Lawmakers need to get federal funding to ease MBTA woes – Boston Herald

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Times like these call for Mike Capuano.

The former Massachusetts congressman, who lost his seat to Ayanna Pressley, had a knack for squeezing transportation dollars out of Washington. When he was a member of the Transportation Committee, the Federal Transit Administration coughed up nearly $1 billion in a funding commitment to the Green Line Extension. Capuano secured some $3.658 billion for the states highways and bridges, and $1.576 billion for transit projects, among other boosts for the Bay State.

Imagine what Capuano could do for us now that the coronavirus pandemic has gutted MBTA revenue, and the transportation agency is eyeing service cuts and possible fare hikes amid a massive budget plunge. For fiscal year 2022, the T expects to face a budget shortfall of $308 million to $577 million unless it receives additional aid.

We have representatives in Washington Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley whove also proposed transportation bills. But while the ideas behind them are good, they dont focus on the current crisis and how to get out of it.

At the end of May, Markey, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced of the Building Rail Across Intercity Networks To Ride Around Interior of the Nation (BRAIN TRAIN) Act. The legislation authorizes $5 billion annually, for a total of $25 billion, to invest in high-performance intercity passenger rail service.

Passenger rail is a great thing it brings jobs, is good for the environment and helps connect places that are difficult to reach other than by car.

Five billion bucks a year over five years will yield a great project. But right now, the transportation system of subways, buses, trains and ferries is gasping for breath.

In June, Markey and Pressley launched the Freedom to Move Act, which would provide fare-free public transit systems.

Our public transit systems are meant to provide communities with the mobility and freedom to access critical services, but far too many in the Massachusetts 7th and across the country lack reliable, safe and affordable transit service, said Congresswoman Pressley, who has also pushed for increased transportation funding during the pandemic. The Freedom to Move Act invests heavily in our public transit systems so that states and localities can offer safe, high-quality and fare-free rides, and would ensure that everyone in community including our essential workers who depend heavily on public transportation can access jobs, food and essential services like education and health care.

The free fares would come from a $5 billion annual fund for Freedom to Move Grants a competitive grant program that would compensate agencies for lost fare revenues.

Another good idea transit fares can take a bite of lower income budgets, and relief would be welcome.

But right now the T is applying a tourniquet to bleeding revenues the agency needs an infusion of cash to be able to maintain the services it already provides.

We need our leaders to focus on federal funding to lift Massachusetts transportation out of the coronavirus-induced crisis. A free ride matters little if the bus runs half as often.

There are many problems that need fixing, among them transportation inequities. But you have to put out the kitchen fire before you can invite hungry folks over for dinner.

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Lawmakers need to get federal funding to ease MBTA woes - Boston Herald

Classes to resume soon for final-years at state universities – University World News

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ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia has so far recorded 90,490 COVID-19 cases (as of Wednesday 21 October), the largest number of cases in East Africa. It also has the fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases across Africa, surpassed only by South Africa, Morocco and Egypt.

Security fears are also high, with Ethiopia having experienced communal violence this summer, especially since the death of a musician from the Oromo ethnic group in June, which is thought to have sparked more than 200 killings.

Speaking to University World News, Dechasa Gurmu, public relations director of the Ethiopian Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MoSHE), nonetheless said the ministry expects all state-owned universities to start operations between 2 and 9 November. The largest public universities in Ethiopia include Addis Ababa University, Mekelle University, Dire-Dawa University, Adama Science and Technology University and Bahir Dar University.

Matriculation exams in November

Reopening public universities will initially be allowed to take in graduating class students who had to suspend their final-year studies because of the pandemic, said Dechasa. Then sometime after that, sophomore and other non-graduating class university students will be allowed to attend classes, he added.

Dechasa said students applying for positions as first-year students during the current 2020-21 fiscal year, but who had missed matriculation exams and needed to confirm their places, will be allowed to take these exams in November too.

Those prospective first-year university students who pass matriculation exams will be given a crash course in universities once they enter the university, probably in the second half of the 2020-21 fiscal year, Dechasa explained.

Ethiopias private universities, such as Rift Valley University in Addis Ababa, have been given the same reopening dates as their public counterparts, although Dechasa stressed that private institutions had more freedom to decide which student cohorts would rejoin physical classes at what time. Private universities and colleges have been subject to the same lockdown as state-owned institutions.

Reopening schedules may vary

Ethiopia was quick to lock down after confirming its first case of COVID-19 on March 13, with the Ethiopian government soon afterwards suspending educational activities in all primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions. As for the reboot however, Dechasa stressed that every university has its own unique situation and may vary their reopening schedules.

Nonetheless, there will be national standards regarding health measures designed to protect students and staff from COVID-19, with universities told to follow a health manual prepared by a cross-sectoral committee. It mandates, among other things, that student desks be spaced two metres apart.

Dechasa said the ministry expects just 25% of the student body will attend classes initially, easing the implementation of social distancing rules.

This higher education liberalisation reflects a general government policy to reopen the economy and ease restrictions on public gatherings. In September, the Ethiopian parliament allowed a five-month-old state of emergency associated with the pandemic to expire, while security forces have stopped enforcing the wearing of face masks in public areas.

A lot of preparation needed

Speaking to University World News, Lia Tadesse, Ethiopias health minister, said provided all available precautionary measures are taken, all educational institutions shall be able to resume classes: As you know, considering the fact that this pandemic is going to stay for a long time and considering different situations that were currently in, a lot of things are going to be reopened.

However, we maintain precautions need to be maintained to prevent the COVID-19 spread, she said, stressing that opening educational institutions will need a lot of work and preparation involving all relevant actors.

The health minister said student health is a responsibility not only of parents but also the larger community. As a result, families and community organisations along with local government need to be engaged in preparations so that all schools comply with state COVID-19 health protocols. The government will do its own share to avail collective efforts to make sure our schools are safe for our children, so a really strong engagement of parents in schools is a key thing.

Ultimately, however, the government has concluded that the negative impact of closing schools is much higher than reopening them. There needs to be ownership of the process and collective efforts to manage the process, she stressed.

Task forces oversee preparations

As a result, a federal government committee has been established to coordinate this reopening, led by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, which includes senior officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant agencies. This committee has regular meetings with regional health bureaus and regional education bureaus to follow up on COVID-19-related measures that impact the education sector.

This collaborative approach is also being followed locally, with each educational institution creating a COVID-19 task force, which includes the professors and lecturers, university and college leadership, community health workers, parent representatives and local education officials.

These task forces will make sure educational institutions are prepared both in terms of the processes and resources needed to reopen. Coordination is critical from woreda [district] to federal level, Lia told University World News.

She is also ensuring medical supplies, such as masks and sanitisers, needed for students and staff, are provided beforehand, ensuring that institutions secure the necessary supply chains. The government is also trying to ensure that more expensive equipment such as temperature scanners are also available: Theres extensive work being done on this, said the health minister.

Fears that ethno-political tensions could resurface

Of additional concern is on-campus violence. This was common during 2019 and early 2020, as the Ethiopian government has embarked on structural reform designed to create long-term political stability for this multi-ethnic country. And the 2020 summer violence has raised concern that once the universities are back in operation, there will be more trouble.

Dechasa said officials have made preparations to prevent attacks and fights: We will work to vigorously enforce the law against rule-breaking students and others who are sponsoring unrest on university campuses.

The government hopes that the COVID-19 lockdown will have given time for some ethno-political passions to subside so that they may not recur as intensely as in 2019.

Hanan Duri, a graduating third-year statistics student at Haramaya University in Oromia, Eastern Ethiopia, the heart of this summers ethnic strife, is as worried by the resumption of communal violence as by the possibility of contracting COVID-19.

Hanan, who lives in Dire Dawa to the east of Haramaya, is set to resume classes in early November to finish her studies. She told University World News: Weve been told the university has prepared face masks and sanitisers for each student, in addition to being told our numbers in each dormitory will be cut by at least half to enforce social distancing rules.

However, Im concerned there could be a resumption of ethno-political violence in the university once my campus starts teaching at full capacity, she said.

To contact the writer speak to International News Services.

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Classes to resume soon for final-years at state universities - University World News

Where They Stand: John Jacob – Daily Journal

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Why are you seeking election?

Im very concerned about the decline of our culture, of our nation. I think our constitutional freedoms are being stripped away from us. I believe that all life should be preserved, that includes the pre-born, specifically. There is a bill that would end abortion in Indiana, and that is a bill that I would co-author and support.

What qualifications and experience make you a good fit for this position?

I actually worked for the Indiana State Board of Accounts, and its a government watchdog group. We audited every level of government in the state of Indiana, except for the federal government. Working with them, I was a sworn officer of the court, and I led many audits.

I also helped to lead our risk management group. I would say, in a nutshell, that I have a strong expertise in fiscal but also law. Being an auditor, I had to be.

What would be your top three priorities if elected?

No. 1 would be to co-author the Protection at Conception Bill which would end abortion in Indiana. Secondly, it would be also to co-author the constitutional carry bill, and push for both of those bills. Three would probably be the issue of our freedoms and our liberties. I dont think that would be a singular issue, and I think there can be multiple issues addressed as it relates to our freedoms and liberties that are being taken away from us.

What are some of the biggest issues facing Indiana today?

Again, I would say abortion.

The issue of our constitutional liberties being stripped from us.

How do you plan to push legislation that addresses your priorities?

I would probably do it the same way a lot of other legislators do it. No. 1 is to author a bill that would be viable, that would be within the boundaries of the Constitution. No. 2, it would be trying to garner support from other legislators, and a lot of that is done by discussion with other legislators.

How do you plan to help your district specifically, and communicate with constituents about what is going on at the Statehouse?

Specifically via mail and emails to communicate whats going on, as far as the pulse of whats going on at the Statehouse. Also, going door-to-door Thats a big reason why I won the primary, because I communicated clearly what I was running on to the voters of District 93. One of the things voters specifically said to me over and over was, I was very pleased that you were very clear about where you stood with issues, and there was no lack of clarity on where you stood. That was something that was very refreshing to them.

What are your thoughts on Indianas COVID-19 response, and what role do you think the General Assembly should play next year when considering pandemic-related legislation?

Definitely the legislature is the one that should be passing legislation as it relates to COVID. That is something that would be up for discussion as far as what would be best for the citizens of Indiana. I would say specifically that it should be in line with the Constitution. Im not dismissing COVID, I want to be clear. I dont want people to think I think COVID is not a reality, that I dont think there are people who are getting sick from COVID and dying. However, with that, there has to be a way to deal with that but yet not violate peoples constitutional rights. (The) executive branch doesnt make law. The legislative branch is the one that makes law.

What is your position on public school funding? How should Indiana address the way it funds schools?

I would go back to the individual because this is talking about children. With children, parents should have the right to be able to direct the education of their children Addressing the freedom that parents have to address the education of their children is first and foremost. Then from there, we can address the issue of where funding goes.

Do you think it is beneficial or detrimental to decision-making that both chambers in the General Assembly have supermajorities?

I would say this, the voters are the ones who vote people into office We vote people into office that we believe are going to best represent our views. Whether I would agree or disagree, because I mean, the tides could turn because if it was a Democrat supermajority, obviously the Republicans wouldnt like that and vice versa I think it would violate our entire system to say, OK were just going to keep everything even as far as whos in. Wed actually have to start removing people from office to balance out the Democrats and Republicans.

Theres always discussion, and the Democrats are able to discuss their views. And if their views are reasonable and legitimate, those are things the other side would definitely listen to. When it comes to issues, whether I agree or disagree with somebody, I want to be able to at least listen to them.

