Cryan Vows to Address Health Care Needs of Veterans Denied Treatment – InsiderNJ

Cryan Vows to Address Health Care Needs of Veterans Denied Treatment

Trenton Senator Joe Cryan, the newly-selected chair of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, said that he will follow through on issues discussed at a forum on the health care needs of veterans who are being denied treatment because they left the service with other than honorable discharges.

After participating in the Veterans Zoom Roundtable, sponsored by the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, Senator Cryan said he wants to fix a system that prevents veterans from access to care because of conduct resulting from service-related trauma, such as PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma. He has already started to work on a legislative remedy.

These were heart-wrenching accounts of veterans who served, sacrificed and suffered on behalf of our country, said Senator Cryan, referring to the former soldiers and surviving family members who gave accounts of their experience. Its a cruel irony that former soldiers are being denied treatment and benefits because of so-called bad paper discharges for conduct caused by their military experience. This is an injustice that needs to be fixed.

An other than honorable (OTH) discharge occurs when the veterans service records show some misconduct, but they have not been involved with a court-martial. The OTH status often inhibits them from accessing federal and state services and benefits, including health care. Veterans with bad paper discharges are at greater risk of involvement with the criminal justice system, homelessness, drug addiction and suicide.

Senator Joe Vitale, chair of the Senate Health Committee, also participated in the forum and will work with Senator Cryan on the legislation.

These are men and women returning home with the wounds of war, including wounds that arent visible, said Senator Vitale. The current policy cuts them off from vital services, including addiction treatment, mental health services and other behavioral treatment they need to recover. These are treatments that can save lives.

There are an estimated 8,000 New Jersey veterans with less than honorable discharges that impact their health benefits, the forum was told.

Former Governor Jim McGreevey, the Reentry Corporations chair, moderated the discussion.

This is a matter of basic decency for the men and women who have worn the uniform of Americas armed services, said McGreevey. They should be provided with the care they deserve and have earned to treat the trauma-caused conditions they endured in service to others.

Senator Cryan said that he has already started working on legislation to fix the system and that he will collaborate with Senator Vitale, the Reentry Corporation, veterans groups and others. He will also examine progress made in other states.

(Visited 41 times, 1 visits today)

Read the original:

Cryan Vows to Address Health Care Needs of Veterans Denied Treatment - InsiderNJ

Naperville Helps! Campaign Relaunched To Aid Health Care Workers – Patch.com

NAPERVILLE, IL As the current coronavirus surge continues to impact individuals and families worldwide, the Naperville Helps! GoFundMe has been relaunched to benefit local health care workers and other first responders.

Naperville Helps! was first launched at the start of the pandemic by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Naperville Alliance. The initiative has since donated nearly $100,000 and partnered with dozens of local restaurants to provide over 6,000 meals to employees at Edward Hospital.

"We are honored to help support the amazing healthcare workers at Edward Hospital as they work hard to help keep our community healthy. Whether you can give a few dollars or a few hundred dollars, that money has double the impact as it helps to support our downtown restaurants AND allows us to provide meals to local healthcare workers," Danielle Tufano, Executive Director of Downtown Naperville Alliance, said in a news release.

Tufano added, "In speaking with representatives from the hospital, they agree that a project like this could not have come at a better time and they greatly appreciate all of the support from the community".

Click the link to donate to the Naperville Helps! campaign. All proceeds will be used to get meals delivered to health care staff at Edward Hospital.

Kaylin Risvold, President and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement, that making a donation is a great way to "bring businesses together with our larger community to not only say 'thank you' but to spread a smile through a donated delicious snack."

More here:

Naperville Helps! Campaign Relaunched To Aid Health Care Workers - Patch.com

HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: HHS Responds to GOP Testing Funds Inquiry | Bloomberg Government – Bloomberg Government

The Biden administration told Republican senators it had $18 billion in unobligated funds for coronavirus testing, mitigation, and contact tracing, according to a summary obtained by Bloomberg Government, a pool of unused money that will likely factor into negotiations on a coronavirus relief bill, Jack Fitzpatrick reports.

Health and Human Services officials told Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) the agency had $18 billion in unobligated funds for those purposes late last week, though only $4.6 billion of those funds havent been allocated for a specific purpose, according to the response. Most of the unobligated funds, $16.6 billion, were appropriated in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).

Blunt and Burr requested details on coronavirus test funding in a letter this month, as the Biden administration raced to provide more testing to the public amid a surge in coronavirus cases due to the omicron variant. Any legislation providing further funds for coronavirus relief will need to have stronger reporting provisions, Blunt said in a Wednesday hallway interview. He said he appreciated the administrations response to his questions.

HHS had $97 billion for testing, mitigation, and contact tracing from 2020 legislation and the March 2021 American Rescue Plan, officials said. While officials didnt provide a comprehensive list of how those funds were spent, they provided examples of major expenditures. Some of the funds were routed to programs outside their original purpose; $2.3 billion of testing funds were used for coronavirus-related expenses for unaccompanied children entering the U.S. or to backfill funds used for the same purpose. Another $155 million was used as part of the Biden administrations program to resettle some Afghans into the U.S.

The funds included:

Bidens pledge to provide 1 billion free rapid Covid-19 tests to Americans is set to be a boon for test makers, as the omicron variant has left pharmacies and clinics scrambling to find supplies. The federal government has committed to spend at least $4.2 billion to develop, manufacture and produce rapid antigen tests since the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to a review of BGOVs contracts database. And thats before fulfilling Bidens latest pledge for free tests. Supplying the first 500 million will cost $4 billion, a top U.S. official said. Kristen V. Brown and Paul Murphy have more.

ALSO HAPPENING ON THE HILL

Health Care Strike Risk Runs High as Hundreds of Labor Deals End: Hundreds of union contracts will expire in 2022 at health-care facilities from Boston to Sacramento, setting up fights over staff-to-patient ratios, pay, and other safety concerns as beleaguered workers continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. The cluster of expiring labor agreements will force health-care management to reckon with the physical and mental toll the pandemic has had on workers during the worst staffing shortage in memory.

At least 207,000 health-care workers are covered by the more than 400 labor agreements set to expire this year, according to an analysis of federal disclosures and contract settlement data compiled by Bloomberg Law. That figure is a conservative estimate that will only grow throughout the year as more companies report information on expiring contracts to the federal government. Read more from Andrew Wallender, Ian Kullgren, and Allie Reed.

Bidens Shot Mandate for Federal Workers Blocked: The Justice Department will appeal a federal judges national preliminary injunction against Bidens executive order mandating that all federal workers consent to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or else face termination. The order poses a threat of irreparable harm to the liberty interests of employees who must choose between violating a mandate of doubtful validity or consenting to an unwanted medical procedure that cannot be undone, Judge Jeffrey V. Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas said. Read more from Kathleen Dailey.

Omicron Nears Peaks in U.S. as Some Regions Still Face Struggle: The omicron variant is starting to loosen its grip on the Northeast, but experts warn that it will take more time for the latest wave of Covid-19 to recede nationwide. The shape of the omicron wave may look different in various parts of the country, depending on vaccination rates and hospital capacity in those areas. Nationally, the omicron wave could peak as early as this week, projections from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington say. We are going to go through a couple more weeks that are very difficult on our hospitals, but come mid-February, March, we should be in a very good position, said Ali Mokdad, a professor at IHME and chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington. Read more from Madison Muller

More Headlines:

Georgia Sues HHS Over Repeal of Medicaid Work Rule: Georgia is suing the HHS over its withdrawal of the states authority to require work as a condition of Medicaid eligibility. The Friday lawsuit comes around a month after HHS informed Georgia it cant impose work requirements on beneficiaries or charge premiums beyond those allowed in the Medicaid statute. Work requirements were a policy priority under the Trump administration, which approved proposals to impose them on adult beneficiaries in 12 states. Read more from Christopher Brown.

Judge in Planned Parenthood Case Defends Abortion Laws: A federal appeals court judge on the panel hearing a Louisiana abortion case involving Planned Parenthood assailed the organization for accusing the state of a sham investigation into its fetal disposal practices, offering a strident defense of abortion restrictions. Judge James Ho slammed Planned Parenthood in a concurring opinion he added Thursday to a previous ruling from the Fifth Circuit, which said in July that the group could move forward with part of its abortion rights lawsuit against Louisiana health officials. Read more from Mike Leonard.

Input on Streamlining Drug Payment Approvals Sought: The HHS is seeking input on how to use information technology to make it easier for health insurers to get approval of a prescription drug before they pay for it. The request for information seeks to improve the prior authorization process, which private insurers and other payers use to ensure that a drug or treatment gets covered by the patients health plan. The HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released the request on Friday. Read more from Christopher Brown.

More Headlines:

To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com; Jack Fitzpatrick in Washington at jfitzpatrick@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Zachary Sherwood at zsherwood@bgov.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com; Michaela Ross at mross@bgov.com

See the article here:

HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: HHS Responds to GOP Testing Funds Inquiry | Bloomberg Government - Bloomberg Government

5 Healthcare IT Trends Entrepreneurs Should Watch in 2022 – Entrepreneur

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The pandemic has catalyzed significant changes in the healthcare industry, particularly on the technology front as patients, payers and providers look for ever-newer ways of delivering, receiving and being reimbursed for care.These have created new opportunities for business leaders committed to delivering innovative solutions, and, of course, entrepreneurs with the best ideas are positioned to most readily obtain funding.

