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Scientists Are Running Out of Primates to Test Vaccines On

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

COVID-19 scientists are running out of primates to test their experimental vaccines on, meaning important research can't be conducted.

Right now, anyone in the U.S. trying to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 will likely run into a crucial roadblock: There simply aren’t enough primate research subjects to go around.

American labs have run into a critical shortage of monkeys, The Atlantic reports. And without them, scientists have no hope of completing the animal testing phases of clinical tests before they can move on to trials with human volunteers. The bottleneck is a bad sign for future attempts to develop a treatment, as scientists who might develop a working vaccine have no way to actually test it out.

Koen Van Rompay is an infectious disease expert at the California National Primate Research Center. He told The Atlantic that due to the shortage, he gets significantly more requests from companies that want to run studies at the facility than he can handle.

“I have to tell them, ‘I’m sorry, we are not allowed to start your research,'” Van Rompay told The Atlantic.

There are numerous problems at play, The Atlantic reports. There’s more demand for monkeys to use in clinical research due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there are fewer monkeys available than ever. China had been supplying 60 percent of monkeys used in American research, but closed down exports due to the pandemic. On top of that, monkeys were already a hot commodity in short supply.

And because hindsight can be cruel, the National Institutes of Health actually discussed creating a “strategic monkey reserve” back in 2018, but never acted on it. If they had, scientists might still be able to do their important work.

The post Scientists Are Running Out of Primates to Test Vaccines On appeared first on Futurism.

Peterson family named conservationists of the year in Rice County, Minn. – AberdeenNews.com

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

NORTHFIELD, Minn. The Peterson family, operators of Twin Oaks Farms in Northfield, have been named this year's outstanding conservationists in Rice County, Minn., by the Rice County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Mike and Kay Peterson along with their two sons manage around 800 acres of corn and soybeans. The Petersons use strip-till and no-till methods on their operation.

Mike Peterson said he and his family are responsible for about 43 million square feet of topsoil, giving them incentive to preserve what's in the ground. Rice County's thin layer of topsoil can be pretty productive ground, he said, but droughts are always a concern making water management essential.

"There's all kinds of reasons to try to keep our investment out of the streams and rivers and keep us productive," he said.

Peterson explained how they harvested a stretch of corn planted in an area with interseeding around three years ago, and the results turned them into believers of the practice.

Last year, Peterson planted 50 acres of cover crops with a custom interseeder rented from the Rice County Soil and Water Conservation District, planting ryegrass, Bayou Kale, purple top turnip and five acres of winter cereal rye. Peterson built the Rice County SWCD cover crop interseeder last year, using an old spryer bar and a Gandy seedbox/blowing system.

This year, he's planning to fall interseed cover crops into soybeans going into corn next year. He said if weather conditions are favorable, he'll plant up to 400 acres with a four-species mix consisting of oats, some clovers and radish. On the remaining corn ground going into soybeans, he plans on planting winter cereal rye to prevent soil erosion and build organic matter.

"There are other early adopters in Rice County who we can compare cover crop practices to; we are not the only ones," said Mike Peterson. There are good stewards in the county, and we communicate with them to try and make cover crops work.

The Petersons started Twin Oaks farm in 1998, and started using conservation practices not long after that. The farm, located just east of the city of Northfield in Rice County, has added "critical area plantings of native prairie on highly erodible end rows where erosion was happening year after year", according to the Rice County SWCD.

Mike Peterson is now in the process of building his own interseeder, which will allow him to break up thick cornstalk residue, apply nutrients and seed cover crops. Peterson uses his experience in building custom farm equipment for his business Peterson Equipment.

"Our farm is also multi-generational and we want to leave topsoil for the future generations of my family," said Peterson. "As a kid, I watched a lot of fence lines get lower on the downhill side and higher on the uphill side. Its apparent that a lot of soil can move around after heavy rains. I dont think the rivers and Lake Pepin want our dirt, and I dont want to give it up."

Adrian Peterson Believes He Still Has a Lot to Prove – NBC4 Washington

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Washington Football Team star Adrian Peterson has a long list of accomplishments. From bouncing back and winning the NFL MVP after tearing his ACL in 2012, then ranking in the top five of all-time career rushing yards.

He has done it all, however, according to him, he is not even close to being done.

He explained in his pressconference, When you talk about the running back position because they like tokind of put us in this box of four or five years and then, typically, youreout. To have a successful what people will look at as successful, seven oreight years in the NFL, why not 15? Why not 18 years? Its just me playing myrole and trying to inspire our next generation.

Capital Games is your source for all Washington-area sports.

Training camp has been a great tool for Peterson to get a close look at that next generation of backs. The substantial amount of depth the Washington backfield has to offer this season has Peterson looking forward to the beginning of the season.

The running back room isincredible, he said. We have so much talent as far as Antonio Gibson, J.D.[McKissic] to Peyton [Barber] to Bryce [Love]. All these guys are unique intheir own way. Just being out here seeing them go through this offense where itpresents opportunities for a running back to make plays, and sometimes theyhave a couple of us out there at the same time. Its exciting to see.

Peterson wants to prove tothe doubters that he can still play at a high level in his mid-30s. One way todo that is by breaking Emmitt Smiths all-time rushing record (18,355), whichhes already stated as his personal goal for the rest of hiscareer.

Whether Peterson will break the all-time rushing record or not will remain to be seen, but if it happens, he and many Washington fans hope that he does it in the burgundy and gold.

Its my second home,Peterson said. The fan base here is incredible. They show a lot of support.They remind me all the time how much they appreciate what I do when Im outthere on the field and how I play. Im just enjoying it and embracing it. God willing,itll be five more years.

Although the former MVP still has big goals to accomplish in his 15th year, he is still focused on teaching the younger running backs the keys to remaining in the league for a long time.

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Adrian Peterson Believes He Still Has a Lot to Prove - NBC4 Washington

Adrian Peterson still out to prove something – WUSA9.com

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Entering his 14th NFL season, Peterson is 35 years old and still grinding it out at running back.

ASHBURN, Va. It appeared as if this was going to be Derrius Guice's big chance for a breakout year at running back for Washington. Guice has his issues and is no longer on the team. However, the backup plan is pretty strong.

Adrian Peterson returns for his 14th NFL season. It's probably not fair to call him the backup plan as he's always been option number one.

At one time he was unchallenged as the best running back in the league. Peterson is now 35 years old. It looks like he'll be the "go to" back again. He knows he always has something to prove as he says, "It's always fulfilling to go out there and play at a a high level because I love the game and to amaze people, turn people into believers."

Ron Rivera may been in his first year as Washington's head coach, but obviously he knows what Peterson can do. Rivera has been impressed at camp, saying Peterson will break any arm tackle and give Washington that physical presence which Rivera thinks is so valuable.

Peterson is fitting in fine with the new culture of the team and the new coaching staff. As a team leader he's ready to help bring to life the new mission. He says, "They're demanding a lot from us and we're accepting that offensively, defensively and special teams. We have a lot of veterans on this team that are excited about this change."

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Meet the MBA Class of 2022: Caroline Peterson, University of Texas (McCombs) – Poets&Quants

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Im an optimizer; I strive to make the most of each day.

Hometown: Escondido, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I taught beginning horseback riding lessons for graduates and undergraduates at Stanford.