The Jacob File

Name: John Jacob

Party: Republican

Residence: Perry Township

Family: Wife, Angie; six adult children

Occupation: Small business owner

Education: Roncalli High School; IUPUI

Political experience: None

Memberships: LifePoint Church

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Where They Stand: John Jacob - Daily Journal

Last Week in Slovenia: 16-22 October, 2020 – Total Slovenia News

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What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If youd like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 16 OctoberROME/TRIESTE, Italy - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zori held talks with the presidents of both chambers of the Italian parliament, the chairs of several parliamentary commissions and a Foreign Ministry state secretary. The focus of the talks was on reform of Italian electoral legislation. This was also the main topic of what was first official visit of Foreign Minister Ane Logar to the Slovenian community in Italy.BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Jana said that fake news in the sense of denial of the danger of the new coronavirus, spreading in Europe mainly through social media and in Slovenia also through mainstream media, was what was forcing Europe and individual countries to take harsher measures than would otherwise be needed.BRUSSELS, Belgium - Putting 38% of Slovenian territory under Natura 2000 protection was "a shot in the knee", PM Janez Jana told the press after an EU summit that had climate goals as one of the items on the agenda. He said that the European average for the area, where it is forbidden to produce energy from natural and sustainable sources, is 18%.BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said "appalled by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jana's latest attack against the Slovene public broadcaster STA". This comes after Jana's Twitter post on Thursday calling the STA a "national disgrace". "This demonising of public service media and journalism must stop," said the EFJ.LJUBLJANA - Almost 900 new coronavirus were confirmed, a new daily high. The figures come to a positivity rate of roughly 16%.LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry defended the national energy and climate plans in the face of a review from the European Commission, saying that in some areas Slovenia's goals were even more ambitious than the bloc's commitments. The ministry also said the Commission highlighted some positive aspects of the plans adopted last February.LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council warned that the budget expenditure planned for the next two years is too high, while also saying that the divergence from the fiscal rule was understandable and could be allowed, considering the coronavirus pandemic.LJUBLJANA - Anti-government protesters returned to bicycle protests yesterday. Police said a few hundred gathered and 33 violations of the ban on gatherings in public were recorded.TORONTO, Canada/GRAZ, Austria - Magna International, the Canadian-Austrian automotive multinational, announced it would start producing Fisker Ocean, an electric SUV, in 2022. According to unofficial reports by the Austrian Kleine Zeitung, the car would be assembled in Magna's plants in Graz, Austria, and in Hoe, near Maribor.LJUBLJANA - The second Slovenia-wide digital radio network, a technology known by its acronym DAB+, was launched. The new multiplex carries the signals of regional and local radio stations, and stations serving the Italian and Hungarian minorities.LJUBLJANA/SLOVENJ GRADEC - The Association of Journalists and Commentators expressed concern over "a renewed abuse of the wheels of the judiciary" after Bojan Poar, author and proprietor of the news portal Poareport, received a suspended three-month prison sentence for defamation and insult due to an article in which he alleged that Maribor Mayor Saa Arsenovi and his former aide Matja tandeker had bribed bankers.

SATURDAY, 17 OctoberLJUBLJANA - Slovenia has condemned a terrorist attack in a Paris suburb in which an assailant beheaded a teacher. "We need to enforce zero tolerance for terrorism and street violence across #EU," Prime Minister Janez Jana said on Twitter.LJUBLJANA - The share of coronavirus tests that came back positive exceeded 19% for the first time on Saturday, as 726 cases were confirmed in 3,765 tests.LJUBLJANA - The Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) condemned an incident that occurred during a 16 October protest in Ljubljana and involved the rapper Zlatko grabbing the camera from a Nova24 cameraman. It said this was an "attack on journalistic freedom and consequently on freedom of expression." The Slovenian Journalists' Association condemned all forms of violence, both verbal and physical.WROCLAW, Poland - Slovenian writer Goran Vojnovi was awarded the Angelus Central European Literary Prize, conferred to works by Central European writers translated into the Polish, for his 2013 novel My Yugoslavia. The annual award is conferred by Wroclaw to writers who take up the most important topics for the present day.

SUNDAY, 18 OctoberLJUBLJANA - The government officially declared a coronavirus epidemic for the entire country starting on 19 October. meaning that the national protection and rescue plan was activated. The epidemic was declared for an initial period of 30 days. Prime Minister Janez Jana called for responsibility and solidarity in the face of the pandemic in a video address to Slovenian citizens. He said a challenging period of cold weather was ahead, which required effective measures.LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 537 new coronavirus cases in 2,637 tests. The positivity rate exceeded 20% for the first time. The 14-day cumulative rate of infection per 100,000 people reached 339 compared to 317 the day before.

MONDAY, 19 OctoberLJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor delivered a video address to the people underlining that at the time of crisis, community closes its ranks. "We have to be courageous and determined but also tolerant and patient. This is particularly important for politics. It must make an honest effort for mutual respect and cooperation," he said.LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus infections reached 794 in 4,326 tests. Two more people died, brining the death toll to 192. About 1% of Slovenia's population is infected with Sars-CoV-2 based on the test positivity rate, the head of the government task force Bojana Beovi said.LJUBLJANA - Facing criticism from the opposition in parliament about the government's response to the Covid-19 epidemic, Prime Minister Janez Jana assured MPs that Slovenia had prepared well for the second wave. He said the second wave of the epidemic would eventually pass and that only then it would be possible to make comparisons with other countries.LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Jana presented the government's plans regarding the distribution of EU and state recovery funds. He said investments were in the healthcare system and infrastructure, which would include two new infectious disease clinics and nursing hospitals in all regions.LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Ane Logar hosted his counterpart from North Macedonia Bujar Osmani for talks that focused on preparations for an intergovernmental conference at which North Macedonia expects to start EU membership talks. Logar expressed the belief that the talks would start during Germany's presidency of the EU.LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor stressed at a virtual summit of the Three Seas Initiative that this platform offers a unique opportunity to change this part of Europe into a modern, sustainable and innovative society. He added that the initiative must not be understood as a grouping of certain EU members countering other members. Foreign Minister Ane Logar took part in a ministerial panel devoted to smart money.LJUBLJANA - The Nova Gorica Administrative Court was reported to have annulled the dismissal of former director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Darko Mueni. The court's decision is final, so there is no possibility of an appeal.LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's city councillors adopted a statement condemning any activities or gatherings of paramilitary or nationalist groups in the capital. The opposition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) protested, unsuccessfully proposing that the item be removed from the City Council's agenda.LJUBLJANA - Chief supervisor of telco Telekom Slovenije Ale abeder and supervisors Barbara Cerovek Zupani and Bernarda Babi resigned, citing the current situation in the five-strong supervisory board. abeder expects the remaining two supervisory board members to follow suit.LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Poivalek signed a set of amendments to Slovenia's association agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA), which he said constituted an important step towards full-fledged membership. The minister expects cooperation with ESA to deepen further.TUESDAY, 20 OctoberLJUBLJANA - A temporary 9pm-6am curfew entered into force across Slovenia to limit the spread of coronavirus. The ceiling for gatherings was lowered from ten to six people and a blanket ban on movement among statistical regions put in place, albeit with exceptions related to work, emergency situations and services, family assistance and farm work.LJUBLJANA - A record 1,503 Sars-CoV-2 infections were confirmed as the test positivity rate exceeded 25%. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 20 to 333.TALLINN, Estonia - FM Ane Logar met his Estonian counterpart Urmas Reinsalu as he started a three-day tour of the Baltics, with the pair expressing the wish for closer cooperation on the bilateral and EU levels in digital services.LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition parties called on the government to mend its ways, which they argue are the reason for what they see as a "fatefully low level" of public trust in measures and recommendations aimed to contain the rapid spread of coronavirus in the country.UDINE, Italy/BILBAO/Spain - Slovenian cyclist Jan Tratnik (Team Bahrain McLaren) won the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia between Udine and San Daniele del Friuli to become only the fifth Slovenian ever to win a stage at the prestigious road race around Italy, while his more celebrated compatriot Primo Rogli (Team Jumbo-Visma) won the first stage of the Vuelta a Espana.

WEDNESDAY, 21 OctoberLJUBLJANA - Slovenia's coronavirus tally soared to another daily record as 1,663 infections were confirmed from a record 6,215 tests, a positivity rate of over 25%. Hospitalisations increased to 357, with 62 patients in intensive care.LJUBLJANA - Ane Erbenik ended up two votes short of appointment as Constitutional Court judge in a 44:35 secret ballot at the National Assembly. The result was the same for the nominee for Banka Slovenije vice-governor Arjana Brezigar Masten, who also needed the absolute majority of all votes. The coalition said this was not an indication of disunity in its ranks.LJUBLJANA - MPs passed changes to the integrity and prevention of corruption act which the government argues strengthen the preventive and supervisory role of the anti-graft commission. They also aim at clearly delineating the powers in prosecution of corruption between the commission on the one hand and the police and prosecution on the other.RIGA, Latvia - Foreign Minister Ane Logar continued his three-day tour of the Baltics by meeting his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevis for talks that focused on the importance of coordinating measures to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. They called for a joint EU approach in coordinating these measures but noted that this was largely within the purview of national governments.VILNIUS, Lithuania - Foreign Minister Ane Logar met Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as part of his visit to Lithuania. He said that Slovenia advocated dialogue between all political stakeholders, called for peaceful talks, and expressed support for the efforts made as part of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) and Council of Europe.LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously passed amendments to the environmental protection act designed to tackle the long-running problem of packaging waste and to transpose EU directives in the field. Under the amendments, packaging waste treatment companies will need to accept all waste from waste collection utility companies based on a fee paid by the companies that produce such waste.LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed an amendment to the motorway tolling act that creates the legal basis for the e-tolling of cars. The new system is to become operational by the end of next year and drivers will be able to buy "electronic vignettes" via an app, online or at service stations.

THURSDAY, 22 OctoberLJUBLJANA - Slovenia will put in place new restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus. Non-essential shops will be closed, as will hotels, kindergartens and student dormitories, Prime Minister Janez Jana announced. The measures, entering into force on Saturday, will initially be in place for a week and will then be re-evaluated.LJUBLJANA - The government asked parliament to activate Article 37a the defence act which gives members of the Slovenian Armed forces certain police powers on the border. The proposal, which the government says is primarily needed because of the additional burdened placed on police by the epidemic, needs a two-thirds majority.LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Jana spoke via videoconference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. They discussed the Covid-19 situation in Europe, the EU presidency trio's activities and the situation in the Western Balkans. Jana said that Germany had offered emergency medical equipment should Slovenia require it.VILNIUS, Lithuania - Foreign Minister Ane Logar wrapped up a three-day tour of the Baltics by meeting Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkeviius. Cooperation between the countries at bilateral, European and multi-lateral levels being on the agenda, in addition to the situation in Belarus.LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin had an informal videoconference with his German and Portuguese counterparts, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Joao Gomes Cravinho. The talks focused on European defence policy.LJUBLJANA - Singer-songwriter, musician and poet Vlado Kreslin is the recipient of this year's Jeek Award, an accolade celebrating creative and witty radio and television oeuvres and achievements. Kreslin is instilling a spirit of freedom, solidarity, tolerance and joie de vivre in Slovenia's cultural sphere, the judging panel has said.

