparticularly women. Thus, as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, Democratic challenger Tony Evers did better than Walkers prior opponents in the wealthy suburbs and also got out the vote in Dane County and Milwaukee, while Walker did better than before in the small, erstwhile Democratic counties that Trump had won in 2016. The 2018 gubernatorial election proved to be a rerun of the 2016 presidential contestonly this time the Democrat ran a much better race. The contrasts between the 2014 and 2018 results are even more telling. In 2014, Walker defeated Democrat Mary Burke, 53 to 46 percent, among white college-educated voters; in 2018, he lost among the same voters by 52 to 47 percent. (Among white college-educated women in particular, Evers won by 60 to 39 percent.) In 2014, Walker narrowly lost the 18-to-29-year-old vote, 51 to 47 percent; four years later, he lost by a much wider margin, 60 to 37 percent. Walker got most of the Trump vote, but in an election where a significant part of the electorate had been alienated by Trump, an identification with the president insured Walkers defeat. The results of the 2018 midterms do not necessarily mean that the state is shifting back to its older, more progressive roots. While the voters dissatisfaction with Trump benefited Evers, as well as Senator Tammy Baldwin (who won re-election easily, in part by dramatically increasing her support in Milwaukees upscale Republican suburbs) and state attorney-general candidate Josh Kaul, that dissatisfaction did not carry over to the congressional or state legislative races. Republicans continue to hold a five-to-three edge in Wisconsins US House seats as well as a majority in both the state assembly and senate. (They even gained a seat in the latter.) And so the battle continues. The election of Evers and Kaul will certainly benefit the Democrats, but even before they took office, the Republican-controlled legislature passed, and Walker signed, bills that will limit the ability of Evers to appoint regulatory officials and of Kaul to challenge Republican legislation; the bills also codified the Republican restrictions on early voting, which have since been struck down by a federal judge. Democrats, as a result, are taking these battles to court. There is already one lawsuit against Republican redistricting, which allowed the GOP to carry the states assembly races even though Democrats received 54 percent of the popular vote; and there are already four lawsuits against the bills that Walker signed in December. Wisconsin has, perhaps, halted the rightward lurch that occurred under its former Republican governor. But over the next several years, the state will remain up for grabs. Its very likely that a reasonably popular Democrat, running against Trump in 2020, could carry the state simply on the basis of suburban anti-Trump voters. But in 2022, control of the state could well shift back to center-right Republicans. Wisconsins long-term fate will depend partly on how the parties position themselves: whether Democrats can follow Baldwins lead and speak to the small towns as well as the metropolitan areas, and whether Republicans can escape the shadow of Trumps unpopularity. But it will also depend on how the state develops economically. If Madisons Dane County continues to grow, and if Milwaukee revives economically and develops a more symbiotic relationship with its suburbs, then the Democrats are likely to benefitand the state itself may recapture some of the past progressive glory that Kaufman describes in his well-written book. | Dan Kaufman: Wisconsin has gone from a progressive bastion to a conservative bastion. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.thenation.com/article/what-happened-to-wisconsin-dan-kaufman-review/ | 0.208233 |
Was The Facebook Outage A Cyber-Attack? | Yesterday, at about 11am EST, a hashtag started trending on Twitter: #Facebookdown. The social media site and its sister, Instagram, were suffering an outage. Some users werent able to log in to their accounts at all while others were experiencing limited functionality. It was the worst disruption to the platform since 2008 when Facebook user numbers were 150 million - compared with 2.3bn monthly users currently on the social network. During and after the outage, speculation was rife about a cyber-attack. After all, the social network has had a bad year that has seen it be a victim of several successful hacks and data leaks. Much of the speculation centres around whether Facebook could have been the victim of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, where a website is taken online because an attacker is flooding it with traffic. Facebook strongly denies this. What we know so far Facebook has responded. A spokesperson told me: "Were aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the Facebook family of apps. We're focused on working to resolve the issue as soon as possible, but can confirm the issue is not related to a DDoS attack." Suggestions range from a simple misconfiguration error, to a planned cyber-attack by a malicious actor. The case for Only time will tell the real reason for the outage, but experts dont dismiss the idea that a malicious actor could be at fault. Despite initial reports that the issues at Facebook and Instagram have been caused by an overloaded data server, there is still every possibility that these outages could be the result of malicious actors, says Dr Max Eiza, lecturer in computing at the University of Central Lancashire. Dr Eiza points out that it has previously taken weeks for tech giants to own up to the fact that system outages have been the result of DoS attacks (something which Facebook strongly denies). However, says Dr Eiza, until a full investigation has been conducted, its impossible to rule this out. And even if this issue is the result of internal failures, Dr Eiza warns that there is still a chance that malicious actors could have seized this downtime to get hold of data. Theres every possibility that the data of Facebook and Instagram users could be at risk. Edward Whittingham - a former police officer and qualified solicitor, who is now the MD of The Defence Works - is yet to be convinced by Facebooks denial. Facebook have flat out denied that their outage could be caused by a distributed denial of service attack but Im yet to be convinced especially given their very vague explanations, he says. Indeed, Whittingham says the outage has all of the hallmarks of a DDoS attack, given that the sole purpose of these types of attacks is to bring down entire websites. However, he also points out that Facebook should be well guarded against these types of attacks. They will use such incredibly huge volumes of bandwidth its perhaps difficult to see how they couldnt absorb even a monumental DDoS attack." He also questions what else could be lurking behind the scenes. I suspect that this could well be an internal issue but, in the absence of any other evidence, whos to say this internal issue wasnt caused by some sort of attack whether it be phishing, social engineering or otherwise. If it was a cyber-attack, there are a number of potential threat actors who could be responsible, Dr Guy Bunker, CTO at Clearswift says, including nation-states or a group sponsored by a nation-state. There has been a lot of media attention on Facebook (and others) over their influence in politics with voting. Taking down the Facebook network shows just who is in control and in this case, it isnt Facebook. However, there is no (current) sign that this was a cyber-attack, he points out. Christopher Moses, director intelligence and investigations at Blackstone Consultancy says the chance that it suffered a massive DDoS is remote but not impossible. He adds: Unfortunately, it is far too early to say, so conspiracy theorists can stand down for the moment and I suspect that Facebooks PR machine is kicking into overdrive to minimise the affect of the outage. The case against Its not a surprise that speculation is rampant about a security issue, given Facebooks previous track record. But Tim Mackey, senior technical evangelist at Synopsys suspects the real reason will be more mundane. Among the reasons for the outage, he suggests: Perhaps a misconfiguration of some software, perhaps a hardware issue, or maybe simply a software update gone wrong are far more likely causes. Dr Bunker says the outage it is far more likely to be a mistake by someone - an administrator for example- inside the organization. Someone made a configuration change which ended up having a knock-on effect, which in turn took down the systems. Alternatively, he suggests it could have also been a reaction to something seen, such as someone attempting to breach the network where the decision was that it was better to take the network down to resolve the issue rather than have a potential breach. He explains: These days networks are sufficiently complex that segregation is so difficult - particularly large cloud applications - that it becomes easier to shut everything down than run the risk of something getting in and infecting the entire network. The outage will likely end up being an issue with either internal IT infrastructure or a network suppliers connectivity, says Naaman Hart, cloud services security architect at Digital Guardian. He also questions why a service as large and public as Facebook isnt fault tolerant. If every other service in the region were down, fair enough, but this looks like it just impacts Facebook and its child entities. To conclude Of course, its impossible to answer the question definitively. But whats always important in cases such as these is transparency. Facebook has been shady in the past with multiple accusations that it is abusing user data. Its therefore important that it does update users with the reason for the outage, with specifics, as soon as it has completed its investigation. I do hope that Facebook follows radical transparency and details the real cause of this outage, says Mackey. Doing so would go a long way in communicating that privacy can continue to be trusted on their platform. It would also provide other organizations with information they can use to avoid a similar situation and improve our collective security online. | The social media site and its sister, Instagram, were suffering an outage. Some users werent able to log in to their accounts at all. It was the worst disruption to the platform since 2008. Speculation was rife about a cyber-attack. Facebook strongly denies this. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2019/03/14/was-the-facebook-outage-a-cyber-attack/ | 0.266274 |
What Does Meghan Markle Do With All Her Royal Baby Gifts? | With Meghan Markles due date for her royal baby coming up this spring, friends of the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry and well-wishers alike will be ready to shower her with baby gifts. Already, Markle has celebrated her impending motherhood with a weekend of festivities in Manhattan with celebrity friends like Serena Williams and Amal Clooney. Shell further be fted back in the U.K. with her sister-in-law Kate Middleton. And when the baby is born this season even more of her friends and fans will want to support the new addition to the family. Heres what to know about the gifts she will receive. Theres no official royal prohibition against members of the royal family receiving gifts from their friends or family members, says royals history author Leslie Carroll. If Serena or Amal want to give Meghan a cute little onesie for the baby, thats not a crime. Tennis star Williams and lawyer Clooney helped organize Markles Manhattan baby shower in February, reportedly arranging for the penthouse suite location where the party was held. And while we dont know exactly what presents were bestowed on Markle at that time, the experts have some guesses. They bought her things that would be sweet and sentimental and personal, Carroll suggests. Markle was spotted wearing one gift, a gold nameplate necklace with the term Mummy, while she was in New York at the time of the shower. But for the rest of us who arent part of Markles inner circle, its best to hold off on sending a gift entirely. As CNN royals commentator Victoria Arbiter explains, the royals cannot accept any unsolicited gifts sent their way. If theres a return address on the package, the mail room staff will promptly send it back with a note probably not from Harry and Meghan, but from the office, Arbiter further clarifies. If theres no return address, it will get donated to local hospitals or charities; Kate Middleton has followed the same protocol when her children were born. The royal mail room, you can imagine, is pretty intense, Arbiter says, with security always an important element for the safety of public figures like the royals. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Forget about it. If theyre sent from a company, they will definitely be sent back [or donated], because the royals dont want to be walking billboards, Arbiter says of any brand hoping to take advantage of Markles influential status. One thing the royals always accept: regular mail. If people send cards congratulating them on the baby, they will get a reply at some stage. It may take some time, but they will get a reply, and its a nice way to show their appreciation, Arbiter explains. At Markles royal wedding with Prince Harry, the pair asked well-wishers to consider donating to their favorite charities, but in this case theyre more likely to simply accept congratulations in the form of notes. If people wanted to do something, that would be a nice gesture. Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com. | Meghan Markle's due date for her royal baby is this spring. Her friends and well-wishers will be ready to shower her with gifts. The royals cannot accept any unsolicited gifts sent their way. If theres no return address, it will get donated to local hospitals or charities. | bart | 2 | http://time.com/5549282/meghan-markle-baby-gifts/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29 | 0.291761 |
Is Spanish Oaks the priciest neighborhood in Austin area? | Every year since 2005, the Spanish Oaks neighborhood near Bee Cave has had a median home value of about $1.6 million, making it the priciest in the greater Austin metro area, brokers and developers with Spanish Oaks Realty said. In a recent review of the neighborhood's housing market, Spanish Oaks Realty found that while real estate site Trulia announced in November that Barton Creek was Austin's first official million-dollar neighborhood, it believes the title belongs to Spanish Oaks. Doug Land, broker associate for Sotheby's International Realty, said the designation is dependent on how Austin is defined. Spanish Oaks lies in the Bee Cave extraterritorial jurisdiction, making it Bee Cave's priciest neighborhood, but if if you consider the greater Austin metropolitan area as a whole, he said, Spanish Oaks would definitely compete with Barton Creek for the priciest. The 900-acre, 485-home development in western Travis County is just outside the Bee Cave city limits overlooking the Texas Hill Country. The property features a 24-hour manned security checkpoint, a community swimming pool, golf course, tennis courts, five miles of hike-and-bike trails and a catch-and-release fishing pond. The average lot size comes in at just over an acre with the minimum square footage in the neighborhood for single-family homes at 2,500 square feet and an average of about 5,000 square feet. The custom-built homes feature a variety of styles, from Texas Tuscan to Mediterranean to Hill Country Contemporary, and range from $900,000 to more than $4 million. Among the priciest homes availble is a 7,528-square-foot home on Laceback Terrace, built by Dick Clark and Associates. Listed at $5.975 million it features five bedrooms, 6 baths, two two-car garages, a pool, an outdoor kitchen, an attached guest house and a fireplace. Scott Michaels, a broker with Spanish Oaks Realty, said the 20-year-old neighborhood is about 85 percent built out with about 365 homes. The Hillside is the last section available for home buyers, featuring about 64 lots on about 83 acres of land overlooking the property's golf course, he said. Michaels said the construction of roads and utilities is expected to be complete and ready for purchase in November. He said home sites in the Hillside range in size from about .28 acres to 1.61 acres, and are priced from $600,000 to $1.75 million. RELATED: Bee Cave council approves Hillside at Spanish Oaks subdivision It's a great location and it's beautiful out here, Michaels said. Its definitely got a lot of things going for it. One of the major drivers for homeowners, he said, is the security. The privacy and security you really get from Spanish Oaks is another level that people don't expect, Michaels said. Its just that comfort knowing that they're (security guards) there. The Lake Travis school district is also a major driving force of homeowners in the Spanish Oaks neighborhood, he said. Sports is a big deal, Michaels said. The football team has been successful for several years, basketball is competitive, baseball is ranked in the top five in nation. It's a big motivator for people to move to this area both from an educational and athletic standpoint. Michaels said the attraction also has to do with the proximity to Austin and to Lake Travis. Bee Cave also brings a number of amenities as it has grown out. You feel like youre in the Hill Country but you have all the conveniences of shopping, restaurants and everything at the Galleria, Michaels said. Over the next several years, residents of Spanish Oaks will also welcome the amenities of the Village at Spanish Oaks, an 80-acre community that is expected to include retail, office and restaurant space, a plaza, an inn and residential spaces. RELATED: Village at Spanish Oaks to bring residential, retail, office, dining Land said that while Spanish Oaks is a popular neighborhood for homeowners, the Lake Travis area continues to be a popular place to live. Over the past few years, Land said, the Lake Travis area has averaged between 600 to 800 new homes each year, and about 1,700 homes were sold in the area in 2018. We still have land available for developers, Land said. We will continue to see more construction for years to come, and people like new. | The Spanish Oaks neighborhood near Bee Cave has had a median home value of about $1.6 million. Real estate site Trulia announced in November that Barton Creek was Austin's first official million-dollar neighborhood. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.statesman.com/news/20190314/is-spanish-oaks-priciest-neighborhood-in-austin-area | 0.153657 |
Is Spanish Oaks the priciest neighborhood in Austin area? | Every year since 2005, the Spanish Oaks neighborhood near Bee Cave has had a median home value of about $1.6 million, making it the priciest in the greater Austin metro area, brokers and developers with Spanish Oaks Realty said. In a recent review of the neighborhood's housing market, Spanish Oaks Realty found that while real estate site Trulia announced in November that Barton Creek was Austin's first official million-dollar neighborhood, it believes the title belongs to Spanish Oaks. Doug Land, broker associate for Sotheby's International Realty, said the designation is dependent on how Austin is defined. Spanish Oaks lies in the Bee Cave extraterritorial jurisdiction, making it Bee Cave's priciest neighborhood, but if if you consider the greater Austin metropolitan area as a whole, he said, Spanish Oaks would definitely compete with Barton Creek for the priciest. The 900-acre, 485-home development in western Travis County is just outside the Bee Cave city limits overlooking the Texas Hill Country. The property features a 24-hour manned security checkpoint, a community swimming pool, golf course, tennis courts, five miles of hike-and-bike trails and a catch-and-release fishing pond. The average lot size comes in at just over an acre with the minimum square footage in the neighborhood for single-family homes at 2,500 square feet and an average of about 5,000 square feet. The custom-built homes feature a variety of styles, from Texas Tuscan to Mediterranean to Hill Country Contemporary, and range from $900,000 to more than $4 million. Among the priciest homes availble is a 7,528-square-foot home on Laceback Terrace, built by Dick Clark and Associates. Listed at $5.975 million it features five bedrooms, 6 baths, two two-car garages, a pool, an outdoor kitchen, an attached guest house and a fireplace. Scott Michaels, a broker with Spanish Oaks Realty, said the 20-year-old neighborhood is about 85 percent built out with about 365 homes. The Hillside is the last section available for home buyers, featuring about 64 lots on about 83 acres of land overlooking the property's golf course, he said. Michaels said the construction of roads and utilities is expected to be complete and ready for purchase in November. He said home sites in the Hillside range in size from about .28 acres to 1.61 acres, and are priced from $600,000 to $1.75 million. RELATED: Bee Cave council approves Hillside at Spanish Oaks subdivision It's a great location and it's beautiful out here, Michaels said. Its definitely got a lot of things going for it. One of the major drivers for homeowners, he said, is the security. The privacy and security you really get from Spanish Oaks is another level that people don't expect, Michaels said. Its just that comfort knowing that they're (security guards) there. The Lake Travis school district is also a major driving force of homeowners in the Spanish Oaks neighborhood, he said. Sports is a big deal, Michaels said. The football team has been successful for several years, basketball is competitive, baseball is ranked in the top five in nation. It's a big motivator for people to move to this area both from an educational and athletic standpoint. Michaels said the attraction also has to do with the proximity to Austin and to Lake Travis. Bee Cave also brings a number of amenities as it has grown out. You feel like youre in the Hill Country but you have all the conveniences of shopping, restaurants and everything at the Galleria, Michaels said. Over the next several years, residents of Spanish Oaks will also welcome the amenities of the Village at Spanish Oaks, an 80-acre community that is expected to include retail, office and restaurant space, a plaza, an inn and residential spaces. RELATED: Village at Spanish Oaks to bring residential, retail, office, dining Land said that while Spanish Oaks is a popular neighborhood for homeowners, the Lake Travis area continues to be a popular place to live. Over the past few years, Land said, the Lake Travis area has averaged between 600 to 800 new homes each year, and about 1,700 homes were sold in the area in 2018. We still have land available for developers, Land said. We will continue to see more construction for years to come, and people like new. | The Spanish Oaks neighborhood near Bee Cave has a median home value of about $1.6 million. Real estate site Trulia announced in November that Barton Creek was Austin's first official million-dollar neighborhood. Spanish Oaks lies in the Bee Cave extraterritorial jurisdiction, making it Bee Cave's priciest neighborhood. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.statesman.com/news/20190314/is-spanish-oaks-priciest-neighborhood-in-austin-area | 0.395007 |
Is the college admissions process rigged? | By Jessie Blaeser In addition to studying and taking advanced courses, students dedicate hours to extracurricular activities in order to entertain any hope of getting into a top college. According to admission boards across the country, competition is fierce, but the admissions system reliably identifies top students for acceptance. But with cheating scandals in mind, some question whether or not the admission process is really a rigged for rich people and those of privilege. In March of 2019, dozens of parents were indicted for participating in a massive cheating scandal in order to get their children into top colleges. CNNs Eric Levenson and Mark Morales report: Federal prosecutors said the scheme had two major pieces. In the first part, parents allegedly paid a college prep organization to take the test on behalf of students or correct their answers. Secondly, the organization allegedly bribed college coaches to help admit the students into college as recruited athletes, regardless of their actual ability, prosecutors said. 50 people, including parents, administrators, coaches, exam proctors, and celebrities Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives and Lori Loughlin of Full House, have been charged with committing these crimes between 2011 and 2019. Andrew Lelling, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, had this to say about the case: "This case is about the widening corruption of elite college admissions through the steady application of wealth combined with fraud," Lelling said. This case further demonstrates those with means can manipulate the college admissions process to work in their favor. With stories like these in mind, students are left to wonder if theyre working towards an obtainable goal, or if the system is against them. Despite the scandal, the actions of some do not reflect the majority. In other words, some corruption and abuse of power does not mean the entire system is corrupt. One person responded to the question on Quora, "Is the college admission process rigged?" saying that despite "occasional cases of cronyism and nepotism," neither are "prevalent." Another writer added: There are biases in academia, but rigged carries an implication of something fraudulent or deceitful. I think colleges are pretty open about their biases. Some feel that as bachelor degrees have become the expectation for many jobs, admission to college is now equally competitive. Forbes Ryan Craig points out the greater changes in Americas collegiate system: Over the past half century, American higher education has expanded from an elite audience to the mass market. Unfortunately, expansion in market size has not been accompanied by a concomitant expansion in product diversity. As a result, students are desperate for a way to stand out. If you want to get a top job, you now need a degree from a top university. Many feel this desperation for high status encourages the wealthy to buy their way into the system, rather than work for it. The largest college admission scam ever prosecuted by DOJ is a damning portrait of higher education that the industry has been trying to furiously (and unsuccessfully) shed for years: That it's a rigged system for the wealthiest among us. https://t.co/0zrblKO8fg Lauren S. Camera (@laurenonthehill) March 12, 2019 According to The Atlantic's Jeffrey Selingo, the college admissions process is evolving, but it still has the same goal: to provide an equal chance for admission to all students. He points out that although SAT scores and GPA used to be the top two indicators for college admissions, schools are looking to other factors in order to differentiate students with similar grades. Some colleges are dropping the SAT and ACT score requirements altogether, acknowledging that high scores are tied to wealth: More than 1,000 colleges nationwide have come to a similar conclusion about standardized tests, having dropped them as an admissions requirement. That number includes even some selective campuses such as George Washington, Wake Forest, and Wesleyan. There are good arguments supporting these schools decisions: for instance, that standardized test scores are highly correlated with family income. Theres no question that the college admissions process should constantly evolve in order to maintain fair standards. As long as universities continue to acknowledge existing biases and work to rectify them, students will benefit. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | In March of 2019, dozens of parents were indicted for participating in a massive cheating scandal in order to get their children into top colleges. This case further demonstrates those with means can manipulate the college admissions process to work in their favor. Some feel that as bachelor degrees have become the expectation for many jobs, admission to college is now equally competitive. | bart | 2 | https://www.nola.com/tylt/2019/03/is-the-college-admissions-process-rigged.html | 0.115778 |
Which of the new MLB rules changes will impact the Cleveland Indians the most? | CLEVELAND, Ohio Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced Thursday sweeping rules changes that will be implemented in the next two seasons. In February, manager Terry Francona did not seem too worried when asked about some of the rules that were on the table as proposals at the time. Were pretty good about making adjustments, Francona said. The leagues been really good about explaining stuff to us. Francona bristled, however, at the idea of certain changes that he thought might influence the competitive nature of the game. Below is a quick look at a few of the new rules as they would relate to the Indians. Vote in the poll and defend your choice in the comments. Three batter minimum for pitchers: The most controversial and potentially game-changing rule would limit a managers ability to remove a pitcher that is having a complete meltdown on the mound. Francona, who helped revolutionize the relief pitcher as a weapon model in the 2016 playoffs, said he starts to worry when rules target specific strategies. As a manager, man if youve got a guy coming in and he cant find the plate, thats my responsibility to get him out of there, Francona said. You start to invade the competitive part of the game. Single trade deadline: In recent years the Indians have become adept at making waiver trades after the July 31 deadline. They added Coco Crisp in 2016, Jay Bruce in 2017 and Josh Donaldson in 2018 to rosters that were preparing to enter postseason play. With the elimination of the August deadline, the Indians will be kept from shopping in the less competitive waiver trade market if they are in position for another postseason run. Active roster expansion: With superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor still recovering from a strained calf muscle, adding an extra roster spot would benefit the Indians by allowing them to keep an extra utility infielder as the team breaks camp. That way, Lindor could be eased into his workload, particularly with cold weather games in Minnesota and Cleveland on the early schedule. However, this rule would not apply until the 2020 season. And with any luck, Lindors calf will be completely healed by then. Shorter inning breaks: Last season, with April home games often played in bone-chilling temperatures, Trevor Bauer complained about the reduced time MLB gave pitchers to get loose between innings, speculating that injuries are more likely to take place if a pitcher is rushed into starting an inning on a cold day. Now its time to vote. Click here. | Poll: Which of the new MLB rules changes will impact the Cleveland Indians the most? Vote in the poll and defend your choice in the comments. The new rules include a three-batter minimum for pitchers, a single trade deadline and an active roster expansion. The changes will take effect in the next two seasons. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2019/03/which-of-the-new-mlb-rules-changes-will-impact-the-cleveland-indians-the-most.html | 0.591816 |