According to Deloitte, venture funding for healthcare tech doubled year-over-year in 2020 and further accelerated during 2021 with record levels of investment through special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), private equity, venture capital and debt financing.

A closer look at five healthcare IT trends to watch:

The healthcare industry has been transitioning to cloud-based tools for some time now, but adoption has generally lagged among smaller/independent groups. Over the last two years, the need to quickly access information and deliver virtual care to patients has further accelerated this move to the cloud, especially among smaller independent groups, and this will continue in 2022.

Before 2020, telemedicine adoption rates were low. While less than 1% of patient appointments were conducted virtually in 2019, telehealth use has increased by a factor of 38 from the beginning of 2020 to February of 2021, according to McKinsey & Company a sea change in care delivery, and at a speed virtually unheard of in the healthcare space. Over the last two years, many have transitioned from experiencing their very first virtual healthcare encounter to expecting this new convenience from any provider they select. In addition to patient sentiment, increased acceptance by insurance companies and a reduction of regulatory hurdles have rapidly increased physician adoption of telemedicine. Look for virtual care to continue to make inroads in the months and years ahead.

Related: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know About the Post-Pandemic Telehealth Industry

Similar to the trajectory of telemedicine, technologies that enable remote monitoring of patient health and chronic care management are quickly gaining broader acceptance, including devices that capture real-time data regarding blood pressure, weight, oxygen levels, activity and other vitals collectively driving efficiencies and better care. New vendors and devices are entering the market daily, and well likely see an expansion of current use cases in 2022. Such trailblazing technologies ones that increasingly secure health insurance reimbursement create a path for other innovations and will continue to multiply exponentially so long as they drive better health outcomes and are reimbursed by commercial and governmental payers.

Today, virtual and augmented reality tools are used primarily for tasks like physician training and enabling complex procedures and surgeries in remote areas. They are also used in behavioral health, as well as in physical and occupational therapy, but theres an emerging opportunity to apply them more broadly. Keep watch regarding how virtual and augmented reality will integrate into telemedicine and other care delivery methods in the new year and beyond. Businesses that can demonstrate proof of concept, while complying with privacy regulations and insurance requirements, will be in a leading position, particularly as the metaverse expands.

Related: How Health Tech Startups Are Solving the Anti-Aging Problem

Machine learning, artificial intelligence and other automation systems are already used widely in some specialties. For example, internal medicine practices commonly use AI embedded with electronic health records to screen test results for outliers, and many practices leverage data-driven clinical decision support. In this year and beyond, providers will take things to the next level use these technologies to provide clinical insights that further improve outcomes and automate mundane tasks. These hold vast potential for streamlining back-office operations like claims reviews, as well as associated tasks like retrieving and delivering data to insurance companies to support claim adjudication. Look for broader use of automation to handle these sorts of tasks from beginning to end, eliminating manual data entry and freeing staff for higher-level work. It will also help medical organizations deal with a tight labor market.

Related: 3 Great Ways to Solve Hiring Challenges

See more here:

5 Healthcare IT Trends Entrepreneurs Should Watch in 2022 - Entrepreneur

Study: Dothan SE Health among US systems that give unnecessary care – AL.com

Southeast Health is among the top 11% of U.S. health systems overusing low-value health services, according to a Johns Hopkins University study published in JAMA last week.

The study analyzed Medicare claims data from 2016-2018 at 676 U.S. health care systems for 17 services previously identified as unnecessary, such as MRIs for patients with mild traumatic brain injuries, spinal fusions for back pain, pap smears for women over age 65, and hysterectomies for benign diseases the low-value service that was used the most.

A health systems usage of these types of services relative to its peers serves as a proxy for whether its hospitals provide unneeded care, according to the study.

Southeast Health placed at No. 12 in the cross sectional study that found those that most overused health care had more beds, fewer primary care physicians, more physician practice groups, were more likely to be investor-owned, and were less likely to include a major teaching hospital.

Southeast Health is owned by the Houston County Health Care Authority, and is a not-for-profit system. The Houston County Health Care Authority also owns the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, which graduated its first class of students in 2017.

Unnecessary procedures, tests, and screenings are linked to lower quality of care and worse patient and worker safety, and drive up healthcare costs. Specifically, researchers stated in the studys introduction that this wasteful care is physically, psychologically, and financially harmful to patients.

Among the top over-users were St. Dominic Health Services of Jackson, Mississippi, Irving, Texas-based USMD Health System, Community Medical Centers of Clovis, California, and Providence, Rhode Island-based Care New England Health System, according to the study. Opelikas East Alabama Medical Center ranked No. 5.

While the study did identity several features of health systems that top those rankings, it determined that In-depth exploration of the drivers of health care overuse is needed at the level of health systems as their incentives may not be aligned with high-value care.

A Southeast Health spokesperson said Wednesday that it has just learned of the study and withheld comment.

We will need time to evaluate the information and to analyze the metrics used to determine the outcomes, Mark Stewart, director of community relations, said in an email.

Excerpt from:

Study: Dothan SE Health among US systems that give unnecessary care - AL.com

OCEANIA Caritas Tonga: ‘Ashes everywhere, drinking water most urgent emergency’ – AsiaNews

Thanks to a satellite phone that arrived on site, the Caritas network of Oceania managed to re-establish communication with the workers in Tongatapu isolated after the eruption of the underwater volcano. The death toll of three people has been confirmed amidconcern about the fields being invaded by salt water, making it impossible to sow for months. Pre-prepared emergency kitsfrom Caritas New Zealand distributed.

Sidney (AsiaNews) - One week on from the eruption of an undersea volcano in the Oceanian archipelagoTonga - which setoff a tsunami, rain of ashes and enormous damage on January 15 - Caritas Tonga has managed to send its partners in Oceania first reports on thesituation.

The ship from Papua New Guinea has yet to arrive on site to begin the complex work of repairing the undersea cable normally used for communications, but a satellite network has been reactivated for the most urgent communications. While the airport runway has been cleared, allowing the first flights with international aid to arrive. This has also allowed the Caritas network in Oceania to get a better picture of the situation.

Dan Skehan of Caritas Australia says: "Thanks to a satellite phone provided by Caritas New Zealand and sent on site by the New Zealand army, the Catholic Relief Service was able to re-establish contact with Caritas Tonga. Local operators from Tongatapu have confirmed that ash is everywhere, power lines are not stable and there is no communication with the other offshore islands.

Tongatapu confirms that, for the moment, three people have been killed. Re-establishing contact with the other islands remains the first priority, along with the drinking water emergency, which the damage to the water network has made unavailable to at least 50,000 people. The people," Tongatapu reports, "are drinking only bottled water, but supplies will not last long. There is also concern about food supplies: in the worst affected areas, fields and crops have been destroyed and soil contamination caused by the salt water will make it impossible to plant new crops for at least three months. It is feared that fish may also have been contaminated by the volcano's eruption, which is why food is becoming scarce in shops.

Caritas Tonga - says a report on the situation released by Caritas Internationalis which has launched a fund raising campaign- had some stocks of basic necessities provided by Caritas New Zealand for possible emergencies and that are proving to be an important help for an isolated reality in the heart of the Ocean. These supplies also include a water purification system, jerrycans, buckets and hygiene kits, which workers are distributing to the coastal villages most affected by the tsunami waves. Five communities in particular also suffered serious damage to their homes, with 32 houses completely destroyed and another 72 with serious injuries.

For the emergency response - which are being coordinated by Caritas New Zealand - the ecclesial bodies of the region and the Catholic Relief Service have already allocated a total of over 18,000 euro. But in addition to the immediate intervention, stocks of essential materials, very important for a remote area like Tonga, will need to be restored.

View original post here:

OCEANIA Caritas Tonga: 'Ashes everywhere, drinking water most urgent emergency' - AsiaNews

Tonga: Church in Oceania banding together to send aid – Vatican News

The Church in Papua New Guinea is collecting funds working with its partners across Oceania to send humanitarian aid to the tsunami-struck people of Tonga, according to Fr. Giorgio Licini.

By Devin Watkins

Emergency humanitarian aid has finally begun to reach Tonga in the wake of last Saturdays underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami, which devastated much of the Pacific island nation.

A navy ship from New Zealand unloaded life-saving water supplies on Friday, which were distributed across Tonga.

Besides potable water, the ship was carrying desalination equipment able to produce over 70,000 liters per day.

Volcanic ash blanketed most of Tongas islands, leading to fears that water supplies could be contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium.

The Catholic Church across the region is also banding together to send humanitarian aid through local Caritas partners.

Fr. Giorgio Licini, the general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea, spoke to Vatican News Alessandro Di Bussolo.

The Italian with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) said the national Caritas organizations in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea are coordinating their aid efforts.

He said financial resources are being gathered from those who are able to contribute and will be sent to the Caritas outfit in Tonga, which will decide how best to use the funds.