Undergraduate School and Major: Stanford University, B.A. in Economics, Minor in Psychology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Pared, Chief of Staff to the CEO

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of the schools MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Austin is a special city that sits at the intersection of many different industries and attracts companies of all sizes. McCombs does a phenomenal job connecting students with local organizations through fellowship programs and MBA+ projects. For me, the ability to interact directly with business leaders and gain hands-on experience throughout the academic year offered a huge advantage in building a robust network and skill set. Im also thrilled to be among the first classes to participate in McCombs Leading for Impact, a two-year leadership development course that culminates in a capstone project supporting local non-profits. I believe the coaching we gain through that program will pay dividends for decades to come as we embark to lead teams and organizations around the world.

What club or activity excites you most at this school? Im incredibly excited about Operations Fellows. Though Im coming from an operational background, Im eager to explore the world of operations across different industries. Through intimate speaker series and site visits, the fellowship program offers glimpses into the lives of business leaders and their organizations. Im also excited to expand my expertise through micro-consulting projects and to explore real business challenges for organizations around the country, from expanding production capacity for a local CPG company to increasing fulfillment efficiency for one of the worlds largest e-commerce companies.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led the development and national rollout of Instacarts first extreme weather automation and procedures that saved the company an average of $3 million in annual operational costs.

Four months into my role as logistics team lead, Hurricane Irma pummeled the East Coast. My job was to orchestrate our internal teams through the storm, minimizing service downtime while maintaining on-time delivery metrics, and keeping shoppers safe. Instacart had recently expanded to cover 60% of the US, but our backend systems were not scaled to conduct bulk changes. As a result, my team and I had to reroute and update orders manually for each city.

As soon as the dust settled, I mobilized a task force of engineers, customer care experts, and field operations leaders to develop a standard operating procedure that could be deployed quickly and effectively in the event of a major weather event or other natural disasters. I then managed the rollout of the system nationwide.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Ive always had an MBA on my horizon. As an ambitious young college graduate working in tech, I gained tremendous responsibility incredibly early in my career. I quickly realized that the most effective leaders didnt just command exceptional business acumen, but also commanded a room and inspired teams to execute on a vision.

My most recent role as Chief of Staff to the CEO helped me develop an appreciation for the complexity of managing a growing organization on the executive level. With an eye toward an eventual role as COO of a global organization, Im excited to finally pursue my MBA, with a focus on corporate innovation, operations strategy, and building world-class teams.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I also applied to Stanford GSB and UCLA Anderson.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Stanfords What matters most to you and why? is excruciating, but so important. That question forced me to examine so many aspects of my life the joy, the grief, and all the unique experiences that shaped who I am today. I believe my answer will and should evolve over the course of my lifetime, but its a humbling question that I will continue to revisit.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I attended multiple information sessions and coffee chats all throughout the application process. Each session inevitably revealed something unique about the program experience. I paid close attention to the values and key experiences admissions teams highlighted throughout their presentations: Did those values resonate with my own? Did those program highlights align with what I aspired to achieve through my MBA?

Ultimately, the admit weekends and class visits were the most critical elements of my decision-making process. There is no substitute for walking the halls with your potential future classmates and experiencing life around campus. In my class visit at McCombs, students offered me their textbooks so I could follow along as they engaged in a lively discussion about corporate restructuring, joking with the professor throughout. That was precisely the environment I was looking for in an MBA program. McCombs is a small, yet dynamic, group of approximately 260 full-time students each year. Coming to McCombs, I knew I would not only have tremendous support, but Id have a great time along the way.

What have you been doing to prepare yourself for business school? I engaged a career coach this past spring to help me hone my career goals. I knew recruiting season would hit hard and fast, so I wanted to arrive laser-focused on the roles and activities I wanted to pursue. My coach helped me reflect on my prior experience, identify my strengths, define my values, and roadmap the next few chapters of my professional (and personal) life. These exercises have already proven invaluable as I prep for interviews and fill out my schedule with extracurriculars. I also took about two months off over the summer to recharge. I used that free time to volunteer, settle into my new home in Austin, and start networking before the wave of core classes hit.

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? After two years as Area Manager for Instacart in Austin, I sat down with my shift lead for her last performance review before I moved to San Francisco and assumed the role as Team Lead for Instacarts Logistics Team. We reflected on the monstrous growth launching new delivery areas all across Texas and increasing weekly delivery volume tenfold from the time we first met in 2015. A former waitress, she started as a contracted shopper, but quickly earned the role of Shift Lead. She was my right-hand in countless initiatives to increase operational efficiency and support the ever-expanding fleet of personal shoppers. With a tearful goodbye, she said, Thank you for everything. To me, that moment serves a constant reminder that great leadership is not just about metrics, its about people. The success of the teams and organizations I lead hold the potential to transform lives. McCombs, with a human-centered and future-focused mentality, is a wonderful place to continue growing into the leader I strive to be.

What is your favorite company and what could business students learn from them? Whole Foods is one of my favorite companies to watch. I come from a family that loves food, so Ive always enjoyed trips to the grocery store. Whole Foods consistently delivers an exceptional shopping experience. From a business perspective, Whole Foods is a wonderful study in branding. Each store skillfully balances the corporate brand image with local names and imagery to support the surrounding community. Through tremendous success over the past 40-some years, they have never relinquished their commitment to quality. They hold suppliers to the highest quality standards in the industry and lead the way toward sustainability in the grocery space, which has contributed to an extremely loyal following (myself included).

DONT MISS: Meet The MBA Class Of 2022: The COVID Cohorts

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Meet the MBA Class of 2022: Caroline Peterson, University of Texas (McCombs) - Poets&Quants

Bay Area air-quality forecast for the week ahead – SF Gate

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Smoke blankets the town of Felton during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020 in Felton, CA.

Photo: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times

Smoke blankets the town of Felton during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020 in Felton, CA.

Bay Area air-quality forecast for the week ahead

Containment on multiple wildfires around the Bay Area is increasing, but these massive blazes are still burning and expected to continue to pump out smoke in coming days. Poor air quality will remain a problem until the fires are extinguished.

"Expect haze and patches of smoke until the fires are suppressed," said National Weather Service forecaster Drew Peterson.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has a Spare the Air alert in effect through at least Tuesday, warning of a high amount of particulate matter pollution in the air. The Air Quality District advises residents to go inside if they smell smoke outdoors. And keep windows and doors closed.

It's difficult to pin down air-quality forecasts as a slight shift of wind can push a mass of smoke from one place to another in minutes, but Peterson said coastal areas are likely to see cleaner air than inland valleys through Wednesday or Thursday due to an ocean breeze pushing smoke east.

"What I see today is continued onshore flow that will push the smoke into the Central Valley," said Peterson. "Immediately in the area of a fire, it could also be smokey. Onshore flow remains in the forecast through Tuesday and even Wednesday. On Thursday there could be a light onshore flow."

The ocean breezes usually don't pick up until the afternoon, so coastal areas are likely to see their worst air quality in the morning hours. As the winds develop, skies will clear. The far East Bay, mainly the area east of Danville and down in the mountainous regions of Santa Clara County, could see unhealthy conditions in the afternoon.

In the first half of the week, a marine layer will keep temperatures along the coast fairly mild with afternoon highs in the 60s to low-70s. Temperatures in the inland valleys will be in the 80s and 90s. The cool, mild weather will help quell the wildfires.