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Last Week in Slovenia: 16-22 October, 2020 - Total Slovenia News

Taxpayer Tricks and Treats for Halloween 2020 – Business Wire

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As if 2020 wasnt scary enough, today Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released its 20th annual compilation of hair-raising, harrowing, and horrifying Taxpayer Tricks and Treats:

Trick: The House Robs Taxpayers of $3 Trillion

In an attempt to shake down taxpayers and steal their money in the dead of night, the House of Representatives approved the $3 trillion HEROES Act on May 15, 2020, with a $915 billion bailout of state and local governments. But according to an August 24, 2020 Department of the Treasury report, of the $150 billion provided to the states under the CARES Act, 37 states have spent less than 25 percent of their allocated funding, and 23 of those states have spent less than 10 percent. After howls of protest from taxpayer groups like CAGW and taxpayers in states that had not wasted money before the pandemic, the Senate rejected both the first version of the HEROES Act and a second version that cut the bailout to $436 billion. But taxpayers can expect the bailout to be resurrected if the Democrats control Congress and the White House after the November 3 elections.

Treat: Cutting Red Tape is Helping the U.S. Recover from Coronavirus

As a breath of fresh air in the rank atmosphere of partisanship that has permeated the nation for much of 2020, more than 850 rules and regulations have been terminated, suspended, or amended at every level of government to help the country recover from COVID-19. It would be a great treat for taxpayers to see the full implementation of President Trumps May 19 Executive Order that directs federal agencies to review regulations that were suspended, modified, or waived to determine if these changes should be made permanent.

Trick: The Socialist Apocalypse Is as Frightening as Ever

Socialist policies keep rising from the dead. Behind almost every terrifying corner, toxic programs are being peddled to vastly expand the scope and power of the federal government while threatening individual freedom and liberty. An estimated 220 million Americans would frightfully lose their private insurance plans under Medicare for All. The Green New Deal, which aims to overhaul nearly every sector of the economy, could cost a petrifying $93 trillion and destroy the economy. Everyone should fear spooky ideas like free public college that would cost $47 billion annually, forgiveness of student loans that would cost $2.2 trillion over 10 years, and free childcare that would cost $70 billion annually. Taxpayers should make sure their elected officials run far, far away from the Socialist Grim Reaper.

Treat: Broadband Resiliency Has Been Divine During the Pandemic

As millions of Americans have made the shift to telework, online education, and telehealth during the scary pandemic crisis, broadband internet service providers in the U.S. have managed network traffic extremely well (unlike many European countries), proving that private sector investments in broadband are working. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated the Keep Americans Connected program, with widespread financial commitments from private sector providers, to ensure that Americans do not lose telephone and broadband. The FCC also provided temporary licenses in the 5.9 GHz spectrum band to several providers to allow them to use this spectrum to connect more homes across the country.

Trick: The National Debt Will Haunt the U.S. Forever

The current national debt of $27 trillion is set to grow at an alarming record pace over the next decade. A January 2020 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report forecast an average annual deficit of $1.3 trillion between fiscal years (FY) 2021 and 2030, rising to $1.7 trillion by the end of the decade, adding a horrifying $13 trillion to the national debt and bringing it to $39.8 trillion.

While the January estimates were eerie enough, the October CBO budget review reported that the FY 2020 deficit was $3.1 trillion, more than three times the FY 2019 deficit, and 15.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). This would be the largest deficit relative to the economy since 1945. In its September 2020 long term outlook report, CBO estimated the FY 2020 deficit would be $3.3 trillion and the national debt would grow to a shocking (and unsustainable) 189 percent of GDP by 2049, which is 45 percentage points higher than the estimate made in 2019. The numbers are mind numbing, and the consequences are frightening, unless something is done to prevent this financial plague.

Treat: Increased Mid-Band Spectrum for 5G Networks Is a Reality

As part of its 5G-FAST plan, the FCC has increased the amount of mid-band spectrum available for 5G deployment, a sweet gift to taxpayers that is as good as any Halloween candy. While the pandemic delayed some deployment of 5G both in the U.S. and around the world, the FCC still completed the millimeter wave spectrum band auction, which is critical to implementing 5G deployment in urban and more densely situated markets, netting $4.47 billion in revenue for taxpayers. The c-band spectrum auction, slated to begin on December 8, 2020, which provides a critical 280 MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G deployment across the country, will add more revenue to the Treasury, and keep the U.S. ahead of wicked competitors like China in the race to 5G.

Trick: Importation of a Witches Brew of Canadian Drugs

Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn, and cauldron bubble. Just as Macbeths dangerous and wicked weird sisters could predict and influence the future, drug counterfeiters are plotting right now how to take advantage of the Trump administrations regulation to allow states to import drugs from Canada. But Canadian officials have repeatedly said they will not export their drugs to U.S patients, since the country already experiences drug shortages for its own citizens. And the policy prevents certain drugs from being reimported into the U.S. like biologics, which are among the most expensive. Even if drugs are imported, the cost of compliance with strict federal safety requirements will likely negate any savings. Ghastly, greedy counterfeiting creatures will be emboldened to cook up dangerous concoctions that may contain worse ingredients than a fillet of fenny snake, eye of newt, or toe of frog. Theyll do anything to sell their deadly witches brew to unsuspecting American citizens, from designing fake Canadian websites to selling their ghoulish wares on the street.

Treat: States have Sweet Success with Occupational Licensing Reform

Many states have had sweet success with occupational licensing reform during the coronavirus pandemic, including recognition of out-of-state medical licenses for telehealth and reduced educational requirements for various professions. Many states have already made permanent changes and others are considering such action. Florida, which ranked fifth according to the Institute for Justice for the most bloodcurdling and burdensome laws in the nation, permanently changed occupational licensing laws for hairdressers, interior designers, nutritionists, and workers in other fields. Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, Missouri, and Utah have also enacted universal occupational licensing reform, which will make it easier for their citizens to find work as the economy recovers from the pandemic.

Trick: Most Favored Nation Zombie Price Controls

One way to turn Americas vibrant biopharmaceutical research and development into a zombie apocalypse would be the permanent adoption of President Trumps most favored nation (MFN) Executive Order drug pricing policy for Medicare. MFN adopts price controls, which never work, by allowing Medicare to pay the lowest price for a drug found in a select group of mostly European countries. In the late 1980s, the European drug industry spent 24 percent more than the U.S. on pharmaceutical research. But socialist healthcare systems turned the European pharmaceutical industry into the walking dead of research and development by 2004, when it trailed the U.S by 15 percent. In a not too distant future, after the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry has been bitten by MFN, it too will become a zombie, virtually unresponsive to finding cures for complex diseases like Alzheimers, Lou Gehrigs disease (ALS), and muscular dystrophy. In the middle of a pandemic, the U.S. has picked a bad time to give up global leadership in pharmaceutical R&D.

Treat: Candy Corn Is Sweet, but Cocktails Are Sweeter

The pandemic lockdowns have haunted the liquor industry, but several states have proposed novel ideas to alleviate the serious economic impact by either temporarily or permanently allowing restaurants and liquor stores to offer yummy to-go cocktails. These states include Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and New Jersey. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine signed HB 699 into law on June 10, 2020, to permanently allow the sale of alcoholic beverages by carryout or delivery. The Buckeye Institute noted that the hospitality and leisure industry had nearly 142,700 fewer jobs compared to 2019. Allowing carryout and delivery for alcoholic beverages will be a sweet treat for these workers and consumers.

Trick: Maryland is Haunted by Spooky Taxes

Lawmakers in Maryland summoned something wicked when they proposed spiking the states sale tax on alcohol from 9 percent to 10 percent in 2021. House of Delegates Minority Leader Nic Kipke (R-Pasadena), predicted, This type of tax increase could be the final straw that puts many out of business. The measure is expected to raise an estimated $14 million a year from Maryland taxpayers within the first two years after the law would be enacted and will continue to haunt them with an additional $22 million each subsequent year. Like other sin tax increases, those figures will be shockingly short of expectations, as millions of Marylanders can walk, bike, scooter, or drive themselves to D.C., Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, as well as go online to buy alcohol.

Trick: AB 5 Haunts Gig Economy Workers

An attempt by California Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) to reverse provisions of AB 5, a scary law that has haunted California gig economy workers for the past year fell to its grave. But voters still have a chance to undo the laws application to Uber and Lyft drivers if Proposition 22 is approved on the November 3 ballot. The supposed purpose of AB 5 was to protect workers by guaranteeing a minimum wage, sick leave, workers compensation, and unemployment benefits. Instead, the law has led to the loss of work for millions of independent contractors in every imaginable industry. In what could be the death knell for app-based workers and other self-employed and self-sufficient Americans across the country, former Vice President Joe Biden plans to federalize the law if he is elected President on November 3.

Trick: The Fiscal Nightmare Continues at the Department of Defense

The 19-year procurement nightmare known as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program is approximately $195 billion over budget and nine years behind schedule. The total costs for the F-35 are estimated to reach $1.727 trillion over the lifetime of the program, which is just an evil expenditure of the taxpayers money. Of this total, $1.266 trillion will be needed for operations and support. Of course, the programs many ghastly problems have not stopped the Department of Defense (DOD) from asking for funding, and members of Congress from supplying it, oftentimes exceeding the budget request. This trend continued in FY 2020, when legislators added $2.1 billion to fund the acquisition of 22 JSFs beyond the amount requested by the Pentagon. Since FY 2001, members of Congress have added 29 gruesome earmarks for the JSF program, costing $8.9 billion.

Treat: DODs Chief Management Officer Makes Progress (May Be a 2021 Trick)

In an effort to get the Pentagons hideous business operations in order, the Chief Management Officer (CMO) position was created in fiscal year 2017. The position has already proved its worth, identifying vast sums spent to stock a commissary system with items that are of limited interest to customers. Of the 1.4 million items carried, nearly 1 million produce less than $1,000 in revenue each year, including 23 brands of apple juice. Overall, the CMO has claimed to have identified $22.3 billion in savings between FYs 2018 and 2021. Taming the bureaucratic beast has always been and will continue to be a challenge because of institutional inertia, contractor resistance, and the Pentagons benefactors in Congress. In fact, just three years after touting its creation and despite its success, legislators have taken steps to unwind the CMO position. Instead of allowing some of the Pentagons most horrible management practices to be resurrected, Congress should support efforts to strengthen and institutionalize the office.

Trick: DOD Still Fails to Complete a Clean Audit

The DOD scarily remains the sole federal agency to have never undergone a clean audit. The books are so unnerving that areas within the DOD have been on the Government Accountability Offices list of programs at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement since 1995. In November 2018, then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan took a stab at describing the Pentagons attempt at an audit, stating, We failed the audit, but we never expected to pass it. The DOD did not indicate how much money turned up missing in the audit, but with a budget topping $800 billion when factoring in the $70.7 billion provided in the Overseas Contingency Operations account, that amount is likely to be shocking to taxpayers.

CAGW is the nations largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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Taxpayer Tricks and Treats for Halloween 2020 - Business Wire

Letters to the editor – News – The Hutchinson News

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We trust Jason

We are in support of Jason Probst for the 102nd House District. We belong to a motorcycle rights organization, and every year we have a motorcycle lobby day at the Capitol. Jason is more than accommodating to speak with us about motorcycling issues and other local issues. He is very open, honest, and loyal. He votes according to what is best for his local constituents. He will listen to what you have to say. Sometimes he might not agree with you, but at least hes honest. There is no fooling around. He will tell you if he does not think something will work, and suggest what we might do instead. Jason truly is a good representative of the 102nd District. We can approach him by email, on Facebook, or even in the local grocery store or at Third Thursday, and he is very approachable. We trust Jason.