Fr. Licini added that the Churchs care will continue even after the initial emergency has passed.

He said assistance will be given to help rebuild infrastructure like schools and churches, as well as continued food aid and medicine supplies for those who need it.

Unfortunately, the connection with the islandsand the government and the Church evenis difficult because of technical problems, said Fr. Licini.

The lone underwater cable connecting Tonga to the internet was severed by the volcanic eruption last Saturday, and communication has been mainly through a few satellite phones.

As soon as the cable is repaired, we will probably have a better picture of the magnitude of the devastation, and most importantly what people actually need, he added.

Fr. Licini agreed that access to potable water could be the most severe problem facing residents of Tonga.

People on the archipelago rely heavily on rain for drinking water, he said, since many areas do not have ready access to springs or natural sources of water.

Many people will have to wait for the next rain to renew their supplies, said Fr. Licini. So, the provision of potable water and drinking water is most probably one of the emergencies in Tonga at the moment.

Listen to the full interview

See the original post here:

Tonga: Church in Oceania banding together to send aid - Vatican News

Global Table Butter Market (2021 to 2026) – Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecasts – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Business Wire

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Table Butter Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

According to the report, the global table butter market reached a value of around US$ 44 Billion in 2020. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to grow at a CAGR of around 8% during the forecast period (2021-2026).

Companies Mentioned

Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

On a regional level, the report has analyzed the table butter market in the following regions - Asia, European Union, North America, Latin America, Oceania, Eastern Europe and others. According to the report, Asia is currently the biggest producer of butter followed by Western Europe, North America, Oceania and other regions. For each of the regions, this report provides both historical (2015-2020) and future (2021-2026) trends in the table butter market. Other important market engineering aspects such as the competitive landscape, margin analysis, import and export, porters five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc. have also been thoroughly evaluated in this report.

The report also provides a detailed technical insight on setting up and operating a table butter manufacturing plant. This includes the manufacturing process, machinery requirements, land requirements, labour requirements, packaging requirements, transportation requirements, power requirements, incomes, expenditures, profit margins, NPV, IRR, etc. In order to provide a clearer picture, the report has also presented this information in the form of a dynamic excel model where users can analyse the entire information and also change various inputs according to their requirements.

The study, which has been done by one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, covers all the requisite aspects of the table butter industry. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, manufacturing requirements, project cost, project funding, project economics, expected returns on investment, profit margins, etc. This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who are planning to foray into the table butter industry in any manner.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Preface

2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends

5 Global Table Butter Industry

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.2.1 Volume Trends

5.2.2 Value Trends

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Price Trends

5.5 Market Breakup by Region

5.6 Market Forecast

5.7 SWOT Analysis

5.8 Value Chain Analysis

5.9 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.10 Key Success Factors and Risk Factors

6 Performance of Key Regions

7 Competitive Landscape

8 Table Butter Manufacturing Process

8.1 Product Overview

8.2 Detailed Process Flow

8.3 Various Types of Unit Operations Involved

8.4 Mass Balance and Raw Material Requirements

9 Project Details, Requirements and Costs Involved

9.1 Land Requirements and Expenditures

9.2 Construction Requirements and Expenditures

9.3 Plant Machinery

9.4 Machinery Pictures

9.5 Raw Material Requirements and Expenditures

9.6 Raw Material and Final Product Pictures

9.7 Packaging Requirements and Expenditures

9.8 Transportation Requirements and Expenditures

9.9 Utility Requirements and Expenditures

9.10 Manpower Requirements and Expenditures

9.11 Other Capital Investments

10 Loans and Financial Assistance

11 Project Economics

12 Key Player Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6nze2h

More:

Global Table Butter Market (2021 to 2026) - Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecasts - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

An update to 2022 World Cup Qualifying The Current – The Current – The Student-Run Newspaper of Nova Southeastern University.

Now that we have reached 2022, its finally a World Cup year. The international competition is being held in Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to ever host the event. This will be the first World Cup that will be held in November and December, not the summer, due to Qatars intense summer heat.

There are 32 spots in the 2022 World Cup, with 13 of them being filled. As of now, outside of the automatic qualification of Qatar for hosting the tournament, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland have qualified for the games.

There are 19 remaining spots for qualification in the World Cup. Of the 19 remaining, the spots will be dispersed around the world. Africa has five spots, Asia has four and a half spots, North America has three and a half spots, Europe has three spots, South America has two and a half spots, and Oceania has half a spot. The continents that have half spots are put into an Intercontinental Playoff.

The final two spots will be determined by the Intercontinental Playoff. The matchups will take place on June 13 and 14. The first matchup is between fifth place in Asias qualifying and fifth place in South Americas qualifying. The second matchup is between fourth place in Concacaf and Oceanias top-seeded qualifier. The winners will earn a spot in the World Cup.

Europes 10 qualifications were due to those teams winning their group. The final three spots will be filled by the group runners-up and the two highest seeded third place teams. Path A will send either Scotland, Ukraine, Wales or Austria to the World Cup. Path B will send Russia, Poland, Sweden or Czech Republic to the World Cup. Path C is sending one of Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal or Turkey to the tournament.

As of now, Ecuador and Colombia would hold the two spots for South America, with Peru earning a qualification for the intercontinental playoffs. Ecuador has 23 points, with both Colombia and Peru both have 17 points. Unlike Europe, South Americas qualification is based purely on points.

North America works on a points scale like South America does, with a set number of the highest scoring teams qualifying for the World Cup. Three countries qualify for North America based off points. Canada, the United States and Mexico would qualify if it ended today, with Panama going to the intercontinental playoff.

In African qualifying, five of the ten remaining countries will qualify. It will work on two game series, with the highest seed playing the lowest seed. Five of Algeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia will qualify for the World Cup based on the results of their matchup.

Oceania has yet to play any of their qualifiers, but it will either be Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu or Papua New Guinea that is sent to the playoff.

Read the original post:

An update to 2022 World Cup Qualifying The Current - The Current - The Student-Run Newspaper of Nova Southeastern University.

Logan Rogerson back in the All Whites after five years away and plenty of perseverance – Stuff.co.nz

Logan Rogerson is determined to make the most of the international lifeline hes been handed by All Whites coach Danny Hay.

The 23-year-old has been recalled to the national mens football team for the first time since 2016 for their coming friendlies against Jordan and Uzbekistan and has a chance to put himself in the frame for World Cup qualifying later this year.

Rogerson made his debut against Oman in 2015 under Anthony Hudson, shortly after playing under Hay at that years Fifa Under-17 World Cup, alongside four of his current squad-mates Joe Bell, Callum McCowatt, Sarpreet Singh, and Michael Woud.

Two more caps followed at the Oceania Nations Cup the following year, when a host of All Whites regulars were missing, but since then, hes been in the wilderness.

READ MORE:* All Whites coach Danny Hay pleasantly surprised to have Chris Wood fully available* Chris Wood set for intense six-month stretch with Newcastle United and All Whites* All Whites striker Chris Wood signs with Newcastle United, will play this weekend* Chris Wood is not the glamour signing their fans wanted, but he's what Newcastle need

In 2016, he was with the Wellington Phoenix, where he ended up making 11 A-League appearances, five of which were in his last two months at the club.

Despite scoring twice once he was finally given a chance, he wasnt handed a new contract at the end of the 2017-18 season, and headed to Germany for an injury-hit and ultimately unsuccessful stint at third-tier club Carl Zeiss Jena.

After returning to New Zealand, Rogerson spent two summers at Auckland City in New Zealands old national league, before signing for HJK Helsinki in Finlands top-tier Veikkausliiga last April.

A shoulder injury limited his ability to make an impact there and hampered his chances of pushing for a place in the OlyWhites squad for the Tokyo Olympics but a loan move to FC Haka gave him a new lease of life, and, in the end, a full-time deal for 2022.

The move that he made to go back to Europe after having not a great experience in Germany was a brave one, and I think that says a lot about him as a person and his character, Hay said this week.

By his own admission, he probably wasn't on top of his game when he first got back there, but having watched him at the back end of last season on multiple occasions, he's really found his feet.

Rogerson said having the backing of FC Haka coach Teemu Tainio, a former player for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, had been a boost down the stretch of the last Veikkausliiga season.

Shane Wenzlick/Photosport

Logan Rogerson found his feet while playing for Auckland City, before moving back to Europe last April.

I think that playing regularly is what every footballer needs and I kind of didn't get that at HJK.

Once I found the club and the coach that had belief in me and would give me game time, I knew that everything would come after that.

At the Phoenix, I didn't play that much, and when I went to Germany it was the same story and I come back to Auckland City, played a bit, found my feet, went to Helsinki, things didn't work out there, but now I'm at Haka where Im getting a lot of game time.

I think thats been a problem for me, just finding regular minutes, but once I get those minutes, I know what I'm capable of and that I can show everyone what I can do and what kind of footballer I can be.

Rogerson last represented New Zealand in 2019, where he captained the team that won the Oceania Under-23 Championship to qualify the country for the Tokyo Olympics.

But after failing to make his HJK debut after arriving in Finland last April, playing just one half for their reserves before August, he didnt make the cut when Hay put together his squad and reserves for the Olympic football tournament last July, and had to watch from afar as the OlyWhites made it to the quarterfinals before losing to hosts Japan in a penalty shootout.