Could NASCAR race in Phoenix move ahead of the Daytona 500 on the schedule? | AVONDALE, Ariz. Yet more change is coming to NASCAR and ISM Raceway could be part of it, especially after a disappointing crowd for Sundays TicketGuardian 500. The NASCAR industry is in deep discussion about major revisions to the Cup Series marathon 36-race, February-to-November schedule once the sanctioning bodys existing five-year contracts with its host racetracks expires after 2020. One idea is to start before the Daytona 500, which would make the Avondale oval one of perhaps only three climatically-suitable venues. A date change also seems in order considering the tracks 42,000 new grandstand seats appeared about 10,000 short of fully occupied. I wish I could tell you (why), said Julie Giese, who succeeded Bryan Sperber as track president last November. I think well learn a lot after this event based on whos coming. Im a data-driven person and my marketing background will help. One of the things Id like to do with this event is create events within the event. November (NASCARs playoff semifinals) is very focused on the competition and weve seen a positive fan response for (ticket) renewals. Ryan Blaney (12) and Chase Elliott (9) lead the field to the green flag for the start of the TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway. (Photo: Stacy Revere, Getty Images) Sunday was just the tracks second race weekend following a $178 million modernization. That investment by parent company International Speedway Corp. makes it virtually unthinkable that Phoenix would lose one of its dates if NASCAR reduces its number of events. Would I say it makes sense to come to a jewel like this twice a year? said NASCAR President Steve Phelps. I would say it does. If a decision was made to run before the Daytona 500, obviously weather plays a huge factor in that. Our options would be limited. NFL impact on NASCAR I think there will be some meaningful changes our fans will like, Phelps said during an exclusive interview with The Republic, adding April 1 is NASCARs target date to reveal its 2020 schedule. What it looks like in 2021 and beyond, everythings on the table. I do. The NFL is a big player and they drive (TV) ratings and our ratings are typically a little lower during that time. There are a lot of crossover fans between NASCAR and the NFL. Its something that we would entertain. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson said, Personally, I think its foolish for us to go up against the NFL. In my own heart, I also believe there is such a thing as oversaturation for any sport. I think the shorter season is helpful and would be welcomed by teams. NASCAR, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota are working to introduce a Generation 7 body in 2021. We are hyper-focused on what the fans want and having a more relevant-looking car is what they are asking for, said Phelps. NEWSLETTERS Get the Sports newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Sports news, no matter the season. Stop by for the scores, stay for the stories. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-0001. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters Cost reduction for teams is another key objective. PHOENIX RECAP: Kyle Busch blazes to sweep, earns 199th career win Apron aches Giese said no drivers have spoken with her about the rough pavement on the apron below the yellow line in the dogleg. Aggressive dive-bomb passing moves onto the apron have increased since the start/finish line was moved to the dogleg last year. Ryan Newman raised the issue in an interview with The Republic, saying it gives him a headache (that lasts) 24 hours. Thats the first Ive heard of it and certainly want to learn more, said Giese. It is so violent that you know, when you go down there, youre bending things, said Johnson. I try to make sure I have a really good reason to go down there if Im going to bend the side skirts and smash the suspension down into the blacktop. It needs to be for a worthy cause. | NASCAR could move Phoenix race ahead of the Daytona 500 on the schedule. The track's 42,000 new grandstand seats appeared about 10,000 short. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2019/03/11/schedule-beyond-2020-phoenix-daytona-nfl-impact/3133183002/?src=rss?src=rss?src=rss | 0.488872 |
Why is Boeing 737 Max 8 Grounded Worldwide? | Forty-seven airlines around the world have at least one Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in their fleet, and all 47, complying with directives from national aviation authorities, have grounded those planes after two crashes in five months. ADVERTISEMENT Lion Air Flight 610 went down in the Java Sea in October, just 12 minutes after takeoff. On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 also crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. There were no survivors on either flight, and a total of 346 people lost their lives. Per aviation publication The Air Current, the issues with the 737 Max 8 stem from competition with Airbus. In 2011, Boeing had plans to design a brand-new plane to replace the 737, but after American Airlines decided to add Airbus planes to its previously Boeing-only fleet, the company was under a lot of pressure to deliver a more fuel-efficient single-aisle plane quickly, particularly given its existing major investment in the development of larger planes like the 787 Dreamliner. So instead of designing a new plane, Boeing decided to swap out the engines on the 737 for more fuel efficient models. The new engines necessitated a chain reaction of engineering adjustments, but test flights revealed that the heavier engines altered the aerodynamics of the plane and nudged the nose higher, leading to an increased risk of stalling under certain conditions. The companys solution: the Manuevering Characteristics Augmentation System, an automated safety feature. As designed, an onboard sensor is automatically activates horizontal stabilizers when the plane is at an angle that makes a stall likely. The stabilizers point the nose of the plane down, reducing such a risk. A preliminary report on the Lion Air flight shows that a faulty sensor triggered the MCAS when the plane was not pitched too high, effectively causing the crash by forcibly pointing the nose of the plane down toward the ground. No such report is yet available for the Ethiopian Airlines crash, though the New York Times reports that the crashes happened under similar circumstances. Boeing is working on a software update for the 737 Max that includes changes to the MCAS. If its enough to satisfy aviation officials, the planes will return in the air, but no one know if it will be enough or when such a decision might happen. Until then, 737 Max 8 planes around the world will remain grounded. appeared first on Fatherly. | 47 airlines around the world have at least one Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in their fleet. The planes have been grounded after two crashes in five months. | pegasus | 0 | https://news.yahoo.com/why-boeing-737-max-8-174806793.html | 0.269478 |
Why is Boeing 737 Max 8 Grounded Worldwide? | Forty-seven airlines around the world have at least one Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in their fleet, and all 47, complying with directives from national aviation authorities, have grounded those planes after two crashes in five months. ADVERTISEMENT Lion Air Flight 610 went down in the Java Sea in October, just 12 minutes after takeoff. On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 also crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. There were no survivors on either flight, and a total of 346 people lost their lives. Per aviation publication The Air Current, the issues with the 737 Max 8 stem from competition with Airbus. In 2011, Boeing had plans to design a brand-new plane to replace the 737, but after American Airlines decided to add Airbus planes to its previously Boeing-only fleet, the company was under a lot of pressure to deliver a more fuel-efficient single-aisle plane quickly, particularly given its existing major investment in the development of larger planes like the 787 Dreamliner. So instead of designing a new plane, Boeing decided to swap out the engines on the 737 for more fuel efficient models. The new engines necessitated a chain reaction of engineering adjustments, but test flights revealed that the heavier engines altered the aerodynamics of the plane and nudged the nose higher, leading to an increased risk of stalling under certain conditions. The companys solution: the Manuevering Characteristics Augmentation System, an automated safety feature. As designed, an onboard sensor is automatically activates horizontal stabilizers when the plane is at an angle that makes a stall likely. The stabilizers point the nose of the plane down, reducing such a risk. A preliminary report on the Lion Air flight shows that a faulty sensor triggered the MCAS when the plane was not pitched too high, effectively causing the crash by forcibly pointing the nose of the plane down toward the ground. No such report is yet available for the Ethiopian Airlines crash, though the New York Times reports that the crashes happened under similar circumstances. Boeing is working on a software update for the 737 Max that includes changes to the MCAS. If its enough to satisfy aviation officials, the planes will return in the air, but no one know if it will be enough or when such a decision might happen. Until then, 737 Max 8 planes around the world will remain grounded. appeared first on Fatherly. | All 47 airlines around the world have at least one Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in their fleet. The planes have been grounded after two crashes in five months. Boeing is working on a software update for the 737 Max that includes changes to the MCAS. | bart | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/why-boeing-737-max-8-174806793.html | 0.376241 |
Why is Boeing 737 Max 8 Grounded Worldwide? | Forty-seven airlines around the world have at least one Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in their fleet, and all 47, complying with directives from national aviation authorities, have grounded those planes after two crashes in five months. ADVERTISEMENT Lion Air Flight 610 went down in the Java Sea in October, just 12 minutes after takeoff. On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 also crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. There were no survivors on either flight, and a total of 346 people lost their lives. Per aviation publication The Air Current, the issues with the 737 Max 8 stem from competition with Airbus. In 2011, Boeing had plans to design a brand-new plane to replace the 737, but after American Airlines decided to add Airbus planes to its previously Boeing-only fleet, the company was under a lot of pressure to deliver a more fuel-efficient single-aisle plane quickly, particularly given its existing major investment in the development of larger planes like the 787 Dreamliner. So instead of designing a new plane, Boeing decided to swap out the engines on the 737 for more fuel efficient models. The new engines necessitated a chain reaction of engineering adjustments, but test flights revealed that the heavier engines altered the aerodynamics of the plane and nudged the nose higher, leading to an increased risk of stalling under certain conditions. The companys solution: the Manuevering Characteristics Augmentation System, an automated safety feature. As designed, an onboard sensor is automatically activates horizontal stabilizers when the plane is at an angle that makes a stall likely. The stabilizers point the nose of the plane down, reducing such a risk. A preliminary report on the Lion Air flight shows that a faulty sensor triggered the MCAS when the plane was not pitched too high, effectively causing the crash by forcibly pointing the nose of the plane down toward the ground. No such report is yet available for the Ethiopian Airlines crash, though the New York Times reports that the crashes happened under similar circumstances. Boeing is working on a software update for the 737 Max that includes changes to the MCAS. If its enough to satisfy aviation officials, the planes will return in the air, but no one know if it will be enough or when such a decision might happen. Until then, 737 Max 8 planes around the world will remain grounded. appeared first on Fatherly. | Forty-seven airlines around the world have at least one Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane in their fleet. All 47 have grounded those planes after two crashes in five months. The issues with the 737 Max 8 stem from competition with Airbus. Boeing is working on a software update for the 737 Max that includes changes to the MCAS. | pegasus | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/why-boeing-737-max-8-174806793.html | 0.443 |
Why Were Video Game Cheat Codes First Invented? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Mike Prinke, Freelance Video Game Programmer, on Quora: Cheat codes were invented as a debug feature for use by development and QA staff during testing. During normal play you have to spend potentially all game waiting to get your hands on the full array of weapons, items, abilities, or characters, and you may be limited in your capacity to use them by a variety of resources like ammo and health. Youre limited in your capacity to sustain hits from enemy attacks, and youre bound to complete content in sequential order, which can make it time-consuming to reach and practice later levels. Cheats give developers shortcuts for those things. A cheat code can give you all the items and equipment in the game, allowing you to test them at-will regardless of progression; thats great, because a weapon might be implemented way ahead of any opportunity to physically collect it. Infinite ammo or MP lets you endlessly test them in numerous use-cases without penalty. A cheat code can make you invincible, permitting you to sustain an infinite number of enemy attacks, thus allowing you to experiment and play with the AI without interruptions or restarts. A cheat code can skip you to whatever level you want to test, permitting you to do focused barrages of tests against potentially late-game content to discern bugs with those specific sections of the game. No clip cheats and invincibility let you skip to specific sections free of hassle. A cheat code can give you infinite ammo and resources that trivialize combat, or even let you insta-kill enemies, thus making skips of sections that dont need testing even quicker. Sometimes the thing youre testing is just watching monsters die and making sure death works correctly. These are just a few examples of what cheats can do to help speed testing and iteration along. Theres always a phase of testing that demands repeated playthroughs of the entire game from start to finish to ensure that its completable without any show-stopping bugs or crashes, but before that every individual element has to be verified as working correctly, and shortcuts like these are essential to making that process expedient. There is necessarily a need to create menus or toggles for them ingame, as QA often tests on standalone builds for the target platform rather than in a development environment where they might have an editor or where files can be edited. It just happened that theyre also fun for players to screw around with, so they also get left in as fun secrets to find or unlock. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | Video Game Cheat Codes were invented as a debug feature for use by development and QA staff. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/03/14/why-were-video-game-cheat-codes-first-invented/ | 0.591916 |
Why Were Video Game Cheat Codes First Invented? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Mike Prinke, Freelance Video Game Programmer, on Quora: Cheat codes were invented as a debug feature for use by development and QA staff during testing. During normal play you have to spend potentially all game waiting to get your hands on the full array of weapons, items, abilities, or characters, and you may be limited in your capacity to use them by a variety of resources like ammo and health. Youre limited in your capacity to sustain hits from enemy attacks, and youre bound to complete content in sequential order, which can make it time-consuming to reach and practice later levels. Cheats give developers shortcuts for those things. A cheat code can give you all the items and equipment in the game, allowing you to test them at-will regardless of progression; thats great, because a weapon might be implemented way ahead of any opportunity to physically collect it. Infinite ammo or MP lets you endlessly test them in numerous use-cases without penalty. A cheat code can make you invincible, permitting you to sustain an infinite number of enemy attacks, thus allowing you to experiment and play with the AI without interruptions or restarts. A cheat code can skip you to whatever level you want to test, permitting you to do focused barrages of tests against potentially late-game content to discern bugs with those specific sections of the game. No clip cheats and invincibility let you skip to specific sections free of hassle. A cheat code can give you infinite ammo and resources that trivialize combat, or even let you insta-kill enemies, thus making skips of sections that dont need testing even quicker. Sometimes the thing youre testing is just watching monsters die and making sure death works correctly. These are just a few examples of what cheats can do to help speed testing and iteration along. Theres always a phase of testing that demands repeated playthroughs of the entire game from start to finish to ensure that its completable without any show-stopping bugs or crashes, but before that every individual element has to be verified as working correctly, and shortcuts like these are essential to making that process expedient. There is necessarily a need to create menus or toggles for them ingame, as QA often tests on standalone builds for the target platform rather than in a development environment where they might have an editor or where files can be edited. It just happened that theyre also fun for players to screw around with, so they also get left in as fun secrets to find or unlock. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | Video Game Cheat Codes were invented as a debug feature for use by development and QA staff during testing. A cheat code can give you all the items and equipment in the game, allowing you to test them at-will. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/03/14/why-were-video-game-cheat-codes-first-invented/ | 0.672503 |
Why Were Video Game Cheat Codes First Invented? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Mike Prinke, Freelance Video Game Programmer, on Quora: Cheat codes were invented as a debug feature for use by development and QA staff during testing. During normal play you have to spend potentially all game waiting to get your hands on the full array of weapons, items, abilities, or characters, and you may be limited in your capacity to use them by a variety of resources like ammo and health. Youre limited in your capacity to sustain hits from enemy attacks, and youre bound to complete content in sequential order, which can make it time-consuming to reach and practice later levels. Cheats give developers shortcuts for those things. A cheat code can give you all the items and equipment in the game, allowing you to test them at-will regardless of progression; thats great, because a weapon might be implemented way ahead of any opportunity to physically collect it. Infinite ammo or MP lets you endlessly test them in numerous use-cases without penalty. A cheat code can make you invincible, permitting you to sustain an infinite number of enemy attacks, thus allowing you to experiment and play with the AI without interruptions or restarts. A cheat code can skip you to whatever level you want to test, permitting you to do focused barrages of tests against potentially late-game content to discern bugs with those specific sections of the game. No clip cheats and invincibility let you skip to specific sections free of hassle. A cheat code can give you infinite ammo and resources that trivialize combat, or even let you insta-kill enemies, thus making skips of sections that dont need testing even quicker. Sometimes the thing youre testing is just watching monsters die and making sure death works correctly. These are just a few examples of what cheats can do to help speed testing and iteration along. Theres always a phase of testing that demands repeated playthroughs of the entire game from start to finish to ensure that its completable without any show-stopping bugs or crashes, but before that every individual element has to be verified as working correctly, and shortcuts like these are essential to making that process expedient. There is necessarily a need to create menus or toggles for them ingame, as QA often tests on standalone builds for the target platform rather than in a development environment where they might have an editor or where files can be edited. It just happened that theyre also fun for players to screw around with, so they also get left in as fun secrets to find or unlock. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | Cheat codes were invented as a debug feature for use by development and QA staff during testing. A cheat code can give you all the items and equipment in the game, allowing you to test them at-will regardless of progression. Infinite ammo or MP lets you endlessly test them in numerous use-cases without penalty. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/03/14/why-were-video-game-cheat-codes-first-invented/ | 0.576769 |
How Should Employers Handle Drug Addiction at Work? | Youve probably heard the mind-blowing statistics: Every 13 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies of an opioid overdose. The total reached a record 72,000 deaths in 2017, the CDC reports, making prescription pain medications like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and the synthetic opioid fentanyl even bigger killers than diseases like diabetes. Addiction to pain pills is so widespread, across every U.S. age, race, and income group, that its nearly impossible to say how many Americans are quietly struggling with it. But the available research suggests that about two-thirds of opioid addicts have jobs. At least a few of them probably work for you. The cost of this crisisin lost productivity, mistakes at work, absenteeism, and plain human miseryhas become so high that many employers are now intent on fighting it. Check out the National Safety Councils online cost calculator.) The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams last year started urging employers to join the battle, and the Chamber of Commerce Foundation has launched a campaign against opioid abuse, with information and case studies employers can use in their own efforts to tackle the problem. Yet most companies clearly have a long way to go. A nationwide survey last November of more than 2,000 HR managers and employees, by insurer The Hartford, showed that only 24% of human-resources pros and 18% of employees felt very confident they could spot the signs of opioid addiction, let alone do anything about it. In companies with no formal policies and procedures about this, individual managers have to wing it, and the results are often not great. Consider: In a poll of 737 bosses by rehab-center operator American Addiction Centers, 70% of managers reported feeling guilty about how they have handled their direct reports addiction issuesmore than half of them because they wish they had addressed the problem sooner, instead of just hoping it would go away. Experts in addiction and recovery say there are at least two ways that any employer could make a huge difference. First, although 90% of managers in the AAC survey said theyd approve time off for drug rehab (or have already done so for at least one employee), such a stigma attaches to addiction that most employees wont admit they need help, and they certainly wont request time off to go and get it. Employees are worried about losing their jobs so, even in companies with really good EAPs [employee assistance programs], they wont come forward, notes Michael Cartwright, AACs cofounder and chairman, who adds that only about 5% of people seeking treatment at his companys centers were sent by their employers. You need to create a culture of honest communication, where people arent afraid to speak up. It helps to start by making information about opioid addiction, and how to prevent it, readily available to everyone. Most people dont realize, for example, that its possible to get hooked on painkillers after taking themfor an injury, say, or after surgery for just four days, especially at high doses. People need to be educated about this, in the same way we as a society have done with smoking, says Cartwright. Employers are in an ideal position to help by simply spreading the facts about opioids, and making sure employees know the risks. A second way employers can help: Keeping close tabs on prescriptions through their medical-benefits plans, and letting employees and health care providers know that more than a three-day supply of opioid painkillers wont be approved without special scrutiny. The Surgeon Generals office reports that about 30% of large U.S. companies have already started doing this, but most employers are still unwitting enablers of opioid addiction, says Dave Chase, CEO of a Health Rosetta, a nonprofit aimed at making the U.S. health care system more cost-effectiveand, not incidentally, less awash in addictive drugs. Chase wrote an illuminating book called The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call that is packed with case studies of companies, including GM and IBM, that have successfully overhauled their medical plans. Benefits managers, take note: He suggests three litmus tests for whether your company is inadvertently adding fuel to the opioid addiction fire. The first warning sign, Chase says, is if payment for primary care in your system is based on volume, which encourages health care providers to write quick-fix prescriptions. Second, take a close look at whether its easier [for employees] to get an opioid prescription than access to physical therapy, which is usually a far more effective, and less hazardous, treatment for injuries. And third, Chase says, you should be getting regular reports on opioid prescriptions. Typically fewer than 10% of doctors are prescribing most of the opioids out there. You dont want them in your system. Weed them out. Its a start. Anne Fisher is a career expert and advice columnist who writes Work It Out, Fortunes guide to working and living in the 21st century. Each week, shell answer your most challenging career questions. Ask her on Twitter or email her at workitout@fortune.com. | About two-thirds of opioid addicts have jobs, at least a few of them probably work for you. Employers can help by spreading the facts about opioids, and making sure employees know the risks. | ctrlsum | 1 | http://fortune.com/2019/03/14/employee-drug-addiction-at-work/ | 0.111748 |
How Should Employers Handle Drug Addiction at Work? | Youve probably heard the mind-blowing statistics: Every 13 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies of an opioid overdose. The total reached a record 72,000 deaths in 2017, the CDC reports, making prescription pain medications like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and the synthetic opioid fentanyl even bigger killers than diseases like diabetes. Addiction to pain pills is so widespread, across every U.S. age, race, and income group, that its nearly impossible to say how many Americans are quietly struggling with it. But the available research suggests that about two-thirds of opioid addicts have jobs. At least a few of them probably work for you. The cost of this crisisin lost productivity, mistakes at work, absenteeism, and plain human miseryhas become so high that many employers are now intent on fighting it. Check out the National Safety Councils online cost calculator.) The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams last year started urging employers to join the battle, and the Chamber of Commerce Foundation has launched a campaign against opioid abuse, with information and case studies employers can use in their own efforts to tackle the problem. Yet most companies clearly have a long way to go. A nationwide survey last November of more than 2,000 HR managers and employees, by insurer The Hartford, showed that only 24% of human-resources pros and 18% of employees felt very confident they could spot the signs of opioid addiction, let alone do anything about it. In companies with no formal policies and procedures about this, individual managers have to wing it, and the results are often not great. Consider: In a poll of 737 bosses by rehab-center operator American Addiction Centers, 70% of managers reported feeling guilty about how they have handled their direct reports addiction issuesmore than half of them because they wish they had addressed the problem sooner, instead of just hoping it would go away. Experts in addiction and recovery say there are at least two ways that any employer could make a huge difference. First, although 90% of managers in the AAC survey said theyd approve time off for drug rehab (or have already done so for at least one employee), such a stigma attaches to addiction that most employees wont admit they need help, and they certainly wont request time off to go and get it. Employees are worried about losing their jobs so, even in companies with really good EAPs [employee assistance programs], they wont come forward, notes Michael Cartwright, AACs cofounder and chairman, who adds that only about 5% of people seeking treatment at his companys centers were sent by their employers. You need to create a culture of honest communication, where people arent afraid to speak up. It helps to start by making information about opioid addiction, and how to prevent it, readily available to everyone. Most people dont realize, for example, that its possible to get hooked on painkillers after taking themfor an injury, say, or after surgery for just four days, especially at high doses. People need to be educated about this, in the same way we as a society have done with smoking, says Cartwright. Employers are in an ideal position to help by simply spreading the facts about opioids, and making sure employees know the risks. A second way employers can help: Keeping close tabs on prescriptions through their medical-benefits plans, and letting employees and health care providers know that more than a three-day supply of opioid painkillers wont be approved without special scrutiny. The Surgeon Generals office reports that about 30% of large U.S. companies have already started doing this, but most employers are still unwitting enablers of opioid addiction, says Dave Chase, CEO of a Health Rosetta, a nonprofit aimed at making the U.S. health care system more cost-effectiveand, not incidentally, less awash in addictive drugs. Chase wrote an illuminating book called The Opioid Crisis Wake-Up Call that is packed with case studies of companies, including GM and IBM, that have successfully overhauled their medical plans. Benefits managers, take note: He suggests three litmus tests for whether your company is inadvertently adding fuel to the opioid addiction fire. The first warning sign, Chase says, is if payment for primary care in your system is based on volume, which encourages health care providers to write quick-fix prescriptions. Second, take a close look at whether its easier [for employees] to get an opioid prescription than access to physical therapy, which is usually a far more effective, and less hazardous, treatment for injuries. And third, Chase says, you should be getting regular reports on opioid prescriptions. Typically fewer than 10% of doctors are prescribing most of the opioids out there. You dont want them in your system. Weed them out. Its a start. Anne Fisher is a career expert and advice columnist who writes Work It Out, Fortunes guide to working and living in the 21st century. Each week, shell answer your most challenging career questions. Ask her on Twitter or email her at workitout@fortune.com. | About two-thirds of opioid addicts have jobs, and at least a few of them probably work for you. Employers can help by spreading the facts about opioids and keeping close tabs on prescriptions through medical-benefits plans, and letting employees and health care providers know that more than a three-day prescription can be dangerous. | ctrlsum | 2 | http://fortune.com/2019/03/14/employee-drug-addiction-at-work/ | 0.303187 |
Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Moisik Scott Moisik Processed foods get blamed for a lot of things. But this week, a group of linguists took it to a whole new level. To put it crudely, they argue that the invention of processed foods like yogurt and gruel, thousands of years ago, gave us the F-word. Lots of F-words. To be more precise, the researchers think that softer foods led to more frequent use of the sounds "f" and "v" in human languages. (Other experts on language are skeptical; more about that later.) According to the new theory, food influenced language through a complex chain of events. First came agriculture and early forms of food processing like fermentation, delivering meals that were easier to chew. No longer were humans relying so heavily on tough meats, roots and berries. And as a result, newly pampered humans ended up with a different kind of bite. Their teeth were no longer worn down so much, and they maintained more of the natural overbite that they were born with, with teeth of the top jaw overlapping the bottom teeth. This physical arrangement of teeth, in turn, made it easier for people to make "labiodental fricative" sounds like "f" and "v,"which require the top teeth to press against the bottom lip. "This change in bite paved the way for labiodentals in the spoken languages," says Damin Blasi, a linguist at the University of Zurich. He spoke during a teleconference with reporters organized by the journal Science, which published the new research. According to Blasi, humans with an overbite were more likely, purely by accident, to make "f" and "v" sounds. Then the normal processes of language evolution took over. These slips of the tongue sometimes caught on and became standard part of human languages. "That doesn't mean that labiodentals will emerge within all languages," says Steven Moran, another linguist at the University of Zurich involved in the research. "It does mean that the probability of producing labiodentals increases slightly over time." The scientists have been assembling evidence for their theory over the past five years. It wasn't easy. "The biggest obstacle was, simply put, that linguistic behavior does not fossilize," Blasi says. There are no audio recordings of conversations in the kitchens of ancient Mesopotamia. They did, however, find evidence to support each step in their hypothesized chain of events. There's evidence, for instance, that hunter-gatherers did lose their overbite. Computer simulations of the human jaw indicate that it takes more muscle effort to make the "f" and "w" sounds if you don't have that overbite, so it stands to reason that hunter-gathers wouldn't be inclined to make those sounds. The researchers examined the evolution of the Indo-European family of languages. Generations of linguists have attempted to reconstruct ancient versions of these languages, and indeed, "we found that, for these groups of languages, it is very likely that the labiodentals emerged not much before the Bronze age, in parallel to [the] development of new food processing techniques," Blasi says. The linguists also found that labiodental sounds are less common in the languages of contemporary hunter-gatherer communities in Greenland, southern Africa, and Australia. Where the sounds exist, they sometimes are found mainly in words borrowed from other languages. Putting it all together, the researchers are confident in their theory, and they think that this study of "f" and "v" sounds could shift the entire field of linguistics. According to Balthasar Bickel of the University of Zurich, another co-author of the study, language usually is considered a purely cultural phenomenon. "If you think about it, however, this is a bit strange," he says. "We produce it with our bodies. Mostly with our mouths but like in the case of sign language, also with our hands and other gestures." It stands to reason, he says, that biology influences language. Other linguists are intrigued, but less convinced. "I think the individual pieces seem reasonable," says Alan Yu, a linguist at the University of Chicago. But the entire story strikes him as speculative. "There are just a few too many gaps for me to to think that this is a genuine connection" between dietary changes and language, he says. The researchers didn't look at languages of hunter-gatherers of the Americas, he says, some of whom use labiodental sounds that didn't come from European languages. Salikoko Mufwene, also at the University of Chicago, expressed his own doubts. He wrote in an email to NPR that human language had been flourishing for thousands of years before the advent of farming and softer foods, "so it's surprising that people would have waited until so late before producing labio-dental fricatives." Anthropologist Shara Bailey at New York University, on the other hand, found the new study thought-provoking. "I like it!" she says. "It's making me think about something I hadn't thought about." Bailey's research focuses on the development of the human jaw. "I can actually have my students go and maybe test some of these hypotheses by looking at fossil hominids, or looking at hunter-gatherers. When you inspire other people to follow up and conduct their own experiments, I think that's a good thing!" | Linguists: Processed foods led to more frequent use of "f" and "v" sounds. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/03/14/703100483/did-cooking-really-give-us-the-f-word?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr | 0.160829 |
Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Moisik Scott Moisik Processed foods get blamed for a lot of things. But this week, a group of linguists took it to a whole new level. To put it crudely, they argue that the invention of processed foods like yogurt and gruel, thousands of years ago, gave us the F-word. Lots of F-words. To be more precise, the researchers think that softer foods led to more frequent use of the sounds "f" and "v" in human languages. (Other experts on language are skeptical; more about that later.) According to the new theory, food influenced language through a complex chain of events. First came agriculture and early forms of food processing like fermentation, delivering meals that were easier to chew. No longer were humans relying so heavily on tough meats, roots and berries. And as a result, newly pampered humans ended up with a different kind of bite. Their teeth were no longer worn down so much, and they maintained more of the natural overbite that they were born with, with teeth of the top jaw overlapping the bottom teeth. This physical arrangement of teeth, in turn, made it easier for people to make "labiodental fricative" sounds like "f" and "v,"which require the top teeth to press against the bottom lip. "This change in bite paved the way for labiodentals in the spoken languages," says Damin Blasi, a linguist at the University of Zurich. He spoke during a teleconference with reporters organized by the journal Science, which published the new research. According to Blasi, humans with an overbite were more likely, purely by accident, to make "f" and "v" sounds. Then the normal processes of language evolution took over. These slips of the tongue sometimes caught on and became standard part of human languages. "That doesn't mean that labiodentals will emerge within all languages," says Steven Moran, another linguist at the University of Zurich involved in the research. "It does mean that the probability of producing labiodentals increases slightly over time." The scientists have been assembling evidence for their theory over the past five years. It wasn't easy. "The biggest obstacle was, simply put, that linguistic behavior does not fossilize," Blasi says. There are no audio recordings of conversations in the kitchens of ancient Mesopotamia. They did, however, find evidence to support each step in their hypothesized chain of events. There's evidence, for instance, that hunter-gatherers did lose their overbite. Computer simulations of the human jaw indicate that it takes more muscle effort to make the "f" and "w" sounds if you don't have that overbite, so it stands to reason that hunter-gathers wouldn't be inclined to make those sounds. The researchers examined the evolution of the Indo-European family of languages. Generations of linguists have attempted to reconstruct ancient versions of these languages, and indeed, "we found that, for these groups of languages, it is very likely that the labiodentals emerged not much before the Bronze age, in parallel to [the] development of new food processing techniques," Blasi says. The linguists also found that labiodental sounds are less common in the languages of contemporary hunter-gatherer communities in Greenland, southern Africa, and Australia. Where the sounds exist, they sometimes are found mainly in words borrowed from other languages. Putting it all together, the researchers are confident in their theory, and they think that this study of "f" and "v" sounds could shift the entire field of linguistics. According to Balthasar Bickel of the University of Zurich, another co-author of the study, language usually is considered a purely cultural phenomenon. "If you think about it, however, this is a bit strange," he says. "We produce it with our bodies. Mostly with our mouths but like in the case of sign language, also with our hands and other gestures." It stands to reason, he says, that biology influences language. Other linguists are intrigued, but less convinced. "I think the individual pieces seem reasonable," says Alan Yu, a linguist at the University of Chicago. But the entire story strikes him as speculative. "There are just a few too many gaps for me to to think that this is a genuine connection" between dietary changes and language, he says. The researchers didn't look at languages of hunter-gatherers of the Americas, he says, some of whom use labiodental sounds that didn't come from European languages. Salikoko Mufwene, also at the University of Chicago, expressed his own doubts. He wrote in an email to NPR that human language had been flourishing for thousands of years before the advent of farming and softer foods, "so it's surprising that people would have waited until so late before producing labio-dental fricatives." Anthropologist Shara Bailey at New York University, on the other hand, found the new study thought-provoking. "I like it!" she says. "It's making me think about something I hadn't thought about." Bailey's research focuses on the development of the human jaw. "I can actually have my students go and maybe test some of these hypotheses by looking at fossil hominids, or looking at hunter-gatherers. When you inspire other people to follow up and conduct their own experiments, I think that's a good thing!" | Linguists: Processed foods led to more frequent use of the sounds "f" and "v" in human languages. According to the new theory, food influenced language through a complex chain of events. | bart | 1 | https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/03/14/703100483/did-cooking-really-give-us-the-f-word?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr | 0.185541 |
Did Cooking Really Give Us The F-Word? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Moisik Scott Moisik Processed foods get blamed for a lot of things. But this week, a group of linguists took it to a whole new level. To put it crudely, they argue that the invention of processed foods like yogurt and gruel, thousands of years ago, gave us the F-word. Lots of F-words. To be more precise, the researchers think that softer foods led to more frequent use of the sounds "f" and "v" in human languages. (Other experts on language are skeptical; more about that later.) According to the new theory, food influenced language through a complex chain of events. First came agriculture and early forms of food processing like fermentation, delivering meals that were easier to chew. No longer were humans relying so heavily on tough meats, roots and berries. And as a result, newly pampered humans ended up with a different kind of bite. Their teeth were no longer worn down so much, and they maintained more of the natural overbite that they were born with, with teeth of the top jaw overlapping the bottom teeth. This physical arrangement of teeth, in turn, made it easier for people to make "labiodental fricative" sounds like "f" and "v,"which require the top teeth to press against the bottom lip. "This change in bite paved the way for labiodentals in the spoken languages," says Damin Blasi, a linguist at the University of Zurich. He spoke during a teleconference with reporters organized by the journal Science, which published the new research. According to Blasi, humans with an overbite were more likely, purely by accident, to make "f" and "v" sounds. Then the normal processes of language evolution took over. These slips of the tongue sometimes caught on and became standard part of human languages. "That doesn't mean that labiodentals will emerge within all languages," says Steven Moran, another linguist at the University of Zurich involved in the research. "It does mean that the probability of producing labiodentals increases slightly over time." The scientists have been assembling evidence for their theory over the past five years. It wasn't easy. "The biggest obstacle was, simply put, that linguistic behavior does not fossilize," Blasi says. There are no audio recordings of conversations in the kitchens of ancient Mesopotamia. They did, however, find evidence to support each step in their hypothesized chain of events. There's evidence, for instance, that hunter-gatherers did lose their overbite. Computer simulations of the human jaw indicate that it takes more muscle effort to make the "f" and "w" sounds if you don't have that overbite, so it stands to reason that hunter-gathers wouldn't be inclined to make those sounds. The researchers examined the evolution of the Indo-European family of languages. Generations of linguists have attempted to reconstruct ancient versions of these languages, and indeed, "we found that, for these groups of languages, it is very likely that the labiodentals emerged not much before the Bronze age, in parallel to [the] development of new food processing techniques," Blasi says. The linguists also found that labiodental sounds are less common in the languages of contemporary hunter-gatherer communities in Greenland, southern Africa, and Australia. Where the sounds exist, they sometimes are found mainly in words borrowed from other languages. Putting it all together, the researchers are confident in their theory, and they think that this study of "f" and "v" sounds could shift the entire field of linguistics. According to Balthasar Bickel of the University of Zurich, another co-author of the study, language usually is considered a purely cultural phenomenon. "If you think about it, however, this is a bit strange," he says. "We produce it with our bodies. Mostly with our mouths but like in the case of sign language, also with our hands and other gestures." It stands to reason, he says, that biology influences language. Other linguists are intrigued, but less convinced. "I think the individual pieces seem reasonable," says Alan Yu, a linguist at the University of Chicago. But the entire story strikes him as speculative. "There are just a few too many gaps for me to to think that this is a genuine connection" between dietary changes and language, he says. The researchers didn't look at languages of hunter-gatherers of the Americas, he says, some of whom use labiodental sounds that didn't come from European languages. Salikoko Mufwene, also at the University of Chicago, expressed his own doubts. He wrote in an email to NPR that human language had been flourishing for thousands of years before the advent of farming and softer foods, "so it's surprising that people would have waited until so late before producing labio-dental fricatives." Anthropologist Shara Bailey at New York University, on the other hand, found the new study thought-provoking. "I like it!" she says. "It's making me think about something I hadn't thought about." Bailey's research focuses on the development of the human jaw. "I can actually have my students go and maybe test some of these hypotheses by looking at fossil hominids, or looking at hunter-gatherers. When you inspire other people to follow up and conduct their own experiments, I think that's a good thing!" | Linguists: Processed foods led to more frequent use of the sounds "f" and "v" in human languages. According to the new theory, food influenced language through a complex chain of events. The scientists have been assembling evidence for their theory over the past five years. | bart | 2 | https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/03/14/703100483/did-cooking-really-give-us-the-f-word?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr | 0.197805 |
How much water does the Sewerage & Water Board lose to leaks? | Leaks from underground pipes are a constant complaint in New Orleans. The answer is tough to pin down largely because of the kind of data the Sewerage & Water Board collects, according to results from an independent water loss audit the utility released this week. It found the amount of data on leaks, meter readings and billing inaccuracies that could be culled from the S&WB information system was limited, which could have inflated key water-loss benchmark estimates that the audit used. Based on the best estimates with the data on hand, New Orleans loses about 82 million gallons of water each day during the treatment and distribution process. Thats more than half of what it produced daily on average between 2008 and 2017, according to audit figures. Put another way, the water New Orleans estimates it loses daily could meet Slidells drinking water needs for nearly four weeks. A Sewerage & Water Board spokesperson agreed Thursday (March 14) with the audits findings, noting in an email the utility loses more than half of its water due to leaks, breaks and occasional overflows. Ghassan Korban, the utilitys executive director, added in a statement that the audit should help address future improvements to the water-distribution system. The rate of water loss due to our aging infrastructure is unacceptable," Korban said. "We must make it a priority to upgrade this fundamental service for the sake of the City and all our customers. These fixes will help us provide a vital service more efficiently and at a lower cost in the long run. Street repairs after underground fixes shifting to Sewerage & Water Board Street-paving duties will fall entirely to the S&WB once city contractors clear a backlog of 1,500 cuts later this year. Tony Hairston, vice president of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based consulting firm Raftelis, assisted in the audit. He told utility board members Wednesday (March 13) that better data collection should help guide the Sewerage & Water Board on how to most effectively cut down its water losses. It would also reduce how much money the utility spends to treat and pump lost or free water, which, according to data the audit used, averaged about 19 percent of the total cost to produce drinking water between 2008 and 2017. You can put a lot of money into the system, Hairston said at a board committee meeting Wednesday. But (the goal is) trying to figure out where are the places where you can drive this number down. Ron Spooner, the Sewerage & Water Boards chief engineer, said there are plans to install new flow meters to better track water before and after its treated. Those projects are being funded with federal hazard mitigation grants. The audits leak assessment underscores the huge task of bringing the Sewerage & Water Board into the modern era. Korban said earlier this year that only about 10 miles of underground water pipes out of a roughly 1,500-mile system have been replaced within the past 25 years. Of that total, nearly half are 100 years or older, he said, highlighting the degree to which the utility has put off replacing pipes for decades. Sewerage & Water Board leader faces long to-do list with scant resources Utility leaders looking for more funding and a switch to Entergy for primary power in the future. Still, large water leaks are not unheard of for municipal water utilities. Slidell, for instance, loses between 15 percent to 18 percent of the 3 million gallons a day it produces, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Mike Noto said. But the North Shore city differs from New Orleans in that it uses well water, whereas the Sewerage & Water Board draws its supply from the Mississippi River. Noto added in an interview Thursday that generally speaking, any water system losses surpassing 25 percent, including water given free for government or other public services, ought to be cause for concern. As for billing and metering data, the Sewerage & Water Board has fielded nearly 43,000 formal disputes over inaccurate or irregular bills from customers since late 2016, according to a running tally on the utilitys website. Sewerage & Water Board officials and an outside consultant have traced the issue largely to staff training and bills that are inaccurately estimated when a meter cannot be read. The audit also recommends tasking Sewerage & Water Board staff across several departments with refining the data, starting with compiling internal water loss audits more regularly. Yvette Downs, the utilitys chief financial officer, said she wants one performed at least once a year. Its the second time in recent years the Sewerage & Water Board has commissioned a water loss audit, crafted from the nonprofit American Water Works Associations methodology. Denver-based consultant Nora Freeman was the lead analyst for both audits. She was assisted in the most recent audit by Hairston and Peiffer Brandt, Raftelis president and CEO. | Audit: Sewerage & Water Board loses more than half of its water due to leaks. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.nola.com/politics/2019/03/how-much-water-does-the-sewerage-water-board-lose-to-leaks.html | 0.169236 |
How much water does the Sewerage & Water Board lose to leaks? | Leaks from underground pipes are a constant complaint in New Orleans. The answer is tough to pin down largely because of the kind of data the Sewerage & Water Board collects, according to results from an independent water loss audit the utility released this week. It found the amount of data on leaks, meter readings and billing inaccuracies that could be culled from the S&WB information system was limited, which could have inflated key water-loss benchmark estimates that the audit used. Based on the best estimates with the data on hand, New Orleans loses about 82 million gallons of water each day during the treatment and distribution process. Thats more than half of what it produced daily on average between 2008 and 2017, according to audit figures. Put another way, the water New Orleans estimates it loses daily could meet Slidells drinking water needs for nearly four weeks. A Sewerage & Water Board spokesperson agreed Thursday (March 14) with the audits findings, noting in an email the utility loses more than half of its water due to leaks, breaks and occasional overflows. Ghassan Korban, the utilitys executive director, added in a statement that the audit should help address future improvements to the water-distribution system. The rate of water loss due to our aging infrastructure is unacceptable," Korban said. "We must make it a priority to upgrade this fundamental service for the sake of the City and all our customers. These fixes will help us provide a vital service more efficiently and at a lower cost in the long run. Street repairs after underground fixes shifting to Sewerage & Water Board Street-paving duties will fall entirely to the S&WB once city contractors clear a backlog of 1,500 cuts later this year. Tony Hairston, vice president of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based consulting firm Raftelis, assisted in the audit. He told utility board members Wednesday (March 13) that better data collection should help guide the Sewerage & Water Board on how to most effectively cut down its water losses. It would also reduce how much money the utility spends to treat and pump lost or free water, which, according to data the audit used, averaged about 19 percent of the total cost to produce drinking water between 2008 and 2017. You can put a lot of money into the system, Hairston said at a board committee meeting Wednesday. But (the goal is) trying to figure out where are the places where you can drive this number down. Ron Spooner, the Sewerage & Water Boards chief engineer, said there are plans to install new flow meters to better track water before and after its treated. Those projects are being funded with federal hazard mitigation grants. The audits leak assessment underscores the huge task of bringing the Sewerage & Water Board into the modern era. Korban said earlier this year that only about 10 miles of underground water pipes out of a roughly 1,500-mile system have been replaced within the past 25 years. Of that total, nearly half are 100 years or older, he said, highlighting the degree to which the utility has put off replacing pipes for decades. Sewerage & Water Board leader faces long to-do list with scant resources Utility leaders looking for more funding and a switch to Entergy for primary power in the future. Still, large water leaks are not unheard of for municipal water utilities. Slidell, for instance, loses between 15 percent to 18 percent of the 3 million gallons a day it produces, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Mike Noto said. But the North Shore city differs from New Orleans in that it uses well water, whereas the Sewerage & Water Board draws its supply from the Mississippi River. Noto added in an interview Thursday that generally speaking, any water system losses surpassing 25 percent, including water given free for government or other public services, ought to be cause for concern. As for billing and metering data, the Sewerage & Water Board has fielded nearly 43,000 formal disputes over inaccurate or irregular bills from customers since late 2016, according to a running tally on the utilitys website. Sewerage & Water Board officials and an outside consultant have traced the issue largely to staff training and bills that are inaccurately estimated when a meter cannot be read. The audit also recommends tasking Sewerage & Water Board staff across several departments with refining the data, starting with compiling internal water loss audits more regularly. Yvette Downs, the utilitys chief financial officer, said she wants one performed at least once a year. Its the second time in recent years the Sewerage & Water Board has commissioned a water loss audit, crafted from the nonprofit American Water Works Associations methodology. Denver-based consultant Nora Freeman was the lead analyst for both audits. She was assisted in the most recent audit by Hairston and Peiffer Brandt, Raftelis president and CEO. | Audit: Sewerage & Water Board loses more than half of its water due to leaks. Audit: Lack of data on leaks, meter readings and billing inaccuracies could have inflated estimates. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.nola.com/politics/2019/03/how-much-water-does-the-sewerage-water-board-lose-to-leaks.html | 0.15966 |
How much water does the Sewerage & Water Board lose to leaks? | Leaks from underground pipes are a constant complaint in New Orleans. The answer is tough to pin down largely because of the kind of data the Sewerage & Water Board collects, according to results from an independent water loss audit the utility released this week. It found the amount of data on leaks, meter readings and billing inaccuracies that could be culled from the S&WB information system was limited, which could have inflated key water-loss benchmark estimates that the audit used. Based on the best estimates with the data on hand, New Orleans loses about 82 million gallons of water each day during the treatment and distribution process. Thats more than half of what it produced daily on average between 2008 and 2017, according to audit figures. Put another way, the water New Orleans estimates it loses daily could meet Slidells drinking water needs for nearly four weeks. A Sewerage & Water Board spokesperson agreed Thursday (March 14) with the audits findings, noting in an email the utility loses more than half of its water due to leaks, breaks and occasional overflows. Ghassan Korban, the utilitys executive director, added in a statement that the audit should help address future improvements to the water-distribution system. The rate of water loss due to our aging infrastructure is unacceptable," Korban said. "We must make it a priority to upgrade this fundamental service for the sake of the City and all our customers. These fixes will help us provide a vital service more efficiently and at a lower cost in the long run. Street repairs after underground fixes shifting to Sewerage & Water Board Street-paving duties will fall entirely to the S&WB once city contractors clear a backlog of 1,500 cuts later this year. Tony Hairston, vice president of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based consulting firm Raftelis, assisted in the audit. He told utility board members Wednesday (March 13) that better data collection should help guide the Sewerage & Water Board on how to most effectively cut down its water losses. It would also reduce how much money the utility spends to treat and pump lost or free water, which, according to data the audit used, averaged about 19 percent of the total cost to produce drinking water between 2008 and 2017. You can put a lot of money into the system, Hairston said at a board committee meeting Wednesday. But (the goal is) trying to figure out where are the places where you can drive this number down. Ron Spooner, the Sewerage & Water Boards chief engineer, said there are plans to install new flow meters to better track water before and after its treated. Those projects are being funded with federal hazard mitigation grants. The audits leak assessment underscores the huge task of bringing the Sewerage & Water Board into the modern era. Korban said earlier this year that only about 10 miles of underground water pipes out of a roughly 1,500-mile system have been replaced within the past 25 years. Of that total, nearly half are 100 years or older, he said, highlighting the degree to which the utility has put off replacing pipes for decades. Sewerage & Water Board leader faces long to-do list with scant resources Utility leaders looking for more funding and a switch to Entergy for primary power in the future. Still, large water leaks are not unheard of for municipal water utilities. Slidell, for instance, loses between 15 percent to 18 percent of the 3 million gallons a day it produces, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Mike Noto said. But the North Shore city differs from New Orleans in that it uses well water, whereas the Sewerage & Water Board draws its supply from the Mississippi River. Noto added in an interview Thursday that generally speaking, any water system losses surpassing 25 percent, including water given free for government or other public services, ought to be cause for concern. As for billing and metering data, the Sewerage & Water Board has fielded nearly 43,000 formal disputes over inaccurate or irregular bills from customers since late 2016, according to a running tally on the utilitys website. Sewerage & Water Board officials and an outside consultant have traced the issue largely to staff training and bills that are inaccurately estimated when a meter cannot be read. The audit also recommends tasking Sewerage & Water Board staff across several departments with refining the data, starting with compiling internal water loss audits more regularly. Yvette Downs, the utilitys chief financial officer, said she wants one performed at least once a year. Its the second time in recent years the Sewerage & Water Board has commissioned a water loss audit, crafted from the nonprofit American Water Works Associations methodology. Denver-based consultant Nora Freeman was the lead analyst for both audits. She was assisted in the most recent audit by Hairston and Peiffer Brandt, Raftelis president and CEO. | Audit: Sewerage & Water Board loses more than half of its water due to leaks. Audit: Lack of data on leaks, meter readings and billing inaccuracies could have inflated water-loss estimates. New Orleans estimates it loses daily could meet Slidell's drinking water needs for nearly four weeks. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.nola.com/politics/2019/03/how-much-water-does-the-sewerage-water-board-lose-to-leaks.html | 0.172389 |
