Wouldn't you like to add years to your life? If we've learned anything from the past year and a half, it's that life is not to be taken for granted, because it can be taken from usquickly, and without remorse. Armed with that appreciation, we reached out to the world's foremost experts in life extension to ask them how to add years to your life. Read on for the top 5 ways, each of which you can add to your routine every dayand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You Have "Long" COVID and May Not Even Know It.

There are a few ways maintaining a healthy body weight sets you up for a longer life. One is that weight gain, particularly obesity, shortens your life, and it's been proven to do so. You likely know that the excess weight, and visceral fat, can lead to a heart attack and diabetes but a new American Cancer Society report, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, measured cancer cases and deaths through 2018, and found that obesity could soon overtake smoking as the #1 cause of cancer. So what's a "healthy body weight"? Says the CDC: "If your BMI"that's body mass index"is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the normal or Healthy Weight range."

Even non-caffeinated beverages were found to increase the lifespan of those studied in one fairly recent report, published in JAMA Network. "Coffee drinking was inversely associated with mortality, including among those drinking 8 or more cups per day," said the researchers. Drinking coffee cuts your risk of liver problems, according to a study from this year. It's also been linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease, prostate cancer and melanoma.

RELATED: Sure Signs You May Have Dementia, According to the CDC

Using sunscreen doesn't just protect you from skin cancer, but wouldn't that be enough? It also helps your face and body age less. Your skin is porous and thinthink of how easy it is to get a papercut. The sun's dangerous rays can bring on disease that may not strike till later, a hidden danger in plain sight. "Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside," says Tonya Harris, award-winning environmental toxin expert and author The Slightly Greener Method: Detoxifying Your Home Is Easier, Faster, and Less Expensive Than You Think. "That's how long it can take to absorb into the skin and do its work. Also, sunscreens aren't meant to last all day and most water-resistant sunscreens only work for 40 minutes in water. Always be sure to reapply it after swimming or sweating, even with water-resistant sunscreen." Good rule of thumb: one teaspoon of sunscreen per area of the body.

RELATED: The #1 Cause of Diabetes, According to Science

Why 30 minutes per day? The Mayo Clinic and others set that benchmark and it's been proven to keep your heart happy as you elevate your blood flow, leading to decreased risk of metabolic syndrome, stroke, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. Research published in the American Physiological Society has also shown that it leads to additional weight loss.

RELATED: The Easiest Way to Look Younger, Says Science

None of us are the platonic ideal of "happy" all the time, but if you aren't prioritizing your happiness, you are putting your life on the line. An oft-quoted study found that a "positive affect" leads to better health, while a review of 35 different studies found that "positive psychological well-being has a favorable effect on survival in both healthy and diseased populations." If you feel you just cannot achieve that happy feeling, consider discussing your situation with a therapist. And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID

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Everyday Habits That Add Years to Your Life, Say Experts | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

The world is witnessing a new, dangerous nuclear arms race. Tensions are rising between the Great Powers. As the US, Russia, and China rush to modernize their nuclear arsenals, the trip wire is becoming more taut by the day.

Observation and communication satellites and systems are increasingly vulnerable to attacks. All three countries are fielding stealth and hypersonic nuclear delivery systems designed to evade detection. The risks of a false alarm or a political miscalculation has always haunted the nuclear landscape, and they do even more today.

Last week, legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives to address the misguided nuclear modernization strategy the US is currently employing and chart a safer, more cost-effective course for our modernization efforts one that is predicated on deterrence rather than dominance.

As long as nuclear weapons exist, we must have a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent. However, simultaneous modernization efforts across all three legs of the nuclear triad exceed that scope and are an unnecessarily costly and risky way to achieve our deterrence requirements.

The current US nuclear modernization strategy includes the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the B-21 bomber, the Columbia-class submarine, the Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) air-launched cruise missile, the sea launched nuclear cruise missile, and new nuclear warheads.

The costs of these projects are extraordinary: a 2017 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimated that the 30-year cost of nuclear weapons spending would be $1.2 trillion ($1.7 trillion adjusted for inflation).

As the Government Accountability Office recently noted, the current plan to modernize every part of the US nuclear arsenal simultaneously is a recipe for schedule delays and cost overruns.

The ICBM leg of the triad deserves special attention. The total price tag to procure the GBSD is projected to be at least $95 billion, and up to $264 billion when accounting for total life-cycle costs. A pause in the GBSD will help defray short-term costs for the Air Force and will also defer a long-term expenditure.

Additionally, the W87-1, the warhead that is being designed for the GBSD, will cost at least $12 billion to build and is not part of the estimated GBSD procurement cost of $95 billion. To build new warhead cores for the W87-1, the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) is expanding plutonium pit production, which will cost at least another $9 billion through the late 2020s according to the Congressional Budget Office.

We do not need a new ICBM to provide a robust deterrent. The existing Minuteman III (MMIII) ICBM which the GBSD is scheduled to replace can serve until 2040 with one more life extension.

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, then-Air Force deputy chief of staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, noted in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee that we have ''one more opportunity'' to conduct life extension on the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, indicating the technical feasibility of extending the Minuteman III missile.

Other independent experts have confirmed the feasibility of a MMIII life extension. In fact, the Air Force intends to do just that. It will upgrade and extend the life of existing MMIII missiles while it is replacing others with the GBSD. The swap out plan is an admission that the life extension is possible and has already been factored into the existing plan.

Maintaining and upgrading the current Minuteman III missile is not only technically possible it is also cost-effective. According to a 2017 CBO report, it would cost $37 billion less to maintain the MMIII than developing and deploying the GBSD through 2036.

It's clear that replacing the Minuteman III for the GBSD is a wasteful and costly undertaking that is not in our national security interest. That's why we are supporting the "Investing in Commonsense Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) Act of 2021," which was introduced in the US House of Representatives last week by Congressman Garamendi.

This bill will simply pause the development of the GBSD, and the associated W87-1 nuclear warhead, and life extend the Minuteman III until 2040 something that is both technically feasible and more cost-efficient. This extension provides time for arms control negotiations and additional debate on the utility of a ground-based system, which may make this program unnecessary.

This legislation will help deescalate the modern nuclear arms race and prevent the unnecessary spending of billions of taxpayer dollars. That's why nine members of Congress joined Garamendi's "ICBM Act" as original cosponsors, and it's why 12 policy experts and arms control associations have joined us in endorsing the legislation.

The "ICBM Act" will strengthen our national security and save billions of tax-payer dollars by:

As a former US secretary of defense, governor of California, and current chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, we have an intimate understanding of this issue and the urgency with which we must address it.

We have visited the launch sites. We have met the young Air Force captains who sit in the buried bunker ready to turn the launch keys for atomic bombs capable of destroying a city three times the size of Hiroshima. It sobers the mind and underscores the need to chart a new course for our modernization strategy before we cross a line from which we cannot return.

Bill Perry is the former US secretary of defense who served under President Bill Clinton. Jerry Brown is the former governor of California and is currently the executive chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. John Garamendi is the US Representative for California's 3rd Congressional District and chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

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Spending $2 trillion on new nuclear weapons is a risk to more than just your wallet - Business Insider

The Pentagon wants to make sure it can track and take out enemy intercontinental ballistic missiles flying through space to the United States. This concern has been raised due to increasing global tension, the arrival of more low-yield tactical nuclear weapons, and the pace at which Russia and China are modernizing and expanding their respective nuclear arsenals.

The Pentagon is fast-tracking its new Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) weapon intended to introduce a new paradigm for ICBM defense with advanced sensors able to better discern decoys and countermeasures from missiles and the possibility of firing multiple kill vehicles from a single interceptor. However, the new NGI is not slated to arrive until 2028 and the Missile Defense Agency needs to ensure that it can sustain a viable and highly effective Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) for several more decades until sufficient numbers of the NGI are available.

Therefore, as nuclear threats grow more pressing, the Pentagon is continuing a multiyear upgrade and sustainment campaign for its arsenal of GBIs now based in Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Now were going to have real hardware because were going to remove interceptors from the ground, were going to upgrade propulsion, were going to update one-shot devices, were going to update the processors, update the threat categories, and if that makes those older missiles perform like the newer missiles, and so reliability goes up, capacity goes up when you do that, Vice Adm. Jon Hill, Director, Missile Defense Agency, told reporters according to a Pentagon transcript.