Obviously Danny had to pick a squad of players that were playing regularly and that just wasn't me at the time, Rogerson said.

It was hard for me to watch the Olympics and not be a part of it, but I think of it as a bit of character building. I went out on loan, found game time, and now here I am. Things kind of happen for a reason, I guess.

Rogerson knows making an All Whites squad for the first time since June 2016 one of the longer waits in the teams history is just the first step.

Now he has to earn the chance to add to his three caps by impressing Hay once the team assembles in camp in Abu Dhabi next week.

The thing about Logan is he offers some dynamic movement, Hay said.

He's very good dribbler with the ball at his feet, and he looks to break lines, so he offers some similar characteristics to Joey Champness, and it just gives us a little bit of a different look, if we decide to go with a front three and two proper, out-and-out wingers.

I could also see Logan playing alongside Woodsy in a front two as well you're getting somebody that definitely wants to break lines and work in behind.

After they play Jordan [kickoff Saturday 4am NZ time] and Uzbekistan [kickoff Wednesday, February 2, 4am NZ time], the All Whites have the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in Qatar in March, which starts prior to that months international window, the period where players have to be released from their clubs.

With the new Veikkausliiga season not set to begin until April, Rogerson is one of a handful of players who wont have any fixture clashes in mid-March, which could be a feather in his cap as he looks to ensure his long-awaited return to the national side isnt a one-off.

It's a going to be a big year for the All Whites and for New Zealand football with the World Cup at the end of this year and qualifying and intercontinental playoff, Rogerson said.

As a footballer, it's not just a straight kind of journey, it's up and down and side to side. I think that's been my footballing journey, but I love being a footballer and playing football, so every obstacle that's been in front of me, I've had to work my way through it.

Hopefully this year can be a good year for me. I'm looking forward to it.

Read the rest here:

Logan Rogerson back in the All Whites after five years away and plenty of perseverance - Stuff.co.nz

Demystifying Political Correctness and its use in the age of alt-right trolls and finger-wagging liberals – Brock Press

The meaning of political correctness has been bungled by online discourse in an attempt to gain points in a culture war; a demystification of its use today is important for mapping current trends in our political discourse.

The term gained currency in the 1980s, being used mostly by the left to make fun of the rigid use of language and manners exclusive to politicians at the time. Today, the use of the word has become even more pejorative and isnt nearly as exclusive to political figures and spaces.

It seems like forever ago that the controversy surrounding Bill C-16 in Canada which enacted the proper use of individuals preferred pronouns into law, it being potentially considered a hate crime to protest against an individuals preferred pronouns caused a huge public debate on political correctness and identity politics. Indeed, the self-help guru and former University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson essentially made a whole career out of this instance, claiming the bill was a slippery slope that would lead to forms of totalitarianism. The law was ratified back in 2016 and to the surprise of no one, it appears the law hasnt taken us closer to totalitarianism.

What was made clear from the public outrage surrounding Bill C-16 was the way partisan goggles had started to influence the term political correctness to further ideological motives. Todays new right, the bowels of which can be observed on sites like 4Chan and in various Reddit forums and comment sections, attack establishment liberals for being too soft, and for being normies.

They see political correctness as a tool used by the mainstream left to virtue-signal, to posture about their egalitarian values while hiding a resentment for the better-abled, the more driven, etc., all the while destabilizing natural categories such as the distinctions between men and women.

In her book Kill All Normies, sociologist Angela Nagle describes the alt-rights emergence on the internet as such:

What seemed to hold them all together in their obscurity was a love of mocking the earnestness and moral self-flattery of what felt like a tired liberal intellectual conformity running right through from establishment liberal politics to the more militant enforcers of new sensitivities from the wackiest corners of Tumblr to campus politics.

The irony of this rebellion against liberal conformity is that the anti-conformity expected in these online spaces has become a rite of passage. To be a contrarian is the status quo for the online right, and of course when one steps over the line they can retreat into the idea that it was all for the memes, just one big joke.

Trumpism can largely be pinned down to this sense of being more genuine or real on account of being obscene and amoral while holding the opinion that running our societies coldly and calculated, like a business, is the best course of action to ensure the greatest level of (private) happiness. The interesting thing to note is that back in 2016, nearly 80 Silicon Valley executives, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook, signed a letter that protested a law in North Carolina that barred transgender individuals from using public spaces designated for the opposite sex, claiming it was bad for business.

While the law was obviously backwards in its intentions, whats interesting is that the kind of politically correct, over-sensitive attitude that the alt-right opposes has continuously been absorbed by big tech and the likes relatively easily. Yet, the online right continue to aim their reactionary attack against political correctness at the establishment types. Meanwhile, they tend to be either indifferent to or pro-capital, despite the corporate world taking on the LGBTQ+ ideologies and the saintly image of corporate inclusivity with open arms in order to not be publicly ostracized and lose business.

Whats made clear by this false consciousness on behalf of the alt-right is that the internet has, in large part, misguided individuals engaged in political discourse online due to the closed circuits of niche forums, battlefields of ad hom back and fourths in comment sections and a lack of genuine face-to-face contact.

As Nagle argues later in her book, its as if this new online right are committing a kind of anachronism of the 68 youth rebellion; however, their object of resistance is muddled by the impersonal structures of capitalism as it pervades our private lives today, right down to the cellphone. As a result they are left doing a kind of puppeteering of old forms of rebellion on anyone who appears like a moral authority while keeping enough of a self-conscious, ironic distance to what they say and do online so as not to take full responsibility for their actions.

So what should one do to combat the gordian knot of issues like identity politics and political correctness as they present themselves in the ways Ive laid out here? One way is to remind folks that they can still remain decent and polite while rebelling meaningfully in the struggle for things such as pushing for further market regulation, some form of global cooperation to combat the threat of climate change, as well as attacking the systemic causes of mass immigration (climate change being one of the major ones).

Trumpism and the alt-right, whether online or not, is in part a reaction to the perception that the ability to transgress a certain level of cosmopolitan politeness is being taken by the left-leaning establishment types. Of course, there is a truth to this perception. The nominal left has largely preoccupied itself with policing the proper use of terms alongside being suspiciously fascinated with figures like Trump. All the while, liberals continue safeguarding the notion that all identities are rich, wonderful and deserve expression to divert from coming together on substantive policy to alleviate the causes of mass immigration in the first place so we dont have to argue the often circular reasons why we need to be more tolerant of other cultures.

To be clear, we do need to be tolerant. Putting immigrant children in cages that fail to reach federal standards of humane conduct, as seen during the Trump administration, is unacceptable. However, suspicion should arise when a liberals whole political project thrives on the gotcha moment of revealing that people still have prejudices towards immigrants differing ways of life; tolerance in this case becomes a form of intolerance.

If embracing different cultures amounts to a safe, spectatorial distance that is taken in order to not get too close to feeling a genuine difference in values collide with your own to gain political identity points, its no wonder the online right has seemingly infinite fuel to point out liberal hypocrisy.

Growing up with half my family coming from an immigrant background and the other coming from Canada, my house was an extremely confusing space in this regard. It was a space consisting of attempts to preserve the values from my Southeast Asian background in the midst of Western values that simultaneously denied fully embracing those forms of cultural expression that is, beyond the privacy of the home and designated foriegn cultural spaces while also claiming that this background should be celebrated as a product of Canadas openness to diversity. The message became clear: we like your identity, but dont get too close.

Here in Canada, Justin Trudeau has used this rhetorical strategy for years, worrying about being inoffensive and collecting identity points all the while undermining existentially charged initiatives like the 2030 carbon emission target of being 30 per cent below our 2005 emission levels when a 2019 Environment and Climate Change Canada report suggested it would only be 19 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Whats important to remember is that, at bottom, the driving force behind the online rights dominant mode of thinking (and the hypersensitive left) is that its a reactionary attempt to form a coherent worldview in the endemically fractured, disconnected and hostile spaces of social media and online forums. The resulting hostility is then taken to be the way we all operate deep down even though its largely a result of overexposure to these online spaces.

Hence, liberal political correctness appears laughably performative to the right, which it is, in many respects. The right feels that a fake mask of politeness is necessary for any kind of politico-ethical stance, given that some kind of mask is needed to hide our ugly sides which comes to bear in all its reality in online spaces.

The fundamental issue with this logic, however, is that the hyper-moralizing left also believes that this politically correct mask is necessary; they just disavow it. They too, on an implicit level, are increasingly becoming amoralists, best exemplified in the kind of spectatorial distance to immigrants cultures I mentioned earlier. The hypersensitivities found in the wackiest corners of Tumblr to campus politics, in Nagles words, belies any good intentions because of its incessant need to appear open to all ways of life, to all cultural differences.

Because of this deadlock, the online rights reliable tactic will always be using ironic obscenities and desperate edginess to feel like a moral hypocrisy in mainstream political discourse is being effectively undermined via their buffoonery. All the while, this part of the right has easily bought into the increasing acceleration and commodification of culture, especially through the internet, which is ironically at the root of the liberal hypocrisy in the first place.