Is President Trump Really Proposing To Cut Medicare By $845 Billion? | If you add up the proposed Medicare changes in President Trumps 2020 budget, it looks like he would cut the program by $845 billion over the next decade. Thats generated outrage from Democrats, but a closer look suggests that the reductions are much smaller, most would affect providers rather than beneficiaries, and many recycle old ideas that have little chance of ever being adopted. Make no mistake, the Trump budget is hardly senior-friendly. Hed freeze or reduce spending for many federal senior service programscontinuing a trend that has gone on for more than a decade. And his proposed cuts to Medicaid could hurt family caregivers of parents or younger relatives with disabilities. There is much less there than meets the eye. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget does a nice job walking through the math, and concludes that the net reduction in Medicare spending would be between $515 billion and $575 billion, not $845 billion. The White House projects that total Medicare spending over the next decade will top $10 trillion. While even $515 billion is a lot of money, very little would directly affect beneficiaries. CRFB figures about 85 percent of the cuts would come from hospitals, doctors, skilled nursing facilities, and other providers. Shifting accounts To start, Trump is moving about one-third of the money--$269 billioninto a different section of the budget. He would not reduce spending for these two programs, which fund certain hospitals and medical education, hed just shift them out the Medicare account to somewhere else. Of the rest, Trumps budget saves $360 billion mostly by recycling or building on ideas first suggested by President Obama. Among the proposals: Paying post-acute and long-term care providers based on the clinical needs of beneficiaries rather than the site the care is offered, and reducing payments to hospitals for the cost of patients who dont pay their bills. In some cases, hospital-owned medical practices would be paid lower, out-patient rates even when they are located on a hospital campus. None of these changes would increase costs to beneficiaries and some could, at least in theory, lower Medicare premiums. The potential downside: Some hospitals or nursing homes may stop providing services if they are no longer profitable. Little chance of becoming law About 11 percent of the cost savings would come from changes in the Medicare Part D drug benefit. Some beneficiaries would pay more out-of-pocket for prescription drugs and others less, depending on what medications they take and how much they cost. The administration also claims Medicare would save about $30 billion from broad changes to medical malpractice laws. In another change that could directly affect patients, the budget also would expand the requirement that they get prior authorization for Medicare fee-for-service treatment, an initiative the White House says would save about $6 billion. Keep in mind, however, that there is little chance any of these ideas will become law. Most have been around in one form or another for decades, and health care lobbyists always shoot them down. In the absence of broad-based Medicare reform, that is likely to happen again. Older adults and their caregivers ought to be more concerned with other ideas in Trumps 2020 budget. For example, he has once again proposed freezing or cutting federal senior services programs ranging from Meal on Wheels to falls prevention to the State Health Insurance Assistance (SHIP) program that helps seniors manage the increasingly complex world of Medicare. Medicaid block grants Last year, Trump proposed even deeper cuts. However, Congress rejected nearly all and even raised the budgets for some programs. With control of the House flipping from Republican to Democrat this year, it is highly unlikely any of these programs will get cut. However, it is not clear that many will be increased either, even though the population of older adults is growing rapidly. Trump is proposing major changes to Medicaid. Hed turn the program largely into a block grant, where the amount the federal government contributes to a state program is capped each year. Today, the feds pay on average about 60 percent of the cost of Medicaid, no matter how rapidly it increases. Finally, Trumps budget would impose a national work requirement on Medicaid enrollees, an idea that some states have adopted over the past year. While the states include exceptions for family caregivers, the rules vary widely and often are ambiguous, according to a 2018 study by the advocacy group Justice in Aging. Congress will approve few if any of Trumps budget initiatives, though he may try to implement some administratively. Cuts could be problematic for seniors and their families. But his Medicare reductions, at least, would be far less important to older adults than they seem at first glance. | Julian Zelizer: President Trump's 2020 budget would cut Medicare by $845 billion. He says most of the cuts would affect providers rather than beneficiaries. | bart | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2019/03/14/is-president-trump-really-proposing-to-cut-medicare-by-845-billion/ | 0.395856 |
Is President Trump Really Proposing To Cut Medicare By $845 Billion? | If you add up the proposed Medicare changes in President Trumps 2020 budget, it looks like he would cut the program by $845 billion over the next decade. Thats generated outrage from Democrats, but a closer look suggests that the reductions are much smaller, most would affect providers rather than beneficiaries, and many recycle old ideas that have little chance of ever being adopted. Make no mistake, the Trump budget is hardly senior-friendly. Hed freeze or reduce spending for many federal senior service programscontinuing a trend that has gone on for more than a decade. And his proposed cuts to Medicaid could hurt family caregivers of parents or younger relatives with disabilities. There is much less there than meets the eye. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget does a nice job walking through the math, and concludes that the net reduction in Medicare spending would be between $515 billion and $575 billion, not $845 billion. The White House projects that total Medicare spending over the next decade will top $10 trillion. While even $515 billion is a lot of money, very little would directly affect beneficiaries. CRFB figures about 85 percent of the cuts would come from hospitals, doctors, skilled nursing facilities, and other providers. Shifting accounts To start, Trump is moving about one-third of the money--$269 billioninto a different section of the budget. He would not reduce spending for these two programs, which fund certain hospitals and medical education, hed just shift them out the Medicare account to somewhere else. Of the rest, Trumps budget saves $360 billion mostly by recycling or building on ideas first suggested by President Obama. Among the proposals: Paying post-acute and long-term care providers based on the clinical needs of beneficiaries rather than the site the care is offered, and reducing payments to hospitals for the cost of patients who dont pay their bills. In some cases, hospital-owned medical practices would be paid lower, out-patient rates even when they are located on a hospital campus. None of these changes would increase costs to beneficiaries and some could, at least in theory, lower Medicare premiums. The potential downside: Some hospitals or nursing homes may stop providing services if they are no longer profitable. Little chance of becoming law About 11 percent of the cost savings would come from changes in the Medicare Part D drug benefit. Some beneficiaries would pay more out-of-pocket for prescription drugs and others less, depending on what medications they take and how much they cost. The administration also claims Medicare would save about $30 billion from broad changes to medical malpractice laws. In another change that could directly affect patients, the budget also would expand the requirement that they get prior authorization for Medicare fee-for-service treatment, an initiative the White House says would save about $6 billion. Keep in mind, however, that there is little chance any of these ideas will become law. Most have been around in one form or another for decades, and health care lobbyists always shoot them down. In the absence of broad-based Medicare reform, that is likely to happen again. Older adults and their caregivers ought to be more concerned with other ideas in Trumps 2020 budget. For example, he has once again proposed freezing or cutting federal senior services programs ranging from Meal on Wheels to falls prevention to the State Health Insurance Assistance (SHIP) program that helps seniors manage the increasingly complex world of Medicare. Medicaid block grants Last year, Trump proposed even deeper cuts. However, Congress rejected nearly all and even raised the budgets for some programs. With control of the House flipping from Republican to Democrat this year, it is highly unlikely any of these programs will get cut. However, it is not clear that many will be increased either, even though the population of older adults is growing rapidly. Trump is proposing major changes to Medicaid. Hed turn the program largely into a block grant, where the amount the federal government contributes to a state program is capped each year. Today, the feds pay on average about 60 percent of the cost of Medicaid, no matter how rapidly it increases. Finally, Trumps budget would impose a national work requirement on Medicaid enrollees, an idea that some states have adopted over the past year. While the states include exceptions for family caregivers, the rules vary widely and often are ambiguous, according to a 2018 study by the advocacy group Justice in Aging. Congress will approve few if any of Trumps budget initiatives, though he may try to implement some administratively. Cuts could be problematic for seniors and their families. But his Medicare reductions, at least, would be far less important to older adults than they seem at first glance. | Julian Zelizer: President Trump's 2020 budget would cut Medicare by $845 billion. He says that's a lot of money, but most of the cuts would affect providers rather than beneficiaries. Zelizer says the budget saves $360 billion mostly by recycling or building on ideas first suggested by Obama. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2019/03/14/is-president-trump-really-proposing-to-cut-medicare-by-845-billion/ | 0.462205 |
Whats next for Trumps national emergency after Senate vote? | Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram Heres what you need to know. In 1976, the National Emergency Act codified what had been a confusing constitutional question about the presidents ability to assume emergency powers, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Presidents have invoked the act 59 times since then, with 32 emergencies still in effect, counting Trumps most recent one on border security. But the act also gives Congress the power to override a presidents declaration of a national emergency, according to the center. In February, Trump declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border in order to divert military construction funds to construct a border wall after Congress refused to allocate all the money he had sought, CNBC reported. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 245-182 on Feb. 26 to override Trumps emergency declaration, USA Today reported. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted 59-41 to overturn the declaration, CBS News reported. Twelve Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting it. SHARE COPY LINK With a vote of 245 ayes and 182 nays, The House passed a resolution to terminate President Trump's national emergency declaration to build a Mexico-U.S. border wall. The resolution now heads to the Senate for debate in mid-March. Not only does Trump have the power to veto the action, hes already vowed to do so. A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction), Trump wrote Thursday morning on Twitter. I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed! A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction). I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019 Following the vote Thursday, Trump made a one-word post to Twitter: VETO! VETO! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019 The House and Senate can override Trumps veto, but that requires a super-majority of two-thirds of each chamber to approve. Neither the House nor Senate reached that threshold. Trump has already predicted that his promised veto will not be overridden, CBS News reported. It would be the first veto of his presidential term. The fight would most likely next head to the courts. Sixteen states, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, have already filed suit to block the national emergency declaration in court, CNN reported. The suit argues that Trump has misused his national emergency powers to thwart the will of Congress regarding funds for a border wall, according to the network. In 1952, President Harry Truman used his emergency powers to nationalize the steel industry to end a strike by steelworkers during the Korean War, NBC News reported. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Truman had exceeded his authority in a 6-3 vote. | The U.S. Senate voted 59-41 to overturn President Trump's national emergency declaration. The House of Representatives voted 245-182 on Feb. 26 to override the action. The resolution now heads to the Senate for debate in mid-March. | bart | 1 | https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article227776454.html | 0.211425 |
Whats next for Trumps national emergency after Senate vote? | Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram Heres what you need to know. In 1976, the National Emergency Act codified what had been a confusing constitutional question about the presidents ability to assume emergency powers, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Presidents have invoked the act 59 times since then, with 32 emergencies still in effect, counting Trumps most recent one on border security. But the act also gives Congress the power to override a presidents declaration of a national emergency, according to the center. In February, Trump declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border in order to divert military construction funds to construct a border wall after Congress refused to allocate all the money he had sought, CNBC reported. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 245-182 on Feb. 26 to override Trumps emergency declaration, USA Today reported. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted 59-41 to overturn the declaration, CBS News reported. Twelve Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting it. SHARE COPY LINK With a vote of 245 ayes and 182 nays, The House passed a resolution to terminate President Trump's national emergency declaration to build a Mexico-U.S. border wall. The resolution now heads to the Senate for debate in mid-March. Not only does Trump have the power to veto the action, hes already vowed to do so. A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction), Trump wrote Thursday morning on Twitter. I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed! A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction). I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019 Following the vote Thursday, Trump made a one-word post to Twitter: VETO! VETO! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019 The House and Senate can override Trumps veto, but that requires a super-majority of two-thirds of each chamber to approve. Neither the House nor Senate reached that threshold. Trump has already predicted that his promised veto will not be overridden, CBS News reported. It would be the first veto of his presidential term. The fight would most likely next head to the courts. Sixteen states, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, have already filed suit to block the national emergency declaration in court, CNN reported. The suit argues that Trump has misused his national emergency powers to thwart the will of Congress regarding funds for a border wall, according to the network. In 1952, President Harry Truman used his emergency powers to nationalize the steel industry to end a strike by steelworkers during the Korean War, NBC News reported. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Truman had exceeded his authority in a 6-3 vote. | The House of Representatives voted 245-182 on Feb. 26 to override Trumps emergency declaration. The Senate voted 59-41 on Thursday to overturn the declaration. Trump has vowed to veto the resolution, which now heads to the Senate for debate in mid-March. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article227776454.html | 0.167814 |
How did my MP vote on Brexit delay? | MPs have backed a delay to Article 50 on a third night of votes on Brexit in the House of Commons. The motion, put forward by the government, passed by 412 votes to 201. To find out how your MP voted use the look-up below. Enter a postcode, or the name or constituency of your MP Seat vacant Click here if you cannot see the look-up. Data from Commons Votes Services. The main motion was backed by MPs from across the political spectrum, but 187 Conservative MPs voted against the government. These included seven Cabinet ministers and the Chief Whip: Liz Truss Gavin Williamson Liam Fox Stephen Barclay Andrea Leadsom Chris Grayling Penny Mordaunt Julian Smith (Chief Whip) All three amendments to the government's motion that were voted on by MPs were defeated. An amendment on a second referendum brought by a cross-party group of remainer MPs was voted down by 334 votes to 85. Forty-one Labour MPs rebelled against their party whip which had ordered them to abstain. Twenty-four backed the motion, and 17 voted against. An amendment allowing MPs to take control of the commons process to hold a debate on a series of indicative votes, was defeated by just one vote, 314-312. Six Labour MPs voted against their colleague, Hilary Benn who put forward the amendment. MPs also rejected the Labour Party's amendment. This rejected the Prime Minister's deal and asked for parliamentary time to find a majority for a different approach to Brexit. It was defeated by 318 votes to 302. | MPs have backed a delay to Article 50 on a third night of votes. The motion, put forward by the government, passed by 412 votes to 201. All three amendments to the government's motion that were voted on by MPs were defeated. | bart | 1 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47569013 | 0.380842 |
How did my MP vote on Brexit delay? | MPs have backed a delay to Article 50 on a third night of votes on Brexit in the House of Commons. The motion, put forward by the government, passed by 412 votes to 201. To find out how your MP voted use the look-up below. Enter a postcode, or the name or constituency of your MP Seat vacant Click here if you cannot see the look-up. Data from Commons Votes Services. The main motion was backed by MPs from across the political spectrum, but 187 Conservative MPs voted against the government. These included seven Cabinet ministers and the Chief Whip: Liz Truss Gavin Williamson Liam Fox Stephen Barclay Andrea Leadsom Chris Grayling Penny Mordaunt Julian Smith (Chief Whip) All three amendments to the government's motion that were voted on by MPs were defeated. An amendment on a second referendum brought by a cross-party group of remainer MPs was voted down by 334 votes to 85. Forty-one Labour MPs rebelled against their party whip which had ordered them to abstain. Twenty-four backed the motion, and 17 voted against. An amendment allowing MPs to take control of the commons process to hold a debate on a series of indicative votes, was defeated by just one vote, 314-312. Six Labour MPs voted against their colleague, Hilary Benn who put forward the amendment. MPs also rejected the Labour Party's amendment. This rejected the Prime Minister's deal and asked for parliamentary time to find a majority for a different approach to Brexit. It was defeated by 318 votes to 302. | MPs have backed a delay to Article 50 on a third night of votes. The motion, put forward by the government, passed by 412 votes to 201. 187 Conservative MPs voted against the government. These included seven Cabinet ministers and the Chief Whip. All three amendments to the government's motion were defeated. | bart | 2 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47569013 | 0.367416 |
Why are students walking out of class in San Francisco, Oakland, Peninsula and elsewhere Friday? | Students join the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement during a climate change protest near Parliament in London, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. The demonstration is one many nationwide to demand action against climate change. (Nick Ansell/PA via AP) less Students join the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement during a climate change protest near Parliament in London, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. 1 / 10 Back to Gallery Students around the world are walking out of class in protest Friday as part of a concerted effort to demand action on climate change. Local high school and middle school students from Oakland, San Francisco, Marin County and the Peninsula are planning to rally at 10 a.m. Friday in front of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office in downtown San Francisco. From there they will march past the office of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The students are then planning to rally at Union Square, where speakers will talk about the need for a Green New Deal. MORE: Bay Area students plan strike to demand climate change action Hundreds of similar strikes by youth are planned in an estimated 75 countries on March 15. Here's what we know about the Bay Area Youth Climate Strike protests: San Francisco: Participants meeting at 10 a.m. at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office (the Facebook event lists the location of Pelosi's office as 450 Golden Gate Ave., but her office is located at 90 7th St.), then march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, followed by a rally at Union Square Participants meeting at 10 a.m. at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office (the Facebook event lists the location of Pelosi's office as 450 Golden Gate Ave., but her office is located at 90 7th St.), then march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, followed by a rally at Union Square Oakland: Youth Climate Strike support rally scheduled for 5 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza Youth Climate Strike support rally scheduled for 5 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza Berkeley: Students walking out of class at 10 a.m., as well as gathering before class starts for those who can't afford to miss class Students walking out of class at 10 a.m., as well as gathering before class starts for those who can't afford to miss class Alameda: Students meeting at 9 a.m. at Alameda City Hall Students meeting at 9 a.m. at Alameda City Hall Los Altos: Los Altos High School students walking out at 10 a.m. and marching to El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Los Altos High School students walking out at 10 a.m. and marching to El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Palo Alto: Palo Alto High School students walking out at 2:50 p.m. and standing with signs at Embarcadero and El Camino Real Palo Alto High School students walking out at 2:50 p.m. and standing with signs at Embarcadero and El Camino Real Sonoma: Students gathering at Sonoma Plaza at 9 a.m. Students gathering at Sonoma Plaza at 9 a.m. Napa: Students gathering in downtown Napa at 3:30 p.m. Students gathering in downtown Napa at 3:30 p.m. Petaluma: Students of all ages meeting at Petaluma Regional Library at 8:30 a.m. to march toward the freeway; Cherry Valley Middle School students walking out at 11 a.m. Students of all ages meeting at Petaluma Regional Library at 8:30 a.m. to march toward the freeway; Cherry Valley Middle School students walking out at 11 a.m. Santa Rosa: Students walking out and gathering at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa at 11 a.m. Students walking out and gathering at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa at 11 a.m. Sebastopol: Students walking out and gathering at Sebastopol Downtown Square at 12:30 p.m. There are also events planned for Cupertino, Vallejo, and Rohnert Park, but no details were available. A directory of all Youth Climate Strike events can be found on the organization's website. Bay City News contributed to this report. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. | Students around the world are walking out of class in protest Friday as part of a concerted effort to demand action on climate change. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/climate-change-strike-protest-school-walkout-sf-13689322.php | 0.356609 |
Why are students walking out of class in San Francisco, Oakland, Peninsula and elsewhere Friday? | Students join the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement during a climate change protest near Parliament in London, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. The demonstration is one many nationwide to demand action against climate change. (Nick Ansell/PA via AP) less Students join the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement during a climate change protest near Parliament in London, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. 1 / 10 Back to Gallery Students around the world are walking out of class in protest Friday as part of a concerted effort to demand action on climate change. Local high school and middle school students from Oakland, San Francisco, Marin County and the Peninsula are planning to rally at 10 a.m. Friday in front of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office in downtown San Francisco. From there they will march past the office of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The students are then planning to rally at Union Square, where speakers will talk about the need for a Green New Deal. MORE: Bay Area students plan strike to demand climate change action Hundreds of similar strikes by youth are planned in an estimated 75 countries on March 15. Here's what we know about the Bay Area Youth Climate Strike protests: San Francisco: Participants meeting at 10 a.m. at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office (the Facebook event lists the location of Pelosi's office as 450 Golden Gate Ave., but her office is located at 90 7th St.), then march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, followed by a rally at Union Square Participants meeting at 10 a.m. at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office (the Facebook event lists the location of Pelosi's office as 450 Golden Gate Ave., but her office is located at 90 7th St.), then march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, followed by a rally at Union Square Oakland: Youth Climate Strike support rally scheduled for 5 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza Youth Climate Strike support rally scheduled for 5 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza Berkeley: Students walking out of class at 10 a.m., as well as gathering before class starts for those who can't afford to miss class Students walking out of class at 10 a.m., as well as gathering before class starts for those who can't afford to miss class Alameda: Students meeting at 9 a.m. at Alameda City Hall Students meeting at 9 a.m. at Alameda City Hall Los Altos: Los Altos High School students walking out at 10 a.m. and marching to El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Los Altos High School students walking out at 10 a.m. and marching to El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Palo Alto: Palo Alto High School students walking out at 2:50 p.m. and standing with signs at Embarcadero and El Camino Real Palo Alto High School students walking out at 2:50 p.m. and standing with signs at Embarcadero and El Camino Real Sonoma: Students gathering at Sonoma Plaza at 9 a.m. Students gathering at Sonoma Plaza at 9 a.m. Napa: Students gathering in downtown Napa at 3:30 p.m. Students gathering in downtown Napa at 3:30 p.m. Petaluma: Students of all ages meeting at Petaluma Regional Library at 8:30 a.m. to march toward the freeway; Cherry Valley Middle School students walking out at 11 a.m. Students of all ages meeting at Petaluma Regional Library at 8:30 a.m. to march toward the freeway; Cherry Valley Middle School students walking out at 11 a.m. Santa Rosa: Students walking out and gathering at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa at 11 a.m. Students walking out and gathering at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa at 11 a.m. Sebastopol: Students walking out and gathering at Sebastopol Downtown Square at 12:30 p.m. There are also events planned for Cupertino, Vallejo, and Rohnert Park, but no details were available. A directory of all Youth Climate Strike events can be found on the organization's website. Bay City News contributed to this report. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. | Students from Oakland, San Francisco, Marin County and the Peninsula are planning to rally at 10 a.m. Friday in front of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office. | bart | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/climate-change-strike-protest-school-walkout-sf-13689322.php | 0.304788 |
Why are students walking out of class in San Francisco, Oakland, Peninsula and elsewhere Friday? | Students join the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement during a climate change protest near Parliament in London, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. The demonstration is one many nationwide to demand action against climate change. (Nick Ansell/PA via AP) less Students join the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement during a climate change protest near Parliament in London, Friday Feb. 15, 2019. 1 / 10 Back to Gallery Students around the world are walking out of class in protest Friday as part of a concerted effort to demand action on climate change. Local high school and middle school students from Oakland, San Francisco, Marin County and the Peninsula are planning to rally at 10 a.m. Friday in front of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office in downtown San Francisco. From there they will march past the office of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The students are then planning to rally at Union Square, where speakers will talk about the need for a Green New Deal. MORE: Bay Area students plan strike to demand climate change action Hundreds of similar strikes by youth are planned in an estimated 75 countries on March 15. Here's what we know about the Bay Area Youth Climate Strike protests: San Francisco: Participants meeting at 10 a.m. at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office (the Facebook event lists the location of Pelosi's office as 450 Golden Gate Ave., but her office is located at 90 7th St.), then march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, followed by a rally at Union Square Participants meeting at 10 a.m. at Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office (the Facebook event lists the location of Pelosi's office as 450 Golden Gate Ave., but her office is located at 90 7th St.), then march to Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office, followed by a rally at Union Square Oakland: Youth Climate Strike support rally scheduled for 5 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza Youth Climate Strike support rally scheduled for 5 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza Berkeley: Students walking out of class at 10 a.m., as well as gathering before class starts for those who can't afford to miss class Students walking out of class at 10 a.m., as well as gathering before class starts for those who can't afford to miss class Alameda: Students meeting at 9 a.m. at Alameda City Hall Students meeting at 9 a.m. at Alameda City Hall Los Altos: Los Altos High School students walking out at 10 a.m. and marching to El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Los Altos High School students walking out at 10 a.m. and marching to El Camino Real and San Antonio Road Palo Alto: Palo Alto High School students walking out at 2:50 p.m. and standing with signs at Embarcadero and El Camino Real Palo Alto High School students walking out at 2:50 p.m. and standing with signs at Embarcadero and El Camino Real Sonoma: Students gathering at Sonoma Plaza at 9 a.m. Students gathering at Sonoma Plaza at 9 a.m. Napa: Students gathering in downtown Napa at 3:30 p.m. Students gathering in downtown Napa at 3:30 p.m. Petaluma: Students of all ages meeting at Petaluma Regional Library at 8:30 a.m. to march toward the freeway; Cherry Valley Middle School students walking out at 11 a.m. Students of all ages meeting at Petaluma Regional Library at 8:30 a.m. to march toward the freeway; Cherry Valley Middle School students walking out at 11 a.m. Santa Rosa: Students walking out and gathering at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa at 11 a.m. Students walking out and gathering at Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa at 11 a.m. Sebastopol: Students walking out and gathering at Sebastopol Downtown Square at 12:30 p.m. There are also events planned for Cupertino, Vallejo, and Rohnert Park, but no details were available. A directory of all Youth Climate Strike events can be found on the organization's website. Bay City News contributed to this report. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. | Students around the world are walking out of class in protest Friday as part of a concerted effort to demand action on climate change. Local high school and middle school students from Oakland, San Francisco, Marin County and the Peninsula are planning to rally at 10 a. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/climate-change-strike-protest-school-walkout-sf-13689322.php | 0.507082 |