Another interesting piece of the forecast in the first half of the week is northeasterly winds, a.k.a. offshore flow, are expected to develop over the North Bay. These so-called Diablo Winds usually pick up in the fall and lead to extreme fire conditions, but Peterson said the winds forecast in coming days will be extremely light and the NWS is unlikely to issue a Red Flag Warning.

A ridge of high pressure will be developing through the week, reaching full strength over the weekend and pushing up temperatures and suppressing the marine layer. The recent spell of cool temperatures and heavy fog has been beneficial to firefighting efforts and the shift in the weather could promote fire activity.

Winds will also calm as the high-pressure builds and the smoke will become more stagnant, with a tendency to settle over an area rather than move around, Peterson said.

The high pressure will build through the weekend, and inland temperatures could reach the 100s by Saturday with more warming on Sunday and Monday. "We could potentially be looking at record-breaking temperatures this weekend and into next week," Peterson said.

Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

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Bay Area air-quality forecast for the week ahead - SF Gate

What the hail? P-S GAR JA can offer help – csmng

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

By Airman 1st Class Amanda Lovelace |Peterson-Schriever Garrison Public Affairs

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. In the past two months, Schriever and Peterson Air Force Bases experienced hail storms in which members vehicles were damaged.

In many cases, the damages were destructive enough for members to file claims with their private insurance providers. To help those in need, the Peterson-Schriever Garrison legal team is working to help members, who qualify, to file a claim with the Air Force.

After receiving a settlement, or if [the member has] liability only, no comprehensive coverage, a claim can be filed with the Claims Service Center, said Capt. Kelly Fennel, P-S GAR Judge Advocate Office chief of civil law.

Eligible members who are able to make a claim through the AF include:

Active duty Department of the Air Force personnel.

Retired or separated Air Force military personnel who suffer loss or damage resulting from the last entitled storage or movement of their personal property.

Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard personnel for an incident that occurs while they are performing federally funded active duty, inactive duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty.

ANG technicians under Title 32 USC 709.

Civilian employees whom the Air Force pays from appropriated funds.

Civilian employees of the Defense Commissary Agency who work on an Air Force installation.

DoD Dependent School teachers and administrative personnel employed at schools on or serviced by Air Force installations.

AF Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets while traveling at Government expense or on active duty for summer training.

US Air Force Academy cadets.

Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality employees are not proper claimants under the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees Claims Act. However, such claims are accepted and processed consistent with this Instruction and forwarded to the NAFI for action.

Members may begin their claims at https://claims.jag.af.mil/. Contact the P-S GAR JA for the specific log in information.

Upon starting the claim, members should be prepared to provide the following:

A statement from the members supervisor stating they were on duty at the time of the storm. Other documents required are vehicle registration, insurance documentation and a receipt showing the member paid a repair company for their deductible.

It is very important to keep your documentation related to the storm, Fennel said. If you have liability only, you must upload a copy of your Insurance Policy Declarations page showing your coverage and a receipt showing repairs were paid for.

After the claim is made, the Air Force Claims Service Center will either offer a settlement for the deductible or deny the claim.

If a settlement is offered, it may be for either the full amount or a partial amount, Fennel said. It is the members decision on whether to accept the offer or appeal it.

If a member was put in a difficult financial situation due to the damage that occurred, they may receive help through the Air Force Aid Society. The amount of money loaned out is different based on the needs of the member and other factors.

The Air Force Aid Society gives out interest free loans based on a case-by-case scenario, said Lenea Lance, Airman and Family Readiness Center certified personal financial counselor.

To check who qualifies for the loan and for more information on the loan and other financial aid resources, contact Lance at 719-567-3920.

For more information on the claims process from the Schriever hail storm, call 719-567-5050.

For more information on the claims process from the Peterson hail storm, call 719-556-4871.

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Will County coroner announces retirement | The Herald-News – The Herald-News

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Will County Coroner Patrick K. ONeil will retire Monday after holding that position for 28 years.

ONeils retirement comes about two months away from an election that will decide the new coroner.

ONeils retirement was announced last Thursday on the Will County Coroners Office Facebook page. In a news release, ONeil, first elected as coroner in 1992, said his retirement is a bittersweet moment but for personal reasons, I have to retire.

Its now time to move into the next phase of my life, ONeil said in a statement. I have genuinely enjoyed and valued my position as Will County coroner and will miss my job. It has been my honor to serve Will County.

ONeil made it known publicly last year that he planned to not run for reelection. He said he decided that this is the time for me to step away at the end of this term and take over our family business.

That family business is O'Neil Funeral Home P.C. and Heritage Crematory in Lockport.

Bill Thoman, former chairman of the Will County Central Democratic Committee, said he had spoken with ONeil about his electoral future and that ONeil wanted his salary as coroner to be increased for the first time in more than a decade.

Democrat Laurie Summers, the Will County deputy chief coroner, and Republican James Piacentini, a Crete Township trustee, are competing on the ballot for the coroner position for the Nov. 3 election. Zohaib Khan of Plainfield is running as a write-in candidate.

Summers resigned from the Will County Board last year after taking a job in the coroners office. She was collecting signatures ahead of filing to run for the job while O'Neil was weighing his decision to run again.

ONell has said he supervised more than 80,000 death investigations during his time as coroner and he lobbied for and opened the countys first morgue in 2002.

Among those investigations were several high-profile cases, including the 2004 death of former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning until Petersons fourth wife Stacy Peterson disappeared.

Savios case was reopened and her death was later ruled a homicide for which Drew Peterson was convicted.

Savio's case led to the Will County Board debating in 2008 on whether to approve putting a referendum on the ballot that would ask voters if the county should replace elected coroners with an appointed medical examiner.

The measure was narrowly defeated in a 14-12 vote by the board and the issue has not been resurrected since then.

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Will County coroner announces retirement | The Herald-News - The Herald-News

Female Truckers to Honor Women’s Suffrage on Trip – Transport Topics

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

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WASHINGTON A team of female truck drivers started a westward journey Aug. 31 to honor the legacy of the first woman who voted.

The drivers gathered beside the Capitol Reflecting Pool to commence their trip from Washington to Wyoming to commemorate Louisa Swain, who became the first woman to vote when she cast a ballot in Laramie in 1870. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. (Women had voting rights in Wyoming before the amendment was passed.)

The event was held in partnership with American Trucking Associations, the Wyoming Office of Tourism and The Louisa Swain Foundation, an organization that specializes in preserving history and leading educational efforts about human rights and suffrage.

All great movements begin with simple acts of courage and determination, ATA President Chris Spear said during the event. Having pursued careers in a traditionally male-dominated industry, these courageous and determined women are pioneers in their own right.

The team includes April Coolidge, a driver for Walmart Transportation, Rhonda Hartman, a driver for Old Dominion Freight Line, Tina Peterson, a driver for Ravenwood Transport Inc. as a contracted service provider for FedEx Ground, and Theldorine Dee Sova, a driver for Prime Inc. Hartman, Peterson and Sova were present at the send-off event; Coolidge will meet them later on the route.

Combined, the four of them have driven 7.6 million accident-free miles, according to Hartman. Spear noted all four are ATA Americas Road Team captains.