All of this, of course, comes as a result of the increasing privatization of our attention and interactions. The more corporations and big tech are left off the hook, the more our political landscape will continue to reflect a harsh comment section.

See the original post here:

Demystifying Political Correctness and its use in the age of alt-right trolls and finger-wagging liberals - Brock Press

Has the nation that produced the fiery oratory of Daniel O’Connell succumbed to tongue-tied political correctness? – Independent.ie

I saw Daniel OConnell last Sunday, rising majestically out of a foggy Dublin dawn, wrapped in his cloak, eyes boring into mine. At least thats how it felt, the pair of us alone in the deserted main thoroughfare of the capital.

hat do you think of the country you died for?I whispered to the bronze likeness. Have we honoured the legacy you gave so much for? His reply drifted silently on the breeze.

The man forever honoured as The Liberator was no stranger to controversy, and would likely raise an amused eyebrow at the current wrangling on whether a monument to him should grace Dil ireann during this decade of centenaries.

Doubtless the champion of Catholic Emancipation would throw a dismissive Kerry yerra at todays petty politics his heart, as always, geared toward more critical issues.

What would assuredly cause him righteous anger from his loftyplinth are the legions of homelesshuddled in frozen doorways on the street that bears his name.

Such was his commitment to the cause of human dignity it even echoed across the oceans, with former slave Fredrick Douglass crediting The Liberators glorious rhetoric in directly hastening Abraham Lincolns act of emancipation in 1863.

He defined me not as a colour, but as a man, and strengthened the campaign I was dedicated to wage.

OConnells fiery oratory was particularly directed at his own countrymen, the bastard Irishmen who turned a blind eye to slavery. How can the noble emotions of the Celtic heart have become extinct amongst you? he raged. It was not in Ireland that you learned this cruelty.

No stranger to the compromises of politics, when fellow MPs in the House of Commons offered him their support on Irish independence in return for his silence of slavery, OConnell was not for turning: May my right hand forget its cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth before, to help Ireland, I keep silent on slavery.

Yet, while Ireland in 2022 is not short of caring public servants, all too often the limelight is taken by those Yeats excoriated as fumbling in a greasy till.

Wandering down the quays as Dublin slowly awoke from its slumber, I wondered where are todays great orators modern-day Liberators whose magnificent rhetoric would rouse us to be better than we are?

Has the nation that produced the exhilarating eloquence of Grattan, Burke, Redmond and Connolly succumbed to the dreary tongue-tied measurement of political correctness?

On hearing of OConnells death in 1847, Douglass said: The fire of freedom burned brightly within his mighty heart, with words that shook the world.

We need that fire again today desperately.

Visit link:

Has the nation that produced the fiery oratory of Daniel O'Connell succumbed to tongue-tied political correctness? - Independent.ie

Opinion: Comedy is losing its charm with censorship – Utahstatesman

on January 24, 2022 at 8:00 am

As modern America becomes more adamant on censoring media with any vulgar language, casual stereotypes (Apu on the Simpsons) and anything containing controversial opinions (YouTubedemonetization), comedy has beenlosingits charm and impact.

Film has become more progressive in the past decade about the removal of negative depictions and stereotypes in their products. For instance, according to the Hollywood Reporter, certain episodes of The Muppet Shownowhave disclaimers cautioning views about negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.

The show was produced in a time where such depictions were appropriate. Now, awareness on the discrimination has increased, making it inappropriate in our modern day. However, it remains available for streaming with precautionary messages.

Other films such asBreakfast at Tiffanysare also under scrutiny from a 21stcentury perspective because of the racial slurs towards Japanese culture made for comedic purposes.Precautionarymessagesshould be added, but the film should not be banned or removed.

This is an approach that should be taken to past and previous films, including that of works of comedy. The type of comedy I am talking about is standup comedians and movie/television productions. Comedy should not be removed or purged for what is interpreted as but instead include cautionaries as to not offend those that do not wish to watch such material.

When asked if censorship was socially progressive or retroactive, sophomore Brynn Francis had much to say. As an acting major at Utah State University, she sees what is considered appropriate or not throughout her history in theater.

Pure censorship is retroactive, she said, What is progressive is awareness. Human nature, history and issues that are currently happening are acknowledge in comedy. Material that could be considered traumatic should be given trigger warnings like we do for dark comedies in plays.

Sydney Lehenbauer, a junior history major at USU, when asked the same question, answered with historical context.

Lehenbauer said in famous Shakespeare plays, he would make jokes about higher wealthy individuals and real-life political figures, in his community in this play. He would change the names of course, but everyone watching knew who he was talking about. This in and of itself is a political stance, looking at those who believe there are superior and taking them down. We wouldnt rid the world of Shakespeare for its use comedy as commentary on the upper class.

Lehenbauer also said comedy releases the tension on certain aspects of life not openly talked about: race, the economy, current events. Take the 2020 elections for instance. Jokes made about either candidate are found funny by both sides of the political spectrum. Your stance doesnt matter for it to be funny. Comedy is the stuff youre not supposed to laugh at.

In 2017, a documentary film titledThe Problem is ApubyHariKondaboludiscussed the negative and racial stereotypes aboutthe Simpsons characterApuNahasapeemapetilon, an Indian grocery store worker. He made several good points about how Apu was one of the only Indian characters on television when he was young,but was constantly being stereotypedby his actions,familyand other characteristics.

In the film,Kondaboluquoted his mother saying,You can criticize something you love because you expect more from it.

Shows like the Simpson should not be canceled, nor should previous episode be removed from the air.The shows depiction does not incite violence(which is grounds for removal or cancelation), but it does incite narrowmindedness and discrimination against Indian heritage.

Itis the stations right for the show to go on as isjust as much of a right as it is forKondabolu, a viewer,to create this documentary and voice is concerns against it.

Freedomof speech works both ways in the world of censorship. It means if you believe the material should be censored you can say you dont agree with it, but you cant take the comedians right away to say those jokes. Its your choice to be offended, even your right. But it also their right to offendyou.

If you start to remove certain aspects of comedy, start to interpret what should and should not be aired you come to a controlling aspect of media. Who gets to decide was is appropriate or not?

YouTubes demonetization believes it can. YouTube decides what is advertiser-friendly content that is content that the creator on YouTube can make a profit off. Sensitive events (such as negative traumatic events) and controversial issues fall into the no category.

While it is ultimately YouTube right as a private organization to make that decision, it is the fact that swearing and jokes in certain topics gain profit. Only certain comedy is deemed appropriate now, as this was not always YouTubes stance on the matter.

Comedy is subjective. Comedy is full of quips towards strategies in the economy and coronavirus, to making jokes about different types of ethnicities, gender, sexuality and life trauma.

Comedy is also complicated. What is said needs to be contextualized, both to the time and current pollical climate. Comedy is not meant to be censored by censoring it loses its charm.

Making jokes about the negative traumatic events is a way for comedians to relate to their audience andrelievethe tension.Jo Koymaking jokes aboutFilipinostereotypes as aFilipinomakes the jokes relatable in the audience of the same ethnicity, makes the stereotypes more like common ground.The charm of his comedy, the relatability,would be lost if it were censored.

Chris Rocksaid he will not perform at colleges because of political correctness in modern undergraduate culture.

This is not as much fun as it used to be, Rock said.

Jerry Seinfeld said he wouldnt either.

The sensitive nature towards comedy is acceptable and, in many ways, even welcomed but not to the effect of removing the comedic piece altogether.

TheHuffpostsaiditbest:Youcannot cater to everyone, and everyone is offended by something.

Sara Prettyman is a Maryland-bord-and-raised sophomore majoring in applied mathematics. She loves drawing, running and reading. A02342348@usu.edu

Follow this link:

Opinion: Comedy is losing its charm with censorship - Utahstatesman

Sundance: Jesse Eisenberg’s Directorial Debut ‘When You Finish Saving the World’ is a Touching Exploration of Self-Worth – Daily Utah Chronicle

Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore in When You Finish Saving the World. (Courtesy Sundance.org)

In 2002, Jesse Eisenberg made his cinematic acting debut in Roger Dodger.His quick-witted, razor-sharp quirky style quickly became adored and his career began to skyrocket. With a range of acclaimed roles from the deviously brilliant Lex Luthor to the real-life supervillain Mark Zuckerberg, Eisenberg is a force to be reckoned with. Twenty years later, Eisenberg has taken his talents behind the camera in his directorial debut When You Finish Saving the World.

Based on Eisenbergs original audiobook of the same name, When You Finish Saving the World is an intimate and touching exploration of the troubled relationship between mother Evelyn Katz (Julianne Moore) and her teenage son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) as they navigate the minefield of finding personal worth.

In Indiana, Evelyn runs a womens shelter and pines to assist those down on their luck. Ziggy on the other hand is a top musical performer on a fictitious TikTok facsimile called HiHat. Both characters are aspiring to do the right thing in their respective fields, but find that this desire only distracts from their overwhelming internal emptiness. This emptiness is emphasized by the severely dysfunctional home life they share. They exist in a world of false faces and invulnerability one where the question how are you doing? is only asked when prompted by a fascinating scholarly article on teen suicide.