Are Southwest and American parking Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in Phoenix? | The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft and at Sky Harbor, and you can spot both Southwest and American aircraft parked on the tarmac to comply with the order. Though FAA order prohibits passenger flights, airlines can still ferry the aircraft that is fly without passengers to other airports for storing, flight testing and maintenance. As airlines shuffle their Max 8s, it appears one of the final destinations is Phoenix. The Valley's weather makes it an ideal spot to park an aircraft indefinitely. Other parts of the country are still experiencing winter. American and Southwest also have maintenance facilities in Phoenix. American Airlines 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Phoenix American Airlines has 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet of 956 planes. The airline says the aircraft typically serve 85 flights daily, a small number compared with its 6,700 daily departures. American Airlines does not use the MAX 8 to serve Phoenix routes. However, the airline has ferried at least two aircraft to Sky Harbor to park. The flight tracking website FlightAware showed one of those empty flights arriving at the airport from Cancun Thursday morning. CLOSE A Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia killing everyone on board. The crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane marks the second deadliest accident involving a Boeing 737 in the past five months. USA TODAY Southwest also parks MAX 8 aircraft in Phoenix Southwest Airlines has 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet. The airline said it operated only 4 percent of its daily flights on MAX 8 aircraft and has had to cancel 39 flights out of 4,000 scheduled network wide on Thursday. The airline declined to say exactly how many of its fleet of 34 MAX 8s are currently being stored in Phoenix, but at least five could be spotted on the tarmac at Sky Harbor. A spokesperson confirmed that the airline was parking the aircraft in cities where it has maintenance bases. Besides Phoenix, Southwest has maintenance facilities in Baltimore/Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, Oakland, Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City and Tampa. You can connect with Melissa through email at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Support local journalism like this story by subscribing today. CLOSE President Trump announces the FAA and Dept. of Transportation will ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft following recent crashes of the model. USA TODAY Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2019/03/14/southwest-american-parking-boeing-737-max-8-planes-phoenix-ethiopia-crash/3163684002/ | Southwest and American are parking Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in Phoenix. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2019/03/14/southwest-american-parking-boeing-737-max-8-planes-phoenix-ethiopia-crash/3163684002/ | 0.493659 |
Are Southwest and American parking Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in Phoenix? | The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft and at Sky Harbor, and you can spot both Southwest and American aircraft parked on the tarmac to comply with the order. Though FAA order prohibits passenger flights, airlines can still ferry the aircraft that is fly without passengers to other airports for storing, flight testing and maintenance. As airlines shuffle their Max 8s, it appears one of the final destinations is Phoenix. The Valley's weather makes it an ideal spot to park an aircraft indefinitely. Other parts of the country are still experiencing winter. American and Southwest also have maintenance facilities in Phoenix. American Airlines 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Phoenix American Airlines has 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet of 956 planes. The airline says the aircraft typically serve 85 flights daily, a small number compared with its 6,700 daily departures. American Airlines does not use the MAX 8 to serve Phoenix routes. However, the airline has ferried at least two aircraft to Sky Harbor to park. The flight tracking website FlightAware showed one of those empty flights arriving at the airport from Cancun Thursday morning. CLOSE A Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia killing everyone on board. The crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane marks the second deadliest accident involving a Boeing 737 in the past five months. USA TODAY Southwest also parks MAX 8 aircraft in Phoenix Southwest Airlines has 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet. The airline said it operated only 4 percent of its daily flights on MAX 8 aircraft and has had to cancel 39 flights out of 4,000 scheduled network wide on Thursday. The airline declined to say exactly how many of its fleet of 34 MAX 8s are currently being stored in Phoenix, but at least five could be spotted on the tarmac at Sky Harbor. A spokesperson confirmed that the airline was parking the aircraft in cities where it has maintenance bases. Besides Phoenix, Southwest has maintenance facilities in Baltimore/Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, Oakland, Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City and Tampa. You can connect with Melissa through email at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Support local journalism like this story by subscribing today. CLOSE President Trump announces the FAA and Dept. of Transportation will ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft following recent crashes of the model. USA TODAY Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2019/03/14/southwest-american-parking-boeing-737-max-8-planes-phoenix-ethiopia-crash/3163684002/ | Southwest and American are parking their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in Phoenix. The planes are being ferried to other airports for storing, flight testing and maintenance. The FAA ordered airlines to ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2019/03/14/southwest-american-parking-boeing-737-max-8-planes-phoenix-ethiopia-crash/3163684002/ | 0.755726 |
Are Southwest and American parking Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in Phoenix? | The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft and at Sky Harbor, and you can spot both Southwest and American aircraft parked on the tarmac to comply with the order. Though FAA order prohibits passenger flights, airlines can still ferry the aircraft that is fly without passengers to other airports for storing, flight testing and maintenance. As airlines shuffle their Max 8s, it appears one of the final destinations is Phoenix. The Valley's weather makes it an ideal spot to park an aircraft indefinitely. Other parts of the country are still experiencing winter. American and Southwest also have maintenance facilities in Phoenix. American Airlines 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Phoenix American Airlines has 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet of 956 planes. The airline says the aircraft typically serve 85 flights daily, a small number compared with its 6,700 daily departures. American Airlines does not use the MAX 8 to serve Phoenix routes. However, the airline has ferried at least two aircraft to Sky Harbor to park. The flight tracking website FlightAware showed one of those empty flights arriving at the airport from Cancun Thursday morning. CLOSE A Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia killing everyone on board. The crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane marks the second deadliest accident involving a Boeing 737 in the past five months. USA TODAY Southwest also parks MAX 8 aircraft in Phoenix Southwest Airlines has 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet. The airline said it operated only 4 percent of its daily flights on MAX 8 aircraft and has had to cancel 39 flights out of 4,000 scheduled network wide on Thursday. The airline declined to say exactly how many of its fleet of 34 MAX 8s are currently being stored in Phoenix, but at least five could be spotted on the tarmac at Sky Harbor. A spokesperson confirmed that the airline was parking the aircraft in cities where it has maintenance bases. Besides Phoenix, Southwest has maintenance facilities in Baltimore/Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, Oakland, Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City and Tampa. You can connect with Melissa through email at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Support local journalism like this story by subscribing today. CLOSE President Trump announces the FAA and Dept. of Transportation will ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft following recent crashes of the model. USA TODAY Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2019/03/14/southwest-american-parking-boeing-737-max-8-planes-phoenix-ethiopia-crash/3163684002/ | Southwest and American are parking their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in Phoenix. The planes are being ferried to other airports for storing, flight testing and maintenance. The FAA ordered airlines to ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft and at Sky Harbor, and you can spot both aircraft parked on the tarmac. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2019/03/14/southwest-american-parking-boeing-737-max-8-planes-phoenix-ethiopia-crash/3163684002/ | 0.76246 |
What Type of Entity Should I Use in the Film Industry? | To navigate the shoals of the business side of the film industry, you must have a basic understanding of the different types of legal entities. Every transactionfrom the humblest to the noblestinvolves a choice from the smorgasbord of entities, so it is important to know the basic business, legal, and tax distinctions between them. Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship is a legal nothing; it is merely an individual operating under a fictitious business name. These are often referred to as DBAs because the person is doing business as so-and-so. The good news is that they are cheap and easy to create. The bad news is that because a sole proprietorship is not treated as a separate entity, it gives you no protection from liabilities. They are perfect entities to use if you are acting alone (they can only be owned by one individual) and if you would be responsible for all the liabilities anyway. The best example would be a consulting or other similar service business. Any lenders to the business would undoubtedly require your personal guarantee anyway, and you would be directly liable for any damage you caused, even if you operated through a corporation. General Partnership A general partnership is deemed to be formed whenever two or more persons combine in a business enterprise to share profits and losses. It does not require any type of filing, and it is not possible to disclaim partnership status by contract (notwithstanding that almost every contract purports to do so). The broad definition of general partnership includes within it the ubiquitous joint venture and co-productionthe names many lawyers give to a film transaction when they do not know what else to call it. Since these arrangements will be characterized as partnerships anyway, it makes sense to structure and draft the transactions as partnerships to start with, to make sure that all the relevant issues are dealt with properly (i.e., money in, money out, and control). In a general partnership, each partner can contractually bind the partnership vis--vis third parties, and the partnership is liable for acts taken by any of the partners in furtherance of the partnerships business. Worse yet, each of the partners is personally liable for all the debts of the partnership. For these reasons, it is not common to intentionally form an entity as a general partnership, although it is quite common to inadvertently do so by structuring a transaction as a joint venture or co-production. For tax purposes, general partnerships are treated as transparent; the income and loss of the partnership is passed through to the partners, who then deduct the losses (to the extent permissible) and pay taxes on the income. Limited Partnership Limited partnerships are like general partnerships, with the following exceptions: To create a limited partnership, a filing must be made with the Secretary of State in the state where the partnership is formed. A limited partnership has two classes of partners: the general partners and the limited partners. The general partners have the right to manage and control the affairs of the partnership, and are liable for all the debts of the partnership. The limited partners do not have the right to manage or control the affairs of the partnership (although they typically have the right to vote on specific important matters), but they are not liable for any of the debts of the partnership. In all other respects, limited partnerships are the same as general partnerships. For example, they are transparent for tax purposes; the income and loss of a limited partnership is passed through to its partners. Because the general partners are liable for the debts of a limited partnership, it is common to use an entity that has limited liability (such as a corporation or limited liability company) as the sole general partner of a limited partnership. This structure combines limited liability with the flexibility and tax transparency of a partnership. Until the advent of limited liability companies (discussed below), limited partnerships were the entity of choice for most film financing transactions. C Corporation A C corporation is just a good old-fashioned regular corporation. It is referred to as a C corporation to distinguish it from an S corporation, which is discussed below. The C and S refer to the Subchapter of the Internal Revenue Code that governs the respective corporations. Whenever a new client mentions owning a corporation, I always ask whether it is a C or an S corporation, as the answer has tremendous implications on almost any discussion that follows. A C corporation is formed by filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State in the state where the corporation is formed. Ownership of a C corporation is evidenced by shares, and the owners are called shareholders. Unlike a partnership (both general and limited), none of the shareholders of a C corporation has any liability for the debts of the C corporation. For this reason, many lawyers to this day continue to blindly form C corporations, without thinking through the negative tax implications (discussed below), and without considering alternatives. The shareholders of a C corporation elect a board of directors, who exercise ultimate control. The directors, in turn, appoint officers, such as the president, but the directors retain the ultimate power to replace the officers. Normal shares that are entitled to the residual profits of a C corporation are referred to as common shares. Shares that are entitled to some type of distribution preference over the common shares are referred to as preferred shares. For example, upon liquidation, preferred shares might be entitled to a preferential distribution equal to the initial amount paid to the corporation for the shares, but in return, the preferred shares might only receive a limited dividend during the life of the C corporation, similar to interest on a loan. Since it is all a matter of contract (evidenced by the articles of incorporation), it is also possible to have preferred shares participate in the profits like common stock, in which case the shares are called participating preferred shares. In general, a C corporation is the only entity that can go public. However, if you have grandiose dreams of ultimately going public, you do not need to use a C corporation until that magic day arrives; you can and should use something else until then, and you can simply convert it to a C corporation when you go public. Far and away, the single most important detriment of a C corporation is that it is not transparent for tax purposes, which results in double taxation; the C corporation is taxed on income it earns, and the shareholders are taxed again when that income is distributed to them. In addition, any losses are locked up in the C corporation and may not be deducted by the shareholders. However, corporations are subject to a very low rate of tax (21%, reducing to as low as 10.5% for foreign income), so they can be attractive if the business will run at a profit and reinvest earnings. If the income of the C corporation can be bailed out to the shareholders in the form of deductible compensation, the double tax detriment disappears. The primary example is when all the income earned by the C corporation is attributable to loaning out the services of its sole shareholder, and these C corporations are referred to as loan-out corporations. It is quite common for talent (i.e., directors, writers, and actors) to use loan-out corporations to obtain various tax benefits, such as the ability to deduct numerous expenses that would not be deductible if the talent were an employee of the film company. As an example, assume that an actor renders services to his wholly-owned loan-out corporation, and the corporation loans out his services to a film company for $10 million. The loan-out corporation then pays the actor $7 million as deductible compensation, and pays another $3 million of deductible expenses (which would have been non-deductible if the actor was an employee of the film company, including payments to the actor's agent, lawyer, and business manager). In this manner, the loan-out corporation has no taxable income, and the actor has only $7 million of taxable income. It also makes sense for a foreign corporation to use a U.S. C corporation to conduct any business activities in the U.S., including through a partnership or limited liability company with a third party. This approach will limit the tax damage (and audits and tax returns) to the U.S. C corporation, as opposed to requiring the foreign corporation to itself file tax returns, which would expose it to direct audit. S Corporation Except for their unique tax aspects and restrictions, S corporations are identical to C corporations in every way: They are formed under the same corporate law by filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State, and they are owned by shareholders who elect directors, etc. The big difference is that the shareholders must affirmatively elect to become an S corporation, in which case the corporation is treated as transparent for tax purposes, and the income and loss of the S corporation is passed through to its shareholders. Thus, S corporations combine advantages of both corporations and partnerships; the shareholders are not liable for the corporate debts, and an S corporation is not subject to double taxation, as a C corporation is. (However, some states impose a small tax on an S corporations net income; e.g., California imposes a 1.5% tax.) There are, however, numerous disadvantages with an S corporation, the most important of which are the following: An S corporation cannot have more than 100 shareholders (with members of the same family counted as one shareholder). Thus, an S corporation cannot be publicly traded. With minor exceptions, all the shareholders must be individuals who are U.S. citizens or residents. This precludes ownership by any type of entity, such as a partnership, C corporation, or limited liability company. An S corporation can have only common shares. It cannot have preferred shares or any other type of preferential equity ownership. This restriction precludes every type of standard equity financing, as an S corporation cannot provide the equity financiers with any kind of preference on distributions. All in all, it is like playing tennis in a straitjacket, and any foot-fault may result in the disastrous consequence of inadvertently becoming a C corporation, with its attendant double taxation. In general, therefore, it is best to steer far afield from S corporations. Limited Liability Company The owners limited liability companies (LLCs) are not liable for the debts of the entity, as with a corporation, and LLCs are taxed on a transparent basis, identical to partnerships. They thus combine the advantages of both corporations and partnerships, without the restrictions of S corporations. An LLC is formed by filing articles of organization with the Secretary of State in the state where the LLC is formed. The LLC is either governed directly by its members, or its operating agreement may provide that the members elect managers (who may or may not be members), who in turn run the LLC. As with partnerships, LLCs have complete flexibility; whatever the mind of man can imagine can be written into the operating agreement (such as special allocations of income or control). As mentioned above, an LLC is transparent for tax purposes. If it has two or more members, an LLC is characterized as a partnership for tax purposes. If it is owned by a single member, it is disregarded as a separate entity and is treated as part of the owner. This gets tricky: for state law purposes, a single-member LLC is treated as a separate entity, providing limited liability to its owner, while for tax purposes it is completely disregarded and treated as part of the owner. This is an extraordinary result that was not possible prior to the introduction of LLCs. One negative consequence of LLCs is that, since they are pass-through entities for tax purposes, individual owners are not subject to the same low rate of tax that applies to corporations. In addition, some states charge a premium for using them. For example, in California LLCs are not only required to pay the same $800 annual minimum tax that corporations and limited partnerships are, but they are also required to pay an additional relatively small tax based on their gross income that caps out at about $12,000 of tax at about $5 million of gross income. | To navigate the shoals of the film industry, you must have a basic understanding of the different types of legal entities. A sole Proprietorship is a legal nothing; it is merely an individual operating under a fictitious business name. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/schuylermoore/2019/03/14/what-type-of-entity-should-i-use-in-the-film-industry/ | 0.10004 |
What Type of Entity Should I Use in the Film Industry? | To navigate the shoals of the business side of the film industry, you must have a basic understanding of the different types of legal entities. Every transactionfrom the humblest to the noblestinvolves a choice from the smorgasbord of entities, so it is important to know the basic business, legal, and tax distinctions between them. Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship is a legal nothing; it is merely an individual operating under a fictitious business name. These are often referred to as DBAs because the person is doing business as so-and-so. The good news is that they are cheap and easy to create. The bad news is that because a sole proprietorship is not treated as a separate entity, it gives you no protection from liabilities. They are perfect entities to use if you are acting alone (they can only be owned by one individual) and if you would be responsible for all the liabilities anyway. The best example would be a consulting or other similar service business. Any lenders to the business would undoubtedly require your personal guarantee anyway, and you would be directly liable for any damage you caused, even if you operated through a corporation. General Partnership A general partnership is deemed to be formed whenever two or more persons combine in a business enterprise to share profits and losses. It does not require any type of filing, and it is not possible to disclaim partnership status by contract (notwithstanding that almost every contract purports to do so). The broad definition of general partnership includes within it the ubiquitous joint venture and co-productionthe names many lawyers give to a film transaction when they do not know what else to call it. Since these arrangements will be characterized as partnerships anyway, it makes sense to structure and draft the transactions as partnerships to start with, to make sure that all the relevant issues are dealt with properly (i.e., money in, money out, and control). In a general partnership, each partner can contractually bind the partnership vis--vis third parties, and the partnership is liable for acts taken by any of the partners in furtherance of the partnerships business. Worse yet, each of the partners is personally liable for all the debts of the partnership. For these reasons, it is not common to intentionally form an entity as a general partnership, although it is quite common to inadvertently do so by structuring a transaction as a joint venture or co-production. For tax purposes, general partnerships are treated as transparent; the income and loss of the partnership is passed through to the partners, who then deduct the losses (to the extent permissible) and pay taxes on the income. Limited Partnership Limited partnerships are like general partnerships, with the following exceptions: To create a limited partnership, a filing must be made with the Secretary of State in the state where the partnership is formed. A limited partnership has two classes of partners: the general partners and the limited partners. The general partners have the right to manage and control the affairs of the partnership, and are liable for all the debts of the partnership. The limited partners do not have the right to manage or control the affairs of the partnership (although they typically have the right to vote on specific important matters), but they are not liable for any of the debts of the partnership. In all other respects, limited partnerships are the same as general partnerships. For example, they are transparent for tax purposes; the income and loss of a limited partnership is passed through to its partners. Because the general partners are liable for the debts of a limited partnership, it is common to use an entity that has limited liability (such as a corporation or limited liability company) as the sole general partner of a limited partnership. This structure combines limited liability with the flexibility and tax transparency of a partnership. Until the advent of limited liability companies (discussed below), limited partnerships were the entity of choice for most film financing transactions. C Corporation A C corporation is just a good old-fashioned regular corporation. It is referred to as a C corporation to distinguish it from an S corporation, which is discussed below. The C and S refer to the Subchapter of the Internal Revenue Code that governs the respective corporations. Whenever a new client mentions owning a corporation, I always ask whether it is a C or an S corporation, as the answer has tremendous implications on almost any discussion that follows. A C corporation is formed by filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State in the state where the corporation is formed. Ownership of a C corporation is evidenced by shares, and the owners are called shareholders. Unlike a partnership (both general and limited), none of the shareholders of a C corporation has any liability for the debts of the C corporation. For this reason, many lawyers to this day continue to blindly form C corporations, without thinking through the negative tax implications (discussed below), and without considering alternatives. The shareholders of a C corporation elect a board of directors, who exercise ultimate control. The directors, in turn, appoint officers, such as the president, but the directors retain the ultimate power to replace the officers. Normal shares that are entitled to the residual profits of a C corporation are referred to as common shares. Shares that are entitled to some type of distribution preference over the common shares are referred to as preferred shares. For example, upon liquidation, preferred shares might be entitled to a preferential distribution equal to the initial amount paid to the corporation for the shares, but in return, the preferred shares might only receive a limited dividend during the life of the C corporation, similar to interest on a loan. Since it is all a matter of contract (evidenced by the articles of incorporation), it is also possible to have preferred shares participate in the profits like common stock, in which case the shares are called participating preferred shares. In general, a C corporation is the only entity that can go public. However, if you have grandiose dreams of ultimately going public, you do not need to use a C corporation until that magic day arrives; you can and should use something else until then, and you can simply convert it to a C corporation when you go public. Far and away, the single most important detriment of a C corporation is that it is not transparent for tax purposes, which results in double taxation; the C corporation is taxed on income it earns, and the shareholders are taxed again when that income is distributed to them. In addition, any losses are locked up in the C corporation and may not be deducted by the shareholders. However, corporations are subject to a very low rate of tax (21%, reducing to as low as 10.5% for foreign income), so they can be attractive if the business will run at a profit and reinvest earnings. If the income of the C corporation can be bailed out to the shareholders in the form of deductible compensation, the double tax detriment disappears. The primary example is when all the income earned by the C corporation is attributable to loaning out the services of its sole shareholder, and these C corporations are referred to as loan-out corporations. It is quite common for talent (i.e., directors, writers, and actors) to use loan-out corporations to obtain various tax benefits, such as the ability to deduct numerous expenses that would not be deductible if the talent were an employee of the film company. As an example, assume that an actor renders services to his wholly-owned loan-out corporation, and the corporation loans out his services to a film company for $10 million. The loan-out corporation then pays the actor $7 million as deductible compensation, and pays another $3 million of deductible expenses (which would have been non-deductible if the actor was an employee of the film company, including payments to the actor's agent, lawyer, and business manager). In this manner, the loan-out corporation has no taxable income, and the actor has only $7 million of taxable income. It also makes sense for a foreign corporation to use a U.S. C corporation to conduct any business activities in the U.S., including through a partnership or limited liability company with a third party. This approach will limit the tax damage (and audits and tax returns) to the U.S. C corporation, as opposed to requiring the foreign corporation to itself file tax returns, which would expose it to direct audit. S Corporation Except for their unique tax aspects and restrictions, S corporations are identical to C corporations in every way: They are formed under the same corporate law by filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State, and they are owned by shareholders who elect directors, etc. The big difference is that the shareholders must affirmatively elect to become an S corporation, in which case the corporation is treated as transparent for tax purposes, and the income and loss of the S corporation is passed through to its shareholders. Thus, S corporations combine advantages of both corporations and partnerships; the shareholders are not liable for the corporate debts, and an S corporation is not subject to double taxation, as a C corporation is. (However, some states impose a small tax on an S corporations net income; e.g., California imposes a 1.5% tax.) There are, however, numerous disadvantages with an S corporation, the most important of which are the following: An S corporation cannot have more than 100 shareholders (with members of the same family counted as one shareholder). Thus, an S corporation cannot be publicly traded. With minor exceptions, all the shareholders must be individuals who are U.S. citizens or residents. This precludes ownership by any type of entity, such as a partnership, C corporation, or limited liability company. An S corporation can have only common shares. It cannot have preferred shares or any other type of preferential equity ownership. This restriction precludes every type of standard equity financing, as an S corporation cannot provide the equity financiers with any kind of preference on distributions. All in all, it is like playing tennis in a straitjacket, and any foot-fault may result in the disastrous consequence of inadvertently becoming a C corporation, with its attendant double taxation. In general, therefore, it is best to steer far afield from S corporations. Limited Liability Company The owners limited liability companies (LLCs) are not liable for the debts of the entity, as with a corporation, and LLCs are taxed on a transparent basis, identical to partnerships. They thus combine the advantages of both corporations and partnerships, without the restrictions of S corporations. An LLC is formed by filing articles of organization with the Secretary of State in the state where the LLC is formed. The LLC is either governed directly by its members, or its operating agreement may provide that the members elect managers (who may or may not be members), who in turn run the LLC. As with partnerships, LLCs have complete flexibility; whatever the mind of man can imagine can be written into the operating agreement (such as special allocations of income or control). As mentioned above, an LLC is transparent for tax purposes. If it has two or more members, an LLC is characterized as a partnership for tax purposes. If it is owned by a single member, it is disregarded as a separate entity and is treated as part of the owner. This gets tricky: for state law purposes, a single-member LLC is treated as a separate entity, providing limited liability to its owner, while for tax purposes it is completely disregarded and treated as part of the owner. This is an extraordinary result that was not possible prior to the introduction of LLCs. One negative consequence of LLCs is that, since they are pass-through entities for tax purposes, individual owners are not subject to the same low rate of tax that applies to corporations. In addition, some states charge a premium for using them. For example, in California LLCs are not only required to pay the same $800 annual minimum tax that corporations and limited partnerships are, but they are also required to pay an additional relatively small tax based on their gross income that caps out at about $12,000 of tax at about $5 million of gross income. | To navigate the shoals of the film industry, you must have a basic understanding of the different types of legal entities. A sole Proprietorship is a legal nothing; it is merely an individual operating under a fictitious business name. A general partnership is deemed to be formed whenever two or more persons combine in a business enterprise to share profits and losses. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/schuylermoore/2019/03/14/what-type-of-entity-should-i-use-in-the-film-industry/ | 0.229128 |