Many of the upgrades have been in the realm of computing and command and control to avoid obsolescence and ensure continued connectivity in terms of targeting, flight path and sensing. Increasing software upgrades are a way that existing hardware can be adapted to meet emerging threats and enhance performance without having to be fully reconfigured.

The big concern back when layered homeland defense was first discussed was the concern that the existing fleet would start to lose its reliability over time while we also had this timeline for next-generation interceptor off to the right, Hill said. Now we have a Service Life Extension Program and were moving out there and that will increase and give us a hardware-based data capacity to really understand reliability.

Russia continues to massively modernize its nuclear arsenal to include the addition of hypersonics as well as low-yield weapons spanning a wide range of threats and China is believed to be doubling its number of ICBMs in upcoming years.

Kris Osborn is the defense editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: Reuters

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The Pentagon is Preparing for China's ICBM Double Down - The National Interest

Vancouver-based Ero Copper (TSX: ERO, NYSE: ERO) has provided an exploration update on its ongoing drill programs for the MCSA mining complex and the NX Gold mine, both in Brazil, with a highlight hole of 67 metres of 9.21% copper at MCSA.

The companys primary asset is a 99.6% interest in the Brazilian copper mining company, MCSA, which owns the MCSA Mining Complex in Bahia state. Copper ore is mined at MCSA from the Pilar and Vermelhos underground mines.

Deepening extension drilling within the Pilar mine has delineated a new open zone of Superpod mineralization extending over 350 metres in strike length at the deepest limits of the previously defined 2020 inferred mineral resource shell.

Recent results represent some of the best holes drilled by the company in the Cura Valley to date. Hole FC5522 intersected 67 metres grading 9.21% copper including 21 metres at 14.14% copper (the best hole on a grade-metre basis drilled by the company) located 470 metres beneath the current development of the mine. Located on the same level, approximately 100 metres south of that intercept, hole FC5523 intersected 35.2 metres grading 5.51% copper including 9 metres at 8.6% copper. Mineralization remains open to depth and along strike.

At the Vermelhos mine, new drilling continues to extend mineralization adjacent to mine infrastructure as well as to intersect new mineralized lenses up to 125 metres beneath the main orebodies.

MCSA also owns 100% of the Boa Esperana development project, an IOCG-type copper project located in Par, Brazil.

In addition, Ero Copper owns 97.6% of the NX Gold mine, an operating gold and silver mine in Mato Grosso state. The company decided late last year to extend the life of the mine.

New extensions to depth of the Santo Antonio Vein at NX Gold are highlighted by the best intercept in the history of the mine. Hole SA94A, located approximately 10 metres beyond the limit of the 2020 inferred mineral resource shell, intersected 9 metres grading 22.66 grams gold per tonne. ln addition, hole MAT20A, which intersected 2.8 metres grading 19.73 grams gold per tonne, represents the discovery of a new high-grade extension of the Matinha Vein; the new vein extension is located approximately 600 metres down-plunge from the previously defined limit of the Matinha Vein.

The current results include the regional discovery of two new mineralized gold systems, known as the Sovaco de Cobra and the Mata Verde systems, located approximately 1.2 km northeast and 25 km east-northeast of the NX Gold mine, respectively.

There are currently 24 drill rigs working throughout the Cura Valley, including six drill rigs allocated to regional exploration. Nine drill rigs are operating at NX Gold and the company now has three drill rigs operating at the Boa Esperana project.

All in all, the results from this spring drilling campaign have continued to point to the potential for mine life extension at both of the companys producing assets, Jackie Przybylowski, a mining analyst at BMO Capital Markets commented in a research note. She has an outperform rating on the company and a one-year price target of $31 per share.

At press time Ero Copper was trading at $25.05 per share within a 52-week range of $15.98 and $29.76 per share.

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Ero Copper hits 67 metres of 9.21% copper in extension of the Pilar mine - The Northern Miner

COLLEGE STATION, Texas Moments after a high-rise condominium building in Surfside, Fla., was nearly leveled in a devastating collapse late last month, emergency workers began sifting through concrete and twisted metal for any sign of survivors.

Their urgent mission was not a haphazard scouring of the debris, but a carefully orchestrated plan learned after specialized training in urban search-and-rescue operations. Many of the men and women working around the clock in Florida first spent hours practicing for similar situations in Disaster City, Texas, a one-of-a-kind instructional facility that includes debris from real-world disasters.

There, on a sprawling 52-acre center operated by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service near the flagship campus in College Station, rescue workers learn how to listen for the muffled sounds of survivors, safely lift debris and dig passageways to reach them.

A visit to the training facility last week offered a window into the delicate balance that rescue workers face as they search for survivors amid teetering, often unsafe structures and in grim piles of concrete, steel and personal items. The operation at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside has drawn comparisons to the recovery efforts after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

It takes specialized equipment, specialized training and specialized people it takes those three things to do this kind of response, said Paul Gunnels, the rescue program director at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service. When you talk about heavy rescue, it takes a little bit of time to get everything in there.

Elite rescue teams from across America and the globe have traveled to the site to train for delicate rescue missions like the operation in Surfside, where the partial collapse of the condo building nearly two weeks ago was among the deadliest disasters of its kind in the United States. At least 36 people have been recovered from the site, and more than 100 remain missing.

In Disaster City, emergency workers, including rescuers with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, train in structures that were modeled after real-life events, officials said, including the Oklahoma City bombing and the Mexico City earthquake of 1985, which killed thousands.

During a routine exercise last week, Matt Winn, a logistics foreman at the center, surgically inserted a search camera the shape of a long stick in the direction of a voice, which came from a crevice in a summit of rubble. A video screen the size of an iPad revealed what appeared to be a man caught under a mountain of concrete.

The man, a fellow Disaster City expert, soon emerged from a fabricated tunnel. Though the rubble might look dangerous, the scenes at the site were carefully engineered for everyones safety, Mr. Winn said.

Standing nearby, Mr. Gunnels, his supervisor, said that a real-life scenario might have proved a lot more challenging.

Once someone is found, he said, rescue leaders must triage the structure and evaluate the safest route. Every single step, often literally, is carefully considered. Stepping on a shaky piece of concrete can very quickly further destabilize what remains of the structure and endanger both the victims and rescuers, Mr. Gunnels said.

Training here, he added, is a fluid road map and not a script. Rescue leaders must also closely study weather conditions, such as rain and wind, which can alter rescue efforts, as was the case in the first several days in Surfside, as thunder, lightning and heavy rain threatened the site, and over the weekend as officials prepared for possible landfall of Tropical Storm Elsa.

With the precision of a mountain climber, Mr. Gunnels stepped carefully on a heap of debris the equivalent of a three-story building. He eyed the pieces of concrete, as large as a wall and as small as a baseball glove, and twisted rebar and explained his options.

First, he said, there is a listening device, a technologically advanced system akin to a game of telephone that can capture the sounds of someone breathing, moving slowly under debris or calling out for help. (Sounds are often muffled under large piles of rubble.)

Then there is the airbag, an inflatable cushion that can lift heavy pieces of concrete, not unlike a superpowered fictional character. Rescue workers follow this step by stacking pieces of wood on top of each other, a process known as cribbing, that allows them to create a tunnel to get to victims.

Other times, a 50-pound four-legged rescuer is everyones best bet. On this day last week, Matt Young, an instructor, called on an 8-year-old mixed-breed Labrador named Zapp, who jumped over the pile and followed the scent of human skin that had been placed under the rocks. It took him seconds to locate it, to cheers and calls of Good boy! from Mr. Young.

Disaster City was created in 1998 with a $70 million grant from the Justice Department. These days, a majority of training costs are funded by enrollment tuition, he said.

Over time, it has grown to include scenarios from past tragedies. In one section, a large slab of concrete is collapsed on the side of a parking lot, where mangled cars look as if they were chewed up by monstrous rubble. Trainees must figure out a way to secure it so they can enter the ruins and locate volunteers acting as trapped victims, not unlike what rescue workers did in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing.