The truck leaves the Capitol area with Walmart Transportation's Rhonda Hartman behind the wheel. (Eleanor Lamb/Transport Topics)

The drivers will operate a specially wrapped tractor-trailer, emblazoned with an image of Swain. The journey will culminate in Laramie on Sept. 6, the date Swain cast her historic vote. The truckers will pay a visit to Baltimore and then head west to Ohio, where they will stop in Columbus and Dayton, before proceeding to Indianapolis, St. Louis, Denver and Wyoming. They will visit Wyomings capital, Cheyenne, before reaching Laramie. The team will stop at historic landmarks in these locations, and those interested may track their progression virtually on social media.

Im excited to get more women to see that were already in the industry and hopefully get some little girls interested, Peterson said. People dont really see a lot of women in trucks, so hopefully by this whole campaign here, that will be in the spotlight, and itll get some people to think about driving as a career.

Robin Dale, associate librarian for library services at the Library of Congress, holds an illustration showing the 11 Western states that paved the way toward women's suffrage. She presented the illustration to the team of drivers, which will transport it across the country.(Eleanor Lamb/Transport Topics)

The team will transport an illustration called The Awakening, which depicts a torch-brandishing woman striding across the country toward masses of disenfranchised women. Robin Dale, associate librarian for library services at the Library of Congress, presented the illustration to the team of drivers. She explained it is among the objects in the Library of Congress Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote exhibit. The team will deliver the illustration to The Louisa Swain Foundation in Laramie.

[The illustration] actually marks the role that the 11 Western states played in paving the way towards womens suffrage, including Louisa Swains own first vote in a U.S. general election in 1870, said Dale, who in the past has depicted Swain in a historic re-enactment organized by The Louisa Swain Foundation. I wish you safe travels and a great journey.

Also included in the trailer are educational materials and a canister of sanitizing wipes. Sova said she and her fellow truckers have been taking the necessary steps to stay safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Personally, Im quarantined all the time because Im in my truck, Sova said. The only place Im going in the last 30 days is shippers and receivers, and Im covered [and] sanitized, and we all are practicing that.

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Female Truckers to Honor Women's Suffrage on Trip - Transport Topics

Undecided about having kids? Reading this might help – ABC News

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Kids have always been in the plan for some people, but for the rest of us, it's a challenge to choose between parenting and living a childfree life.

There are of course pros and cons to both but according to the experts thinking about it that way isn't actually helpful.

One piece of advice I got while researching baby indecision was to consider what having a child might be like, as well as what being childfree would bring.

We've put together a range of content about baby curiosity, childfree living and parenting to help you along.

We also wanted to acknowledge that not everyone gets to choose, with infertility affecting about one in six Aussie couples.

The toughest thing about being in limbo, especially for women, is that we don't have a lot of time to figure it out.

Separating desire from decision might sound a bit vague, but actually, you need to work out what you want before you decide what you're going to do. They don't always match up, says Ann Davidman, a marriage and family therapist who has been helping men and women make a call about parenthood since the '90s.

And while you can "research" your way to some certainty, it's got to be the right kind. Rather than ask your parent friends what it's like to have kids, instead ask how they came to make a decision.

Skye was still unsure about becoming a mum even when pregnant with her son, who is about to turn one. We've been following her journey and you can read about her first few months as a mum.

Despite loads of soul-searching I still don't know if I want to have kids and there are men and women struggling with the same thing. But there is a way forward.

There are many reasons people choose not to have kids, including environmental concerns, mental health, desire for freedom, career, a love of pets and pressures to be the perfect parent.

"It's actually a very unselfish decision what sort of world are we bringing children into? Within 20 to 30 years climate change will have made its irreversible mark and life as we know it won't exist," wrote ABC Life reader Aizzy Babette.

I spoke to two young people who opted for sterilisation to make sure they could never have children by accident.

"I feel so relieved and happy and unburdened by the fact I've had it done," said 32-year-old Phil* from Melbourne.

The research shows most people don't regret their decision or "change their mind". Instead, women we heard from spoke about life without kids of their own being "one big adventure" and "a gift".

But it's not a call that comes without judgement from others. Women choosing to not have kids is a trend psychotherapist Zoe Krupka says is often wrongly labelled selfish, shallow and immature.

Men cop it, too the expectation to "leave behind a legacy" came up a lot in the experiences men shared with us. As well as being told "you aren't a real man" until you have a child.

To get to the heart of parenting, colleague Patrick Wright and I went deep with a handful of mums and dads.

We spoke to them about what changes, what's scary, the tough bits and of course what they love most about this whole parenting gig.

"I just like my kids so much. There is something about having people in your life that you would defend to the end of the Earth. I also really like hanging out with them. They entertain me like nobody else," said Christy Newman from Sydney.

Mums and dads at different stages of their parenting career share the best bits of having kids.

I personally loved hearing how great kids were for a laugh. Alesha Kilpatrick told us about the insatiable curiosity of her children and their strange questions.

"For me, the best bit is my children's random questions and sense of humour. 'Mum, what do ladybugs eat?'"

But there is also that weight of responsibility many parents grapple with.

"Initially, we gave our kids over to child care, and we felt a real sense of loss when that happened. You really do worry and look back and think if you're doing the right thing. Even when they're staying with the grandparents, you feel this sense of dread that you're not going to be there to look after them," said Mark Valencia.

And it's probably natural to experience a bit of an identity crisis.

Writer and mum-of-two Carla Gee says she often feels misunderstood, because her life doesn't fall neatly into the categories of "full-time worker" or "stay-at-home mum".

My colleague Sarah Scopelianos also wrote about how babies can change the dynamic of friendships when one of you has a baby and the other doesn't.

Whatever you decide, think of this quote from a Cheryl Strayed advice column.

"There will likely be no clarity there will only be the choice you make and the sure knowledge that either one will contain some loss."

* Name changed for privacy

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Undecided about having kids? Reading this might help - ABC News

Friday’s papers: Childless by choice, taxes and foreign aid impact – YLE News

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Voluntary childless people say they often face societal stigma.Image: Titta Puurunen / Yle

Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said she wants to slash daycare fees to make working more attractive for parents of young children. Following up on the childbearing theme, Helsingin Sanomat's most-read article on Friday morning features a reader survey of people who are childfree by choice.

Respondents' reasons for voluntary childlessness included concerns about the climate and difficulties combining a family and career.

Venla Berg, a researcher at the Family Federation, cited a 2017 study that found that highly educated women were particularly concerned with bearing the load of work and family--something men did not express much concern about.

"Men said they would support the big change in a new mothers life by staying home for a few months while women were envisioning a three-year break in their careers," Berg explained.

The Finnish Tax Administration is urging income earners to update their withholding tax information, according to business paper Kauppalehti.

The tax office said as many as one-in-four workers were exceeding their annual pay estimates, which can lead to the withhold percentage suddenly shooting up at the end of the year. Tax officials said they were planning to send text messages to some 6,000 individuals whose earnings were greatly exceeding reported income thresholds.

An internal review by the Foreign Ministry found much room for improvement in several African development aid projects, reports newsstand tabloid Ilta-Sanomat which had requested access to the sealed report.

The review centred on projects in the countries of Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia and found that the ministry did not adequately monitor and follow-up with aid recipients. Some foreign aid programmes not only lacked clear goals, but also concrete steps for achieving targets, according to the report.