Where are wildflower super blooms happening in California? | Carpets of colorful wildflowers are beginning to blossom across California as hopes grow for a spring full of super blooms. From San Diego County to the Central Coast, flower-watchers have been eagerly anticipating this seasons bloom, which is predicted to be particularly good, thanks to the winters above-average rainfall. Already, pastel portraits are decorating Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Lake Elsinore, where visitors have flocked to capture their perfect pictures among the blossoms. Wildflowers have also started to appear at the Carrizo Plain National Monument in eastern San Luis Obispo County, although recent cold weather has delayed the mid-state bloom a bit, according to the Wild Flower Hotline, which provides weekly updates throughout the spring for spots across Southern California. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee The hotline is run by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants. Goldfields and hillside daisies have brought shades of yellow to the Central Coast, and a smattering of baby blue eyes can also be found at the popular viewing fields along Shell Creek Road off Highway 58. But the best is still yet to come, said David Chipping, president of Friends of the Carrizo Plain, a nonprofit that supports conservation efforts in the area. Its still early in the season for the best display, he said. All we know is, its looking good, Chipping said. Statewide wildflower blooms The best displays are currently occurring in the warmer Southern California locations. Heres a look at some of the prime spots: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Wildflowers have already been putting on a show at the park east of San Diego. Sand verbena, Arizona lupine, desert dandelion, browneyes and desert sunflower are all visible in the park, according to the Wild Flower Hotline. Walker Canyon: Located near Lake Elsinore just south of Los Angeles, the canyons rolling hills are filled with wildflowers, especially California poppies. Visitors have been flocking to the area to take photos in the orange fields, according to the Los Angeles Times. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Located a bit farther north near Lancaster, Antelope Valley needs a bit more sun before its bloom really gets underway. But forget-me-nots, fiddleneck, phlox and fringe pod have all begun to make an appearance, according to the Wild Flower Hotline. For more information on the states super blooms, visit the Theodore Payne Foundations website at theodorepayne.org/learn/wildflower-hotline or call the Carrizo Plain National Monument Visitor Center from Thursday to Sunday at 805-475-2035. On Twitter and Instragram, follow the hashtag #TracktheBloom for the latest wildflower bloom updates and photos. | The best displays are currently occurring in the warmer Southern California locations. The best display is still yet to come, a nonprofit president says. The states super blooms are predicted to be particularly good, thanks to above-average rainfall. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article227590854.html | 0.116367 |
Where are wildflower super blooms happening in California? | Carpets of colorful wildflowers are beginning to blossom across California as hopes grow for a spring full of super blooms. From San Diego County to the Central Coast, flower-watchers have been eagerly anticipating this seasons bloom, which is predicted to be particularly good, thanks to the winters above-average rainfall. Already, pastel portraits are decorating Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Lake Elsinore, where visitors have flocked to capture their perfect pictures among the blossoms. Wildflowers have also started to appear at the Carrizo Plain National Monument in eastern San Luis Obispo County, although recent cold weather has delayed the mid-state bloom a bit, according to the Wild Flower Hotline, which provides weekly updates throughout the spring for spots across Southern California. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee The hotline is run by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants. Goldfields and hillside daisies have brought shades of yellow to the Central Coast, and a smattering of baby blue eyes can also be found at the popular viewing fields along Shell Creek Road off Highway 58. But the best is still yet to come, said David Chipping, president of Friends of the Carrizo Plain, a nonprofit that supports conservation efforts in the area. Its still early in the season for the best display, he said. All we know is, its looking good, Chipping said. Statewide wildflower blooms The best displays are currently occurring in the warmer Southern California locations. Heres a look at some of the prime spots: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Wildflowers have already been putting on a show at the park east of San Diego. Sand verbena, Arizona lupine, desert dandelion, browneyes and desert sunflower are all visible in the park, according to the Wild Flower Hotline. Walker Canyon: Located near Lake Elsinore just south of Los Angeles, the canyons rolling hills are filled with wildflowers, especially California poppies. Visitors have been flocking to the area to take photos in the orange fields, according to the Los Angeles Times. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve: Located a bit farther north near Lancaster, Antelope Valley needs a bit more sun before its bloom really gets underway. But forget-me-nots, fiddleneck, phlox and fringe pod have all begun to make an appearance, according to the Wild Flower Hotline. For more information on the states super blooms, visit the Theodore Payne Foundations website at theodorepayne.org/learn/wildflower-hotline or call the Carrizo Plain National Monument Visitor Center from Thursday to Sunday at 805-475-2035. On Twitter and Instragram, follow the hashtag #TracktheBloom for the latest wildflower bloom updates and photos. | Carpets of colorful wildflowers are beginning to blossom across California. Flower-watchers have been eagerly anticipating this season's bloom, which is predicted to be particularly good. Already, pastel portraits are decorating Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Lake Elsinore. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article227590854.html | 0.307082 |
Is the world's next great Indian restaurant in Malaysia? | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN) Once you let the meaning of the word simmer in your mind for a while, you'll realize Indian restaurant Nadodi could have no better name. A word that translates to "nomad" in a couple of South Indian languages, it harks to the journey the people of that region took to faraway lands, such as Malaysia , where this eatery is located. It's also laden with history; forced migrations of laborers by British overlords, opportunities sought by intrepid traders or movements of civil servants seeking new pastures. Related content Indian food: The best dishes in each region It's still happening today. In place of the white dhotis and bare backs of estate workers, you now see the checkered shirts and starched khakis or business suits of the modern-day nomads who make good as professionals in foreign countries. Nadodi is also a story of how food itself travels -- how generations of migrants and travelers bring their culture and cuisine to alien lands, contributing to the melting pots of the nations they become part of. And, it's the story of the founders of Nadodi themselves -- South Indian nomads who, as children, were away from their ancestral lands, growing up in places like Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi; and who, as adults, found their travels eventually landing them in Kuala Lumpur. Kartik Kumar, the restaurant's brand director, recalls how he and chef de cuisine Sricharan Venkatesh and mixologist/operations manager Akshar Chalwadi initially wanted to call the restaurant "Cinnamon." "But when we arrived in KL, and started to eat street food and dishes in restaurants, we realized the names [of the dishes] were very familiar -- we had eaten them in the southern part of India, in Kerala, Tamil Nadu - even in Sri Lanka," he says. "All these things inspired us to think about how this happened and how this food arrived all the way in KL." And so, in 2017, Nadodi was born. Nadodi is a fine dining restaurant that focuses on South India cuisine. In this dish, Hokkaido scallops are served with Baduga spices inspired by the region's Nilgiri tribes. Courtesy of Nadodi The Gaggan connection Nestled in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, in the shadows of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Nadodi is possibly the only restaurant in the world that could claim to be the spiritual successor to Bangkok's iconic Gaggan , which will be shutting its doors for good next year. But the trio that forms the heart and soul of Nadodi would be the first to shy away from that comparison -- despite the fact that two of the three used to work at the restaurant under the tutelage of chef Gaggan Anand. (Kartik used to be the operations manager while Sricharan cut his teeth in Gaggan's kitchen.) Related content Asia's 50 best restaurants in 2018 However, Kartik and Sricharan both credit Anand, whose restaurant is frequently listed as the best in Asia and among the best in the world, for changing the way they think about food. "We have a lot of love and respect for Chef Gaggan. When I joined Gaggan, everything changed for me," Kartik says, citing the Bangkok restaurateur's use of fresh produce, experimental gastronomy techniques and plating as inspirational to his own growth. Nadodi operations manager Akshar Chalwadi There are so many Indian restaurants out there doing Indian fine dining, but none exclusively focused only on South Indian food. The influence is clear in Nadodi's approach to dining: they source their crockery from an artisan in Kuala Lumpur and their produce is supplied by hand-picked farms around the city; the restaurant's latest discovery is a farmer who raises milk-fed goats, which they plan to use in future dishes. It's an approach that has already won them numerous accolades, including Tourism Malaysia's coveted "Most Innovative Restaurant" gong. A meal to remember The former drummer, now top chef, tells CNN's Saima Mohsin how his childhood in Kolkata influences his cooking. But the Gaggan influence comes through most clearly in the food itself. On the day of this interview, Sricharan's menu starts with "Red Kari" a riff on a traditional Sri Lankan beetroot curry, minus the curry. Instead, what appears on the plate is a vision of loveliness -- a sweet beetroot sorbet, pickled beets, roasted peanuts, dehydrated beetroot powder and a curry-flavored foam base. That's followed by Baduga Scallops. The Badugas are a tribe in the Nilgiri district of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, who've probably not had many culinary interactions with Hokkaido. But Sricharan's skilful combination of the Baduga spice mixed with the sweet and tender scallops, served on a bed of seashells and dry ice, is sheer poetry. Related content Malaysia's top 40 foods It's the same with the rest of the meal -- the lamb chops are fine Iberico flavored with habaneros, mint... and South Indian mango pickles. Nadodi's take on fish head curry -- one of the most popular South Indian curries -- is a foam made of curry aerated with nitrogen on a base of steamed red snapper. It's closer to chawanmushi than the typical fiery, rustic bowls of steaming hot fish head curry you'd expect in South India. Akshar's drinks are no different -- the base is gin or vodka, but the rest of the drinks are pure South Indian and more reminiscent of the region's soups than of any traditional cocktails. His gin cocktail is seasoned with Vadouvan spices -- a Puducherry spice mix hugely popular in France -- and moringa leaves, while his vodka cocktail is simply called Rasam, after the classic South Indian tamarind soup that gives it its flavor. But while an experience at Gaggan is the culinary equivalent of a rock concert -- all about Gaggan's ebullience and force of personality -- eating at Nadodi is closer to attending a symphony orchestra -- sheer class, from the gorgeous photographs adorning the walls to the wait staff's attention and service. Elevating South Indian cuisine Yet, Kartik and Sricharan both insist that what makes Nadodi truly different from Gaggan -- or any other Indian restaurant -- is its focus on modern, progressive South Indian cuisine. "Our flavors and profile are South Indian. Our presentations are South Indian. There's no comparison [with Gaggan]," Kartik insists. "Nagodi is a different concept, which does only South Indian food. I'm not doing the chicken tikka or the naan over here. I'm giving you rasam, I'm giving you crab curry... this is true to the place we belong to and that's what Nagodi will stick to." Elevating South Indian food is a particular mission for Kartik, Sricharan and Akshar. Related content Meet the American woman hunting for Asia's best durians "There are so many Indian restaurants out there doing Indian fine dining, but none exclusively focused only on South Indian food," says Akshar. "Even in India, it's usually just dosa [rice flour crepes] or vadai [fritters]." Kartik feels the perception of South Indian food needs to change. "With European food, they have taken a lot of pride. I personally believe with our cuisine and culture, we are too hungry to feed ourselves. We never cook for others," he says. "But you tell me: fermentation, our forefathers were doing it. That's how we got idli [steamed rice flour cakes] and dosa. It's dehydration. Those are preservatives. "So we have been taught preservatives, fermentation and dehydration long ago. But we will excel and take the pride of our techniques and present it to the world." The southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram boasts a beautiful Hindu temple as well as access to some of the best beaches in the state of Kerala. Related content 25 top things to do and eat in Malaysia "KL is still evolving and is a small market when it comes to fine dining," admits Kartik. "Few people appreciate fine dining. The support from the consumers over here in KL, that needs to be brought up. "And probably an initiative needs to be taken by Tourism Malaysia to support restaurants trying to make KL a destination for fine dining. In terms of (food) varieties, Malaysia has plenty. But It has to be packaged and presented well." But one thing's for certain -- if Kuala Lumpur does indeed become a fine-dining hotspot in the future, the restaurant built by nomads will certainly be standing proud among the city's best. | Nadodi is a fine dining restaurant that focuses on South India cuisine. The restaurant is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, in the shadows of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/indian-restaurant-nadodi-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/index.html | 0.144688 |
Is the world's next great Indian restaurant in Malaysia? | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN) Once you let the meaning of the word simmer in your mind for a while, you'll realize Indian restaurant Nadodi could have no better name. A word that translates to "nomad" in a couple of South Indian languages, it harks to the journey the people of that region took to faraway lands, such as Malaysia , where this eatery is located. It's also laden with history; forced migrations of laborers by British overlords, opportunities sought by intrepid traders or movements of civil servants seeking new pastures. Related content Indian food: The best dishes in each region It's still happening today. In place of the white dhotis and bare backs of estate workers, you now see the checkered shirts and starched khakis or business suits of the modern-day nomads who make good as professionals in foreign countries. Nadodi is also a story of how food itself travels -- how generations of migrants and travelers bring their culture and cuisine to alien lands, contributing to the melting pots of the nations they become part of. And, it's the story of the founders of Nadodi themselves -- South Indian nomads who, as children, were away from their ancestral lands, growing up in places like Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi; and who, as adults, found their travels eventually landing them in Kuala Lumpur. Kartik Kumar, the restaurant's brand director, recalls how he and chef de cuisine Sricharan Venkatesh and mixologist/operations manager Akshar Chalwadi initially wanted to call the restaurant "Cinnamon." "But when we arrived in KL, and started to eat street food and dishes in restaurants, we realized the names [of the dishes] were very familiar -- we had eaten them in the southern part of India, in Kerala, Tamil Nadu - even in Sri Lanka," he says. "All these things inspired us to think about how this happened and how this food arrived all the way in KL." And so, in 2017, Nadodi was born. Nadodi is a fine dining restaurant that focuses on South India cuisine. In this dish, Hokkaido scallops are served with Baduga spices inspired by the region's Nilgiri tribes. Courtesy of Nadodi The Gaggan connection Nestled in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, in the shadows of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Nadodi is possibly the only restaurant in the world that could claim to be the spiritual successor to Bangkok's iconic Gaggan , which will be shutting its doors for good next year. But the trio that forms the heart and soul of Nadodi would be the first to shy away from that comparison -- despite the fact that two of the three used to work at the restaurant under the tutelage of chef Gaggan Anand. (Kartik used to be the operations manager while Sricharan cut his teeth in Gaggan's kitchen.) Related content Asia's 50 best restaurants in 2018 However, Kartik and Sricharan both credit Anand, whose restaurant is frequently listed as the best in Asia and among the best in the world, for changing the way they think about food. "We have a lot of love and respect for Chef Gaggan. When I joined Gaggan, everything changed for me," Kartik says, citing the Bangkok restaurateur's use of fresh produce, experimental gastronomy techniques and plating as inspirational to his own growth. Nadodi operations manager Akshar Chalwadi There are so many Indian restaurants out there doing Indian fine dining, but none exclusively focused only on South Indian food. The influence is clear in Nadodi's approach to dining: they source their crockery from an artisan in Kuala Lumpur and their produce is supplied by hand-picked farms around the city; the restaurant's latest discovery is a farmer who raises milk-fed goats, which they plan to use in future dishes. It's an approach that has already won them numerous accolades, including Tourism Malaysia's coveted "Most Innovative Restaurant" gong. A meal to remember The former drummer, now top chef, tells CNN's Saima Mohsin how his childhood in Kolkata influences his cooking. But the Gaggan influence comes through most clearly in the food itself. On the day of this interview, Sricharan's menu starts with "Red Kari" a riff on a traditional Sri Lankan beetroot curry, minus the curry. Instead, what appears on the plate is a vision of loveliness -- a sweet beetroot sorbet, pickled beets, roasted peanuts, dehydrated beetroot powder and a curry-flavored foam base. That's followed by Baduga Scallops. The Badugas are a tribe in the Nilgiri district of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, who've probably not had many culinary interactions with Hokkaido. But Sricharan's skilful combination of the Baduga spice mixed with the sweet and tender scallops, served on a bed of seashells and dry ice, is sheer poetry. Related content Malaysia's top 40 foods It's the same with the rest of the meal -- the lamb chops are fine Iberico flavored with habaneros, mint... and South Indian mango pickles. Nadodi's take on fish head curry -- one of the most popular South Indian curries -- is a foam made of curry aerated with nitrogen on a base of steamed red snapper. It's closer to chawanmushi than the typical fiery, rustic bowls of steaming hot fish head curry you'd expect in South India. Akshar's drinks are no different -- the base is gin or vodka, but the rest of the drinks are pure South Indian and more reminiscent of the region's soups than of any traditional cocktails. His gin cocktail is seasoned with Vadouvan spices -- a Puducherry spice mix hugely popular in France -- and moringa leaves, while his vodka cocktail is simply called Rasam, after the classic South Indian tamarind soup that gives it its flavor. But while an experience at Gaggan is the culinary equivalent of a rock concert -- all about Gaggan's ebullience and force of personality -- eating at Nadodi is closer to attending a symphony orchestra -- sheer class, from the gorgeous photographs adorning the walls to the wait staff's attention and service. Elevating South Indian cuisine Yet, Kartik and Sricharan both insist that what makes Nadodi truly different from Gaggan -- or any other Indian restaurant -- is its focus on modern, progressive South Indian cuisine. "Our flavors and profile are South Indian. Our presentations are South Indian. There's no comparison [with Gaggan]," Kartik insists. "Nagodi is a different concept, which does only South Indian food. I'm not doing the chicken tikka or the naan over here. I'm giving you rasam, I'm giving you crab curry... this is true to the place we belong to and that's what Nagodi will stick to." Elevating South Indian food is a particular mission for Kartik, Sricharan and Akshar. Related content Meet the American woman hunting for Asia's best durians "There are so many Indian restaurants out there doing Indian fine dining, but none exclusively focused only on South Indian food," says Akshar. "Even in India, it's usually just dosa [rice flour crepes] or vadai [fritters]." Kartik feels the perception of South Indian food needs to change. "With European food, they have taken a lot of pride. I personally believe with our cuisine and culture, we are too hungry to feed ourselves. We never cook for others," he says. "But you tell me: fermentation, our forefathers were doing it. That's how we got idli [steamed rice flour cakes] and dosa. It's dehydration. Those are preservatives. "So we have been taught preservatives, fermentation and dehydration long ago. But we will excel and take the pride of our techniques and present it to the world." The southern Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram boasts a beautiful Hindu temple as well as access to some of the best beaches in the state of Kerala. Related content 25 top things to do and eat in Malaysia "KL is still evolving and is a small market when it comes to fine dining," admits Kartik. "Few people appreciate fine dining. The support from the consumers over here in KL, that needs to be brought up. "And probably an initiative needs to be taken by Tourism Malaysia to support restaurants trying to make KL a destination for fine dining. In terms of (food) varieties, Malaysia has plenty. But It has to be packaged and presented well." But one thing's for certain -- if Kuala Lumpur does indeed become a fine-dining hotspot in the future, the restaurant built by nomads will certainly be standing proud among the city's best. | Nadodi is a fine dining restaurant that focuses on South India cuisine. The restaurant is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, in the shadows of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Nadodi is possibly the only restaurant in the world that could claim to be the spiritual successor to Bangkok's iconic Gaggan. | bart | 2 | https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/indian-restaurant-nadodi-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/index.html | 0.136897 |
Who Won Top Chef Season 16? | Here we are at the end of another season of Top Chef, hungry as ever. While we've only got leftover pizza in the fridge, the chefs of Top Chef had us drooling over corn bread and raw beef as they competed for the season 16 crown. Sara Bradley, Kelsey Barnard Clark and Eric Adjepong first had to fight to even compete in the finale, as only two could make it through to cook the final meal, by presenting the first of their planned four course meal. Unfortunately, Eric's jerk tartare didn't taste enough like beef, and he served some burnt chips, so he had to pack his knives and go. | Season 16 of Top Chef has come to an end. Sara Bradley, Kelsey Barnard Clark and Eric Adjepong battled it out. Sara won the competition, Kelsey came second and Eric third. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1023868/who-won-top-chef-season-16 | 0.401299 |
Who Won Top Chef Season 16? | Here we are at the end of another season of Top Chef, hungry as ever. While we've only got leftover pizza in the fridge, the chefs of Top Chef had us drooling over corn bread and raw beef as they competed for the season 16 crown. Sara Bradley, Kelsey Barnard Clark and Eric Adjepong first had to fight to even compete in the finale, as only two could make it through to cook the final meal, by presenting the first of their planned four course meal. Unfortunately, Eric's jerk tartare didn't taste enough like beef, and he served some burnt chips, so he had to pack his knives and go. | Season 16 of Top Chef has come to an end. Sara Bradley, Kelsey Barnard Clark and Eric Adjepong competed for the title. Sara won with her corn bread and raw beef meal. Eric's jerk tartare didn't taste enough like beef, so he had to pack his knives and go. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.eonline.com/news/1023868/who-won-top-chef-season-16 | 0.482846 |
Can 'Zombie Lights' Save Smartphone Addicts? | With smartphones now embedded in global culture, recognizing their potential for distraction and resulting injury is an ongoing public health concern. Looking down with our eyes on our phones while walking is not optimal by any means. Our peripheral vision is one failsafe that helps alert us to avoid collisions or prevent falls. To illustrate the potential for danger, a 2012 study noted that persons who texted while walking were 60% more likely to veer off their path compared to those who did not text. In Tel Aviv, according to the AP, ongoing concern for injuries from distracted walking associated with smartphones has prompted the government to launch a pilot program to improve safety. Specialized LED lights embedded in the pavement--zombie traffic lights-- were installed in a single crosswalk in central Tel Aviv to alert distracted pedestrians looking down at their smartphones and tell them when its safe to walk or time to stop. The strip lights along with short poles, embedded at each end in the crosswalk, turn red when pedestrians should stop and turn green signifying its safe to walk. The AP reports that Tomer Dror, head of traffic management in Tel Aviv-Yafo, believes that the so-called zombie traffic lights will reduce accidental collisions between vehicles and distracted pedestrians in crosswalks. We cannot force them to take their eyes out of the smartphone and into the road. We need to find ways to put the road into their eyes he told AP. The pilot program currently involves only one crosswalk in Tel Aviv, but may be employed more broadly based on the response from the community and its effect on injury prevention. The Netherlands, Australia and Singapore already have such lighted systems in crosswalks . It appears that the response to "zombie lights" by people in Tel Aviv has been encouraging, but the broader issue is that instead of modifying a behavior that is potentially destructive or deadly, technology is being used to mitigate risk. While its important to always remind people to look up and keep their heads out of their smartphones when crossing the street, modifying behaviors that become entrenched in our society can be difficult. As much as we want to warn people about the dangers of texting while walking using smartphones, its challenging to police this activity. Issuing fines may be one deterrent, and has already been employed in multiple cities in the U.S. Large populated cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have elevated numbers of pedestrian deaths relative to overall traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Pedestrian deaths had been declining in the late 90s into the early 2000s until 2009, when they started to increase again. While there is no hard data to back up the exact reason, its postulated that this spike is due to distracted pedestrians using cellphones. Having a guardrail in place such as zombie lights is a step in the right direction which may help save lives and reduce injuries. Of course, the best solution is to put your phone away while crossing the street. Whatever it is, it can wait. | Tel Aviv has installed "zombie traffic lights" in a single crosswalk to alert distracted pedestrians looking down at their smartphones. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2019/03/14/can-zombie-lights-save-smartphone-addicts/ | 0.149699 |