At the entrance, visitors are welcomed by a sign that reads Disaster City next to a cluster of battered trains, some of which were donated after enduring their own disasters. With street names like Disaster Drive and Rescue Drive, the site has elements of an urban area or a movie set.

The larger center, known as Emergency Services Training Institute, includes firefighting, incident command and hazardous-materials simulations and trains about 120,000 students a year, both online and in person, many of them emergency responders seeking to expand their skills, such as how to create tunnels under piles of concrete and to control large fires.

Walking around the simulations often takes Mr. Gunnels, a former firefighter, back to some of the nearly 30 disasters he has responded to, including the destruction of the World Trade Center and a devastating bonfire collapse that killed 12 people in College Station more than two decades ago.

Last week, Mr. Gunnels was careful to not address the continuing rescue efforts in Florida. But he said he understood how painful it must be for the families who probably felt as if the operation was taking too long.

His mind traveled back to 1999, when as a lieutenant for a local fire department, he rushed to the scene of the bonfire and made contact with the last person found alive under the heavy pieces of logs. Every disaster is different, he said, but they all require patience from both the people trapped and their anxious relatives waiting on the sideline.

He said, for example, that it took more than eight hours to free the last survivor, John Comstock, in the bonfire collapse. He recalled vividly sticking his head where Mr. Comstock was and offering both hope and a warning. Sir, you are going to have to mentally prepare yourself, he said he told him. You are going to be here a long time.

You learn that there are things out of your control, Mr. Gunnels said. And I have to do it the best I can.

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In Disaster City, Texas, Rescues Are a Way of Life - The New York Times

PISCATAWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Steam Generating Team (SGT), a partnership between Framatome and United Engineers & Constructors, Inc. (United), recently announced that the Steam Generator Replacement Team (SGRT) was awarded an approximately CA$350 million (US$284 million) contract with Bruce Power to replace steam generators at Units 3 and 4 of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, Canada. SGRT is a joint venture between SGT and Aecon.

The Major Component Replacement Project is an important investment in the Bruce plant and its ability to provide dependable, carbon-free energy for years to come, said Robert J. LoCurto, President of SGT. At SGT, we bring our 25 years of experience to our work with SGRT and Bruce Power with the goal of supporting the local community and Canadas clean energy future.

SGRTs scope of work includes engineering and planning activities, the removal of existing and the installation of new steam generators, construction management and procurement of materials, and construction activities.

Our Framatome team combines strong expertise and know-how, innovative capabilities and a commitment to develop our footprint in Canada to serve as a long-term, reliable partner to Bruce Power, said Catherine Cornand, Senior Executive Vice President of Framatomes Installed Base Business Unit. With our partners at SGRT, we are proud to support Bruce Power on its Major Component Replacement Project and its continued delivery of reliable, low-carbon electricity.

We are honored to perform a significant role in Bruce Powers Major Component Replacement Project, an investment into the life extension of the plant and its role in providing emission-free, reliable power to Ontarians, said Scott Reeder, Chief Executive Officer of United. At United, our mission is to partner with our clients to deliver innovative and transformative infrastructure designed and built to meet the demands for today and for the future. This work, through SGRT with Bruce Power, is a shining example of our focus as a company.

While we continue to focus on Unit 6, which remains on track, its important to continue to plan for future Major Component Replacement Projects, which will play a key role in stimulating the economy as Ontario moves into the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mike Rencheck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Power. Securing the long-term future of the Bruce site is vital to ensuring Canada meets its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

SGRT is currently executing steam generator replacement work on Unit 6, with the majority of work expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

In 2017, SGRT signed a long-term Preferred Supplier Agreement for steam generator replacements at the plants remaining five units as part of the Major Component Replacement Project.

About United

United Engineers & Constructors is an industry leading infrastructure engineering, procurement, construction and consulting company dedicated to improving lives by delivering the worlds most impactful solutions. Since 1905, we have served the power industry by providing comprehensive lifecycle services for the conventional generation, nuclear, transmission and distribution, renewable, and distributed energy markets. Together with our clients and partners, we are unified in our efforts to deliver innovative and transformative infrastructure designed and built to meet the demands of today and for the future. http://www.ueci.com

About Framatome

Framatome is an international leader in nuclear energy recognized for its innovative solutions and value added technologies for the global nuclear fleet. With worldwide expertise and a proven track record for reliability and performance, the company designs, services and installs components, fuel, and instrumentation and control systems for nuclear power plants. Its more than 14,000 employees work every day to help Framatomes customers supply ever cleaner, safer and more economical low-carbon energy. Visit us at: http://www.framatome.com, and follow us on Twitter: @Framatome_ and LinkedIn: Framatome. Framatome is owned by the EDF Group (75.5%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI 19.5%) and Assystem (5%).

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United Engineers & Constructors Joint Venture, The Steam Generating Team, Awarded Steam Generator Replacement Contract for Units 3 and 4 at Bruce...

President Joe Biden (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)

Heres a list of who wants President Joe Biden to postpone student loan payments beyond September 30, 2021.

Heres what you need to know and what it means for your student loans.

Absent an extension, your federal student loan payments will be due again starting October 1. Your regular interest rate will also resume, and collection of any student loans in default will restart. Tens of millions student loan borrowers have received temporary student loan forbearance including a pause on federal student loan payments and no interest since March 2020. However, a chorus of student loan advocates say restarting student loan payments will hurt student loan borrowers and result in financial disaster, including student loan default. If student loans arent paused again, its possible that these 4 things could happen. Heres a partial list of who wants Biden to postpone student loans:

In June, 64 progressive members of Congress including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote a letter to Biden urging him to pause student loans and freeze student loan interest until March 31, 2021 or until the economy reaches pre-pandemic employment levels, whichever is longer. The members of Congress wrote that restarting student loan payments will hurt the economy, cause financial distress for student loan borrowers, and result in student loan default. President Biden should cancel student debt, but in the meantime he should extend the payment pause so that borrowers arent hurt, Warren said.

Sen. Pattty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), who chair the Senate and House committees on education, respectively, wrote Biden to urge him to continue student loan relief for a limited period until early 2022. Murray and Scott wrote that the Education Department needs time to conduct a necessary outreach campaign to student loan borrowers so they are aware of their upcoming obligation and provide them with sufficient time before their student loan payments are due. While the economy has begun to show promising signs of recovery, the legislators wrote, more than nine million Americans remain out of work, and the economic and health disparities created by the pandemic are severe.

According to Politico, some officials at the U.S. Department of Education have urged Biden postpone student loan payments beyond September 30. They have asked the president to pause student loan payments through January 31, 2022. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona hasnt publicly stated whether he supports extending the student loan payment pause. Were looking at it, Cardona said in May. Obviously we are going to take lead from what the data is telling us and where we are as a country with regards to the recovery of the pandemic. Its not out of the question, but at this point, [the payment pause will end] September 30. Last month, Cardona told senators on Capitol Hill that conversations were ongoing regarding the possibility of extending the payment pause, although no decision has been made.

A group of leading advocacy organizations sent a letter to Biden urging him not start student loan payments until the Biden administration fixes student loan repayment and cancels student loan debt. The 128 organization include American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC), among others. Before the pandemic struck, tens of millions of borrowers struggled to navigate a badly broken student loan system, the organizations wrote. Americas student debt crisis wreaked havoc on the financial lives of families across the country, despite payment relief and debt forgiveness programs that promised that these debts would never be a life-long burden. Your administration now has a once-in-a-generation chance to repair the damage caused by policy failures at the federal and state level and decades of government mismanagement and industry abuses an opportunity and an obligation that must be fulfilled before any action is taken to resume monthly student loan payments.