When You Finish Saving the World touches on our hindered ability to serve others when we are not addressing our own personal infirmities. It explores themes of narcissism, self-worth, understanding and the gatekeeping that comes with political correctness. Moore gives a brilliant performance that grasped me and brought many of these themes to life. Her physicality, delivery and expressions are marvelously thought out and calculated. While her performance was breathtaking, the film, left something to be wanted. The themes it centers are inherently interesting, but they are not explored in a particularly deep or memorable way.

The film is unabashedly Jesse Eisenberg. His token fast-talking, intelligent wit are around every corner. It was interesting to see how well Eisenberg translated his style from acting to directing. For some, this style is frustrating, alienating and abrasive. As a fan of Eisenberg, however, I found it implicitly charming. Due to his divisive nature, my guess is that if you dont like Eisenberg, you wont like When You Finish Saving the World.

As the credits rolled, I was left with the realization that we often dont give each other enough credit. I was reminded of a quote by the great Fred Rodgers who said, You dont have to do anything sensational for people to love you. While this quote may be a touch lovey-dovey, When You Finish Saving the World, though a little clumsily, embodied this message.

Constantly we each strive to match our ideals and constantly we fail to do so. There is so much going on in the world without enough people asking the questions When You Finish Saving the World highlights. How are you doing? Are you happy? Are you okay? Eisenberg seems to think that we need more of that in the world. Honestly, while his directorial debut may not knock it out of the park, I think he is right.

So, sincerely, how are you doing? Are you happy? Are you okay?

[emailprotected]

@__lukejackson

Originally posted here:

Sundance: Jesse Eisenberg's Directorial Debut 'When You Finish Saving the World' is a Touching Exploration of Self-Worth - Daily Utah Chronicle

Peter Dinklage Has Strong Words About This Upcoming Live-Action Disney Remake – Looper

Appearing on Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast, "Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage brought up the subject of political correctness in politics and offensive comedy (via WTF with Marc Maron). When Maron asked whether Dinklage was offended by anything himself, the actor had venom at the ready, calling out Disney for what he sees as poor representation. "They were very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White," Dinklage said, "but you're still telling the story of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'. Take a step back and look at what you're doing there."

The "Avengers: Infinity War" actor clarified what he sees as "hypocrisy" on the part of Disney, saying, "It makes no sense to me because you're progressive in one way and you're still making that f***ing backward story about seven dwarves living in a cave."

"Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox?" Dinklage mused. "I guess I'm not loud enough." He clarified that he didn't intend for his words to be construed as hate for the people involved with the remake of Disney's classic film. "All love and respect to the actress and the people who thought they were doing the right thing, but I'm just like, 'What are you doing?'"

Follow this link:

Peter Dinklage Has Strong Words About This Upcoming Live-Action Disney Remake - Looper

Tesla Owners Club New York State – Member public profile

Tesla Owners Club New York State - Member public profile'); }, function() { $('.paid_overlay_el').remove(); } ); }, error: function (jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown) { console.log(textStatus + " (" + jqXHR.status + ") : " + errorThrown); }});}// only execute if logged inif ($('.memberContentView').length) { get_BasicMemberData();}/* BOTTOM SLIDE PANEL */}catch(err){}'; var default_gif_html = ''; var dev_gif_html = ''; var html = ($('body').attr('id') == 'PAGEID_18102') ? dev_gif_html : default_gif_html; $('body').append(html); window.setTimeout(function() { $('#bottom_slide_panel').removeClass('stowed'); if ( ! Cookies.get('hide_bottom_slide_panel')) { // move to up position $('#bottom_slide_panel').addClass('active'); } else if ($(window).width() = 0; i--) { slideElements.appendChild(slideElements.children[Math.random() * i | 0]); } var i; var slides = document.getElementsByClassName("mySlides"); for (i = 0; i slides.length) {slideIndex = 1} slides[slideIndex-1].style.display = "block"; setTimeout(showSlides, 16000); }}/* FORM FIELDS */ // County -> auto-selects Regionvar county_regions_object = { 'Adirondacks': [ 'Clinton County', 'Essex County', 'Franklin County', 'Fulton County', 'Hamilton County', 'Herkimer County', 'Lewis County', 'Warren County' ], 'Capital - Saratoga': [ 'Albany County', 'Rensselaer County', 'Saratoga County', 'Schenectady County', 'Washington County' ], 'Catskills': [ 'Delaware County', 'Greene County', 'Sullivan County', 'Ulster County' ], 'Central': [ 'Broome County', 'Chenango County', 'Madison County', 'Montgomery County', 'Oneida County', 'Otsego County', 'Schoharie County' ], 'Chautauqua - Allegheny': [ 'Allegany County', 'Cattaraugus County', 'Chautauqua County' ], 'Finger Lakes': [ 'Cayuga County', 'Chemung County', 'Cortland County', 'Livingston County', 'Monroe County', 'Onondaga County', 'Ontario County', 'Schuyler County', 'Seneca County', 'Steuben County', 'Tioga County', 'Tompkins County', 'Wayne County', 'Yates County' ], 'Hudson Valley': [ 'Columbia County', 'Dutchess County', 'Orange County', 'Putnam County', 'Rockland County', 'Westchester County' ], 'Long Island': [ 'Nassau County', 'Suffolk County' ], 'New York City': [ 'Bronx County', 'Kings County (Brooklyn)', 'New York County (Manhattan)', 'Queens County', 'Richmond County (Staten Island)' ], 'Niagara Frontier': [ 'Erie County', 'Genesee County', 'Niagara County', 'Orleans County', 'Wyoming County' ], 'Thousand Islands - Seaway': [ 'Jefferson County', 'Oswego County', 'Saint Lawrence County' ]};$('select[name*="$DropDownList10614418"]').on('change', function (e) { var field1_option_text = $('option:selected', this).text(); $.each(county_regions_object, function (i, v) { if ($.inArray(field1_option_text, v) !== -1) { $('select[name*="$DropDownList10614537"] option').filter(function () { var field2_option_text = $(this).text(); return field2_option_text == i; }).prop('selected', true); } });}); // Make it appear as if certain fields are required // VIN, Reservation Number, Roadster Version, Model S Version, Model X Version, Model 3 Version, Model Y Version, Cybertruck Version, Other Version, Other Source$('#idContainer10555012.textFieldContainer .fieldLabel, #idContainer10665840.textFieldContainer .fieldLabel, #idContainer10626910 .fieldLabel, #idContainer10626812 .fieldLabel, #idContainer10626869 .fieldLabel, #idContainer10626909 .fieldLabel, #idContainer11492786 .fieldLabel, #idContainer11890941 .fieldLabel, #idContainer10634866 .fieldLabel, #idContainer10653619 .fieldLabel') .prepend('*'); // Handle VIN / Registration Number$('select[name*="$DropDownList10667166"]').on('rightnow change', function (e) { var source = $('option:selected', this).text(); $('.prevent_submit').remove(); if (source === "Yes and I have my VIN") { $('#idContainer10555012').show(); $('#idContainer10665840').hide(); $('input[name*="$TextBox10665840"]').val(''); $('#denial_message').remove(); // handle required behavior $('.navigationContainer .right').css('position', 'relative').append(''); $('.prevent_submit').click(function() { alert('Looks like the VIN is either missing or not formatted correctly.'); }); } else if (source === "Not yet, but I have my reservation number") { $('#idContainer10665840').show(); $('#idContainer10555012').hide(); $('input[name*="$TextBox10555012"]').val(''); $('#denial_message').remove(); } else if (source === "No and I don't have a reservation number") { $('#idContainer10667166').append('

Sorry, but you need to either own or have reserved a Tesla to become a TOCNYS member!To join as a non-Tesla-owning member, click "Cancel" and choose the "Friend" membership level

View post:

Tesla Owners Club New York State - Member public profile

Report: Tesla V3 Supercharger Output To Be Increased To 324 kW – InsideEVs

A new power-up for Tesla Supercharging in North America is coming soon, according to the latest rumors.

Sawyer Merritt, who often posts a lot of Tesla-related info, reports that the V3 Superchargers will get an increase in peak power from 250 kW currently to 324 kW. That's about 30% more and closer to the CCS chargers, which are usually advertised as ready for up to 350 kW (at 800 V).

"BREAKING: Tesla Superchargers in North America to get charging speed bump to 324kW (from 250kW) later this year."

Further info specifies that the power increase will concern only the V3 Superchargers and that the next thing will be V4 Superchargers that "will come soon after."

That's quite interesting. We don't know details about V4, but as we understand, a new version is supposed to bring even more power.

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk announced in June 2021 that the Supercharging power output would further increase, mentioning a few example levels of 280 kW, 300 kW and 350 kW. In July,he repeated, "Supercharger network is being upgraded to 250kW to 300kW, so that will help too." We did not hear more about it since then.

However, we are interested more in the voltage (whether it will natively support 800+ V battery systems) rather than just a power increase.

Currently, Tesla vehicles are equipped with a 400 V battery system, which means that any info about V4 Superchargers with higher voltage would indicate directly that higher voltage Tesla cars are coming too.