Tony and Tammy Railsback

Rural Sterling

Vote Probst

I am a retired school teacher. I know Jason Probst from some work we did together at Stage 9, one of the local community theatres in Hutchinson. The reason I am supporting Jason in the 102nd House District race is because a vote to re-elect Jason is a vote for yourself. I have never met anybody who cares more about you understanding what the issues are and who will get back with you if you have a question. He is just extraordinary that way. Vote for Jason!

Paula Rothe

Hutchinson

Reliable and honest

I am a moderate Republican who lives out in the Yoder area. I am supporting Jason Probst for re-election to the 102nd House District. I got to know Jason, and I know hes a moderate Democrat. But we have talked and spent some time together. I have found that Jason is very reliable and honest. He is just a good soul. If I was in his district, which I am not, I would vote for him. For those that are in his district, I hope you will vote for him so he can continue to represent our community.

David Ratzlaff

Hutchinson

Vote for small business

I am a small business owner here in Hutchinson, and I am supporting Jason Probst for the 102nd House District. I own a small salon. There have been many times over the last few months that Jason has helped me. With all the uncertainty and chaos involved with COVID from shutting down small businesses and then trying to get them opened back up, Jason pushed out so much information that helped small business owners like me make it through. He has helped me in ways I cannot even begin to describe in a short 150-word letter to the editor. I hope people will make their decision on who to vote for based on the person, and not necessarily based on the political party. Please vote for Jason.

Brandy Sheahan Harris

Hutchinson

Why not Barbara Bollier?

Do Kansans really believe that Barbara Bollier, if elected, will be a Lone Ranger, U. S. Senator and buck the ultra-liberal, Democrat leadership of her party back in D.C.? She claims to be a "moderate," but she did not vote like one when she was a Republican in the Kansas State Senate. She got elected as a Republican, but after voting with the Democrats over 90% of the time, she switched parties, showing her true colors. She is rabidly pro-abortion, and the N.R.A. gives her an "F" rating and if you appreciate POTUS Trump's conservative judicial, court appointments, you will not want to vote for Barbara Bollier. I promise you that she will side with Senator Leader, Chuck Schumer to block those nominees in the effort to make the U.S. judiciary another voting/legislative arm of the Democrat Party, should the Republicans lose the U.S. Senate. Also, no more Amy Coney Barrett-type, U.S. Supreme Court nominees will ever be confirmed if that happens.

As a U. S. House Representative, Roger Marshall has voted with POTUS Trump 98% of the time. If you appreciate the Trump policies, please remember that when you go to cast your ballot.

Carolyn Simms

Republic

Vote pro-life

I am so thankful I live in a country where we have the freedom to make choices when we vote. However, the "unborn" have no choice and no voice. We do know they are fighters and will fight to live. So lets vote for them by voting for pro-life candidates on Nov. 3.

Marilyn Kemple

Lyons

Stroberg for Kansas

When Kansans look around, we see our four surrounding neighbor states have all joined in the 38 states that have now adopted some form of Medicaid Expansion. What does it cost Kansas not to participate? About $800 million to $900 million a year and that equals about 85 percent of the average annual Kansas wheat crop.

Kingman should not be paying an increased local sales tax AND letting our legislators give away the dollars available for keeping our local rural hospital open.

Jeff Stroberg, candidate for the 114th legislative district, is a CPA and former business executive. He understands that Kansas is making a huge financial mistake and an equally huge health care mistake. Nothing could be more obvious during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I'm backing Mr. Stroberg's campaign because he is a logical thinker who will stand up for good government and not be swayed by party politics and he has a lot of experience working with teams to solve business problems.

We need Jeff Stroberg in the Kansas Legislature. Please vote for him Nov. 3.

Pat Maloney

Kingman

Understand and enforce

Reno County's Health Officer Karen Hammersmith was quoted in the Hutchinson News as lamenting that "People don't understand what a huge problem we have".

This is a direct result of Reno County officials failing to provide reasonable details during this crisis. Standing behind privacy concerns, officials do not provide details.

In this case, a lack of details has led to deniers and obstructionists getting the upper hand and the size of the problem getting out of control.

Deniers point out that no one knows anyone positive or can name a person who has died from COVID-19. Without details, it is a hard talking point to overcome.

I understand the need to protect victims and families from zealots who think COVID-19 patients need to be condemned. But reasonable details can be provided, especially now that the numbers are so large. Age range, sex, race/ethnicity, type and location of transmission, identification with a cluster, the presence of risk factors can all be released. This goes for both deaths and infections.

Tell us what the contact tracers and investigators are finding out. Were the victims wearing masks, social distancing, engaging in risky behaviors? Again, generalizations are better than nothing.

A quick note to local media, why are you not pushing and investigating? The dashboard numbers are a good start, but they are not the true story.

And lastly, to the Reno County Commission, it is time to enact smart and reasonable shutdowns and an enforceable mask requirement, and then enforce them.

There 15 dead Reno County residents as of this writing!

Eric Buller

Hutchinson

Vote Paul

My husband and I want to say a few words in support of a long-time friend, and our 104th District Representative, Paul Waggoner.

He is a common-sense conservative and shares our American values and he realizes they are under constant attack. Thats why we 100% support Paul.

He stands up boldly and does not hide his principles. We need someone we can truly trust to be our voice.

He is a fiscal conservative.

He voted to help and improve to keep KPERS solvent.

Wants sensible tax reform.

Voted for the Value Them Both Amendment.

Wants to protect the 1st and 2nd Amendments.

Hes got our vote. We ask you to consider voting for Paul Waggoner. There is so much at stake in this election.

Gary and Linda Witt

Buhler

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Letters to the editor - News - The Hutchinson News

Rep. Cynthia Lummis Speaks to Voters in Thermopolis | – mybighornbasin

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The event took place at the Hot Springs County Museum and Cultural Center in Thermopolis.

Lummis is currently running to fill the seat soon to be vacated by Senator Mike Enzi, who announced his retirement in May of 2019.

During Wednesdays event, Lummis discussed a variety of topics that included her fiscal conservative values, food origin labeling, land rights, and energy production. She specifically discussed her all of the above energy philosophy that wouldnt rule out carbon capture technology to enhance coals viability.

Lummis also cautioned voters of a massive budget increase should the Democrats to win the White House and Senate, and maintaincontrol over the House of Representatives.

An audience member asked her about the Affordable Care Act and the Republican plan to replace it. She stated that there are plans but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is not ready to introduce them yet.

While discussing the role of the federal government in mineral and energy regulation, land management rights, and freedom of choice, Lummis said the role of the federal government is to protect our rights and that is what I want to do.

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Rep. Cynthia Lummis Speaks to Voters in Thermopolis | - mybighornbasin

Parliament body: Freedom Fighters’ monthly honorarium to be raised to Tk20,000 from Tk12,000 – Dhaka Tribune

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Step taken to ensure that freedom fighters can lead a solvent life

The monthly honorarium for a freedom fighter is going to be raised to Tk20,000 from Tk12,000 in the current fiscal year as a proposal in this regard has recently been sent to the Finance Ministry.

This information was disclosed at the 14th meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry on Sunday.

The honorarium is going to be increased by Tk8,000 so that the freedom fighters can lead a solvent life, said the ministry in the meeting held with parliamentary bodys chairman Shajahan Khan in the chair.

The committee recommended the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust to provide monthly medical expenses to the freedom fighters as needed instead of the existing system.

The parliamentary watchdog formed a three-member subcommittee to report over the authenticity of different alleged irregularities of the Director General of Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust. The subcommittee was asked to place its report before the main committee within the next two months.

The Committee suggested the placement of an elaborate report about the previous recruitments in its next meeting as well as the formation of a committee to modernize the organogram of the trust.

The meeting also discussed Jatio Muktijoddha Council (Jamuka) and recommended placement of the financial statement of Jamuka in the next meeting of the committee.

Committee members Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and Kazi Firoz Rashid attended the meeting, said a parliament handout.

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Parliament body: Freedom Fighters' monthly honorarium to be raised to Tk20,000 from Tk12,000 - Dhaka Tribune

Corporate Consultants Set Their Targets on American Universities – The Nation

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The New Schools University Center on Fifth Avenue. (Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty Images)

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Last year, the leadership of The New School (TNS) celebrated its storied progressive history by organizing a centennial festival. The event, featuring artistic events, panels, and exhibitions, was intended to highlight its reputation as a quirky, heterodox university committed to social justice. We ask the questions that lead to new questions, challenging the status quo, said the announcement. The festival was also a hugely expensive event, promoted as a fundraiser, albeit one seemingly quite ineffective at its goal of raising money. Months down the line, the university is struggling with a projected budget shortfall of $130 million. But contrary to the celebratory spirit of its carefully crafted public image, the leadership is attempting to transform the universitywithout the input and against the wishes of faculty, staff, and studentsinto a corporate paragon of anti-labor austerity.Ad Policy

On August 6, employees of The New School received an e-mail from the new president, Dwight A. McBride, a long-time administrator as well as a scholar of race and literary studies. The e-mail announced that the school would undergo extensive reimagining and that it had hired Huron Consulting, a firm with a dedicated practice focused on higher education, to guide them. Many of us in the TNS community were flabbergasted by the decision to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in an external consulting company in the middle of a purported fiscal crisis, rather than mobilizing resources and expertise already present in-house. Union members were concerned about the possibility for union busting given the new presidents stance on unions.

As it turns out, they were right to be worried. On October 2five months after Huron was hired, and with the approval of the Board of Trusteesthe school laid off 122 employees to offset the projected budget shortfall. More than a third of the laid-off employees were union members, and essential positions were eliminated in student advising, health services, and departmental administration. The total number of employees who have lost their jobs and health insurance in the middle of a pandemic is even higher because dozens of employees furloughed in March will not be recalled.

Taken together, the number of employees laid off to combat administrative bloatthe steady increase in spending on administrative positions, including substantial increase in salaries and related benefits for the leadership of the universityapproximates 20 percent of The New Schools staff. The layoffs made minimal difference to the budget shortfall: In fact, they are only meant to result in annual savings of $12 million, starting from the fiscal year 2022. The decision to throw around 200 workers into unemployment in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century looks all the more cynical and shocking.

Huron, the shadowy entity in dialogue with the administration behind closed doors, is a corporate consulting firm that has been mired in corruption from the beginning. It was established in 2002 by 25 former executives of Arthur Andersen, an accounting agency that went under in 200102. The agency had been cooking the books for the energy giant Enron, a company that became a household name signifying corporate corruption, as well as the subject of a bestselling book and a documentary. Using mark-to-market (MTM) accounting, Enron was able to claim prospective future profits and list them on its current balance sheet, wildly and fraudulently inflating the companys value. This was not its only crime. Enron routinely advocated the privatization of essential services and resources and expanded its operation to India, Mozambique, and Argentina. In India, Human Rights Watch accused the firm of paying police to violently attack protesters. By the time the company collapsed,shareholders had lost $74 billion, and its employees lost billions in pension benefitsall under the watchful eye of Arthur Andersen.

It didnt take long for Huron to follow in the footsteps of its corrupt creators. In 2009, Huron became embroiled in its own scandal, accused of overstating pretax income from 2005 to early 2009. The consulting firm ended up having to pay out millions of dollars, between a civil fine and reparations to shareholders. Perhaps unsurprisingly, several of Hurons executive leaders are Republican Party donors. In spite of the occasional donation to a Democratic candidate, Huron executives seem to be particularly keen on supporting Republicans like John McCain, Mike Pence, Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, and Ted Cruz.