Biden hasnt announced a decision whether to extend student loan relief beyond September 30. If Biden extends student loan relief, there are several options. Reasons to extend include: help student loan borrowers who are struggling financially, prevent potential student loan delinquency or student loan default, and give student loan borrowers more time to prepare for the transition to student loan repayment. According to a new survey, 90% of student loan borrowers are not ready to pay student loans again starting October 1. Reasons not to extend are primarily related to cost and the economic recovery. Opponents to extending student loan relief say that student loan borrowers will have had 18 months of no student loan payments and received more than $90 billion of student loan cancellation. Biden could extend student loan relief beyond September 30, but theres one major dilemma. One one hand, the Biden administration says the economy is strong and recovering. However, on the other, if 40 million student loan borrowers suddenly need more time to pay student loans due to financial struggle, it sends a mixed message. Moreover, the federal government is ending enhanced unemployment benefits and the eviction moratorium, two other essential financial relief efforts. Opponents also ask if these two programs are ending, why the Biden administration would extend student loan relief.

Remember that even if student loan forbearance is extended, its only temporary. There will come a time when you have to pay your student loans and your regular interest rate will resume. Dont wait for student loan payments to resume to take control of your student loan debt. Consider these student loan repayment options to start saving money:

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Postpone Student Loan Payments Until At Least January 31, 2022, According To This List Of People - Forbes

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) A new scholarship through Luke 9:23 ministries is looking to lift up students in difficult living situations.

Matt and Andrea Harris founded Luke 9:23 Ministries twelve years ago with the goal of helping churches get through paperwork. However, they found another type of ministry to be passionate about through their journey with their son Jacob Stanley.

He had a rough upbringing, said Matt. His dad committed suicide and from there, he kind of had a kind of a hole in his life and he pursued trying to fill that hole and he ended up in the hospital with a drug overdose.

That overdose happened last year. Jacob had not been a frequent drug user but turned to Percocet to fill the hole. What he did not know, was that the Percocet contained fentanyl that would cause him to overdose. Doctors told the Harris to start planning for Jacobs funeral but their son ended up surviving. He had extension brain damage and a long road of recovery ahead of him, but Jacob pushed himself to learn how to talk, walk, and even eat.

Then almost one month ago on June 14, Jacob died in his sleep, leaving the Harris family searching for a way to continue his legacy.

He wanted his life to count, said Harris. He wanted it to matter.

They teamed up with The Crossing, a school that provides job training and faith-based character education to create a scholarship for students in difficult living situations who are reaching for a better life. They saw how Jacob benefitted from his education there and wanted to contribute.

The teachers at the crossing, nominate students at the school there that have gone through some stuff, Matt said. Most of the students that there have gone through some stuff, but have been introduced to a relationship with Jesus that changes them and begins transforming their life.

Students must write their life stories down for a team to review and then go through an interview. Their first scholarship winner is Annessa Darden, 18.

I was actually surprised, I didnt know my story was that impactful, said Darden. [I] Just came from a really rough and abusive home and I just kept my head up, focused on school and did what I could to be a good citizen, really, of the community. I guess the emotion and what I went through, it touched peoples hearts.

Darden plans on attending Indiana Tech in the fall. She hopes her story inspires people.

I want them to be able to be like shes had a rough life, but shes still making a good outcome of her life, Darden said .Even if you go through bad things, it doesnt matter. You could still be a good person and live your life.

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Scholarship looks to uplift teens in difficult living situations - WANE

Sixty years after Captain Gary L. Herod heroically maneuvered his crashing plane away from homes near Brays Bayou, the Brays Bayou Association is working to relocate a memorial closer to the crash site at the intersection of N. Braeswood Blvd. and Mullins Drive.

The Houston Parks Board is also planning to extend the Brays Bayou trail to include a segment along the north part of the Bayou, between Chimney Rock Road and Hillcroft Ave. The extension will allow residents to continue walking along the trail while they learn about a local hero.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Creative hub in Memorial provides meeting space for new business owners

Its nice for him to be recognized again for what happened back then, said Cynthia Lichtman, Herods daughter who was only 3 years old when Herod was killed. I think that people need heroes more these days, even though he probably wouldnt look at himself as being a hero himself. He was pretty modest that way.

Herod was a Texas Air National Guard pilot who, on March 15, 1961, took off from Ellington Field southeast of Houston in his T-33 jet trainer. Shortly after takeoff, Herod experienced engine failure.

According to the story, Herod could have ejected safely but the plane would have crashed into the homes near Meyerland. Instead, he stayed with the plane to guide it toward a vacant field on the banks of Brays Bayou. He initially attempted to turn his plane around and return to Ellington Field or another airport and radioed air traffic control that he was going to bail out. But when the controllers asked for confirmation, he replied, not yet. Those were his last words before the crashed.

Herod was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Hero Tree was dedicated in his honor on Memorial Day in 1961 in Meyerland Plaza and Gary L. Herod Elementary School was named after him.

We still have some people that were around in the community when this happened, said Charles Goforth, a real estate agent and President of the Brays Bayou Association. It was something specific for our community. And what he did more than likely saved many lives in the greater Meyerland area.

In 2018, Goforth was one of the first residents to notice the Hero Trees health in Meyerland Plaza was in decline. Although the trees removal was a significant loss for the community, the planned memorial along Brays Bayou could be a permanent reminder of Herods heroism.

According to Trent Rondot, the Houston Parks Boards Conservation and Maintenance Director, the Board was already planning on extending the trail along the northside of the Bayou. Installing Herods memorial is a bonus that allows them to connect with the community.

Its always great to use these public spaces as a way to honor people that have made a sacrifice or payed a price to help the community, said Rondot. So for us, this was a space that was very visible, theres a lot of trail use in the area, and its just fitting that that kind of Memorial be placed in an area where the general public has an opportunity to read and learn the history.

To install the memorial, the BBA is hosting a fundraiser for $50,000. That money will be included with the Parks Board contribution of $150,000. Although the fundraising campaign is in its soft launch phase, Goforth, with the help of Herods family, hopes to have a full launch soon.

For more information on how to donate, go to https://houstonparksboard.org/about/captain-herod-memorial-plaza.

ryan.nickerson@hcnonline.com

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Brays Bayou association plans new memorial for hero pilot that sacrificed life to save Meyerland residents - Houston Chronicle

Mena Hautau, who spent almost 23 years helping Berks farmers, has become the first woman to receive the highest national award for an extension agent: induction into its hall of fame.

The award was announced virtually this week. She will receive a plaque and her photo will be added to an online gallery of winners.

J. Craig Williams, president of the National Association of County Agriculture Agents,said he has had the honor to work with Hautau for many years and said she is a true hall of fame winner and an example of the high quality county agents from the North East Region.

Emelie Swackhamer, a Penn State Extension educator based in Montgomery County,nominated Hautau for the honor on behalf of Pennsylvania Association of County Agriculture Agents. Swackhamer is association president.

Mena Hautau checks on a soybean seed experiment on a Berks County farm in 2016. Hautau, a former Berks County Agriculture Extension educator, is the first woman named to theNational Association of County Agriculture Agents Hall of Fame.

"The face of agriculture is changing," said Swackhamer, noting that the number of women working in agriculture has grown. "Mena blazed the trail for a lot of us."

In her 35-plus years of service, Hautau blazed the trail for agents who followed in Iowa and Pennsylvania, Swackhamer said.

"When I was a young educator in Pennsylvania in the 1990s, Mena encouraged me to rely on my knowledge and to have confidence when there was much less diversity in our co-workers and clients," Swackhamer wrote in her nomination letter. "She exemplified the calm effectiveness of competency without making much of the shifting demographics of our profession. She continued to act as an unofficial mentor to many new educators in Pennsylvania and her legacy lives on in their work."

Hautau, 65, said she was honored just to be nominated for the hall of fame.

"There were probably other agents that could have been nominated ahead me," Hautau said in a phone interview.

The NACAA Hall of Fame Award was established in 2006 to recognize NACAA members (active or life) for demonstrated commitment, dedication and effective leadership in job performance as an outstanding educator; association involvement at the state and national level; and outstanding humanitarian service. The award is presented annually to one person from each of the four NACAA regions.

Hautau built her reputation by building relationships and adapting to needs of the farming community.

"Mena is universally respected for her breadth and depth of knowledge in the field and has won many awards for her good efforts," said state Sen. Judy Schwank, who worked at the Berks extension before entering politics and hired Hautau.

Schwank wrote a letter supporting Hautau's nomination.