Tesla Superchargers peak output:

It's also not clear how the rumored upgrades to the Tesla Superchargers relate to the Tesla Megachargers - currently installed at Giga Nevada and at Frito-Lays facility in Modesto, California.

Read the original:

Report: Tesla V3 Supercharger Output To Be Increased To 324 kW - InsideEVs

Tesla Cybertruck Video Reveals That There Is at Least One Cybertruck – Car and Driver

Cybertruck Owners Club via YouTube

We here at Car and Driver like to maintain a healthy skepticism when it comes to manufacturer claims that seem dubious. Sometimes, we even prompt fixes so that car company braggadocio aligns with reality. So while we'd certainly like to drive a Tesla Cybertruck, we wouldn't bet our bulletproof windows on whether it'll arrive before Elon colonizes Mars. Both because we're skeptical, and because Tesla has given us no proof that the Cybertruck is actually imminent anytime soon. And this new video doesn't change that.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Our narrator does not explore this line of speculation. He comments that the truck looks like a refrigerator, and it sounds kind of like a compliment. There's another guy with tattoos who seems to know more about the truck than the guy who's filming. The truck has external rearview mirrors but no door handles. It has one windshield wiper. The mirrors might be a production item. Or they could be temporary, for testing. We don't know what the deal is with any of this. All we do know is that Tesla parked a Cybertruck by itself where two dudes could examine it at their leisure and then post the resulting video online without fear of reprisalgarnering attention and stoking the idea that an important product is nearing productiona few days ahead of an earnings call. Huh!

What we don't know is anything else, even about this particular truck. Was it built at the Texas Gigafactory, on an assembly line, as car companies do to fine-tune the production process and identify potential snags? Or is it a hand-built prototype? Does it have a production-ready powertrain? How much will it cost? Is this one smaller than the original concept they unveiled? Is this even at the Texas Gigafactory or are we led to think so because the guys have southern accents? Not to be too conspiracy-minded, but simultaneously pumping the idea that the factory and the truck are both further along than they actually are would be pretty smart.

Anyway, there's definitely a Cybertruck, and they're planning to build more at some point. That we know. Probably.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

More:

Tesla Cybertruck Video Reveals That There Is at Least One Cybertruck - Car and Driver

Flaws in third-party software exposed dozens of Teslas to remote access – TechCrunch

A security researcher said he was able to remotely access dozens of Teslas around the world because security bugs found in an open source logging tool popular with Tesla owners exposed their cars directly to the internet.

News of the vulnerability was first revealed earlier this month in a tweet by David Colombo, a security researcher in Germany, who said he had full remote control of more than 25 Teslas, but was struggling to disclose the issue to affected Tesla owners without making the details public and also alerting malicious hackers.

The bug is now fixed, Colombo confirmed. TechCrunch held this story until the vulnerability could no longer be exploited. Colombo published his findings in a blog post.

Colombo told TechCrunch that the vulnerabilities were found in TeslaMate, a free-to-download logging software used by Tesla owners to connect to their vehicles and access their cars otherwise hidden data their cars energy consumption, location history, driving statistics and other granular data for troubleshooting and diagnosing problems. TeslaMate is a self-hosted web dashboard often running on the home computers of Tesla hobbyists, and relies on access to Teslas API to tap into their cars data, which is tied to the car owners account.

But security flaws in the web dashboard like allowing anonymous access and using default passwords that some users never changed coupled with misconfigurations by some Tesla owners, resulted in at least a hundred TeslaMate dashboards being exposed directly to the internet, including the car owners API key used to remotely control their Teslas.

In a call with TechCrunch, Colombo said the number of impacted Teslas is likely higher.

One of the exposed TeslaMate dashboards showed one Teslas recent travel routes across California. TeslaMate has since fixed its vulnerabilities and Tesla has revoked thousands of API keys. Image Credits: David Colombo (supplied)

Colombo said he discovered that TeslaMate dashboards were unprotected by default after stumbling on an exposed dashboard last year. After scanning the internet for more open dashboards, he found exposed Teslas in the U.K., Europe, Canada, China and across the United States.

But contacting individual Tesla owners with exposed dashboards would be a Herculean task, Colombo explained, and in many cases, its not possible to accurately discern a way to contact affected Tesla customers.

Worse, it was possible to extract the Tesla users API key from the exposed dashboard, allowing a malicious hacker to retain long-term access to Teslas without the drivers knowledge. (An API allows two things to talk to each other over the internet in this case, a Tesla car and the companys servers, the Tesla app or a TeslaMate dashboard.) Access to Teslas API is restricted to Tesla owners through a private API key associated with the owners account.

With access to an exposed API key, Colombo said he could remotely access some features of the car, such as unlocking the doors and windows, honking the horn and starting keyless driving, which he verified with one Tesla owner in Ireland. He could also access the data inside, such as the cars location data, recent driving routes and where its parked. Colombo said he does not believe its possible to use the API access to move the vehicle remotely over the internet.

Colombo said that while the security issues werent in Teslas infrastructure, Tesla could do more to improve its security, such as revoking a customers API key when their password is changed, an industry-standard practice.

After privately reporting the vulnerabilities, TeslaMate pushed a software fix that users have to manually install to prevent access. TeslaMate project maintainer Adrian Kumpf told TechCrunch that the update went out within a few hours of receiving Colombos email. In an email, Kumpf said that because the software is self-hosted, it cant protect against users accidentally exposing their systems to the internet, adding that TeslaMates documentation has long warned users to install the software on your home network, as otherwise your Tesla API tokens might be at risk. Kumpf also said that users who chose the advanced installation option should not be affected.

Colombo told TechCrunch that Tesla revoked thousands of drivers API keys, potentially indicating that the issue may have been more widespread than initially thought. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication. (Tesla scrapped its public relations team in 2020.)

Read more:

More:

Flaws in third-party software exposed dozens of Teslas to remote access - TechCrunch

Tesla and Box: Two Focus List Shorts Poised To Payoff – Forbes

close up shot of a digital stock market tracking graph follwing a recent crash in prices. Bear ... [+] market 3D illustration

My firmsFocus List Stocks: Short Model Portfoliooutperformed the S&P 500 as a short portfolio by 36% in 2021, and 29 out of the 31 picks outperformed. Were starting 2022 by reviewing the two stocks that underperformed last year and their potential returns this year.

Tesla Inc. (TSLA) and Box Inc. (BOX) were the only two Focus List Short stocks that underperformed as shorts in 2021, and I remain bearish on both stocks.

Focus List Short Stocks Outperformed in 2021

The Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio contains the best of myDanger Zonepicks and leverages superior fundamental data, as proven in The Journal of Financial Economics, which provides anew source of alpha.

The Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio fell[1], on average, -16% in 2021 compared to an average return of 20% for the S&P 500, per Figure 1.

Figure 1: Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio Performance from Period Ending 4Q20 to 4Q21

Focus List Short Performance In 2021

Because my Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio represents the best of the best picks, not all Danger Zone picks I publish make the Model Portfolio. I published 46Danger Zone Reportsin 2021 but added just 11 of those picks to the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio during the year. Currently, the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio holds 28 stocks.

Figure 2 shows a more detailed breakdown of the Model Portfolios performance, which encompasses all the stocks that were in the Model Portfolio at any time in 2021.

Figure 2: Performance of Stocks in the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio in 2021

Focus List Short Performance By Stocks 2021

Performance includes the performance of stocks currently in the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio, as well as those removed during the year, which is why the number of stocks in Figure 2 (31) is higher than the number of stocks currently in the Model Portfolio (28).

Below I detail the expectations for future profit growth baked into each of the two stocks, and why I believe each of them is overvalued.

Underperforming Focus List Short Stock 1: Tesla (TSLA): Up 50% vs. S&P 500 Up 27% in 2021

I originally addedTeslato the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio inNovember 2017, and while it underperformed as a short in 2021, its valuation remains disconnected from the reality of the firms fundamentals and the electric vehicle (EV) market at large.

Main Reason for Short Underperformance: Irrational Investor Exuberance:Tesla bulls continue to pile into the stock on the hopes Tesla will revolutionize not just the auto industry, but energy, software, transportation, insurance, and more, despite evidence to the contrary. The optimistic hopes for these businesses seem to compel investors to buy shares at valuations more suited to science-fiction than investing.

Teslas record vehicle deliveries were a major factor in stock performance in 2021. Selling just under 1 million cars in 2021 sounds great and was no small feat. However, that number is minuscule compared to the number of vehicles Tesla must sell to justify its current stock price anywhere from 16 million to upwards of 46 million depending on average selling price (ASP) assumptions. For reference, Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst, projects Tesla will sell8.1 million vehiclesin 2030.

Why I Remain Bearish on Tesla: Valuation Ignores Weakening Competitive Position:The headwinds Tesla faces are numerous (such as therecent recallof half a million vehicles) and outlined in more detail in the reporthere. The biggest challenge to any Tesla bull case is the rising competition from incumbents and startups alike across the global EV market.

Incumbent automakers have spent billions of dollars building out their EV offerings. Indeed, automakers other than Tesla already account for 85% ofglobal EV salesthrough the first half of 2021. The global EV market is simply not big enough for Tesla to achieve the sales expectations in its valuation unless everyone else exits the market.