Many university students in Finland are returning to online classes this autumn, but hotel chain Scandic is nonetheless launching a student accommodation package, reports business magazine Talouselm in a story that is piquing interest among its readership.

The chain is offering student accommodation packages--starting with 30 nights--at some of its hotels in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Jyvskyl, Vaasa and Lappeenranta, according to the magazine.

Hotels have been struggling to maintain occupancy. At the beginning of the typical tourism season in May, Finnish air passenger traffic plummeted by 98 percent, year-on-year.

Exacerbating the problem is the fact that right before the coronavirus crisis hit, Finland's hospitality sector was making large-scale investments in new hotels, leading to a concern that supply may soon surpass demand.

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Friday's papers: Childless by choice, taxes and foreign aid impact - YLE News

Relationships of the Future – My New Orleans

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

The Knot releases study on the trends of Gen Z and young MillennialsGetty

Today, Aug. 31, The Knot released its recent study, Future of Relationships and Weddings. The goal of this study was to look at the younger generations entering the relationship and marriage stage of their lives specifically, Gen Z and younger millennials, ages 18-29.

Kelly here: as a member of the younger millennials category at age 29, I was extremely interested in what this report was going to say. I dont necessarily fit into all of the millennial stereotypes and really thought I wasnt going to agree with what the rest of my generation and Gen Z had to say.

The study, in our opinion, shed some interesting and expected insights into how the young adult generations are viewing relationships and marriage.

As we usher in a new generation of to-be-engaged couples and then, to-be-weds were expecting that Gen Z and younger millennials will continue to shatter social norms and make their own traditions when it comes to their future weddings and marriages, said Kristen Maxwell Cooper, editor in chief of The Knot.

The studys press release highlighted four main areas of focus. First, was the expectations of relationships and marriage contrast trends set by todays newlyweds. What they found was that the beliefs in marriage and relationships held by Gen Z and millennials differ from the trends being set currently by todays newlyweds. Currently, 22 percent of married couples meet their significant other through online dating and apps, but Gen Z and millennials believe they are more likely to find the one through friends, school and social situations and only 12 percent believing theyll meet their partner on dating apps. Additionally, the study reported, Gen Z and millennials consider having shared family values to be the most important quality in a future spouse with the majority looking to their parents (48 percent) and grandparents (43 percent) as a positive example of marriage over friends (36 percent), influencers (16 percent) and celebrities (15 percent). Approximately 40 percent believe that seeking parents permission to wed will become a less popular, antiquated tradition in the future. Despite these differences, one area where Gen Z and millennials align with newlyweds today is their anticipation of living together (53 percent) and purchasing a home (30 percent) before marriage.

Though more are leaning towards looking to their parents and grandparents for inspiration, the report stated that about 20 percent of Gen Z and millennials also look to TV and movie couples for positive relationship inspiration, stating Pam and Jim from NBCs The Office, Monica and Chandler from NBCs Friends, Allie and Noah from the movie The Notebook, and cartoon couple Lind and Bob Belcher from Foxs Bobs Burgers as sort of role models. (Kelly here: Pam and Jim forever!) For LGBTQ+ couples, about the same amount say they look to TV couples for positive relationships as they look to their parents and grandparents. In the same respect, 22 percent Black and 23 percent Hispanic Gen Z and millennials say celebrities or social media influences are their source of positive relationship inspiration outside of their parents and grandparents mentioning Beyonce and Jay-Z, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and YouTube influencers Dearra and Ken as the most popular examples.

With a wider look into LGBTQ+ and Black and Hispanic Gen Z and millennial couples, The Knot noted that now is a time for change as these couples continue to face criticism. According to the study, one-third of Gen Z and millennial Hispanic (32 percent) and Black (30 percent) couples say they have faced criticism of their relationship due to their race. More findings included, nearly four in 10 Black couples have had their relationship criticized due to age, while 36 percent of LGBTQ+ couples have had their relationships questioned due to sexual orientation. For LGBTQ+ couples, less than half (38 percent) say their parents are very or extremely supportive of their sexuality and among other family members, only 25 percent are supportive. However, the majority (70 percent) of Gen Z and millennial LGBTQ+ couples say that friends are very or extremely supportive.

The final piece of the study revealed the increase in popularity of mixed-gender weddings parties and nontraditional wedding attire. The study showed that about 80 percent of Gen Z and millennials do put some thought into their wedding day (17 percent knowing precisely what theyre looking for) and that marriage is valued as equally important as traveling to these generations. Forty-nine percent of Gen Z and millennial expect an increase in mixed-gender wedding parties and 42 percent expect that Gen Z and millennial women will continue the rising trend of nontraditional wedding day attire stating the choice of a jumpsuit or skirt would be in place of a wedding gown. The report continued, Additionally, 31 percent of Gen Z and millennials expect that taking a partners last name will decrease in popularity. While photography tops the list of wedding services that most Gen Z and millennials admit theyre likely to splurge on, the majority of women (36 percent) are more willing to splurge on wedding attire for their special day, while men would prefer to spend the extra money on music (31 percent).

Melanie here: As a Gen Xer, much of this sounds familiar. Much to the dismay of our Boomer parents, many in our generation lived together, eschewed traditional weddings and wedding attire and many of us are in mixed gender and mixed race relationships (though the mixed gender marriage part didnt come for us until it was made legal, so commitment ceremonies were the alternative). The differences are found more in the areas of meeting on dating apps (some of us have, of course, but generally younger Gen Xers or those on second marriages) and looking to parents (most of ours divorced) or celebrities and movie or TV characters as inspiration (not real enough). Personally, I didnt look to my grandparents marriages, because they were so traditional and I knew my marriage would look a lot different, since Im a childfree by choice, career-centered writer. My husband and I have made it up as we go and here we are, 22 years later! I cant speak for all Gen Xers, nor would I want to, but I think most of us have a you do you philosophy. So, to all of the millennials and Gen Zers not that you asked for my opinion or advice, so if you dont want it, skip down to Kellys thoughts do whatever. (You knew Id work that word into it, right?) If it works for you, doesnt hurt anyone and makes you happy, you are doing something right. You cant mess things up any worse than we Gen Xers (or our parents good lord how did we even survive?!).

Kelly here again: as a millennial with a more traditional opinion of what dating, relationships and marriage should look like (yes, I look to my grandparents for that one), I enjoy my fellow young millennials and the Gen Z generations want to move away from dating apps and online dating and put more into a relationship. Though Gen Z and millennials are given a bad rap sometimes, I believe our drive to find a deeper connection while not compromising on our independence and want to travel and connect with the world could create a generation of marriages that mirror the romanticized vision of our grandparents and great grandparents spanning decades and producing a deeper love and understanding.

Are you part of the Gen Z or young millennial generations? Let us know what you think about the findings from The Knots study.

Relationships of the Future - My New Orleans

USD has more room to fall 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week – Cointelegraph

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Bitcoin (BTC) is heading for a bullish start to another weeks trading after shrugging off lower levels to hit $11,700.

Cointelegraph takes a look at five things that could shape price performance in the coming days after BTC/USD saw little impact from both the Fed and futures settlements last week.

In a classic continuation of the eerie post-coronavirus setup, stock markets are headed even higher on Monday.

Despite the difficulties faced by many after months of sporadic coronavirus lockdowns and associated economic hardship, large-cap stocks around the world are showing no signs of bearishness.