Can 'Zombie Lights' Save Smartphone Addicts? | With smartphones now embedded in global culture, recognizing their potential for distraction and resulting injury is an ongoing public health concern. Looking down with our eyes on our phones while walking is not optimal by any means. Our peripheral vision is one failsafe that helps alert us to avoid collisions or prevent falls. To illustrate the potential for danger, a 2012 study noted that persons who texted while walking were 60% more likely to veer off their path compared to those who did not text. In Tel Aviv, according to the AP, ongoing concern for injuries from distracted walking associated with smartphones has prompted the government to launch a pilot program to improve safety. Specialized LED lights embedded in the pavement--zombie traffic lights-- were installed in a single crosswalk in central Tel Aviv to alert distracted pedestrians looking down at their smartphones and tell them when its safe to walk or time to stop. The strip lights along with short poles, embedded at each end in the crosswalk, turn red when pedestrians should stop and turn green signifying its safe to walk. The AP reports that Tomer Dror, head of traffic management in Tel Aviv-Yafo, believes that the so-called zombie traffic lights will reduce accidental collisions between vehicles and distracted pedestrians in crosswalks. We cannot force them to take their eyes out of the smartphone and into the road. We need to find ways to put the road into their eyes he told AP. The pilot program currently involves only one crosswalk in Tel Aviv, but may be employed more broadly based on the response from the community and its effect on injury prevention. The Netherlands, Australia and Singapore already have such lighted systems in crosswalks . It appears that the response to "zombie lights" by people in Tel Aviv has been encouraging, but the broader issue is that instead of modifying a behavior that is potentially destructive or deadly, technology is being used to mitigate risk. While its important to always remind people to look up and keep their heads out of their smartphones when crossing the street, modifying behaviors that become entrenched in our society can be difficult. As much as we want to warn people about the dangers of texting while walking using smartphones, its challenging to police this activity. Issuing fines may be one deterrent, and has already been employed in multiple cities in the U.S. Large populated cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have elevated numbers of pedestrian deaths relative to overall traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Pedestrian deaths had been declining in the late 90s into the early 2000s until 2009, when they started to increase again. While there is no hard data to back up the exact reason, its postulated that this spike is due to distracted pedestrians using cellphones. Having a guardrail in place such as zombie lights is a step in the right direction which may help save lives and reduce injuries. Of course, the best solution is to put your phone away while crossing the street. Whatever it is, it can wait. | Tel Aviv has installed "zombie traffic lights" in a single crosswalk to alert distracted pedestrians looking down at their smartphones and tell them when its safe to walk or time to stop. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2019/03/14/can-zombie-lights-save-smartphone-addicts/ | 0.213592 |
Can 'Zombie Lights' Save Smartphone Addicts? | With smartphones now embedded in global culture, recognizing their potential for distraction and resulting injury is an ongoing public health concern. Looking down with our eyes on our phones while walking is not optimal by any means. Our peripheral vision is one failsafe that helps alert us to avoid collisions or prevent falls. To illustrate the potential for danger, a 2012 study noted that persons who texted while walking were 60% more likely to veer off their path compared to those who did not text. In Tel Aviv, according to the AP, ongoing concern for injuries from distracted walking associated with smartphones has prompted the government to launch a pilot program to improve safety. Specialized LED lights embedded in the pavement--zombie traffic lights-- were installed in a single crosswalk in central Tel Aviv to alert distracted pedestrians looking down at their smartphones and tell them when its safe to walk or time to stop. The strip lights along with short poles, embedded at each end in the crosswalk, turn red when pedestrians should stop and turn green signifying its safe to walk. The AP reports that Tomer Dror, head of traffic management in Tel Aviv-Yafo, believes that the so-called zombie traffic lights will reduce accidental collisions between vehicles and distracted pedestrians in crosswalks. We cannot force them to take their eyes out of the smartphone and into the road. We need to find ways to put the road into their eyes he told AP. The pilot program currently involves only one crosswalk in Tel Aviv, but may be employed more broadly based on the response from the community and its effect on injury prevention. The Netherlands, Australia and Singapore already have such lighted systems in crosswalks . It appears that the response to "zombie lights" by people in Tel Aviv has been encouraging, but the broader issue is that instead of modifying a behavior that is potentially destructive or deadly, technology is being used to mitigate risk. While its important to always remind people to look up and keep their heads out of their smartphones when crossing the street, modifying behaviors that become entrenched in our society can be difficult. As much as we want to warn people about the dangers of texting while walking using smartphones, its challenging to police this activity. Issuing fines may be one deterrent, and has already been employed in multiple cities in the U.S. Large populated cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have elevated numbers of pedestrian deaths relative to overall traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Pedestrian deaths had been declining in the late 90s into the early 2000s until 2009, when they started to increase again. While there is no hard data to back up the exact reason, its postulated that this spike is due to distracted pedestrians using cellphones. Having a guardrail in place such as zombie lights is a step in the right direction which may help save lives and reduce injuries. Of course, the best solution is to put your phone away while crossing the street. Whatever it is, it can wait. | Tel Aviv-Yafo has installed "zombie traffic lights" in a single crosswalk to alert distracted pedestrians looking down at their smartphones and tell them when its safe to walk or time to stop. The Netherlands, Australia and Singapore already have such lighted systems in crosswalks. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2019/03/14/can-zombie-lights-save-smartphone-addicts/ | 0.247171 |
Did Ford just tease an electric Mustang as Tesla debuts Model Y? | Ford Motor teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday at the same time Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. Ford tweeted "Hold your horses" with a simple image of the famous sports car's pony logo outlined in blue against a black backdrop. The tweet was posted at 8:02 p.m. on the West Coast two minutes after Tesla was scheduled to begin its big event revealing the Model Y electric SUV. An electric Mustang-inspired crossover, which has been expected for some time, would mark Ford's attempt to establish itself as a serious player in the market for high-end electric cars, a space that is currently cornered by Tesla. A spokesman for the automaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday night. Hold your horses pic.twitter.com/EYNqZLv3ER Ford Motor Company (@Ford) March 15, 2019 The 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby. (Photo: Ford Motor Company.) Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/14/ford-mustang-electric-ford-teases-new-car-same-time-tesla-event/3170965002/ | Ford teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday. Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/14/ford-mustang-electric-ford-teases-new-car-same-time-tesla-event/3170965002/ | 0.146007 |
Did Ford just tease an electric Mustang as Tesla debuts Model Y? | Ford Motor teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday at the same time Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. Ford tweeted "Hold your horses" with a simple image of the famous sports car's pony logo outlined in blue against a black backdrop. The tweet was posted at 8:02 p.m. on the West Coast two minutes after Tesla was scheduled to begin its big event revealing the Model Y electric SUV. An electric Mustang-inspired crossover, which has been expected for some time, would mark Ford's attempt to establish itself as a serious player in the market for high-end electric cars, a space that is currently cornered by Tesla. A spokesman for the automaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday night. Hold your horses pic.twitter.com/EYNqZLv3ER Ford Motor Company (@Ford) March 15, 2019 The 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby. (Photo: Ford Motor Company.) Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/14/ford-mustang-electric-ford-teases-new-car-same-time-tesla-event/3170965002/ | Ford Motor teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday at the same time Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/14/ford-mustang-electric-ford-teases-new-car-same-time-tesla-event/3170965002/ | 0.154432 |
Did Ford just tease an electric Mustang as Tesla debuts Model Y? | Ford Motor teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday at the same time Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. Ford tweeted "Hold your horses" with a simple image of the famous sports car's pony logo outlined in blue against a black backdrop. The tweet was posted at 8:02 p.m. on the West Coast two minutes after Tesla was scheduled to begin its big event revealing the Model Y electric SUV. An electric Mustang-inspired crossover, which has been expected for some time, would mark Ford's attempt to establish itself as a serious player in the market for high-end electric cars, a space that is currently cornered by Tesla. A spokesman for the automaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday night. Hold your horses pic.twitter.com/EYNqZLv3ER Ford Motor Company (@Ford) March 15, 2019 The 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby. (Photo: Ford Motor Company.) Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/14/ford-mustang-electric-ford-teases-new-car-same-time-tesla-event/3170965002/ | Ford Motor teased a possible electric Mustang-inspired crossover late Thursday at the same time Tesla was about to begin an event to announce its own new electric vehicle. Ford tweeted "Hold your horses" with a simple image of the famous sports car's pony logo outlined in blue against a black backdrop. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/14/ford-mustang-electric-ford-teases-new-car-same-time-tesla-event/3170965002/ | 0.204447 |
Did Frank Howard Try to Trip Zion Williamson During Duke-Syracuse? | Syracuse guard Frank Howard appeared to try to intentionally trip Duke forward Zion Williamson during the two team's ACC tournament quarterfinal matchup on Thursday. WIth just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Williamson made a shot and began to head back down the court. As he began to turn, Howard stuck out his right foot in what ESPN's Jay Williams said looked to be an attempt to trip Duke's young star. Potential of a really dirty play. pic.twitter.com/OEX9esSQAU ProCity Hoops (@ProCityHoops) March 15, 2019 Williams criticized Howard during ESPN's halftime show. "There is no place in the game for stuff like this,'' Williams said. "I said the same thing when the Grayson Allen stuff happened a couple years ago. The same thing just happened there with Frank Howard. Theres no place in the game for that. Its uncalled for. Thats a play where I feel like players need to be ejected." Howard denied that he was trying to trip Williamson after the game. "If you're saying I'm trying to trip him, I don't get it," Howard told reporters. "He's a hell of an athlete. I have a lot of respect for him. I'm not going to wait for four years to get to this stage and start tripping people." Thursday night marked Williamson's first game back in action since suffering a knee sprain against North Carolina on Feb. 20. Duke dropped three of six games during Williamson's absence. | Syracuse's Frank Howard appeared to try to trip Duke's Zion Williamson. Howard denied that he was trying to trip Williamson after the game. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/03/14/frank-howard-accused-trying-trip-zion-williamson-duke-syracuse | 0.323142 |
Did Frank Howard Try to Trip Zion Williamson During Duke-Syracuse? | Syracuse guard Frank Howard appeared to try to intentionally trip Duke forward Zion Williamson during the two team's ACC tournament quarterfinal matchup on Thursday. WIth just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Williamson made a shot and began to head back down the court. As he began to turn, Howard stuck out his right foot in what ESPN's Jay Williams said looked to be an attempt to trip Duke's young star. Potential of a really dirty play. pic.twitter.com/OEX9esSQAU ProCity Hoops (@ProCityHoops) March 15, 2019 Williams criticized Howard during ESPN's halftime show. "There is no place in the game for stuff like this,'' Williams said. "I said the same thing when the Grayson Allen stuff happened a couple years ago. The same thing just happened there with Frank Howard. Theres no place in the game for that. Its uncalled for. Thats a play where I feel like players need to be ejected." Howard denied that he was trying to trip Williamson after the game. "If you're saying I'm trying to trip him, I don't get it," Howard told reporters. "He's a hell of an athlete. I have a lot of respect for him. I'm not going to wait for four years to get to this stage and start tripping people." Thursday night marked Williamson's first game back in action since suffering a knee sprain against North Carolina on Feb. 20. Duke dropped three of six games during Williamson's absence. | Syracuse's Frank Howard appeared to try to trip Duke's Zion Williamson. Howard denied that he was trying to trip Williamson after the game. Williamson made his first game back from a knee injury on Thursday. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/03/14/frank-howard-accused-trying-trip-zion-williamson-duke-syracuse | 0.349366 |
Did Frank Howard Try to Trip Zion Williamson During Duke-Syracuse? | Syracuse guard Frank Howard appeared to try to intentionally trip Duke forward Zion Williamson during the two team's ACC tournament quarterfinal matchup on Thursday. WIth just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Williamson made a shot and began to head back down the court. As he began to turn, Howard stuck out his right foot in what ESPN's Jay Williams said looked to be an attempt to trip Duke's young star. Potential of a really dirty play. pic.twitter.com/OEX9esSQAU ProCity Hoops (@ProCityHoops) March 15, 2019 Williams criticized Howard during ESPN's halftime show. "There is no place in the game for stuff like this,'' Williams said. "I said the same thing when the Grayson Allen stuff happened a couple years ago. The same thing just happened there with Frank Howard. Theres no place in the game for that. Its uncalled for. Thats a play where I feel like players need to be ejected." Howard denied that he was trying to trip Williamson after the game. "If you're saying I'm trying to trip him, I don't get it," Howard told reporters. "He's a hell of an athlete. I have a lot of respect for him. I'm not going to wait for four years to get to this stage and start tripping people." Thursday night marked Williamson's first game back in action since suffering a knee sprain against North Carolina on Feb. 20. Duke dropped three of six games during Williamson's absence. | Syracuse's Frank Howard appeared to try to trip Duke's Zion Williamson. Howard denied he was trying to trip Williamson after the game. Williamson returned to the court for the first time since suffering a knee injury in February. Syracuse beat Duke in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/03/14/frank-howard-accused-trying-trip-zion-williamson-duke-syracuse | 0.403401 |
Will McConnell buck the voters? | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has built a career on weakening our democracy. Nothing seems to bring out the passion in the famously stoic McConnell more than opposing pro-democracy reforms. Well, now he has the challenge of a lifetime. The House of Representatives has just passed HR1, the For the People Act, the most sweeping pro-democracy and anti-corruption measure of the past 50 years. McConnell has denounced HR1 and pledged that he will block it from coming to the floor of the Senate. Those would be reasonable fears. But McConnell should be worried also about the impact of preventing a vote on HR1. Voters are desperate for far-reaching campaign finance and ethics reforms divided only on whether the system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt. Voters are not likely to treat his obstructionism kindly. They are likely to be especially outraged because HR1 so effectively addresses what so many people are so outraged about and the shameful anti-democratic practices that so tarnish our nation. Among other measures, HR1 would: Replace the current campaign finance system that empowers the super rich and big corporations with one that relies on small donors and public matching funds. End secret spending in elections. Eliminate partisan gerrymandering. Establish automatic voter registration. Restore voting rights to felons who have served their time. Make Election Day a national holiday. McConnell calls these democracy-expanding measures a power grab. Of course, hes right to be worried, for it is a reallocation of power away from a narrow grouping of super rich oligarchs and to the people. That redistribution of power is called democracy. McConnell is not alone in attacking HR1. The Koch Brothers main organization, Americans for Prosperity, says the free speech regulations in HR1 would make it more difficult than ever for people to make their voices heard and hold their elected leaders accountable. They also are right to be worried. Those supposed free speech regulations are disclosure requirements that would end political dark money a move that would absolutely reduce the undue political influence of super rich and corporate donors who are able to hide their efforts to buy elections. Big Business in general is upset. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the trade association for large corporations, leads a large grouping of trade associations in denouncing HR1 for pushing certain voices, representing large segments of the electorate and our economy, out of the political process altogether. Actually, HR1 is amplifying the voices of the electorate. Although the point seems to evade the trade associations, Big Business is not part of the electorate. That said, HR1 doesnt limit corporations ability to spend on elections that will require a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United though it does end their ability to finance electioneering secretly. McConnell and the power elite are right to be frightened. HR1 would upset the normal way of doing business in Washington. It would break Corporate Americas stranglehold over our government and curtail the shameful vote-suppressing activity increasing across the nation. But they are clinging to a backward-looking strategy that is doomed to fail. In a nation marked by the most severe wealth and income inequality of the past 100 years, amid intense outrage across the political spectrum against a rigged system that works for corporations and the super rich at the expense of the rest of us, the American people will not tolerate McConnells obstructionism. Democracy reform is coming to the United States, whether McConnell and his corporate allies like it or not. Robert Weissman is president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest in the halls of power. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. | Robert Weissman: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opposes pro-democracy reforms. He says HR1, the For the People Act, would end secret spending in elections, end partisan gerrymandering. Weissman says voters will not tolerate McConnell's obstructionism of HR1. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://lasvegassun.com/news/2019/mar/15/will-mcconnell-buck-the-voters/ | 0.147773 |
Are Industry Conferences Worth Attending Or Exhibiting? | Customer-facing networking, speaking and exhibiting are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities an entrepreneur can get out of a trade show or industry conference. I personally attend anywhere from four to five conferences a year. Not only are they an honor to speak and exhibit at, but they also provide great benefits to a business and brand. You could take it from me -- Ive formed long-lasting relationships at conferences that stand to this day. The business value can be quantified to additional guest posting opportunities for my personal brand and even receiving new clients for my agency by exhibiting. The question really comes down to a matter of cash. Coming Up With The Cash The No. 1 reason were repeatedly told that businesses fail is a matter of cash flow. Unfortunately, exhibiting at an industry conference is quite expensive. Just some of the costs to consider include: Display construction Storage fees for your display Transportation costs Staying at a hotel Creating a visual presentation Brochures or any marketing material Most businesses also invest in PR and social media campaigns to create awareness around their conference attendance. Of course, speakers dont have to worry about many of these costs, but you must be invited to speak at a conference. That means, for the rest of businesses, you will have to dish out some cash to exhibit your brand at a conference. While conferences yield tremendous results, covering the costs of exhibitor fees can be hard. That's why it's important to plan a conference at least four months in advance, not only for logistics but also costs. You can consider renting a pre-fabricated display or a simple booth to cut costs. Bring along sales staff to engage people face to face and leverage online marketing materials, such as social media, to market the event for free. Benefits Of Attending A Conference There are real and tangible benefits to attending an industry conference. With the right audience, conferences present the perfect opportunity to test your MVP and gather feedback on new products and designs. Conferences can also serve as the perfect opportunity to network with other thought leaders and promote your sales pitch to attendees. The greatest benefits of attending a conference include: Greater brand reach and familiarity Networking opportunities Increased leads Usability testing Educational opportunities In addition, being asked to speak or being recognized at an industry conference serves as valuable marketing collateral further down the line. Understanding Your Audience If youve committed to attending or exhibiting at least one conference this year, then you need to find the best one for your business. The best conferences are the ones your competitors are likely attending, as well as the best thought leaders in your industry. Do a little research. There are always articles being written to promote industry events. In the digital marketing field, a lot of publications are directly responsible for sponsoring or hosting conferences in the first place. Go to social media and see who is talking about the conference and read over the conference website to get a better idea of the attendee list. Determine whether the conference is business to business (B2B) or (B2C), as well as whether or not there will be VCs or angel investors in the audience. Sometimes you can attend a conference with a great audience but the theme of the conference and the exhibits don't necessarily match your business. There are even cases where you may disagree with the sponsorships or pay-to-play model of the conference. It's important to look at the conference as a whole before making a decision to attend, starting with the attendees. Be Prepared If you decide to attend a conference, be sure to do your research beforehand. For trade shows and exhibitions, the earlier you plan (four to nine months ahead) the better. You need a marketing strategy and message that will resonate with attendees and help you stand out. We like to create content and PR around any exhibit we do, as well as any speaking opportunities. We've even boosted this on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter to some great success and fanfare. Research the convention floor and where and when you will be exhibiting. Remember, while there are thousands of attendees, the actual number of people who visit your booth will be limited by those who attend for one day and at certain times of the day. I like to advertise a speaking engagement or exhibition at least a month before the event just to start a conversation and connect with people online. Generally, the more prepared you are, the higher your potential return on investment (ROI). Determining Your ROI And Results Finally, you can judge the success of any investment by your return. Determining your cost will be pretty easy. Simply tally up the cost it took for transport, building your exhibit and all the marketing materials you brought with you. The tricky part will be assigning a value to leads you acquire at a trade show. You know your product better than anyone, so you will be able to assign a value based on what attendees from your contact list are most likely to buy from your company and which are least likely. Unfortunately, many of the benefits derived from a conference may be hard to report so it will have to stand to the eye test. But if your experience is anything like mine, youll realize the benefits of attending a conference. | There are real and tangible benefits to attending an industry conference. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/03/15/are-industry-conferences-worth-attending-or-exhibiting/ | 0.381766 |
Are Industry Conferences Worth Attending Or Exhibiting? | Customer-facing networking, speaking and exhibiting are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities an entrepreneur can get out of a trade show or industry conference. I personally attend anywhere from four to five conferences a year. Not only are they an honor to speak and exhibit at, but they also provide great benefits to a business and brand. You could take it from me -- Ive formed long-lasting relationships at conferences that stand to this day. The business value can be quantified to additional guest posting opportunities for my personal brand and even receiving new clients for my agency by exhibiting. The question really comes down to a matter of cash. Coming Up With The Cash The No. 1 reason were repeatedly told that businesses fail is a matter of cash flow. Unfortunately, exhibiting at an industry conference is quite expensive. Just some of the costs to consider include: Display construction Storage fees for your display Transportation costs Staying at a hotel Creating a visual presentation Brochures or any marketing material Most businesses also invest in PR and social media campaigns to create awareness around their conference attendance. Of course, speakers dont have to worry about many of these costs, but you must be invited to speak at a conference. That means, for the rest of businesses, you will have to dish out some cash to exhibit your brand at a conference. While conferences yield tremendous results, covering the costs of exhibitor fees can be hard. That's why it's important to plan a conference at least four months in advance, not only for logistics but also costs. You can consider renting a pre-fabricated display or a simple booth to cut costs. Bring along sales staff to engage people face to face and leverage online marketing materials, such as social media, to market the event for free. Benefits Of Attending A Conference There are real and tangible benefits to attending an industry conference. With the right audience, conferences present the perfect opportunity to test your MVP and gather feedback on new products and designs. Conferences can also serve as the perfect opportunity to network with other thought leaders and promote your sales pitch to attendees. The greatest benefits of attending a conference include: Greater brand reach and familiarity Networking opportunities Increased leads Usability testing Educational opportunities In addition, being asked to speak or being recognized at an industry conference serves as valuable marketing collateral further down the line. Understanding Your Audience If youve committed to attending or exhibiting at least one conference this year, then you need to find the best one for your business. The best conferences are the ones your competitors are likely attending, as well as the best thought leaders in your industry. Do a little research. There are always articles being written to promote industry events. In the digital marketing field, a lot of publications are directly responsible for sponsoring or hosting conferences in the first place. Go to social media and see who is talking about the conference and read over the conference website to get a better idea of the attendee list. Determine whether the conference is business to business (B2B) or (B2C), as well as whether or not there will be VCs or angel investors in the audience. Sometimes you can attend a conference with a great audience but the theme of the conference and the exhibits don't necessarily match your business. There are even cases where you may disagree with the sponsorships or pay-to-play model of the conference. It's important to look at the conference as a whole before making a decision to attend, starting with the attendees. Be Prepared If you decide to attend a conference, be sure to do your research beforehand. For trade shows and exhibitions, the earlier you plan (four to nine months ahead) the better. You need a marketing strategy and message that will resonate with attendees and help you stand out. We like to create content and PR around any exhibit we do, as well as any speaking opportunities. We've even boosted this on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter to some great success and fanfare. Research the convention floor and where and when you will be exhibiting. Remember, while there are thousands of attendees, the actual number of people who visit your booth will be limited by those who attend for one day and at certain times of the day. I like to advertise a speaking engagement or exhibition at least a month before the event just to start a conversation and connect with people online. Generally, the more prepared you are, the higher your potential return on investment (ROI). Determining Your ROI And Results Finally, you can judge the success of any investment by your return. Determining your cost will be pretty easy. Simply tally up the cost it took for transport, building your exhibit and all the marketing materials you brought with you. The tricky part will be assigning a value to leads you acquire at a trade show. You know your product better than anyone, so you will be able to assign a value based on what attendees from your contact list are most likely to buy from your company and which are least likely. Unfortunately, many of the benefits derived from a conference may be hard to report so it will have to stand to the eye test. But if your experience is anything like mine, youll realize the benefits of attending a conference. | exhibiting at an industry conference is quite expensive. It's important to plan a conference at least four months in advance. It's important to look at the conference as a whole before making a decision to attend. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/03/15/are-industry-conferences-worth-attending-or-exhibiting/ | 0.398269 |