"It was not uncommon to see her trudging through a rain-soaked pasture or searching for bugs in soybean fields," Schwank added. "More so, she mentored other agents and helped others build relationships with farmers. She has helped ensure that agriculture in Berks County prospers today."

When Hautau was hired as an agronomy agent, there was no extension staff dedicated to working with the large mushroom and tree fruit industry in Berks County. Hautau stepped up to serve these industries for years.

"Mena always approached new challenges in a direct and practical way, and in doing so she earned the respect of the farming community," Swackhamer wrote.

When many farms were beginning to explore organics as a potentially profitable option, Hautau pursued rigorous training about organic production and USDA certification to increase her skills.

GregoryStricker and his father, Forrest Stricker, wrote about Hautau's help as their dairy farm, Spring Creek Farms in Heidelberg Township, transitioned from conventional to organic grazing.

Hautau teamed with USDA Agriculture Research Service to conduct a study of the effects of grazing pasture so they knew what was best for lactating cows. Then, she helped others learn the results.

"Farmers can't take such large risks and changes without help from people who can spend time researching these big dilemmas,"the Strickers wrote in a letter supporting Hautau's nomination.

The Strickers also wrote about how Hautau secured funding and organized farmers to come together over a lunch to discuss successful organic and crop farming. The pasture walk in collaboration with PASA Sustainable Agriculture attracted 50 participants. Hautau established study circles that brought peer learning to organic farmers.

"This sounds like such a simple concept, but it sticks out as one of the most beneficial series of meetings we have attended," the Strickers wrote. "There is no better teacher than other farmers that have successfully figured out solutions to those difficult problems. Mena was wise to recognize that farmers could benefit from this. Farmers lack time and money to organize a meeting, and Mena stepped in to fill the need."

Mena Hautau took up quilting during her time in Berks County and most recently completed what she calls her pandemic quilt.

Though Hautau moved to the Midwest in 2016, Berks County has been as close to her as a needle and thread.

Hautau said among the many things she's done since moving, she's been quilting.

When in Berks, she took a class on how to create wall hanging quilts at Wooden Bridge Dry Goods in Maxatawny Township. She's gone on to sew several. Most recently she made what she called her pandemic quilt.

"I learned to sew when I was in 4-H where I was raised in northern New Jersey," Hautau said. "Too bad Im still not in Berks County because its such as rich area for quilting."

Hautau is living in Stillwater, Minn., with her spouse who has retired.

Hautau said when she started in the field just a generation of women were breaking barriers, earning college degrees in not only in agriculture but in science.

Women were in the minority in agriculture extension service. By the time she left Pennsylvania, she said more than half of the field crop educators were women.

"That's progress in gender equality," Hautau said. "Men and women are both suited for extension education.

"My observation is it doesnt matter if you are a man or woman. Typically you have respect if you have gray hair. It's especially true in agriculture. Its really related to your knowledge. Being open to what they say, watching what they are doing and listening has nothing to do with gender."

Hautau said her mentoring came from men of the World War II generation who wanted to see young people continue in the field.

Hautau said the working women in her family were role models: her mother was a nurse, and she had an aunt who was a head librarian.

Growing up in a horticulture family business prepared her to understand and work with farming families. Hautau said she had an uncle who was gruff and difficult to work with.

"But I knew inside he was a softy," she said. "You have to listen to what's underneath."

Hautau said she could relate to farmers.

"Sometimes you work and wonder if you get any return," she said.

But farmers are also attracted to the freedom and independence of agriculture.

"In Berks County there is a lot of tradition," she said. "That's a lot to live up to. The benefit is you have a lot of indigenous knowledge."

That generational knowledge is also why farming in southeastern Pennsylvania remains successful. Another reason is the proximity to urban markets that enables farmers to pivot to niche crops or agritourism.

Hautau said Berks has a great soil and climate for growing many crops.

"Its one of the richest places to grow anything," Hautau said. "We used to joke: If cows eat and people eat it, I cover it."

Hautau said she's spent winters housesitting on Block Island, R.I. She said it is a place that she connects to emotionally. The community is different in the winter when tourists are gone.

It turns out for Hautau retirement isn't all about quilting or other pursuits.

"What is ironic is that in my group of quilters they found out my background," she said. "And they asked me to judge plant science projects for 4H and crop, garden and vet exhibits. I think its funny because at one point I had to line up the judges."

Read more from the original source:

Former Berks extension agent is the first woman named to the national hall of fame - Reading Eagle

By Duaa-Rahemaah Williams

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started last year, Gov. Jay Inslee has shown tremendous leadership in implementing a statewide eviction moratorium that protected renters throughout Washington from losing their homes and potentially facing homelessness.

As the pandemic is beginning to end, the state eviction moratorium finally came to a close on June 30. In its place through September is the governors housing stability bridge proclamation meant to protect renters as new tenant protections are implemented and rental assistance funds are distributed. While this bridge proclamation provides some important eviction protections, it is different from the previous moratorium and in fact many landlords are now able to begin eviction proceedings against renters.

First things first: Renters are still protected until Sept. 30 if they have been unable to pay the rent. Cities and counties have the ability to pass stronger eviction protections than the state, but so far the mayor of Spokane and Spokane County commissioners have not taken action.

Under the proclamation that lasts through September, landlords can only evict tenants for unpaid rent during the pandemic if their county has fully operational rental assistance and mediation programs. Landlords also must provide written notice of these programs and can then only start an eviction if a tenant has refused to participate or didnt respond. Ending the moratorium sooner would lead to a flood of evictions and new people experiencing homelessness, which is why we encourage Spokane County to set up our programs as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In addition, landlords have to offer tenants a reasonable repayment plan. If tenants receive a repayment plan, they dont have to accept it, but it is important to respond within two weeks. If you have received a repayment plan or eviction notice, the best thing to do is reach out to experts for help like at the Tenants Union of Washington state.

Starting this month, landlords can start eviction proceedings for any of the reasons outlined in the new statewide just cause protections, other than nonpayment of rent. The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance worked hard to get this new law passed earlier this year. Before, renters could be evicted without any listed cause.

We all know that the cycle of eviction moratorium extensions cannot be endless. Thats why the federal and state governments have appropriated funds to set up rental assistance programs that will allow renters to pay their back rent and get back in good standing with their landlords. Its why the legislature put new protections in place to prevent people from losing their homes when pandemic protections are lifted. The good news is those protections will remain in place permanently and renters are more protected from unfair evictions than ever before.

I know from my personal experiences just how close people can be to homelessness when they get behind on rent. Ive had times of housing instability in my life, and have relied on low-income housing to make sure I have a home in which to live.

Now Im proud to organize people in Eastern Washington and across the state at risk of homelessness and housing instability. I know that more than anything, renters desperately want to stay out of trouble and make rent but sometimes, for reasons outside of their control, the money just isnt there. COVID has made more people live on the edge than ever before. Our state just reopened while people are starting to go back to work, they are also racing to catch up while they get their lives back on track.

Ultimately, both renters and landlords will benefit from the distribution of rental assistance funds. Renters will be able to pay their back-due rent, and landlords will be able to receive money again and avoid having to replace a large number of tenants. Like the pandemic, the eviction moratorium is slowly coming to an end and all of us, renters, homeowners, landlords, service providers and elected officials must be ready for what comes next.

Duaa-Rahemaah Williams is statewide organizer for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. She lives in Spokane.

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Duaa-Rahemaah Williams: Bridge proclamation is not an extension of the state eviction moratorium, renters need to be ready - The Spokesman-Review

He spoke at Umuahia, Abia State capital, during the flag off of the state LIFE-ND policy engagement with Abia Agricultural Development Programmes (ADP) and other stakeholders on extension service delivery to its beneficiaries in the ongoing LIFE-ND project in Abia State.

Abiodun, who was represented by the LIFE-ND National Rural Coordinator, Dr. Clement Uwem, described the roles of ADP in agriculture and agribusiness as indispensable, stressing that this necessitated the LIFE-ND partnership with ADP.

According to the Abia State LIFE-ND Project State Coordinator, Dr Uchenna Rowland Onyeizu, the purpose of the event was to formally activate the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LIFE-ND and Abia State ADP as applicable in the other nine Niger-Delta states where the project is extant.