The bottom line is that it is hard to make a straight-faced argument that in a competitive market, Tesla can achieve the sales its valuation implies.

Reverse DCF Math: Valuation Implies Tesla Will Own 60%+ of the Global Passenger EV Market

At its current average selling price (ASP) per vehicle of ~$51k, Teslas stock price of ~$1,200/share implies the firm will sell 16 million vehicles in 2030 versus ~930k in 2021.That represents 60% of theprojected base case global EV passenger vehicle marketin 2030 and the implied vehicle sales based on lower ASPs look even more unrealistic.

To provide inarguably best-case scenarios for assessing the expectations reflected in Teslas stock price, I assume Tesla achieves profit margins twice as high as Toyota Motor Corp (TM) and quadruples its current auto manufacturing efficiency.Below are the number of vehicles Tesla needs to sell in 2030 to justify ~$1,200/share.

Per Figure 3, Teslas current valuation implies that, in 2030, it will sell the following number of vehicles based on these ASP benchmarks:

If Tesla achieves those EV sales, the implied market share for the company would be the following (assuming global passenger EV sales reach 26 million in 2030, thebase case projection from the IEA):

If I assume theIEAs best casefor global passenger EV sales in 2030, 47 million vehicles, the above vehicle sales represent:

Figure 3: Teslas Implied Vehicle Sales in 2030 to Justify Current Valuation

Vehicle Production Implied By TSLA Stock Price

Tesla Must be More Profitable Than Apple For Investors to Make Money

Here are the assumptions I use in myreverse discounted cash flow (DCF) modelto calculate the implied production levels above.

To justify its current price of ~$1,200/share, Tesla must:

In thisscenario, Tesla generates$789 billionin revenue in 2030, which is 103% of the combined revenues of Toyota, General Motors, Ford (F), Honda Motor Corp (HMC), and Stellantis (STLA) over the TTM.

This scenario also implies Tesla generates $136 billion in net operating profit after-tax (NOPAT) in 2030, or 46% higher than Apples (AAPL) fiscal 2021 NOPAT, which, at $93 billion, is the highest of allcompanies my firm covers.

TSLA Has 59% Downside If Morgan Stanley Is Right About Sales

If I assume Tesla reaches Morgan Stanleys estimate of selling 8.1 million cars in 2030 (which implies a 31% share of the global passenger EV market in 2030), at an ASP of $38k, the stock is worth just $483/share. Details:

the stock is worth just $471/share today 59% downside to the current price.See the math behind this reverse DCF scenario. In this scenario, Tesla grows NOPAT to $60 billion, or nearly 17x its TTM NOPAT, and just 3% below Alphabets (GOOGL) TTM NOPAT.

TSLA Has 88%+ Downside Even with 28% Market Share and Realistic Margins

If I estimate more reasonable (but still very optimistic) margins and market share achievements for Tesla, the stock is worth just $136/share. Heres the math:

the stock is worth just $136/share today an 88% downside to the current price.

In thisscenario, Tesla sells 7.3 million cars (28% of the global passenger EV market in 2030) at an ASP of $38k. I also assume a more realistic NOPAT margin of 8.5% in this scenario. Given the required expansion of plant/manufacturing capabilities and formidable competition, I think Tesla will be lucky to achieve and sustain a margin as high as 8.5% from 2021-2030. If Tesla fails to meet these expectations, then the stock is worth less than $136/share.

Figure 4 compares the firms historical NOPAT to the NOPAT implied in the above scenarios to illustrate just how high the expectations baked into Teslas stock price remain. For additional context, I show Toyotas, General Motors, and Apples TTM NOPAT.

Figure 4: Teslas Historical and Implied NOPAT: DCF Valuation Scenarios

Implied NOPAT In TSLA Share Price

Each of the above scenarios assumes Teslasinvested capitalgrows 14% compounded annually through 2030. For reference, Teslas invested capital grew 53% compounded annually from 2010-2020 and 29% compounded annually from 2015-2020. Invested capital at the end of 3Q21 grew 21% year-over-year (YoY). Teslas property, plant, and equipment has grown even faster, at 58% compounded annually, since 2010.

A 14% CAGR represents 1/4ththe CAGR of Teslas property, plant, and equipment since 2010 and assumes the company can build future plants and produce cars 4x more efficiently than it has so far.

In other words, I aim to provide inarguably best-case scenarios for assessing the expectations for future market share and profits reflected in Teslas stock market valuation.

Underperforming Focus List Short Stock 2: Box Inc. (BOX): Up 45% vs. S&P 500 Up 27% in 2021

I originally addedBoxto the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio inNovember 2020, and despite the stocks underperformance as a short in 2021, Boxs business continues to lag in an industry filled with large and well-established incumbent operators. The stock price increase in 2021 puts Box shareholders in a more precarious situation than they were in my original Danger Zonereporton the company.

Main Reason for Short Underperformance: Box Returned to Growth:Box beat both top and bottom line in each of its quarterly earnings reports in 2021. After years of slowing revenue growth rates, Box reported YoY revenue growth of 10%, 12% and 14% in fiscal 1Q22, 2Q22, and 3Q22 respectively. In its fiscal 3Q22 earnings report, Box guided for YoY revenue growth of 15% in fiscal 4Q22, which was above consensus estimates of 12% YoY revenue growth.

This return to growth comes at a time when demand for file sharing, collaboration tools, and cloud content storage/management is rising as companies adapt to hybrid work models.

Why Box Remains Boxed Out: Not Profitable In Best of Times:Despite a return to growth, Box remains unprofitable in a cloud/software industry filled with more profitable competitors.

The fact remains thatmost of Boxs target customers already get Box-like services from Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), or Google (GOOG), who also offer high-value products such as word processing, spreadsheet/data management, and video conferencing tools. In comparison, Cloud storage is a low-value add-on, and collaboration tools are becoming more ubiquitous.

Box pitches direct integration with Microsoft, Google, and other partners as a selling point. However, once a user is paying for Microsoft and Google, why would they want to pay extra to use an outside app to edit and manage files when they get the same service from within Microsoft and Google?

With this competitive backdrop, bulls should heed caution given that Boxs busines remains unprofitable in, perhaps, one of the best times to be a provider of cloud storage and related software.

Over the TTM, Boxs operating expenses remain 104% of revenue. Per Figure 5, Boxs NOPAT margin of -3% is well below its competitors. Boxsinvested capital turns, a measure of balance sheet efficiency, fall in the middle of the group, and Boxs ROIC ranks last as the only negative ROIC of the group as well.

Figure 5: Boxs Partners/Competitors Are More Profitable TTM

BOX Peer Profitablity

Box Is Priced to Reach Nearly 56 Million Paying Users, or 340% of Dropbox Paying Users

Given guidance for mid-teens growth rates, investors may think Box has more room to run. However, when I use myreverse DCF modelto quantify the expectations for future growth baked into the firms stock price, I find that Box must grow at double consensus estimates or the stock holds nothing but downside risk.

To justify its current price of $26/share, Box must:

In thisscenario, Box would generate $2.8 billion in revenue in fiscal 2028, which is 3X its TTM revenue and 34% greater than Dropboxs TTM revenue. By dividing the implied revenue in fiscal 2028 of $2.8 billion by the firms fiscal 2021 average revenue per paying user of $50, I arrive at ~56 million implied paying users in fiscal 2028, compared to ~15.5 million in fiscal 2021. 56 million paying users would be 340% of Dropboxs paying users as well.

In the history of the world, the number of companies that grow revenue by 20%+ compounded annually for such a long period isunbelievably rare, which make the expectations baked into Boxs valuation look even more unrealistic.

BOX Has 54%+ Downside if Consensus Is Right: Even if I assume Boxs

the stock is worthjust $12/sharetoday a 54% downside to the current price. This scenario still implies Boxs revenue grows to $1.5 billion in fiscal 2028 and its implied paying users would be 30 million, or nearly 2x its fiscal 2021 paying users. If Box fails to achieve the revenue growth or margin improvement assumed in this scenario, the downside would be even higher.

Figure 6 compares Boxs historical NOPAT to the NOPAT implied by each of the above DCF scenarios. For reference, I include Dropboxs TTM NOPAT as well.

Figure 6: Boxs Historical Vs. Implied NOPAT

Implied NOPAT In BOX Share Price

Each of the above scenarios also assumes Box is able to grow revenue, NOPAT, and free cash flow (FCF) without increasing working capital or fixed assets. This assumption is highly unlikely but allows me to create best-case scenarios that demonstrate how high expectations embedded in the current valuation are.

Disclosure: David Trainer, Kyle Guske II, and Matt Shuler receive no compensation to write about any specific stock, sector, style, or theme.

[1]Performance represents the price performance of each stock during the time in which it was on the Focus List Stocks: Short Model Portfolio in 2021. For stocks removed from the Focus List in 2021, performance is measured from the beginning of 2021 through the date the ticker was removed from the Focus List. For stocks added to the Focus List in 2021, performance is measured from the date the ticker was added to the Focus List through December 31, 2021.

Read the original:

Tesla and Box: Two Focus List Shorts Poised To Payoff - Forbes