Are Industry Conferences Worth Attending Or Exhibiting? | Customer-facing networking, speaking and exhibiting are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities an entrepreneur can get out of a trade show or industry conference. I personally attend anywhere from four to five conferences a year. Not only are they an honor to speak and exhibit at, but they also provide great benefits to a business and brand. You could take it from me -- Ive formed long-lasting relationships at conferences that stand to this day. The business value can be quantified to additional guest posting opportunities for my personal brand and even receiving new clients for my agency by exhibiting. The question really comes down to a matter of cash. Coming Up With The Cash The No. 1 reason were repeatedly told that businesses fail is a matter of cash flow. Unfortunately, exhibiting at an industry conference is quite expensive. Just some of the costs to consider include: Display construction Storage fees for your display Transportation costs Staying at a hotel Creating a visual presentation Brochures or any marketing material Most businesses also invest in PR and social media campaigns to create awareness around their conference attendance. Of course, speakers dont have to worry about many of these costs, but you must be invited to speak at a conference. That means, for the rest of businesses, you will have to dish out some cash to exhibit your brand at a conference. While conferences yield tremendous results, covering the costs of exhibitor fees can be hard. That's why it's important to plan a conference at least four months in advance, not only for logistics but also costs. You can consider renting a pre-fabricated display or a simple booth to cut costs. Bring along sales staff to engage people face to face and leverage online marketing materials, such as social media, to market the event for free. Benefits Of Attending A Conference There are real and tangible benefits to attending an industry conference. With the right audience, conferences present the perfect opportunity to test your MVP and gather feedback on new products and designs. Conferences can also serve as the perfect opportunity to network with other thought leaders and promote your sales pitch to attendees. The greatest benefits of attending a conference include: Greater brand reach and familiarity Networking opportunities Increased leads Usability testing Educational opportunities In addition, being asked to speak or being recognized at an industry conference serves as valuable marketing collateral further down the line. Understanding Your Audience If youve committed to attending or exhibiting at least one conference this year, then you need to find the best one for your business. The best conferences are the ones your competitors are likely attending, as well as the best thought leaders in your industry. Do a little research. There are always articles being written to promote industry events. In the digital marketing field, a lot of publications are directly responsible for sponsoring or hosting conferences in the first place. Go to social media and see who is talking about the conference and read over the conference website to get a better idea of the attendee list. Determine whether the conference is business to business (B2B) or (B2C), as well as whether or not there will be VCs or angel investors in the audience. Sometimes you can attend a conference with a great audience but the theme of the conference and the exhibits don't necessarily match your business. There are even cases where you may disagree with the sponsorships or pay-to-play model of the conference. It's important to look at the conference as a whole before making a decision to attend, starting with the attendees. Be Prepared If you decide to attend a conference, be sure to do your research beforehand. For trade shows and exhibitions, the earlier you plan (four to nine months ahead) the better. You need a marketing strategy and message that will resonate with attendees and help you stand out. We like to create content and PR around any exhibit we do, as well as any speaking opportunities. We've even boosted this on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter to some great success and fanfare. Research the convention floor and where and when you will be exhibiting. Remember, while there are thousands of attendees, the actual number of people who visit your booth will be limited by those who attend for one day and at certain times of the day. I like to advertise a speaking engagement or exhibition at least a month before the event just to start a conversation and connect with people online. Generally, the more prepared you are, the higher your potential return on investment (ROI). Determining Your ROI And Results Finally, you can judge the success of any investment by your return. Determining your cost will be pretty easy. Simply tally up the cost it took for transport, building your exhibit and all the marketing materials you brought with you. The tricky part will be assigning a value to leads you acquire at a trade show. You know your product better than anyone, so you will be able to assign a value based on what attendees from your contact list are most likely to buy from your company and which are least likely. Unfortunately, many of the benefits derived from a conference may be hard to report so it will have to stand to the eye test. But if your experience is anything like mine, youll realize the benefits of attending a conference. | Customer-facing networking, speaking and exhibiting are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities an entrepreneur can get out of a trade show or industry conference. While conferences yield tremendous results, covering the costs of exhibitor fees can be hard. It's important to plan a conference at least four months in advance for logistics and costs. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/03/15/are-industry-conferences-worth-attending-or-exhibiting/ | 0.380421 |
Who is TJ Garvey and why is his name on Bay Area sidewalks? | A stamp from concrete contractor T.J. Garvey, who laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. This stamp is outside of Sack's Coffee House on College Ave. in Berkeley. Click ahead to see the funniest concrete typos around San Francisco's streets. less A stamp from concrete contractor T.J. Garvey, who laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. This stamp is outside of Sack's Coffee House on College Ave. in Berkeley. 1 / 15 Back to Gallery Usually if you're looking at the ground in the Bay Area, you're just trying to avoid stepping on something unpleasant. But perhaps you've also noticed, at random intervals, the neat stamps of a man's name: T.J. Garvey. Eagle-eyed pedestrians in Berkeley and Oakland will have seen Garvey's name; it looks old-fashioned and lovely, accenting a large block of concrete sidewalk every so often. After years of walking over his name, I decided to finally investigate who Mr. Garvey was. Through census records and city directories, a portrait of Thomas Joseph Garvey emerges. His father John was born in Kansas, his mother Lizzie was from Ireland. On Aug. 11, 1898, the young Garvey family was joined by little blue-eyed, brown-haired Thomas. In 1917, Garvey's World War I draft card indicated he was a shipfitter at Union Iron Works, a huge ship-building company in Oakland. As a shipfitter, he would have helped rivet or weld together ship parts. That skill would suit him well in his next job. In the 1933 Polk's Oakland City Directory, Garvey listed his services as a concrete contractor. Eighty-six years later, evidence of his success can be seen all over Oakland and Berkeley, particularly around the Rockridge and Elmwood areas. According to the directory, he lived nearby at 5686 Ocean View Drive, a block away from present-day Rockridge BART. With each sidewalk job, Garvey would put his unique stamp on the drying concrete. His name "TJ GARVEY" and sometimes, often in fading numbers, the date of his work can be still be found. Stamps from the 1930s until the late 1950s bear his name. He's not the only one whose name or company graces Bay Area sidewalks. If you're looking, you can find all kinds of stamps, some dating from the early 1900s. Oakland Underfoot keeps an inventory of sidewalk stamps, from old to modern-day. Now Playing: As for Garvey, he continued to live and work in the Bay Area until his death in 1960. His wife, Fern, is buried beside him at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward. | T.J. Garvey laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. His name can be seen all over Oakland and Berkeley. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/oakland-berkeley-sidewalk-stamps-names-13686300.php | 0.178627 |
Who is TJ Garvey and why is his name on Bay Area sidewalks? | A stamp from concrete contractor T.J. Garvey, who laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. This stamp is outside of Sack's Coffee House on College Ave. in Berkeley. Click ahead to see the funniest concrete typos around San Francisco's streets. less A stamp from concrete contractor T.J. Garvey, who laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. This stamp is outside of Sack's Coffee House on College Ave. in Berkeley. 1 / 15 Back to Gallery Usually if you're looking at the ground in the Bay Area, you're just trying to avoid stepping on something unpleasant. But perhaps you've also noticed, at random intervals, the neat stamps of a man's name: T.J. Garvey. Eagle-eyed pedestrians in Berkeley and Oakland will have seen Garvey's name; it looks old-fashioned and lovely, accenting a large block of concrete sidewalk every so often. After years of walking over his name, I decided to finally investigate who Mr. Garvey was. Through census records and city directories, a portrait of Thomas Joseph Garvey emerges. His father John was born in Kansas, his mother Lizzie was from Ireland. On Aug. 11, 1898, the young Garvey family was joined by little blue-eyed, brown-haired Thomas. In 1917, Garvey's World War I draft card indicated he was a shipfitter at Union Iron Works, a huge ship-building company in Oakland. As a shipfitter, he would have helped rivet or weld together ship parts. That skill would suit him well in his next job. In the 1933 Polk's Oakland City Directory, Garvey listed his services as a concrete contractor. Eighty-six years later, evidence of his success can be seen all over Oakland and Berkeley, particularly around the Rockridge and Elmwood areas. According to the directory, he lived nearby at 5686 Ocean View Drive, a block away from present-day Rockridge BART. With each sidewalk job, Garvey would put his unique stamp on the drying concrete. His name "TJ GARVEY" and sometimes, often in fading numbers, the date of his work can be still be found. Stamps from the 1930s until the late 1950s bear his name. He's not the only one whose name or company graces Bay Area sidewalks. If you're looking, you can find all kinds of stamps, some dating from the early 1900s. Oakland Underfoot keeps an inventory of sidewalk stamps, from old to modern-day. Now Playing: As for Garvey, he continued to live and work in the Bay Area until his death in 1960. His wife, Fern, is buried beside him at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward. | T.J. Garvey laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. His name can be seen all over the Bay Area on street signs and in city directories. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/oakland-berkeley-sidewalk-stamps-names-13686300.php | 0.22561 |
Who is TJ Garvey and why is his name on Bay Area sidewalks? | A stamp from concrete contractor T.J. Garvey, who laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. This stamp is outside of Sack's Coffee House on College Ave. in Berkeley. Click ahead to see the funniest concrete typos around San Francisco's streets. less A stamp from concrete contractor T.J. Garvey, who laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. This stamp is outside of Sack's Coffee House on College Ave. in Berkeley. 1 / 15 Back to Gallery Usually if you're looking at the ground in the Bay Area, you're just trying to avoid stepping on something unpleasant. But perhaps you've also noticed, at random intervals, the neat stamps of a man's name: T.J. Garvey. Eagle-eyed pedestrians in Berkeley and Oakland will have seen Garvey's name; it looks old-fashioned and lovely, accenting a large block of concrete sidewalk every so often. After years of walking over his name, I decided to finally investigate who Mr. Garvey was. Through census records and city directories, a portrait of Thomas Joseph Garvey emerges. His father John was born in Kansas, his mother Lizzie was from Ireland. On Aug. 11, 1898, the young Garvey family was joined by little blue-eyed, brown-haired Thomas. In 1917, Garvey's World War I draft card indicated he was a shipfitter at Union Iron Works, a huge ship-building company in Oakland. As a shipfitter, he would have helped rivet or weld together ship parts. That skill would suit him well in his next job. In the 1933 Polk's Oakland City Directory, Garvey listed his services as a concrete contractor. Eighty-six years later, evidence of his success can be seen all over Oakland and Berkeley, particularly around the Rockridge and Elmwood areas. According to the directory, he lived nearby at 5686 Ocean View Drive, a block away from present-day Rockridge BART. With each sidewalk job, Garvey would put his unique stamp on the drying concrete. His name "TJ GARVEY" and sometimes, often in fading numbers, the date of his work can be still be found. Stamps from the 1930s until the late 1950s bear his name. He's not the only one whose name or company graces Bay Area sidewalks. If you're looking, you can find all kinds of stamps, some dating from the early 1900s. Oakland Underfoot keeps an inventory of sidewalk stamps, from old to modern-day. Now Playing: As for Garvey, he continued to live and work in the Bay Area until his death in 1960. His wife, Fern, is buried beside him at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward. | T.J. Garvey laid out sidewalks in Berkeley and Oakland in the 1930s. His name can be seen all over the Bay Area on street signs and in city directories. He's not the only one whose name or company graces Bay Area sidewalks. He was born in 1898 and died in 1960. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/oakland-berkeley-sidewalk-stamps-names-13686300.php | 0.33251 |
Why managers and coaches watch spring training games from outside the dugout? | If youve ever watched a spring training baseball game you probably noticed it. The manager and his coaches are typically sitting outside the dugout, closer to home plate, sitting in chairs, usually behind a protective netting. For Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward and his coaches, its all about the view. Although some managers and coaches may have other reasons for being sans dugout such as privacy to discuss personnel and space limitations with expanded rosters often filling the small spring training dugouts, the main reason is clearly the viewing angle. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram Its a better view of the game, Woodward said. I feel like Im seeing more of the game. And I can evaluate better when Im watching our guys. I can see our short stop moving. I see the pitcher. I prefer to be out there because of that. Sitting about 20 feet closer to home plate gives the manager and coaches a better angle on the mound and home plate. Instead of having to follow each pitch with their eyes on a swivel, they can take it all in almost in the same view, the pitchers delivery and the hitters reaction to the pitch. You get a better perspective of seeing the pitch, seeing how the ball comes out of the pitchers hand, he said. If Im over there [in the dugout], I cant see anything. Youre late to react to everything. Obviously, Im watching the pitcher and Im watching their hitter to see how he responds. You cant go from there to there but if Im [in the typical spring training viewing spot] I see it all in the peripheral. Not all teams adhere to this long-held tradition. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy and his coaches now remain in the dugout after first base coach Jose Alguacil was hit by a foul ball during a spring game against the Royals at Surprise Stadium in March 2017. When the Rangers played the Giants earlier this week at Scottsdale Stadium, Woodward and his coaches remained in the dugout because the Giants remained in the dugout. But even then, I stand as close as I can, Woodward said. | Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward and his coaches sit outside the dugout. Sitting about 20 feet closer to home plate gives the manager and coaches a better angle on the mound and home plate. Not all teams adhere to this long-held tradition. | bart | 1 | https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers/article227819754.html | 0.144172 |
Why managers and coaches watch spring training games from outside the dugout? | If youve ever watched a spring training baseball game you probably noticed it. The manager and his coaches are typically sitting outside the dugout, closer to home plate, sitting in chairs, usually behind a protective netting. For Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward and his coaches, its all about the view. Although some managers and coaches may have other reasons for being sans dugout such as privacy to discuss personnel and space limitations with expanded rosters often filling the small spring training dugouts, the main reason is clearly the viewing angle. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram Its a better view of the game, Woodward said. I feel like Im seeing more of the game. And I can evaluate better when Im watching our guys. I can see our short stop moving. I see the pitcher. I prefer to be out there because of that. Sitting about 20 feet closer to home plate gives the manager and coaches a better angle on the mound and home plate. Instead of having to follow each pitch with their eyes on a swivel, they can take it all in almost in the same view, the pitchers delivery and the hitters reaction to the pitch. You get a better perspective of seeing the pitch, seeing how the ball comes out of the pitchers hand, he said. If Im over there [in the dugout], I cant see anything. Youre late to react to everything. Obviously, Im watching the pitcher and Im watching their hitter to see how he responds. You cant go from there to there but if Im [in the typical spring training viewing spot] I see it all in the peripheral. Not all teams adhere to this long-held tradition. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy and his coaches now remain in the dugout after first base coach Jose Alguacil was hit by a foul ball during a spring game against the Royals at Surprise Stadium in March 2017. When the Rangers played the Giants earlier this week at Scottsdale Stadium, Woodward and his coaches remained in the dugout because the Giants remained in the dugout. But even then, I stand as close as I can, Woodward said. | Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward and his coaches watch spring training games from outside the dugout. Woodward: I feel like Im seeing more of the game. I prefer to be out there because of that Sitting 20 feet closer to home plate gives the manager and coaches a better angle on the mound and home plate. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers/article227819754.html | 0.350269 |
Does Internal Communications Belong To HR Or Corporate Communications? | Communicating effectively internally is a responsibility for every organization, regardless of size. Brilliant external branding with sophisticated messaging and well-executed reach can easily become a fragile exoskeleton if internal audiences are operating in silos with little understanding and knowledge of or appreciation for what is going on holistically. There has long been a debate among senior managers around where internal communications should live: in the marketing communications department or the human resources department. In my organization, internal communications is a key component of corporate communications. In other places, Ive seen the function reside in human resources and do just fine. There is no right or wrong approach, but I have some observations on each. Employee Communications Versus Internal Communications I believe there is a difference in employee communications and internal communications. I see employee communications as transmitting extremely important information about benefits, employment policy, hiring, recruiting, career planning, etc. Clearly, those data points are human resources functions and communicating them should originate in the human resources (HR) department, with execution by the HR team or supported by internal communications as part of the marketing and communications team. In my experience, internal communications serve a broader role that extends external branding, including the organizations mission, to an internal audience that encompasses not only employees but management and board members. In that sense, Ive grown to see internal communications as its own discipline. It demands a precise skill-set, ranging careful and empathetic listening, clear and concise writing, oral and visual communications expertise, intellectual and emotional agility, and an almost journalistic sense of objectivity that enables telling a story straightforwardly with none-to-limited personal opinion. With what may be a biased position, I believe internal communications should live with other structured communications disciplines, as it does for my own team. Our internal communications staff members work closely with the HR department but also with every other department. This effort provides them with an all-inclusive prism through which to view the entire organization, helping them to help others understand and appreciate what everybody else is doing and why. This also works well in my current organization because of a strong relationship the chief human resources officer and I have built together and between our teams. Effective Information Gathering Is Key The cross-organization information-gathering function could work from an HR home -- and it does in some workplaces. In other organizations, communicators work more effectively and comfortably with other communicators from creative and delivery perspectives. Meeting the challenge of communicating with internal audiences is especially acute because it is naturally easy to push internal messages way down on the to-do list. That is why I suggest it is important to incorporate a deeply empathetic internal communications information-gathering system. Internal content, perhaps more than any other form of communications, must be focused enough to impact every individual in the organization, yet broad enough to have overall, mission-strategic significance. So, regardless of where internal communications lives, it is an essential discipline that takes care, patience, determination and, I respectfully submit, a full-time focus. | Employee communications and internal communications are different. Internal communications is a key component of corporate communications. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/03/15/does-internal-communications-belong-to-hr-or-corporate-communications/ | 0.26543 |
Does Internal Communications Belong To HR Or Corporate Communications? | Communicating effectively internally is a responsibility for every organization, regardless of size. Brilliant external branding with sophisticated messaging and well-executed reach can easily become a fragile exoskeleton if internal audiences are operating in silos with little understanding and knowledge of or appreciation for what is going on holistically. There has long been a debate among senior managers around where internal communications should live: in the marketing communications department or the human resources department. In my organization, internal communications is a key component of corporate communications. In other places, Ive seen the function reside in human resources and do just fine. There is no right or wrong approach, but I have some observations on each. Employee Communications Versus Internal Communications I believe there is a difference in employee communications and internal communications. I see employee communications as transmitting extremely important information about benefits, employment policy, hiring, recruiting, career planning, etc. Clearly, those data points are human resources functions and communicating them should originate in the human resources (HR) department, with execution by the HR team or supported by internal communications as part of the marketing and communications team. In my experience, internal communications serve a broader role that extends external branding, including the organizations mission, to an internal audience that encompasses not only employees but management and board members. In that sense, Ive grown to see internal communications as its own discipline. It demands a precise skill-set, ranging careful and empathetic listening, clear and concise writing, oral and visual communications expertise, intellectual and emotional agility, and an almost journalistic sense of objectivity that enables telling a story straightforwardly with none-to-limited personal opinion. With what may be a biased position, I believe internal communications should live with other structured communications disciplines, as it does for my own team. Our internal communications staff members work closely with the HR department but also with every other department. This effort provides them with an all-inclusive prism through which to view the entire organization, helping them to help others understand and appreciate what everybody else is doing and why. This also works well in my current organization because of a strong relationship the chief human resources officer and I have built together and between our teams. Effective Information Gathering Is Key The cross-organization information-gathering function could work from an HR home -- and it does in some workplaces. In other organizations, communicators work more effectively and comfortably with other communicators from creative and delivery perspectives. Meeting the challenge of communicating with internal audiences is especially acute because it is naturally easy to push internal messages way down on the to-do list. That is why I suggest it is important to incorporate a deeply empathetic internal communications information-gathering system. Internal content, perhaps more than any other form of communications, must be focused enough to impact every individual in the organization, yet broad enough to have overall, mission-strategic significance. So, regardless of where internal communications lives, it is an essential discipline that takes care, patience, determination and, I respectfully submit, a full-time focus. | Employee communications and internal communications are two different disciplines. Internal communications is a key component of corporate communications. It requires careful listening, clear and concise writing, oral and visual communications expertise and an almost journalistic sense of objectivity. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/03/15/does-internal-communications-belong-to-hr-or-corporate-communications/ | 0.398289 |
Does Internal Communications Belong To HR Or Corporate Communications? | Communicating effectively internally is a responsibility for every organization, regardless of size. Brilliant external branding with sophisticated messaging and well-executed reach can easily become a fragile exoskeleton if internal audiences are operating in silos with little understanding and knowledge of or appreciation for what is going on holistically. There has long been a debate among senior managers around where internal communications should live: in the marketing communications department or the human resources department. In my organization, internal communications is a key component of corporate communications. In other places, Ive seen the function reside in human resources and do just fine. There is no right or wrong approach, but I have some observations on each. Employee Communications Versus Internal Communications I believe there is a difference in employee communications and internal communications. I see employee communications as transmitting extremely important information about benefits, employment policy, hiring, recruiting, career planning, etc. Clearly, those data points are human resources functions and communicating them should originate in the human resources (HR) department, with execution by the HR team or supported by internal communications as part of the marketing and communications team. In my experience, internal communications serve a broader role that extends external branding, including the organizations mission, to an internal audience that encompasses not only employees but management and board members. In that sense, Ive grown to see internal communications as its own discipline. It demands a precise skill-set, ranging careful and empathetic listening, clear and concise writing, oral and visual communications expertise, intellectual and emotional agility, and an almost journalistic sense of objectivity that enables telling a story straightforwardly with none-to-limited personal opinion. With what may be a biased position, I believe internal communications should live with other structured communications disciplines, as it does for my own team. Our internal communications staff members work closely with the HR department but also with every other department. This effort provides them with an all-inclusive prism through which to view the entire organization, helping them to help others understand and appreciate what everybody else is doing and why. This also works well in my current organization because of a strong relationship the chief human resources officer and I have built together and between our teams. Effective Information Gathering Is Key The cross-organization information-gathering function could work from an HR home -- and it does in some workplaces. In other organizations, communicators work more effectively and comfortably with other communicators from creative and delivery perspectives. Meeting the challenge of communicating with internal audiences is especially acute because it is naturally easy to push internal messages way down on the to-do list. That is why I suggest it is important to incorporate a deeply empathetic internal communications information-gathering system. Internal content, perhaps more than any other form of communications, must be focused enough to impact every individual in the organization, yet broad enough to have overall, mission-strategic significance. So, regardless of where internal communications lives, it is an essential discipline that takes care, patience, determination and, I respectfully submit, a full-time focus. | Employee communications and internal communications are two different disciplines. Internal communications is a key component of corporate communications. It requires careful listening, clear and concise writing, oral and visual communications expertise, intellectual and emotional agility, and an almost journalistic sense of objectivity to tell a story straightforwardly. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/03/15/does-internal-communications-belong-to-hr-or-corporate-communications/ | 0.462276 |
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