Huron turned its eye to the field of higher educationin 2015. Remarkably, Hurons own primers point to postHurricane Katrina dispossession as a model for universities looking to navigate the crises brought about by Covid-19. In a report titled COVID-19 and Hurricane Katrina: Parallels and Lessons Learned, Huron advocates that universities immediately institute aggressive measures such as staff and faculty layoffs, program closures, salary reductions, and hiring freezes. The fact that renewal plans engineered by private and public entities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina exacerbated racialized dispossession seems not to have been a concern.Current Issue

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In 2017, under the watch of the reactionary, right-to-work Governor Scott Walker, Huron was hired by the University of Wisconsinhistorically a exemplar of the state-funded, public institution serving the poor as well as the affluentto manage a state-driven austerity plan. In addition to laying off a hundred employees, reducing employment for non-tenure-track staff, and forcibly reassigning tenured faculty, Hurons plan shuttered thriving programs in humanities and social sciences and drove mass faculty layoffs at the universitys Stevens Point Campus.

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) didnt fare any better. In 2019, UNH paid Huron $600,000 to produce a cost-saving, reimagining assessment that Huron claimed would save the university $12 million over two years. The solutions proposed in the report included cuts to research and libraries, layoffs of facility and maintenance staff, and adjustments to the faculty mix (the combination of tenure track and untenured positions) based on a merely quantitative criterion for cost efficiency, credit hour production (CHP) per faculty member. CHP is the total number of credit hours produced in a semester and is calculated multiplying the number of students enrolled by the credit hour per course.

Hurons business model for restructuring higher education also emphasizes the expansion of the market through online learning and the development of global education platforms. It not only suggests that universities use the strategy of their Fortune 1000 counterparts, it advocates fostering corporate educational partnerships. This is plainly at odds with The New Schools historic commitment to promoting and defending the values of intellectual and academic freedom.

Outside of corporate and institutional boardrooms, fierce resistance to the reimagining is mounting across The New School. Employees, students, and faculty are demanding to have a voice in shaping the future of their university. In an unprecedented display of solidarity among students, faculty, and staff members, the unions present on campus (UAW Local 7902, Teamsters Local 1205, and AFM local 802) and The New Schools American Association of University Professors Chapterhave come together under the umbrella of the New School Labor Coalition, organizing a campaign to force the schools leadership to recognize the communitys needs and to bring its workers to the table.

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In a couple of emotional Zoom meetings, laid-off workers described the effects of the universitys austerity measures, the imposition of what Ruth Wilson Gilmore refers to as organized abandonment. Some employees have been working at the school for up to 20 years or more, only to find themselves with no retirement, no income, and no health insurance. Underfunded graduate students expressed rage about the number of teaching fellowships that have been canceled, one of the few sources of income for international students on a visa. And an exhausted faculty body, whose salaries have been cut, retirement contributions halted, and research funds eliminated, expressed their concerns about being confronted with an institution they no longer recognize as their own.

Despite repeated requests, university leadership has yet to meet with the labor coalition. Demands for financial transparency and meaningful participation in decision-making have been similarly deflected. Crucial information has been withheld even from the task force of faculty, staff, and administrators created by the administration to help reimagine the university, leading all faculty and staff representatives in the task force to send a letter to the president and the provost explaining that they find it impossible to fulfill their mission without access to transparent and reliable data about the schools finances.

The administrations actions add up to what Naomi Klein calls the shock doctrinethe tactic of using a supposed crisis to push through radical pro-corporate measures. Corporate sharks like Huron have been helping university bosses across the country implement different versions of this austerity-driven doctrine, and The New School is clearly no exception. This vision of the future is not only borne on the backs of the most vulnerable in our communities; it threatens to undermine higher education itself. To remain true to its historical commitments, The New School needs to dispense with corporate models that cut to the bone, and begin listening to those who make the institution, against all odds, a place of humane, progressive education.

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Corporate Consultants Set Their Targets on American Universities - The Nation

Minitrue: Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the War to Resist America and Aid Korea – China Digital Times

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The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.

Cyberspace Administration of China notice:1. Regarding livestreams of the commemorative rally for the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's War to Resist America and Aid Korea on October 23, strictly standardize sourcing, and use the video stream from the Central Broadcast and Television General Platform. It is forbidden to change headings without authorization or activate the on-screen comments function. Keep tabs on posts and comments.2. On October 23, there will be activities such as laying of wreaths at the War to Resist America and Aid Korea martyrs' cemetery in Liaoyang and monument in Dandong, Liaoning, and the Sino-Korean Friendship Pagoda and Cemetery for the Heroes of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in Pyongyang, North Korea. Related reports should not relay information from KCNA. (October 22, 2020) [Source]

This week marks the 70th anniversary of China's intervention in the Korean War in the thinly veiled guise of People's Liberation Army units rebranded as "Chinese People's Volunteers."Xi Jinping began a week-long remembrance by visiting a memorial exhibit in Beijing on Monday.The Diplomats Shannon Tiezzi analyzed the subtext of Xis highly public visit:

In remarks at the exhibit, Xi said, The victory in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea was a victory of justice, a victory of peace and a victory of the people. He added that the spirit forged during the war will inspire the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to overcome all difficulties and obstacles, and prevail over all enemies.

Xi did not specifically mention what enemies China might be facing today, instead focusing on the figurative battle for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. But the subtext was obvious from the literal backdrop to his remarks. The United States, that past enemy, looms large as a present villain. Its noteworthy that, amid the worst downturn in U.S.-China relations since at least 1989, and arguably since ties were established in 1979, Xi chose to highlight the one actual war between the two sides.

As Joe Renouard and Woyu Liu noted in an earlier article for The Diplomat, in Chinas official narrative the Korea conflict was not only a just war, but also a vital test for the new PRC and, ultimately, a victory against a technologically superior foe. More specifically, In China today, the Korean War stands as a universally understood symbol of national unity against American belligerence. That gives the Korean War a clear resonance for the current moment. [Source]

Similarly, from William Zheng at South China Morning Post:

Junfei Wu, deputy director of Hong Kong think tank the Tianda Institute, said Xis speech at the museum had a two-pronged message for domestic and overseas audiences.

At the beginning of the Korean war, America misjudged Chinas determination to push them back. They thought China would not send troops into the Korean peninsula. But China did. Xis speech and Beijings high-profile commemorations are clear warning signals to the US not to underestimate Beijings determination to safeguard its core interests, he said.

[] Chen Daoyin, an independent political scientist and a former Shanghai-based professor, noted that from the Communist Partys perspective, historical narratives always needed to serve current politics. Xis historical evaluation of the Korean war corresponds to the current era of the new cold war confrontation between China and the US, he said. [Source]

The Dandong war memorial, mentioned in the censorship directive above, can be seen as a bellwether of Chinese relations with the outside world. Historian Ma Zhao, quoted by The Financial Times, said that recent renovations to the memorial point to a clear flare-up of anti-American sentiment. Chaguans David Rennie traveled to Dandong and reported on how revisions to Korean War historiography reflect Chinese leaders changing world views:

The new memorial in Dandong charges America with crimes against international law in a single display panel, offering few details. A glass case offers supposed evidence: an old bomb casing, and dusty test-tubes containing bacteria-carrying insects scattered by the us forces. In reality the tale was long ago debunked, notably by documents that emerged from Soviet archives decades after the war. The papers included a resolution by the Soviet government in 1953 that called reports of American germ warfare in Korea fictitious. A study by Milton Leitenberg for the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington cites memoirs by Wu Zhili, a former head of Chinas military medical service in Korea. Wu called talk of germ warfare a false alarm that did not make sense: some alleged drop-zones were just metres from American lines, and the winter weather was far too cold for bacteriological warfare.

Cheerful souls might conclude that modern Chinas rulers are embarrassed by this old propaganda but cannot easily disown it, so are taking a middle path. Chaguan draws a different lesson from a recent visit to the memorial. The new museum may tone down its anti-Americanism, eschewing the previous memorials statements about American imperialism being exposed as a paper tiger. But in its place is something that may prove just as disruptive: a deep disdain for the West, which is portrayed as unable to match the efficiency and order of Communist Party rule. Indeed, Americas germ-warfare campaign is called a military failure, thanks to clever Chinese and North Korean anti-epidemic work. [Source]

As part of the Chinese governments campaign to revisit and rethink the Korean War, CCTV released a 20-episode documentary series on the conflict.

Although there might have been noticeably little mention of North Korea in the Chinese state-television documentary, Global Times covered North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns tribute to Mao Anying, Mao Zedongs son, who was killed in a bombing raid while serving in the Chinese army.

Chinas online nationalists criticized the ber-popular South Korean boy band BTS for eliding mention of Chinese war dead during a ceremony commemorating the war. China and South Korea fought on opposite sides of the war and although a truce has been reached the war is, technically, not over. BTS, like all South Korean K-pop groups, is banned from performing in China but nonetheless remains extremely popular. Although some Chinese netizens called for a boycott of all BTS goods, no such large-scale boycott has yet emerged. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson even clarified that BTS merchandise has not been banned by Chinese customs.

In Foreign Policy, S. Nathan Park wrote on the boycott that never materialized:

The PRC proved no match for ARMY. When the K-pop superstar group BTS acknowledged the shared sacrifice of Americans and Koreans as they received the Korea Societys James A. Van Fleet Award, named after a U.S. general during the Korean War, Chinese social media roiled with outrage, perceiving BTSs message to be a slight against Chinese soldiers in the war. The Global Times, Chinas state-owned tabloid, blasted the group for its one-sided attitude that negated history. Online stores began pulling BTS-related product, anticipating the kind of nationalist frenzy that has cost giant franchises like the NBA and the South Korean supermarket store Lotte hundreds of millions of dollars in the past.

But Chinas media offensive against the kings of K-pop barely lasted two days. Global Times quietly deleted some of its articles criticizing BTS, and the negativity against the group in Chinese social media also faded quickly. Some Chinese fans call for a boycott hardly made a dent on BTS, supported by their worldwide fan club ARMY (which stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth, if you were wondering). Shortly after they received the Van Fleet Award, BTS became one of only five music groups in history to seize the top two spots simultaneously on Billboards Hot 100 songs chart, joining the Beatles and Bee Gees among others. Last weeks initial public offering of Big Hit Entertainment, BTSs production company, was among the most successful IPOs in the history of the Korean stock market as its share price nearly doubled on the first day. [Source]

In 1950, American President Harry Truman stationed an aircraft carrier in the Taiwan Strait, preventing a PLA invasion of Taiwan. At South China Morning Post, Minnie Chan reported on how memories of the Korean War shape mainland opinions on war with Taiwan:

After returning to Beijing in 1954, Zhang, an English translator and negotiator for the PVA, was classified as a betrayer, dismissed from the PLA and expelled by the party. It was not until 1981 that he was rehabilitated.

The struggle over Taiwan remains a central issue in his reflections of the Korean conflict.

In 2013, Zhang wrote an article, saying he felt relieved after realising the Korean war had avoided a fratricidal fight between Chinese people on the mainland and in Taiwan.

But this month, Zhang told the South China Morning Post he supported actions by the PLA to accomplish Taiwan reunification because he was angry hearing that some Taiwanese refused to recognise they were Chinese. [Source]

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. Some instructions are issued by local authorities or to specific sectors, and may not apply universally across China. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. SeeCDTs collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truthsince 2011.

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Minitrue: Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the War to Resist America and Aid Korea - China Digital Times

Letter to the Editor for Oct. 17, 2020 | Letters to the Editor – Baker City Herald

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America is making progress

By Rick Rienks

We, America, have been subverted intentionally and the evidence is coming to a head. The Chinese Flu appears to be a germ warfare attack on global economies, willfully released.