The ADP is to do the needful on monitoring and evaluation and specifically in supportive supervision to ensure delivery of the project objectives.

The MOU is to bring them on board, so that they can readily support us in agriculture extension service. Hence, we have engaged them at this stage for an in-depth understanding to draw out a programme for implantation.

In his remarks, Uwem said that the partnership with ADP extends to gender education, climate and nutrition education with respect to poultry, cassava, rice and oil palm production and processing.

He stated that the government was yet to give the extension workers their full needed push.

The state ADP Manager, Chief Israel Amanze, expressed optimism that the presence of Life-ND project in Abia and its partnership with ADP would boost agribusinesses in the state.

He disclosed that Life-ND interventions in agribusiness were already helping families and that Abia ADP had the reservoir of the knowledge needed to drive it.

Abia ADP staff are ready to render our services as long as we are carried along towards achieving the target, which is attainment of food sufficiency and security in the state, and by extension, in the country.

See the original post here:

'Life-ND, ADP partnership to boost food production, livelihood' - Guardian

Melanie Thomas, Flagler County Extension Director| The Daytona Beach News-Journal

A food allergy is an acquired hypersensitivity reaction to what is normally considered a safe food. Food allergies occur more often in children than in adults: 5%-8% of those age 4 or under and about 2% of adults are affected. Together, about 11 million Americans suffer from some degree of food allergy. Those with severe reactions may experience what is known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. Annually, around 30,000 people receive life-saving emergency treatment and 150 fatalities occur.

While most food allergies in adults are caused by a small group of foods or food products, early in life food allergies can be caused by a wider variety of foods. About 90% of reported food allergies in children under the age of 4 are caused by dairy products, tree nuts, eggs, wheat and wheat products, peanuts, or soy and soy products.

Dairy, eggs, and soy allergies are commonly outgrown; peanut allergies are almost never outgrown. As an adult, the big eight foods (and their products) account for 90% of food allergies: cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, or their hybridized strains and products), crustaceans, milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish, soybeans and peanuts.

A true allergy is caused by a person's immune system reacting to a food when first eaten. The body "remembers" that food and, when it is eaten again, the immune system overreacts in an excessive and potentially life-threatening way.

Although often misdiagnosed as a food allergy, food intolerance is different. Symptoms of food intolerance usually involve discomfort after eating the causal food, such as bloating, abdominal pain and sometimes diarrhea. Specifically, food intolerance is due to a problem with a persons metabolism, not their immune system. Lactose intolerance, for example, is caused by the inability to produce the digestive enzyme (lactase) that breaks down the sugars found in milk and other dairy products (lactose).

Studies suggest that 10% to 20% of adult Americans incorrectly believe that they or someone in their family has a food allergy. Proper medical authorities should be consulted for confirmation and guidance.

Allergic reactions to food may cause symptoms within seconds of consumption or the symptoms may take up to several hours to develop. Symptoms can occur locally or can be spread over the body or in multiple locations. Redness, itching and swelling (inflammation) are the most well-known and commonly associated symptoms, although several other types of symptoms are possible.

Symptoms associated with the digestive tract may include any one or more of the following:

The greatest danger of a hypersensitivity reaction, or anaphylactic response, is the possibility that air passageways will swell closed and suffocate the victim, or that the victim will go into shock, a state of decreased blood flow that is potentially life-threatening.

If a person has an allergy to a particular food, any meal with that food present, even as a flavoring, may cause an allergic response. If a person is allergic to peanuts, they will be sensitive to the consumption of any food that has peanuts or peanut products (peanut butter, peanut oil, chopped or diced peanuts, etc.) as an ingredient. Treatment or processing of a food does not affect its ability to cause an allergic response. It is important to carefully read food labels and ingredient lists if a person has a known food allergy.

For more information about this or other health and wellness topics, contact Melanie Thomas, Director of UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County at 386-437-7464 or e-mail mlthomas@ufl.edu.

Source: Keith R. Schneider, Rene Goodrich-Schneider, Soohyoun Ahn, Susie Richardson, Ploy Kurdmongkoltham, and Bruna Bertoldi; Food Allergies, FSHN0513, University of Florida

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EXTENSION NOTES What are food allergies and how are they managed? - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Durban - The country was expected to remain in lockdown level four with an alcohol ban extension in the new week.

Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) was expected to meet on Sunday to assess developments with regards to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country and the national response.

The Councils deliberations come towards the end of a two-week period during which the country has been in implemented Alert Level Four of the coronavirus National State of Disaster. The Council meeting will be followed by meetings of the Presidents Coordinating Council and Cabinet.

It was expected that following the meetings, President Cyril Ramaphosa would address the nation.

Ramaphosa moved the country to lockdown Level 4 on June 27, where strict restrictions on gatherings, the sale of alcohol, and a new evening curfew were introduced.

A well-placed source said the Security Cluster of Ministers recently met and resolved to recommend to NCCC that the alcohol ban be extended.

It was believed that the cluster was of the opinion that the current unrest and protests over the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma in KwaZulu-Natal would worsen if the alcohol ban ended.

A member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee, who requested to remain anonymous, said recommendations had been made for the country to remain in lockdown alert level four as the country was still in the midst of the third wave.

The issue is that infections have continued to rise even though we have been in Level Four, but it has only been two weeks, so we would need more time which would be an extension, but a balance still needs to be struck. Ultimately, government will make the call after recommendations are made.

Acting Minister of Health, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, said the Delta variant was the dominant driving force behind the third wave.

As the number of infections and hospitalisations increase, so has the number of deaths. This means more of us are losing loved ones, mothers, fathers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends and colleagues. This is because often, when we see the numbers rising, it never occurs to us that that number may include a loved one until they are hospitalised or lose their life.

Let us continue to be vigilant and take necessary measures to protect ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbours and all the people around us by taking the necessary non-pharmaceutical measures to break transmission.

Advocate Pravashini Govender, speaking on behalf of the countrys alcohol industry, sent a plea in the form of a joint-letter to the NCCC to save thousands of jobs by permitting the off-consumption sale of alcohol from Monday 12 July.

We are asking for off-site consumption licensed premises be allowed to trade from Monday to Friday between 09:00 to 18:00; and on-site consumption licensed premises such as taverns and bars be allowed to trade, but only for off-consumption sales. Restaurants offer home delivery of food and alcohol as well as the e-commerce sale of alcohol.

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Lockdown and alcohol ban extension expected - IOL

In last weeks expansionary budget, one area that felt a bit underdone was defence. Here, the government delivered what it promised 12 months ago: $44.6 billion, an increase over last years budget of 4.1% in real terms.

At any time in the last 25 years a defence budget growing at that level would have been welcome. But now Australia and the wider region faces the direst strategic outlook since perhaps the end of World War II.

Its clear that Scott Morison and his ministers understand that the region is facing a crisis brought on by an increasingly bellicose Chinese Communist Party. Taiwan is the immediate flashpoint and the level of risk will peak in perhaps four to five years time. In that period, according to the United States Defense Department, the Peoples Liberation Army will gain a strong military edge over the Taiwan Strait in air power, missiles and ships.

Would Xi Jinping risk his own future, as well as that of the CCP, to stage an attack on Taiwan? Xi has learned to turn risky situations to his advantage. In the illegal annexation of the South China Sea, in cyber spying and intellectual property theft, the imposition of communist authority in Hong Kong, and in the economic coercion of Australia, Xi took significant risks to strengthen his rule and largely got away with them.

He will apply the same strategy to Taiwan, using all means short of war and indeed some measures that cross that offensive line right up to the limits of US tolerance.

Ill come to what this might mean for Australia and for the defence budget soon, but first consider a remarkable phenomenon, which is the ability of so many in Australia to deny what is obvious about Beijings intentions.

Writing in the Australian Financial Review, former foreign minister Gareth Evans judged that no Chinese political or military preparations suggest an invasion is remotely imminent. That is an astonishing misjudgement.