The Dow Jones made brisk progress before moving slightly lower towards the end of trading, up 0.5% on the day. In the United States, S&P 500 futures were also up modestly at 0.3% as of press time.

The progress comes as geopolitical tensions also fester, with the U.S. and China sparring over issues such as Washingtons planned enforced sale of social media platform TikTok.

Speaking to Bloomberg, however, one analyst sounded more like a Bitcoin bull when describing the outlook for equities.

I cant see whats going to change peoples perspective on why we should stop buying, Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives at U.S. multinational financial services giant Charles Schwab told the publication on Saturday.

If we continue to buy and we have a few more pullbacks, which I think is likely, people will just continue to jump in and buy those dips.

Bitcoin Vs. S&P 500 3-month chart. Source: Skew

After most macro assets saw losses on the back of the Fed speech on Thursday, Bitcoin has nonetheless managed a conspicuous turnaround. Since the speech, BTC/USD is up by over 4.2%.

The same is true for safe-haven gold, which also recovered over the weekend. Curiously, the U.S. dollar currency index, or DXY, which plumbed two-year lows after Thursday, has also bounced back analysts continue to eye inverse correlation between the two assets.

At publication time, Bitcoin circled $11,600, having reached $11,720 in an early morning rally. Despite the broad push forward post-Fed, the consensus among Bitcoin commentators remains that long-term policy will drive interest in hedges against the dollar.

Powells speech is as much about employment as it is inflation. The Fed wants full and healthy employment and are expanding the ways they look at it, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz tweeted.

Inflation will be tolerated to get to these goals. Bullish for gold. Bullish for BTC.

Should DXY action continue to continue its inverse relationship with Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency may get a further boost sooner rather than later.

The dollar has far more room to fall than almost anyone thinks, gold bug Peter Schiff summarized, pointing to another Bloomberg piece in which investment company Pimco warned that the dollars fall was just getting started.

U.S. dollar currency index 1-month chart. Source: TradingView

Back within Bitcoin and the return of a CME Group Bitcoin futures gap greets traders on Monday.

Modest in size, the void between the end of last weeks futures trading and the start of this weeks lies between $11,645 and $11,735.

That will cause little interest, however, as a more significant interplay with a lower gap remains more of a topic of interest. Located at around $9,700, bets remain that that price will form a short-term price target for BTC/USD.

As Cointelegraph reported, futures gaps have historically functioned as reliable indicators of market direction, but the time taken to fill them can vary significantly.

CME Bitcoin futures chart showing a gap at $9,700. Source: TradingView

Bitcoin hash rate is staging a fresh comeback after a slight correction this month data shows seven-day average values back over 125 exahashes per second (EH/s).

The Hash rate represents the computing power dedicated to validating the Bitcoin blockchain by miners. The metric is impossible to measure exactly, but hash rate numbers allow for a rough idea of miner sentiment.

125 EH/s is not far off all-time highs for hash rate seen earlier in August, and coupled with all-time highs for network difficulty, it is clear that miners are bullish.

Bitcoin 7-day average hash rate 1-month chart. Source: Blockchain

PlanB, the creator of Bitcoins stock-to-flow price prediction models, agreed last week as difficulty reached its highest-ever levels of 17.6 trillion.

Responding, Saifedean Ammous, the author of The Bitcoin Standard, argued that even freak events that wipe out mining hardware would not cause a headache for market participants more broadly.

In my mind, the destruction of miners would make mining more profitable for other miners, he wrote in Twitter comments.

It would only affect the price to the extent it forces miners to sell more than they otherwise would, which I don't imagine to be a very strong effect.

As Bitcoin heads closer to $12,000, investor sentiment may yet see a return to the extreme greed, which itself warns a sell-off is incoming.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which challenged its highest reading on record this month, is still lingering in the upper quadrant of its scale 75/100 on Monday.

Crypto Fear & Greed Index 3-month chart. Source: Alternative.me

When BTC/USD hit $12,500, readings of 84/100 appeared, which according to the Indexs creators means a correction is likely.

The Index has not been out of the greed zone since the end of July.

See the rest here:

USD has more room to fall 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week - Cointelegraph

Bitcoin In The Early Stages Of A Bull Market, Crypto Wallet Data Reveals – Forbes

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Bitcoin has struggled through August after leaping higher at the end of July.

The bitcoin price has repeatedly tried and failed to gain a footing over $12,000 per bitcoin but is currently stuck trading around $11,800.

Now, as a number of high-profile investors turn to bitcoin amid unprecedented coronavirus stimulus spending, the biggest bitcoin and crypto wallet apps, including Coinbase, Blockchain Wallet, Crypto.com, BRD, and Binance, saw record combined downloads in Julysuggesting to some bitcoin is "in the early stages of another bull market."

Downloads and users of bitcoin and cryptocurrency apps have surged in recent months, with some of ... [+] the most popular, including Coinbase, hitting all-time highs.

In July, the top 10 crypto wallet apps increased net new installs around 81% year-on-year, according to research carried out by app data website Apptopia.

"At the start of quarantine, we noticed an uptick in new installs for some of these apps, but didn't think much of it because this market tends to be quite volatile anyway," Apptopias Madeline Lenahan wrote in a blog post alongside the data, adding it "looks like the growth we saw was, in fact, real and lasting."

Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns as well as the growing popularity of bitcoin and cryptocurrency in emerging markets were found to be apparently driving the increase in bitcoin and crypto wallet downloads.

The bitcoin price surge at the end of July, taking bitcoin to its highest level since June last year, triggered a bitcoin retail trading boom with exchanges around the world reporting sky-high bitcoin trading volume.

The sudden wave of fresh interest in bitcoin from both institutional and retail investors has caused some to make parallels to bitcoin's massive 2017 bull run that saw the bitcoin price soar from under $1,000 per bitcoin to around $20,000 in under 12 months.

Some of the most popular bitcoin and cryptocurrecy wallet apps have surged in popularity over recent ... [+] months, according to Apptopia research.

"It appears to many that we're in the early stages of another bull market for bitcoin, this time against a macroeconomic backdrop that seems almost scripted for bitcoin to shine," Cory Klippsten, tech investor and founder of bitcoin buying app Swan Bitcoin, said via Telegram, pointing to the big new user percentage increases seen by a "new crop of bitcoin-only services like Coinfloor in the UK, Bitaroo in Australia," and his own Swan Bitcoin in the U.S. which are "all seeing growth through the roof."

"No one can predict the future, but if the pattern of 4-year bitcoin market cycles continues, we're looking at a peak sometime around the end of 2021. More people are dipping their toes into bitcoin every day, and the ones that are already here are gaining conviction and buying more."

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Bitcoin In The Early Stages Of A Bull Market, Crypto Wallet Data Reveals - Forbes

Federal Reserve’s Major Policy Shift to ‘Push Up Inflation’ Could Send Bitcoin Price to $500K – Bitcoin News

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced a significant policy change to push up inflation. Bitcoin is set to greatly benefit from this policy change. Not only the price of bitcoin could surge past $500K, but a number of companies have also begun moving their reserves into the cryptocurrency to hedge against higher inflation.

The Federal Open Market Committee announced on Thursday significant changes to its policy strategy. The announcement coincides with Fed Chairman Jerome Powells speech to a virtual meeting of the annual Jackson Hole economic symposium.