As for politically socialist ideology has corrupted education for decades. I cant express the level of anger generated amongst the rational segment of our population. That remains simmering, though shows itself in firm resolve to get out the Republican vote in numbers supplemented by outspoken conservative Democrats who abandon their party as they see their beliefs transmuted to an evil caricature of that which they once believed.

For me, I am of an age that leaves me primarily an observer with a bit of commentator thrown in. I have always been an outspoken champion of the downtrodden and discriminated, just not to the point of stupidity. When I was a Cub Scout I was considered odd when I spoke out against racial discrimination and the mistreatment of minorities. Truthfully, I was unhappy with the problem of the lack of honor in our dealings with the minorities including the native peoples, the Negros, the Irish, the Jews, all those coming to America in the hopes of creating for themselves a better life.

Substantially, most of them were contributing members of society, believing in the melting pot as the path to a prosperous nation. The concept was often poorly expressed but it had substance. The path was not an easy one but it was an open path. Those who worked wisely could find a way to a reasonable standard of living within the limits of the value of their service to the community. Generally, it was understood that the way to a higher income would be found in higher education. That was the reason young men who went to war fresh out of high school came home and then tried to learn a skilled trade or went to college. Those students were older in years than the average student and much older in terms of life experience.

They had lived the realities of the war, often combat, and they knew that life has hard edges. Subsequently, their generation tried to create a higher vision of a just society. That vision was hijacked by the win by any method Democrat and Republican philosophies that became the obviously downward spiral of status-quo politics. In the mid to late 1980s I was saying, if you want to know what it is to live in a Third World country, stick around, were on that path.

Since that time, sadly, I have seen that prediction come to pass. Remember, even Third World countries have well-off components in their population. That classification relates to many aspects of life and economy.

With the election of Donald Trump we saw an amazing change. We had an elected president who hit the decks a runnin and quickly began turning the decline around. He is constrained by reason. He cannot, for example, correct everything all at once. He can and has set in motion the steps necessary to return the economy to a better place, returning jobs to America thus expanding employment and personal incomes. He has increased accountability to the bloated ranks of government employees. America First has refocused our national path in trade and defense.

All these ideas were known to the thinking citizens with a knowledge of history. Is it any wonder that history is a casualty in our schools? Much of our history, including that which I lived, is not being taught in our schools. Pride in our accomplishments has been stifled while the errors were featured as systemic.

Now you can review the complexities of our nation and its potential and start to define for yourself the best course for America. Remember, in the end it all must be defined in terms of economy and rights. A persons right to not work does not obligate society to feed them period. Society is not a bottomless piggy bank. Taxes are bondage, entitlements are slavery. I dare you to challenge that statement. If you do, you will lose.

Rick Rienks is a Baker City resident.

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Letter to the Editor for Oct. 17, 2020 | Letters to the Editor - Baker City Herald

Antimicrobial clothes claim to kill the coronavirus. But do they work? – Vox.com

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Are we asking too much from our jeans? Maybe. Theyre expected to wick sweat, sculpt our behinds, and provide full-body motion for squats and lunges, all while exuding a cool-but-not-trying-too-hard vibe. And now, in these After Times, theyre also supposed to keep the coronavirus the same one that has killed more than 1 million people worldwide and sent whole economies crashing at bay. Possibly.

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical, but that isnt stopping denim brands such as Diesel, DL1961, and Warp + Weft from promoting jeans purported to squelch any traces of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, that presume to land on their surfaces.

Theyre in good company. Italys Albini Group, which supplies dress shirts to luxury brands like Armani and Prada, is touting new Viroformula fabrics that use silver to inhibit viruses and kill bacteria upon contact on the surface in a few minutes. In London, Vollebak wove 7 miles of copper, another purported germ slayer, to create a full metal jacket for a new era of disease on Earth. US Denim Mills, which manufactures sustainable denim clothing in Pakistan, is inoculating its antiviral collection, dubbed Safe for US, with silver, copper, and the less commonly used peppermint. Los Angeles company Lambs sells a snapback glove you can slip on when opening doors and let dangle from your belt loop when you dont need it. Its clad in a patented silver-threaded fabric that prevents virus or microbe accumulation.

None of these manifested out of thin air. Antimicrobial textile finishes, the secret sauce behind BO-blasting gym shorts and sports bras, have been targeting odor-causing bacteria for decades, though few if any made claims of killing viruses, which are a different type of microorganism altogether.

Buoyed by the cresting popularity of athleisure that blurred the lines between activewear and everyday clothing in the early 2010s, the products enjoyed a rapid ascendancy. Their foothold slipped several rungs a few years ago, however, after studies emerged that silver nanoparticles, their most common ingredient, could breach body tissues and potentially disrupt cellular processes or damage DNA. Some experts suggested at the time that encapsulating ourselves in bacteria-zapping clothing could even throw our microbiomes that is, the trillions of naturally occurring microorganisms, including those on our skin, that are essential to healthy bodily functions out of whack. Warnings also sounded that nanoscale silver, which is invisible to the human eye, could slough off during laundry, contaminating wastewater and seeping into rivers, lakes, and wetlands to kill fish and other aquatic life.

A year ago, talking to brands, a lot of them were moving away from these anti-odor treatments because they didnt see the benefits really outweighing the risks, says Martin Mulvihill, a researcher and adviser at the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry and the co-founder of Safer Made, a Connecticut venture capital fund that invests in technologies that reduce human exposure to toxic chemicals. They basically saw these things dont really work that well to prevent odor maybe a little bit for polyester on workout clothes but for the most part they couldnt justify the cost of using potentially harmful chemicals.

But Covid-19 has brought the category surging back with a vengeance, rejiggered for a new age of hypervigilance and anxiety wherein invisible dangers lurk in every grocery aisle, classroom, and public park. Though still silver-based, these new formulations incorporate macro rather than nano versions, do not alter the skins microflora, and are certified free of harmful substances by textiles-testing standard-bearers such as Bluesign and Oeko-Tex, according to their manufacturers.

But Mulvihill sees them as more of the same-old, dusted off the shelf because a marketing opportunity suddenly presented itself. I was disappointed because I saw these things kind of cycling out of the supply chain, and now theyve gotten a huge boost, he says. And whether or not theyre actually doing any good is a good question.

They might confuse people even further. Certainly consumers dont always know what to look for. In March when the lockdowns started retail intelligence platform Edited saw a 133 percent spike in the number of products described online as containing antibacterial technology compared with the month before, as safety and hygiene suddenly sprang front of mind, says Kayla Marci, an Edited market analyst. But as their names imply, antibacterial treatments target bacteria, whereas antivirals zone in on viruses meaning those products wouldnt work on SARS-CoV-2 anyway.

Antimicrobial finishes take a broad-spectrum approach, blitzing viruses, bacteria, and other pathogenic microorganisms with equal aplomb in theory, anyway. Companies sometimes promote an antibacterial treatment to an antimicrobial one by tweaking the dose of the chemical, which has to be stronger to snuff out viruses. Thats basically what Polygiene did when it launched ViralOff, its antiviral technology, in April, not long after Covid-19 graduated from burgeoning epidemic to full-fledged pandemic.

The Swedish chemicals company, whose signature stay fresh recipe infuses compression tights from Adidas, wrinkle-free Untuckit button-downs, and womens suiting from M.M.LaFleur, adapted its bacteria-inhibiting silver-chloride active ingredient to strike against SARS-CoV-2. It has now partnered with Diesel to bring the jean makers virus-fighting denim and always on technology to stores next spring. The agreement is exclusive only Diesels jeans will sport this particular treatment.

ViralOff doesnt kill the coronavirus per se. It ruptures the bubble of fatty lipid molecules that surround the pathogen, inactivating it so it cant replicate or hijack another host, thus curbing any further evildoing, says Polygienes marketing manager Niklas Brosnan. In September, Polygiene declared itself the worlds first ISO-approved commercial textiles treatment to reduce SARS-CoV-2 by more than 99 percent over two hours, which Brosnan says bodes well not only for consumers but also for shop assistants who dont have to sanitize or sequester a garment just because someone tried it on.

The treatment, which is applied to the fabric at the finishing stages of production, is rated for 20 washes without a decline in efficacy. Since any garment will inevitably shed fibers along with any protective chemical when wrung through the spin cycle, for best performance (and maximum planet-friendliness) Polygiene advises consumers to wash less frequently and only when necessary. (The sustainability angle is something the company takes pains to emphasize. The less you wash things, the better theyre going to hold up, Brosnan says. And, of course, that provides a much bigger energy savings as well.)

One downside: Consumers cant reapply ViralOff on depleted garments because the company has strict controls about the chemical saturation per weight of fabric. Once its gone, its gone.

Hoi Kwan Lam, chief marketing officer at HeiQ, the Swiss firm imbuing all new jeans from DL1961 and Warp + Weft with its Viroblock treatment, recently showed off over Zoom a sleek reapplication spray currently being validated for consumer use. (The finish has been tested to last up to 40 washes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.) We havent shown this to press yet, she says with a tone of glee. But we plan to go to market really soon.

First developed in response to the Ebola crisis in 2013, then swiftly revalidated as soon as the first coronavirus warning signs came out of Wuhan in China, Viroblock has been tested according to ISO standards to reduce concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 and other types of viruses by 99.9 percent in 30 minutes, Lam says, making its technology especially appealing to face-mask manufacturers who have overwhelmed the company with urgent requests. A zipper manufacturer worked with HeiQ to create the worlds first antimicrobial zipper. Its even developing an antiviral mattress with Serta Simmons Bedding.

Lam describes the treatment as a silver and vesicle technology that uses globules of encapsulated fat known as liposomes to drain the viruss membrane of its cholesterol content and leave its innards vulnerable to attack by silver ions. Not that HeiQ can say any of this in the United States: Because of EPA and FDA regulations, neither HeiQ nor Polygiene nor the brands they work with can make claims, however tangentially, that might be construed as medical assertions. Companies without explicit approval to do so can be subject to legal action such as seizures or injunctions. Rather, companies are limited to either describing antimicrobial treatments as protecting the textile itself or employing euphemisms like self-sanitizing and letting customers connect the dots. We cannot talk about the transferred benefit to the users themselves, Lam says.

With apparel spending poised to shrink by as much as 30 percent this year, according to McKinsey & Company, it stands to reason that brands and retailers are desperate to do something anything to win back hearts and wallets. Denim, in particular, has ceded its supremacy to sweatpants, leggings, and other soft, elasticized bottoms as we spend increasing amounts of time at home. G-Star Raw, Lucky Brand, and True Religion filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of the outbreak. Levis third-quarter sales tumbled 27 percent year over year because of reduced traffic due to lockdown-related store closures. Could antimicrobial jeans be partly born of desperation?

Denim losses have recovered somewhat since the depths of the pandemic; however, sales are still down compared to last year, says Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at GlobalData, a research firm and consultancy. Whether the Hail Mary works remains to be seen. Slumping consumer demand isnt because denim is seen as unsanitary but because people are going out less and dressing down more. Still, Saunders doesnt see this trend going away soon, even if we manage to get a handle on this contagion. The rise of the sterilized society will drive demand for all sorts of products claiming to reduce microbes, bacteria, and other nasties, including apparel, he says.

Diesel CEO Massimo Piombini says the brands upcoming jeans, which will not be more expensive than its untreated ones, are an important tool to offer its customers. Were already protecting ourselves from coronavirus with masks, visors, and hand sanitizer, he wrote in an email. Now we can add the latest must-have in our Covid-fighting [arsenal] with antiviral clothing. Washing, which people are doing more of, he says, takes time, is inconvenient, and more importantly, puts a huge strain on the environment. The ViralOff jeans would mitigate this need.