On 24 April Xi presided over a ceremony commissioning three major warships for Chinas southern fleet. Communist party newspaper the Global Times declared: These vessels will play important roles in solving questions in places like the island of Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Hardly a day goes by without PLA aircraft, often in large numbers, encroaching Taiwanese airspace. CCP rhetoric about taking Taiwan by force if necessary is increasingly being used in speeches and editorials.

Xi will hope this show of strength will deter the US and the allies from stepping in and that his aims can be realised short of war, but we all need to understand that the risk of conflict is sharply growing.

In Washington last Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Marise Payne held talks and gave a press conference, underlining the closeness of the alliance relationship.

The secretary of state stressed the Biden administrations interest in reaffirming and revitalizing Americas alliances and partnerships and, in the 70th year of the ANZUS Treaty, finding ways for the alliance to evolve to meet the challenges we face.

Blinken said the US will not leave Australia alone on the field, or maybe I should say alone on the pitch, in the face of economic coercion by China. Thats what allies do. We have each others backs.

Understand that the US has every expectation that the requirement for support runs in both directions. Washington wants Australia to do more, is telling us that the alliance needs to be revitalised and that challenges will be faced together.

This will include working out how to jointly respond to CCP belligerence over Taiwan, which wasnt mentioned once in the BlinkenPayne press conference. Sometimes you can judge the significance of an issue by the way it isnt mentioned publicly.

Back to the defence budget. The Morrison government has delivered everything that it has promised to do in the 2016 defence white paper and more, including two additional P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft and four extra CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters. There is also an accelerated plan to establish a missile manufacturing capability in Australia.

While these are positive steps, the uncomfortable truth is that the bulk of the $270 billion allocated over the coming decade to build ships, submarines and other military equipment will only come into service well after the riskiest period for Taiwan.

Defence Minister Peter Duttons most pressing challenge is to strengthen the Australian Defence Force in the shortest time frame possible. An immediate candidate will be to move quickly on the life extension and upgrade program for the Collins submarines. The government should also explore options to add yet more P-8s to the current 14 airframes but there are limits to what can be done quickly.

A faster way to strengthen deterrence would be to re-open a discussion with the US about increasing the US Marine Corps presence in northern Australia and getting some US Navy ships operating out of our west coast base, HMAS Stirling.

When the US marine presence was being negotiated a decade ago, the initial American offer was to deploy a 7,500-strong Marine AirGround Task Force. The Australian government of the day baulked, and instead we had a decade-long slow growth to the current annual contingent of 2,500.

A larger marine presence ultimately hinges on access to a port facility. Consider the thought that if Beijing wanted to slow down the growth of AustraliaUS defence cooperation in the Top End a clever way to do it would be to take control of the areas most viable port, which is exactly what happened in 2015 when Darwin Port was leased to a Chinese company for 99 years.

The world has fundamentally changed since then. Now, the opportunity to strengthen a shared US and Australian deterrent posture in the Indo-Pacific needs to be urgently reconsidered.

A conflict over Taiwan would be a disaster for all concerned, but disastrous conflicts happen all the time. At this point the best hope to keep the peace is to change Xis calculation about the level of risk China would face if it initiated such a crisis.

The only short-term way to strengthening deterrence is by lifting the defence readiness of democracies. If US President Joe Biden does visit Australia for the ANZUS anniversary, you can be assured this will be the number one item on his agenda.

Original post:

Defence spending and ADF readiness need to match the risk of conflict | The Strategist - The Strategist

Achieving a work-life balance starts with you.

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May15, 20214 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Youve received the standard advice about setting boundaries with the hours you work if youre now (or have always) worked from home.Youve read that you should focus on tasks more intentionally by using software that blocks social media and email notifications.You may have even experienced work-life balance for a while.

However, whats missing from the conversation about work-life balance is the need for self-prioritization in goal setting, work, productivity and the desire to optimize ones life. Here are three reasons why making yourself a priority is the key and foundation to achieving work-life balance.

Related:The Secret Cause of Burnout and How Entrepreneurs Can Avoid It

Do you wake up, look at your to-do listand verbally cringe? Chances are, most of what you do each day is the same, and the routine is draining you mentally, and by extension, physically.

When you spend day in and day out grinding with no time allotted for fun and all the personal goals youd like to accomplish it leads to frustration, bitterness and burnout. You arent excited to work, which diminishes your energy and motivation. The resulting burnout decreases productivity and amplifies excuses.

Work-life balance has to be about balance. But more than figuring out a schedule that works for you, youll need to incorporate plenty of "youtime." Your schedule should include moments when you work on hobbies, do fun things and focus on personal optimization.

If youre feeling stressed and mentally exhausted when you think about work and your goals, its time to take a step back and ask yourself when was the last time you did somethingjust for you?Youll be more productive and develop the ability to work more intentionally when your life doesnt feel like a burden.

Related:Building a Business Shouldn't Require You Stop Having a Life

When youre good at what you do, it can be easy to let that become part of your identity. Its not uncommon for someone whos been the boss at a job or business to have readjustment challenges to changes in their work situation millions of Americansexperienced just that over the past year.

If you tie your identity to your work, youll lose balance when life circumstances becomeunpredictable. Work-life balance starts with you being secure in your non-work priorities and unattachment to circumstances you cant control.

There are so many experiences of life and moments to be lived beyond work. Work helps you build the financial freedom to experience life, but dont let it overtake the balance and tie your beliefs about yourself to circumstances that dont have to define you.

Whether you realize it or not, you are the most significant project you will ever pursue. When you make your optimization a priority, you will be more productive. When youre excited about life and the opportunity to work, youll reduce stress and burnout.

Start with making yourself the priority. Family, friends, coworkers, clients, and anyone else that demands your time and energy should see and respect your boundaries.

Spend time each day with one task, goalor fun experience thats just for you. If you can do that at the start of your day, youll train your mind to understand that youre the main priority. Do this over time, and youll wake up excited for what the day will hold.

As you build the self-prioritization muscle and develop healthy self-care habits, youll achieve a work-life balance more sustainably.

Related:Teach Others How to Treat Your Business

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What's Missing From the Conversation About Work-Life Balance - Entrepreneur

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Apeel today announced its acquisition of ImpactVision for an undisclosed amount. ImpactVision's hyperspectral imaging technology is soon to be integrated into Apeel application systems at supplier locations around the world adding a new layer of insights to help fresh food suppliers and retailers further reduce food waste.Apeel's new imaging technology enables suppliers to see inside and understand the interior quality of fresh produce by collecting quantifiable data on stage of ripeness, freshness, nutritional density, and other indicators of quality. This marks Apeel's first acquisition and a major step toward quantifying and digitizing produce quality data, with the goal of democratizing this new information for the benefit of Apeel's partners and the global food system as a whole.

"Our journey began with Apeel's plant-based protection - an invisible 'peel' that addressesthe challenge of global food waste by bringing more time to fresh produce before it spoils. Now,we're expanding our technology to bring to light the previously invisible characteristics of produce, including internal quality, phytonutrient content, and environmental impact," said James Rogers, CEO of Apeel. "Using the insights enabled by Apeel's imaging technology, our partners willeffectively be able to 'see' inside of every fruit and vegetable, quantifying quality as never before, so that the distribution of fresh food can be optimized. For our partners, this will mean less wasteand an immediate bottom-line improvement, and ultimately, the ability to one day differentiateproduce by making freshness and nutritional content 'visible' to the consumer."

Apeel's plant-based protection that doubles the shelf life of produce is currently applied to fruitsand vegetables via application systems throughout packing houses and distribution centersacross North America, South America and Europe. Apeel's new imaging technology will be addedto these systems to collect data-rich images as produce travels along packing house conveyance lines. Acquired images will then be processed through machine learning models that can identify unique visual cues that relate to freshness, degree of maturity, phytonutrient content, and other aspects of fruit quality.

"ImpactVision's technology can predict internal quality of food products from hyperspectral images. When this ability to 'see beyond the borders of human vision' is combined with Apeel'sshelf-life extension technology, the potential to fundamentally transform produce supply chains to reduce post-harvest loss, optimize distribution and lengthen shelf-life is enormous," said AbiRamanan, Founder of ImpactVision.