All 17 top Fed officials agreed to a policy of average inflation targeting, allowing inflation to run moderately above 2% for some period of time. This means the Fed will be less inclined to hike interest rates when the unemployment rate falls, CNBC noted. Powell said:

Many find it counterintuitive that the Fed would want to push up inflation. However, inflation that is persistently too low can pose serious risks to the economy.

While the Fed chairman did not clarify what moderately above 2% means, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said Thursday that it meant inflation in a range of a 2.25% to 2.5% annual rate.

The market has been expecting Powells speech about the Feds higher inflation policy. When the bill comes due, there are two ways out, Open Money Initiative co-founder Jill Carlson opined, adding that the first is to Hurt the poor with inflation and the second is to Hurt the rich with taxation. Carlson added, The Fed just made option A the official policy.

Some people commented on Twitter that a Historic Brrrrrrrrr is incoming, referring to the sound that a money printing press makes when left running. Responding to the policy shift news, Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards tweeted:

The beginning of the end of fiat.

Bitcoiners view the Feds announcement as bullish. Following Powells speech, a number of people took to social media to remind others of the benefits bitcoin offers. Mimesis Capital Louis Liu wrote, Powell is friend of bitcoin, while many others chimed in to just say buy bitcoin. Abra CEO Bill Barhydt commented: Bitcoin doesnt need the Fed to succeed but if they insist on throwing gasoline on the fire then so be it.

The Fed, under the leadership of Jerome Powell, continues to be Bitcoins biggest booster, Gemini Exchange co-founder Tyler Winklevoss wrote. He made a case on Thursday for a $500K bitcoin as ultimately the only long-term protection against inflation. He explained that the price of the cryptocurrency could appreciate 45 times from todays price, meaning it could hit $500K per coin or even higher. The price of BTC stands at $11,453 at the time of writing.

Some businesses have already moved their reserves into bitcoin to hedge against higher inflation. Nasdaq-listed company Microstrategy recently announced that it had converted reserves worth $250 million into bitcoin for this purpose. The company explained that it observed distinctive properties of bitcoin that led it to believe investing in the cryptocurrency would provide not only a reasonable hedge against inflation, but also the prospect of earning a higher return than other investments. Following Microstrategy, Canadian restaurant chain Tahinis converted all of its cash reserves into bitcoin while software company Snappa allocated 40% of its cash reserves into the cryptocurrency.

What do you think about the Feds new inflation policy? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Federal Reserve's Major Policy Shift to 'Push Up Inflation' Could Send Bitcoin Price to $500K - Bitcoin News

Bitcoin balks as the Fed talks, DeFi surge continues: Weekly recap – Cointelegraph

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

This week was quite eventful for crypto and traditional markets, and investors will note that as central banks introduce new monetary expansion policy, Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins have begun to forge their own path.

Before reading the rundown, catch up on the most-read stories centered around the price of Bitcoin, the macroeconomic pictureand the DeFi phenomenon gaining traction.

Central bank policies first crafted in the wake of the Great Recession, which were then seen as extraordinary, have become ordinary and concerns are creeping in from all corners of the globe.

Quantitative easing, low interest rates for prolonged periods, stimulus paymentsand other actions have increasingly been used to prop up the economy, jobsand financial markets ailing from governmentresponses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This has caused the United States Federal Reserve and Treasury Department to once again rewrite fiscal policy rules to keep the country from sinking under the weight of what seemed to be almost certain financial collapse.

The scope of these efforts is a sharp turn from previous measures such as TARP that focused largely on the financial industry and theyve led us to a seminal moment for Bitcoin and other digital assets.

That chill you feel isnt the end of summer;its a collective shiver after remarks made this week by Fed officials in Jackson Hole.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged the Feds new approach this week, explaining that the onus is on bolstering the U.S. labor market with fewer worries about an uptick in inflation.

Tellingly, while Powell acknowledged that past declines in unemployment led to concerns about rising inflation and prompted the Fed to raise interest rates,the central bank will no longer take such actions.

This is a potentially frightening prospect for anyone interested in the value of money and has seen the disastrous effects of an unrestrained expansion of the money supply in countries such as Venezuela, Russia, Brazil and elsewhere.

The reason why it matters for digital assets is two-fold: technology and anti-inflation potential an ability to tap into unbanked communities and spread the credit and confidence.

In terms of market reaction, longer-term U.S. Treasuryyields climbed to their highest levels in months on Thursday, steepening the yield curve, after Powell announced this new policy framework promoting higher inflation to spur economic recovery and job creation.

Cryptocurrency market weekly performance snapshot. Source: Coin360

Going forward, it is worth keeping an eye on the broader commodities complex and also how expectations develop. Correlations that may apply now may no longer be true, especially those related to inflation.

Not surprisingly, Bitcoin (BTC) and gold traded in lock-step for much of the session, initially spiking higherbefore reversing and falling to new session lows.

Another week brought another wave of capital inflows to DeFi projects. The total amount locked is now at $7.22 billion, and the top three assets which include the likes of Aave, Maker and Curve have over $1 billion locked each.

Total value locked in DeFi (USD). Source: Defi Pulse

The total number of Bitcoinlocked in the ecosystem has now risen to 46,086, with Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) accounting for 30,798, followed by renBTC with 8,408. Surprisingly, even though transaction costs on the Ethereum network have fallen from recent highs, it failed to translate into a meaningful rise in trading volumes on decentralized exchanges.

This suggests that the market likely pressured out smaller participants and is now dominated by larger funds and token holders.

As such, future growth is more of a byproduct of innovation and further development of the underlying infrastructure capital flows do not seem to be an issue, as evidenced by ongoing growth across just about every known DeFi platform.

According to the latest post by the CME Group, the number of unique accounts that have traded Bitcoin futures since launch exceeds 5,400. As new participants enter the market, the number of large open interest holders (LOIHs) continues to grow. Andon that note, a record number of 94 holders was established the week of Aug. 18.

CME BTC futures open interest and volume. Source: Skew

Furthermore, the number of LOIHs has risen sharply since Q4 2019, which indicates growing institutional interest because an LOIH is a holder of at least 25 contracts. A record number of 94 holders was established the week of Aug. 18.

In addition to that, along with the rise in LOIHs, average daily open interest has been steadily increasing since March and for the last four months has exceeded average daily volume (ADV).

Open Interest reached a record of 15,406 contracts (77,030 equivalent Bitcoin) on Aug. 17 and is averaging 13,672 contracts for the month, a 40% increase from July. ADV in August is 9,570 contracts (47,850 equivalent Bitcoin), up roughly 30% from July.

See more here:

Bitcoin balks as the Fed talks, DeFi surge continues: Weekly recap - Cointelegraph

$140,000 of North Korean Bitcoin Targeted by DoJ Starts Moving – Decrypt

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Bitcoin (BTC) worth around $140,000 was moved today from a wallet that was previously linked by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) to North Korean hackers, according to Whale Alert, a Twitter bot that tracks noteworthy cryptocurrency transactions.

As Decrypt reported, the DoJ has recently filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 280 cryptocurrency accounts allegedly used by North Korean hackers to launder nearly $3 million of funds stolen in two separate 2019 attacks.

The complaint alleges that "Chinese OTC traders" from an unnamed exchange helped launder those funds. The DoJ also added that the same individuals laundered funds for North Korea in a $250 million hack in 2018.