The HeiQ-enhanced jeans from DL1961 and Warp + Weft wont cost any extra, either, says Ryan Lombard, PR manager at DL1961 which falls under the same parent company, Pakistans Artistic Denim Mills, as Warp + Weft. This is just an added benefit to protect our customers, he says.

Even so, questions continue to swirl around the effectiveness of antimicrobial clothing as a Covid-19 defense. Antiviral face coverings might be a different matter; as far as we know, the main way the virus spreads is through respiratory droplets and aerosols spewed by talking, coughing, and sneezing, not via surfaces below the neck. Its why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people to practice hand hygiene, wear masks, and maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from others, rather than rely on nostrums and quick fixes. The coronavirus is also blessedly susceptible to soap. Washing clothes with regular laundry detergent and giving them a whirl in the dryer is enough to remove any SARS-CoV-2 that might have hitched a ride, however unlikely.

I worry in this situation, says Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at George Mason University. Theres a lot of selling of products, based off fear, that really arent going to be effective. I would rather people be vigilant in masking, distancing, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, and avoiding crowded indoor settings.

Even more worrisome than possible Covid-washing, say scientists like Mulvehill of Safer Made, is the current scorched-earth approach to germ warfare that could roll back years of efforts to tamp down the harsh chemistries weve been inflicting on our environments, often to the detriment of our overcoddled immune systems, which need good bacteria to thrive and beat off disease. It makes sense, at the peak of the coronavirus peril, to deploy maximum firepower and leave nothing to chance, yet Mulvehill isnt sure if this is the right response in the long term in all but the riskiest of environments (read: hospitals). And while the EPA and the FDA take measures to sort the quacks from the credible for most health products like, say, bogus vaccines or unregistered disinfectants clothes, he says, are much more of a Wild West.

For Ashley J. Holding, an organic chemist and principal of Circular Materials Solutions, a circular economy consultancy in Manchester, England, antimicrobial textiles could complicate existing attempts to manage the deluge of garment waste thanks, fast fashion flooding landfills every day, especially if prognostications that such treatments will become the new normal come to pass.

Though the science is scant, biocides may stymie the biodegradability of natural fibers, since microbes are responsible for breaking down organic matter. Textile recyclers, already hesitant about reintroducing materials that could threaten product safety due to uncertain chemical content, may balk at the prospect of including more additives of dubious provenance, though the reality is that we simply dont know what will happen. Its a question of scale and proportion, really, Holding says.

Its also important to note that not all antimicrobials are created equal, cautions Rachel McQueen, an associate professor at the University of Alberta who specializes in textile science. Not every technology that claims to stifle viruses will live up to its hype or translate seamlessly from sterile lab conditions to the imperfect real world, and snake oil salesmen will, unfortunately, always abound. Buying from reputable, tried-and-true companies, McQueen says, is key, though she admits her own personal selection would be fairly narrow.

Maybe I would wear a mask [with] effective antimicrobials on it, McQueen allows. Jeans, probably not.

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Antimicrobial clothes claim to kill the coronavirus. But do they work? - Vox.com

Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripples XRP Daily Tech Analysis October 23rd, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

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Ethereum

Ethereum rallied by 5.96% on Thursday. Following on from a 6.16% gain on Wednesday, Ethereum ended the day at $414.7.

It was a bullish day, with Ethereum rallying from an early morning intraday low $391.33 to a late intraday high $421.47.

The rally saw Ethereum break through the first major resistance level at $406.75. Coming within range of the second major resistance level at $421.96, however, Ethereum slipped back to sub-$415 levels.

At the time of writing, Ethereum was down by 0.34% to $413.30. A mixed start to the day saw Ethereum rise to an early morning high $414.75 before falling to a low $412.50.

Ethereum left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Ethereum would need to avoid a fall through the $409.17 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $427.00.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Ethereum to break out from Thursdays high $421.47.

Barring another extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

In the event of a breakout, Ethereum could test resistance at $430 before any pullback. The second major resistance level sits at $439.31.

Failure to avoid a fall through the $409.17 pivot would bring the first major support level at $396.86 into play.

Barring an extended sell-off, however, Ethereum should steer clear of sub-$380 levels. The second major support level sit at $379.03.

First Major Support Level: $427.00

Pivot Level: $409.17

First Major Resistance Level: $396.86

23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $257

38.2% FIB Retracement Level: $367

62% FIB Retracement Level: $543

Litecoin rose by 2.54% on Thursday. Following on from a 13.14% jump on Wednesday, Litecoin ended the day at $54.44.

It was a bullish start to the day. Litecoin rallied from an early morning intraday low $53.09 to a mid-morning intraday high $56.32.

While falling short of the first major resistance level at $56.58, Litecoin broke through the 23.6% FIB of $54.0.

Story continues

A bearish 2nd half of the day, however, saw Litecoin fall back to sub-$55 levels. Support at the 23.6% FIB limited the downside late in the day.

At the time of writing, Litecoin was down by 0.72% to $54.05. A bearish start to the day saw Litecoin fall from an early morning high $54.44 to a low $54.05.

Litecoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Litecoin would need to move through the $54.62 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $56.14.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Litecoin to break back through to $56 levels.

Barring another extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level and Thursdays high $56.32 would likely cap any upside.

In the event of another breakout, Litecoin would likely test the second major resistance level at $57.85.

Failure to move through the $54.62 pivot level would bring the 23.6% FIB and the first major support level at $52.91 into play.

Barring an extended sell-off on the day, however, Litecoin should steer well clear of the second major support level at $51.39.

First Major Support Level: $52.91

Pivot Level: $54.62

First Major Resistance Level: $56.14

23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $45.30

38.2% FIB Retracement Level: $71

62% FIB Retracement Level: $100

Ripples XRP rose by 2.39% on Thursday. Following on from a 3.26% rally on Wednesday, Ripples XRP ended the day at $0.25746.

Bullish through most of the day, Ripples XRP rallied to a late intraday high $0.26391 before hitting reverse.

Ripples XRP broke through the first major resistance level at $0.2566 and the second major resistance level at $0.2617.

A final hour pullback, however, saw Ripples XRP fall to an intraday low $0.25111 before finding support.

Ripples XRP broke back through the first major resistance level at $0.2566 to wrap up the day at $0.257 levels.

At the time of writing, Ripples XRP was down by 0.64% to $0.25580. A bearish start to the day saw Ripples XRP fall from an early morning high $0.25737 to a low $0.25580.

Ripples XRP left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Ripples XRP will need to move through the $0.2575 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $0.2639.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Ripples XRP to break back through to $0.2630 levels.

Barring another extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level and Thursdays high $0.26391 would likely cap any upside.

In the event of an extended rally, the second major resistance level at $0.2703 would likely come into play.

Failure to move through the $0.2575 pivot would bring the first major support level at $0.2511 into play.

Barring an extended crypto sell-off, Ripples XRP should steer clear of sub-$0.2450 levels. The second major support level sits at $0.2447.

First Major Support Level: $0.2511

Pivot Level: $0.2575

First Major Resistance Level: $0.2639

23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $0.3638

38.2% FIB Retracement Level: $0.4800

62% FIB Retracement Level: $0.6678

Please let us know what you think in the comments below.

Thanks, Bob

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripples XRP Daily Tech Analysis October 23rd, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

Litecoin Price Prediction: LTC jumps 11% and looks poised to hit $64 – FXStreet

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The entire market capitalization has jumped by around $20 billion in the past 24 hours. PayPal has finally stated that it will indeed support the use of cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, BCH, and LTC to buy from more than 26 million merchants around the world.

PayPal is by far one of the biggest global payment providers with around 340 million active accounts. Litecoin had a positive reaction to the news, increasing its market cap by close to $400 million in less than 18 hours.

After the massive 11% price explosion in the past 24 hours, the price of LTC has smashed through several resistance levels on the daily chart. Bulls are in full control now establishing a robust daily uptrend and looking for more gains in the near future.

The digital asset has climbed above the 50-SMA and the 100-SMA, which hasnt happened since September 12. Looking at the daily chart, we can observe basically no real resistance levels until $64, which means that a continuation bull move can easily drive the price of LTC towards that point.

The In/Out of the Money Around Price chart shows a similar story. Although there are some resistance areas before $64, the support we see below is far stronger in comparison. It seems that one of the strongest areas would be between $54.6 to $56.3 with a volume of 1.93 million Litecoin.

Not much can stop Litecoin at this point, however, the 12-hour chart shows an overextended RSI which could pose a threat to the bulls in the short-term. We could potentially see a brief pullback down to $50 as a re-test of the psychological level.

Due to the massive news announced by PayPal about supporting cryptocurrencies, the entire market is heavily bullish. Many indicators, although bearish, will most likely not stop the digital asset from climbing further.

A continuation move of the current bullish momentum can easily drive LTC up to $64 as there is very little resistance to the upside shown by the IOMAP chart. On the other hand, rejection from the overextended RSI on the 12-hour chart could send Litecoin towards the psychological level at $50.

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Litecoin Price Prediction: LTC jumps 11% and looks poised to hit $64 - FXStreet

Is This When To Buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripples XRP, Chainlink, And Other Cryptocurrencies? – Forbes

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Bitcoin has climbed this week, boosted by remarks made by the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, on digital currencies and by renewed hopes of a fresh stimulus deal.

The bitcoin price has climbed above $12,000 per bitcoin for first time since mid-August and is nudging its year-to-date highs. However, bitcoin's rally has failed to boost other major cryptocurrencies, including ethereum, Ripple's XRP, litecoin, chainlink.

Now, researchers have identified what's really driving bitcoin and cryptocurrency pricesfinding conclusive evidence that there are fundamentals at play, and they can be quantified.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency prices are hard to predict but researchers have been trying to find out ... [+] what moves the market.

"Despite what Donald Trump may think, the price of a cryptocurrency does not come out of 'thin air,'" analysts at bitcoin and cryptocurrency market data The Tie wrote in their report, pointing to U.S. president Trump's 2019 tweet deriding bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. "Rather, there are real, tangible driving forces that determine the price of a digital currency."

"What we're trying to show is that the patterns in crypto aren't that different from equity markets, though the opportunity is much bigger," said Josh Frank, The Tie's founder and chief executive, speaking over the phone.

The bitcoin price has been trading broadly in line with equity markets in recent monthswith massive government stimulus measures boosting assets across the board.

"Bitcoin and ethereum's reaction to adverse news isn't as pronounced as it was," Frank said, pointing to Wall Street's increased participation in the bitcoin market and claiming bitcoin critics, such as J.P. Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon "aren't able to move bitcoin prices like they used to."

However, the price of smaller cryptocurrencies can still be significantly moved by events The Tie has designated "significant developments."

"Wall Street isn't trading much EOS and tron and anyone in the asset class can take advantage of the kind of data we collect," Frank added.

Some bitcoin and cryptocurrency market watchers expect smaller cryptocurrencies to eventually move in a similar way to the more established bitcoin and ethereum.

"Bitcoin and ethereum are the gateway into crypto," said Guy Hirsch, U.S. managing director of brokerage eToro, which has a partnership with The Tie, speaking over the phone.

"Wall Street interest in the altcoin market is growing, boosted by capital allocation to bitcoin and ethereum. There are billions of dollars being poured into decentralized finance (DeFi) that will create stable decentralized products that create a whole new market."