With Apeel's continued expansion into new produce categories and geographies, the company ispoised to capture category-wide datasets across a previously fractured and data-poor landscape,which in turn will help shape new efficiencies and benefits that span across global fresh fruit andvegetable supply chains. Given that 40% of the food grown globally goes to waste, this morerobust and holistic understanding of produce quality will allow fresh food suppliers to optimizedistribution, thereby reducing food waste, and maximizing the quality that reaches consumers.

For example, suppliers can now know the exact ripening window for each piece of fruit to thensort and ship to geographical locations that will ensure retailers are getting the highest qualityproduce.

Today, Apeel has 30 supplier integrations on three continents with plans to double that numberby the end of 2021. With its imaging technology and positioning in the fresh food supply chain,Apeel is on a path to developing the largest and most comprehensive database of objective freshproduce insights for the global food industry.

Please visit Apeel's website for more information about Apeel plant-based protection andtechnologies.

ABOUT APEEL

Apeel is on a mission to create a more sustainable global food system by using the power ofnature to enable longer-lasting produce that fights food waste from farm to kitchen. Apeel producelasts 2x longer thanks to its plant-based protection made from materials found in the skins, peelsand seeds of all fruits and vegetables. Apeel's protective extra "peel" slows the water loss andoxidation that cause produce to go bad, and is the only proven end-to-end solution for maintaining freshness. Available for organic and conventionally grown produce, Apeel is expanding into anever-growing number of categories and markets. Good for consumers and the planet, Apeelreduces environmental impacts and gives everyone throughout the supply chainfrom growersto retailers to consumersmore time to enjoy fresh produce. Farmers can sell more of what theygrow and people can consume more of what they buy, creating a healthier planet and greaterabundance for all. Apeel is Food Gone Good.

Apeel is a trademark/registered trademark of Apeel Technology, Inc. in the United States, theEuropean Union, and other jurisdictions. To learn more, visit apeel.com.

CONTACT: [emailprotected]

SOURCE Apeel

https://www.apeel.com/

Read more from the original source:

Apeel Acquires Imaging Technology to Unlock The Insights In Every Bite of Fruit - PRNewswire

Chris Berman will continue to host NFL PrimeTime after agreeing to a new contract with ESPN.

The multiyear agreement was announced on Berman's 66th birthday Monday.

"We've been working on it for a while, and this was the perfect time to do it," Berman said during a telephone interview. "ESPN has been almost two-thirds of my life. I'm honored that what I do still works."

Berman has been an integral part of ESPN throughout its history after joining the network a month after its launch in September 1979. Besides being one of the original SportsCenter anchors, he also has been a key part of the network's NFL and baseball coverage.

He hosted NFL PrimeTime with Tom Jackson from 1987 to 2005 on ESPN and then starting again in 2019 when it returned on the ESPN+ streaming service. Berman -- who also hosted NFL Countdown from 1985 to 2016 -- teamed up with Booger McFarland for PrimeTime last year when Jackson could not travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Berman approached ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro when ESPN+ started about the possibility of reviving PrimeTime. Berman said seeing the success of PrimeTime on the streaming service has mirrored watching the growth of ESPN.

"The fact that I will get to do it again this season is something I have enjoyed the most," he said. "I love being able to help build another entity with it this time being in the streaming world."

Berman said it remains to be determined who will join him on PrimeTime during the coming season.

Berman was the 2010 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award and has been the master of ceremonies for the Hall's induction ceremony since 1999.

"Quite simply, Chris Berman has personified ESPN's success for more than four decades," Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president and executive editor, said in a statement. "Fans respond to his authentic love of sports, his ability to savor and capture the big moments, and his on-air style that reminds us how live games can truly be equal parts essential and fun. We are delighted Boomer's magical ride at ESPN will continue for years to come."

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Chris Berman signs multiyear extension with ESPN - ESPN

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Global Reishi Mushroom Extract Market is slated to grow rapidly in the coming years: Vitacost,Swanson,Life Extension KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper -...

May 11, 2021

Canoeing at 4-H Camp Overlook in Malone, NY. 2019. Photo courtesy of 4-H Camp Overlook and Cornell Copperative Extension.

This year, New York summer camps are all about cohorts, pods, and bubbles. Not soap bubbles, said Doug Fuhrman, but a social bubble to try and keep COVID-19 out, "...theres a lot of talk in the camping world about bubbles, and creating a bubble that you can be safe within.

Campers at North Country Camps in Keeseville, NY. Photo courtesy of North Country Camps.

Fuhrman directs Camp Lincoln at North Country Camps in Keeseville. Its a two month long residential camp, with about 250 campers and staff. While Fuhrman says he doesn't believe that any camp can create a perfect bubble," he said creating the best one possible is still valuable. To create theirs at North Country Camps, the whole staff will be vaccinated. Theyll be testing kids at camp, and all the kids will be arriving at the same time, negative COVID-19 test in hand.

Having everyone come at once in a very controlled fashion, and only having kids leave after that really limits your exposure for the rest of the summer, said Furman.

A backpacking trip at North Country Camps in Keeseville, NY. Photo courtesy of North Country Camps.

Even with new rules and restrictions, Fuhrman and other camp directors report camp interest and enrollment are high.

Stephen Hoitt is the Director of the Rochester-based Seneca Waterways Council, part of Boy Scouts of America. He says just their deposits have already exceeded enrollment from before the pandemic, in 2019.

Which is crazy, we did not expect that to happen, we figured wed land somewhere between 2020 and 2019, and to already be there in deposits is super exciting, said Hoitt.

Hoitts organization runs three summer camp programs in New York, the largest of which is Massawepie, outside of Tupper Lake. Hoitt says things will have to be different this summer at all their camps to be safe.

Archery at Massawepie Scout Camps, Seneca Waterways Councils traditional Scout summer camp. Photo courtesy of Seneca Waterways Council.

They're changing their dining services from family style to single serving, and setting up circus tents for more covered seating. Certain close-contact games will probably be getting the ax, like the beloved Watermelon Scramble, a game played in shallow water with an olive oil greased watermelon.

They take a watermelon and rub it down with olive oil, so its slippery, and theyll put it in the water, and the kids got to push it into a goal on the opposite side...and the kids love to do it, but it's in a condensed area, so that will probably not happen this year.

Its a probably because while NY State gave summer camps the green light back in February, they still havent released official guidelines. Camps are making their best guesses off of CDC And American Camp Association recommendations.

But there are bigger questions than greased watermelons that need to be answered. Like capacity.

Swimming at 4-H Camp Overlook in Malone, NY. 2019. Photo courtesy of 4-H Camp Overlook and Cornell Copperative Extension.

Capacity is a huge question mark. Will camps be allowed to operate at 100% capacity? If not, who will they have to turn away?

To be safe, 4-H Camp Overlook, a one week residential camp just outside Malone, decided to limit their enrollment, explained Director Casey Sukemore: Weve gone with the conservative route, and done a 50% capacity in cabin. We really didnt want to disappoint families and tell them no. Wed rather open up and tell families yes.

Theyve already got waitlists for most of the summer's sessions.

Camp Overlook, like many others camps, will be using a pod structure to limit kids' overall interactions with the larger group. Camp Overlook plans to have 20 or so kids going through the week together. Theyre also doing as much outdoors as possible, including all meals, and even scheduling things like shower times.

Its looking very different this year," laughed Sukemore, "but I think it will be a really successful summer.

Waterfront at Massawepie Scout Camps, Seneca Waterways Councils traditional Scout summer camp. Photo courtesy of Seneca Waterways Council.

For Sukemore, a successful summer will be one where kids can forget the coronavirus pandemic altogether.

Ive heard from families so much this year that campers really need camp," said Sukemore. "So my hope is that they come this summer, and they don't even notice that anything is different!

Camp directors like Sukemore will be behind the scenes, sanitizing arrows and scheduling shower times, trying to pull off that normal summer camp experience.

In the woods at 4-H Camp Overlook in Malone, NY. 2019. Photo courtesy of 4-H Camp Overlook and Cornell Copperative Extension.

Originally posted here:

North Country summer camps coming back to life and filling up fast - North Country Public Radio