Despite the highly sophisticated laundering techniques used, IRS-CIs Cybercrimes Unit was able to successfully trace stolen funds directly back to North Korean actors, said Don Fort, the chief of IRS Criminal Investigation.

According to Whale Alert, 12 BTC sent today originated from one of the accounts listed in the DoJs complaint.

One of the inputs of this transaction has been listed by the US government as forfeited, Whale Alert tweeted, adding that The forfeited address is possibly a Huobi deposit address that received 2.97069728 BTC a few days ago. The address was sweeped today together with deposits made by other users.

Whale Alert added that it is currently unclear who made the transaction.

Continue reading here:

$140,000 of North Korean Bitcoin Targeted by DoJ Starts Moving - Decrypt

Bitcoin ‘maximalists’ accused of ‘shilling’ an SEC-cleared token – Cointelegraph

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

On August 24, INX launched a tokenized initial public offering or IPO which was cleared by the SEC. The company describes its mission as bringing "regulated digital asset opportunities to institutions and retail investors".

The following day, several crypto influencers tweeted what appeared to be promotional statements about the company and its token. Stefan Jespers, known as WhalePanda on Twitter, compared the INX token to Binance's BNB:

Source: Twitter.

A similar sentiment was voiced byJameson Lopp, the CTO of Casa and a self-proclaimed cypherpunk:

Both Jespers and Lopp are considered Bitcoin maximalists a group that some categorize as holding negative attitudes towards altcoins and token offerings. Their statements left many feeling befuddled, with some surmising that the Twitter accounts in question may have been compromised. In the end, there was a more prosaic explanation for this unusual behavior, however. According to a tweet by CobraBitcoin, the long-time custodian of Bitcoin.org's website, the individuals in question had received INX options at $0.01 per token. He alleged that this would allow them to make a 90x profit during the IPO:

Source: Twitter.

Other notable members of the Bitcoin maximalist camp appeared as company advisors as well, including Alena Vranova, the founder of SatoshiLabs and Samson Mow, the chief strategy officer at Blockstream. All parties, with the exception of Mow, are listed on the company's website. Neither Vranova or Mow have tweeted about the exchange or its public offering.

Company advisors often receive various stock options as payment for their support. However, some may find it hypocritical that the same people who have accused others of selling "snake oil" are now promoting a token offering without offering the proper disclosures.

Blockstream's CEO Adam Back recently likened many of the biggest altcoin projects to a Ponzi scheme. He does not appear to mind Mow's position at INX, however.

See the article here:

Bitcoin 'maximalists' accused of 'shilling' an SEC-cleared token - Cointelegraph

SEC Redefines Accredited Investors to Include Those With Proven Knowledge | Regulation – Bitcoin News

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has amended the definition of accredited investors, such as to include those with proven financial knowledge. The broader definition will enable more people to invest in private offerings of cryptocurrency investments.

The SEC announced Wednesday that it has adopted amendments to the definition of accredited investor. The new, broader definition will open up many cryptocurrency investments previously available only to high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors to more buyers. Grayscale Investments cryptocurrency products, for example, are available to accredited investors.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton commented:

For the first time, individuals will be permitted to participate in our private capital markets not only based on their income or net worth, but also based on established, clear measures of financial sophistication.

The SEC has also expanded and updated the list of entities, including tribal governments and other organizations, that may qualify to participate in certain private offerings, Clayton continued.

The amendments add a new category to the definition that permits natural persons to qualify as accredited investors based on certain professional certifications, designations or credentials or other credentials issued by an accredited educational institution, which the Commission may designate from time to time by order, the SEC detailed. Holders in good standing of the U.S. Series 7, Series 65, and Series 82 licenses are qualifying natural persons. The SEC added that Members of the public may wish to propose for the Commissions consideration additional certifications, designations or credentials that satisfy the attributes set out in the new rule.

The amendments also include as accredited investors, with respect to investments in a private fund, natural persons who are knowledgeable employees of the fund, the Commission noted. The changes will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Crypto-friendly SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, often known as crypto-mom, said the definition expansion is a step in the right direction. However, she expressed: It does not assuage my concerns Why should I, as a regulator, decide what other Americans do with their money? She tweeted:

Americans shouldnt have to ask the SEC for permission to invest, but todays accredited investor rule at least offers people a path to ask permission based on their education, rather than simply telling them no, unless youre rich.

The alleged justification is investor protection, Peirce continued. People cant lose their money on investments if they arent allowed to invest. Yes, that is true, but where does that principle take us? Someone who does not invest at all will not lose any money on investments.

The commissioner believes that the people will still lose. She will lose the opportunity to see her money grow more than it could sitting in a bank account. She will lose the opportunity to be part of enterprises that she believes will transform society. And she will lose her right to make decisions for herself, Peirce opined. Her term at the SEC has recently been extended.

What do you think about the SECs new definition of accredited investors? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

See the article here:

SEC Redefines Accredited Investors to Include Those With Proven Knowledge | Regulation - Bitcoin News

First Mover: Binance’s Shrinking Trading Spreads and Bitcoin’s Jackson Hole Fizzle – CoinDesk – CoinDesk

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Danzig

Price point

Bitcoin was risingalong with gold and U.S. stock futuresearly Friday as traders reacted to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powells plan to let inflation run hot in coming years as the economy heals from the coronavirus-induced recession.

The largest cryptocurrency, seen by some investors as a hedge against inflation, changed hands around $11,451, staying in the range between $10,900 and $12,400, where it has been stuck since late July.

In Asian markets, the Japanese yenjumped on haven buyingafter Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has pursued inflation-boosting policies, said he would resign due to an illness.

Youre readingFirst Mover, CoinDesks daily markets newsletter. Assembled by the CoinDesk Markets Team, First Mover starts your day with the most up-to-date sentiment around crypto markets, which of course never close, putting in context every wild swing in bitcoin and more. We follow the money so you dont have to. You cansubscribe here.

Market moves

Getting in and out of a large bitcoin trade on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance or BitMEX isnt costing as much as it used to. That might be a healthy sign that digital-asset markets are maturing.

At Binance, the worlds biggest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, the daily average spread between buy and sell orders on bitcoin futures for $10 million quote size declined to a record low of 0.25% on Monday, according to data provided by research firmSkew. The spread, which typically narrows as an exchanges order book depth increases,spiked to 7.95% during the March crash but dropped shortly after. It has been in a declining trend ever since.

The so-called bid/offer spread is the difference between the best available price to sell or buy something in a market. It essentially represents liquidity the degree to which an asset can be quickly bought or sold on a marketplace at stable prices.

A narrower spread implies a deeper market where there is sufficient volume of open orders so buyers and sellers can execute a trade without causing a big change in the price. Thats in contrast to a weak liquidity environment, where large orders tend to move the price, increasing the cost of executing trades, and deterring traders especially institutions and, in turn, causing a further decline in liquidity.

Binance and BitMEX offering record low spread on a $10 million quote is a healthy market development, according to Denis Vinokourov, head of research at London-based crypto prime broker Bequant.

The tighter the spread, the deeper the order book, the more the market is able to withstand shocks [price volatility], Vinokourov told CoinDesk in a Telegram chat.

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First Mover: Binance's Shrinking Trading Spreads and Bitcoin's Jackson Hole Fizzle - CoinDesk - CoinDesk

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