Researchers found that announcements of fresh funding for a project, as well as mergers and acquisitions, are the most likely to have a positive effect on prices that often extend beyond a weekshowing a 90% chance of a positive return after a week, averaging 8.23% in returns.

The bitcoin price has climbed by 7% over the last week, with researchers finding bitcoin is less ... [+] vulnerable to negative sentiment than previously.

Elsewhere, while getting listed on a new exchange increases demand on a cryptocurrency, such events don't result in a sustained price increase. Similarly, token burnsthe permanent removal of existing cryptocurrency coins from circulation by the cryptocurrency's creatoryield the most consistent returns over a 24-hour period with a 100% probability of an average 2.13% price increase within the day, but those gains are only temporary.

Additionally, analysts report that regulatory announcements have a larger effect when they come from news outlets, while airdrops, a type of crypto distribution where free coins are sent to multiple digital wallets, are better supported by Twitter activity.

"Conversely, and unsurprisingly, 51% attacks [where a single entity or organization is able to control the majority of a cryptocurrencies computing power, potentially causing a network disruption] show the lowest probabilities of yielding positive returns," the report read, with such attacks causing a token to lose value 80% of the time over the following seven days.

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Is This When To Buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripples XRP, Chainlink, And Other Cryptocurrencies? - Forbes

Litecoin (LTC) Price Near $47.78; Heads Up For the 2nd Straight Day, Breaks Above 200 Day Average, is Inching Close to 50 Day Average – CFDTrading

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The Hourly View for LTC

Last Updated October 20, 2020, 11:15 GMT

Currently, LTCs price is up $0.12 (0.25%) from the hour prior. This is a reversal of the price action on the previous hour, in which price moved down. 3 The moving averages on the hourly timeframe suggest a choppiness in price, as the 20, 50, 100 and 200 are all in a mixed alignment meaning the trend across timeframes is inconsistent, indicating a potential opportunity for rangebound traders.

Litecoin closed the day prior up 0.95% ($0.45); this denotes the 2nd straight day an increase has occurred. The price move occurred on volume that was up 74.38% from the day prior, but down 43.58% from the same day the week before. Relative to other instruments in the Top Cryptos asset class, Litecoin ranked 5th since the day prior in terms of percentage price change. The daily price chart of Litecoin below illustrates.

Notably, Litecoin crossed above its 200 day moving average yesterday. Trend traders will want to observe that the strongest trend appears on the 30 day horizon; over that time period, price has been moving up. For another vantage point, consider that Litecoins price has gone up 17 of the previous 30 trading days.

For laughs, fights, or genuinely useful information, lets see what the most popular tweets pertaining to Litecoin for the past day were:

@litecoin_bull @SuperPowersT @CanadaSpecialA1 @basil_ireton @Cleopat82469861 @USMarshalsHQ @USMC @FBI @RCMPONT Along with the facts larps wouldnt know about Snowden sleeping in the brigg.

Just finished the last of my three buys from the land I sold Just converted a 10 acre timber property I owned for litecoin

@USMarshalsHQ @USMC @FBI @RCMPONT @ROYALMRBADNEWS @litecoin_bull Wayne Emmerson has some interesting connections to summer camps Stouffville area nice satanic symbolism in camp website photos. Heads of camps Connects to Trudeaus favorite camps.

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Litecoin (LTC) Price Near $47.78; Heads Up For the 2nd Straight Day, Breaks Above 200 Day Average, is Inching Close to 50 Day Average - CFDTrading

Litecoin and Cardano Exploring Velvet Fork Partnership Heres How the Crypto Collaboration Could Work – The Daily Hodl

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Litecoin (LTC) and smart contract platform Cardano (ADA) are exploring a Velvet Fork partnership that will unlock new features in the 10th largest cryptocurrency such as cross-chain communications, smart contract capabilities, and improved scalability.

In July, Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson invited Litecoin Foundation managing director Charlie Lee to potentially collaborate on the testing of cross-chain communications between the two cryptocurrencies.

Since then, the two teams have been in communication, says Litecoin Foundation project director David Schwartz.

Given the opportunity to research and provide input into the feasibility, pros, and cons of such an endeavor, I have had a number of informative exchanges with Charles team on not just what a Velvet Fork is, but also how it affects the base code and what it would mean potentially for the continued growth and utility of Litecoin as not just a store of value, but also as a means of exchange and method of settlement within smart contracts.

According to Schwartz, a velvet fork is a protocol upgrade mechanism performed on a cryptocurrency code; it is neither a hard fork nor soft fork, notes Schwartz, because it doesnt require majority consensus. Miners will be able to continue to serve on the Litecoin network whether they choose to upgrade or not.

With the velvet fork upgrade, Schwartz explains how Litecoin can be used in smart contract platforms by using Non-Interactive Proofs of Work (NiPoPoWs).

It allows blockchains to interact like APIs, enabling a cryptocurrency like Litecoin to be used within a smart contract in a blockchain that has smart contract capabilities (Ethereum, Cardano, etc.). Basically the smart contract capable blockchain validates the NiPoPow used within the Litecoin sidechain that has had the velvet fork added to allow for this action to take place.

While the velvet fork partnership promises multiple benefits to Litecoin, Schwartz highlights that the partnership should make sense in terms of security and integrity of the coin.

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Litecoin and Cardano Exploring Velvet Fork Partnership Heres How the Crypto Collaboration Could Work - The Daily Hodl

Litecoin (LTC) Price Near $55.03; Breaks Above 20, 50, 100 and 200 Day Averages, Price Base in Formation Over Past 14 Days, Makes Big Move Relative to…

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The Hourly View for LTC

Last Updated October 22, 2020, 01:036 GMT

At the moment, LTCs price is up $0.45 (0.82%) from the hour prior. Its been a feast for bulls operating on an hourly timeframe, as LTC has now gone up 4 of the past 5 hours. Regarding the trend, note that the strongest trend exists on the 50 hour timeframe. The moving averages on the hourly timeframe suggest a choppiness in price, as the 20, 50, 100 and 200 are all in a mixed alignment meaning the trend across timeframes is inconsistent, indicating a potential opportunity for rangebound traders.

The back and forth price flow continues for Litecoin, which started today off at 53.14 US dollars, up 13.23% ($6.21) from the day prior. As for how volume fared, yesterdays volume was up 377.89% from the previous day (Tuesday), and up 470.02% from Wednesday of the week before. Litecoin outperformed all 7 assets in the Top Cryptos asset class since the day prior. The daily price chart of Litecoin below illustrates.

First things first: Litecoin crossed above its 20, 50, 100 and 200 day moving averages yesterday. The clearest trend exists on the 90 day timeframe, which shows price moving down over that time. Traders will also want to note, though, that a counter trend meaning a trend going up can be seen on the 30 day timeframe. This may setup an interesting opportunity for traders looking to sell rallies in anticipation of the primary trend resuming. Also of note is that on a 14 day basis price appears to be forming a base which could the stage for it being a support/resistance level going forward. For another vantage point, consider that Litecoins price has gone up 18 of the previous 30 trading days.

For laughs, fights, or genuinely useful information, lets see what the most popular tweets pertaining to Litecoin for the past day were:

PayPalGrayscale Litecoin Trust#LTC debit cardLitebringer blockchain gameMWEB (Mimblewimble + Extension Blocks)AtariMore to comeAt the start of the year, I said #Litecoin was going to rip your face off in 2020.Whos laughing now?

@ROYALMRBADNEWS @MishelleO1974 @TJque1 @litecoin_bull @ccunningham821 @Michele17934584 @RealJamesWoods @realDonaldTrump @POTUS 3 That being saidfor some reason in the last 2-3 years he has changed. He has backtracked on many topics. He has argued agaisnt Trump many times. Something is wrong. He is not the same Alex Jones. Either he is controlled now or he is playing some role maybe even for POTUS.

I hardly ever swear, but PayPal just helped #Litecoin give all the doubters a big, fat f*uck you.May delete this tweet later (or pin it, not sure yet).

The rest is here:

Litecoin (LTC) Price Near $55.03; Breaks Above 20, 50, 100 and 200 Day Averages, Price Base in Formation Over Past 14 Days, Makes Big Move Relative to...

Litecoin (LTC) Closes Last Hour Up $0.20; Eyes 20 and 200 Day Averages, Breaks Below 50 Day Average, Moves Down For the 4th Day In A Row – CFDTrading

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The Hourly View for LTC

Last Updated October 17, 2020, 01:037 GMT

At the moment, LTCs price is up $0.2 (0.42%) from the hour prior. This move is a reversal from the hour prior, which saw price move down. Regarding the trend, note that the strongest trend exists on the 20 hour timeframe. Regarding moving averages, it should first be noted that price has crossed the 20 hour moving average, resulting in them so that price is now turning above it. The moving averages on the hourly timeframe suggest a choppiness in price, as the 20, 50, 100 and 200 are all in a mixed alignment meaning the trend across timeframes is inconsistent, indicating a potential opportunity for rangebound traders.

Litecoin is down 3.88% ($1.92) since yesterday, marking the 4th day in a row a decrease has occurred. As for how volume fared, yesterdays volume was up 77.6% from the previous day (Thursday), and up 98.72% from Friday of the week before. Relative to other instruments in the Top Cryptos asset class, Litecoin ranked 6th since yesterday in terms of percentage price change. Below is a daily price chart of Litecoin.

First things first: Litecoin crossed below its 50 day moving average yesterday. The clearest trend exists on the 14 day timeframe, which shows price moving up over that time. Or to view things another way, note that out of the past 14 days Litecoins price has gone up 8 them.

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Litecoin (LTC) Closes Last Hour Up $0.20; Eyes 20 and 200 Day Averages, Breaks Below 50 Day Average, Moves Down For the 4th Day In A Row - CFDTrading

Crackdown on UK gambling ads expected to ban use of celebrities – The Guardian

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The use of celebrities such as sports personalities and reality TV stars in betting and gambling ads is expected to be banned under new rules designed to crack down on marketing targeting under-18s.

The rules, which are being proposed by the body responsible for setting the UK code for advertising, would result in recent gambling ads featuring personalities such as Jos Mourinho, Michael Owen and Harry Redknapp being banned.

Under the current rules an advert is banned only if it likely to appeal more to an under-18 than to an adult. Under the new rules an ad will be banned if it appeals to children, regardless of how it may be viewed by adults.

The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP), which has launched a public consultation on the new measures, said the new rules would have a significant effect on adverts that use prominent sportspeople and celebrities, including reality TV stars from shows such as Love Island and social media influencers.

For example, featuring the England football captain in a gambling ad would be prohibited under this new rule, said the CAP.

Ads featuring some celebrities not significantly resonant with younger audiences, such as Ray Winstone who has fronted numerous ads for Bet365, would not be affected by the new rules.

The CAP said it was tightening betting and gambling advertising restrictions as a result of recent research commissioned by GambleAware. It said the findings showed that the creative content of gambling adverts that currently abide by the UK code has more potential to affect under-18s than was previously thought.

Many campaigning groups would like to see a complete ban on gambling advertising. However, the CAP said the available evidence did not justify a total ban.

The CAP did not put forward a GambleAware recommendation to further restrict the range of media where gambling ads can appear. Gambling and betting ads are not currently allowed to appear in any media where more than a quarter of the audience is under 18 years old.

The CAP said it considered the 25% test to be appropriate.

Last summer, the gambling industry introduced a voluntary ban on betting adverts during sports programmes, a so-called whistle-to-whistle blackout, under mounting pressure to protect children from excessive exposure to gambling.

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Crackdown on UK gambling ads expected to ban use of celebrities - The Guardian