Sri Rama: Back to Ayodhya – The New Indian Express

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A grand temple to Lord Ramachandra in his birthplace, Ayodhya, should be cause for celebration and reverence, rather than politics and polemics. The return of Sri Rama to rule the city of his birth after a long vanvaas, banishment, of 14 years. His defeat of the evil Ravana, who had abducted his wife, Sita. And his reign as the righteous ruler. All these are etched into the very soul of India and the fabric of its eternal consciousness, which we call Sanatana Dharma.

Nor is the narrative of this maryada purushottama, embodiment of rectitude, virtuous monarch endowed with all good qualities, praised by humans and Gods, unknown outside India. The Ramayana story, in its hundreds of versions, has influenced the entire region where Indian culture flourished in the days of yore. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan. And in more recent times, because the Tulsi Ramayana was so much a part of the interiorised survival toolkit of the girmitiyas, our diaspora of labour, the legend of King Rama spread to even more distant parts of the world, from Suriname to Fiji.

From the dying syllables of mahatmas like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to the ubiquitous chant that accompanies the already dead on their last journey to the cremation ground and beyond, the name of Rama, some have claimed, is greater than the god-hero himself. The mantra of Sri Rama Jai Rama Jai Jai Rama, credited to Samarth Ramdas, the guru of Shivaji, also links Rama to our struggle for svarajya, freedom from bondage and slavery. When all else fails, we say nirbal ke bal RamaRama is the strength of the weak. Only Rama.

Thats all you need. Rama nama, the name of Rama is the tarak mantra, the surety of safe passage across the treacherous seas of samsara. Rama, thus, is not just a person, real or legendary, but another name for the Supreme Consciousness itself. What better way to return to his capital, Ayodhya, the city of eternal peace, for this great symbol of Indian unity, truth and moral perfection, than through a non-violent, constitutional resolution of the dispute over the shrine commemorating his place of birth? What then of the destruction of the Babri Masjid?

Yes, it was brought down, but it was one mosque as opposed to the thousands upon thousands of temples, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh, ravaged by Islamic conquerors. Have Islamists uttered one word of apology or regret for so much destruction, an entire people, culture, civilisation oppressed and brought almost to extinction? All is justified, still vaunted, by its more extremist proponents.A grand temple to Lord Rama in Ayodhya! An aspiration fulfilled after nearly 500 years of prayers. A movement spearheaded some three decades ago, in independent India, at last coming to fruition. Who would object to it? But such is the contentious nature of our public culture that you will find a headline such as Ram, I will not find you there, shouting at you. But, then, why should it surprise you at all?

Even if its author is Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a respected and learned liberal champion, known both for his courage and good sense. Of course, he is entitled to his opinion. Thats not the point. The question is, what is the basis for his assertion? So, a closer look is called for. The author says, Ram is enough. No need for Sri as a prefix, let alone Jai, or victory. Sri or Siya stands for Ramas spouse, Shakti, or, more specifically Goddess Lakshmi, since Rama is considered an avatar of Vishnu.

The conjoint address of Sri Rama or Siya Rama thus includes his female aspect, like Radha Krishna or Sambashiva (sah-Amba-Shiva, the Lord with his consort, the Divine Mother), typical of Hindu modes of understanding, in which God is the Shiva-Shakti or Yin-Yang compound of Absolute Reality. As Supreme Spirit, formless and timeless, Rama, of course, is everywhere. So how can he not be found in Ayodhya? The notion is metaphysically and theologically preposterous. As the RSS Sarsanghachalak, Mohan Rao Bhagwat, said in his consecration address, Rama resides not just in Ayodhya, but in our manmandir, the temple of our mind and heart.

What commenced in Ayodhya on August 5 was thus an external manifestation or realisation of the temple to Rama already within. How can we then say that Rama should only remain inside, but never be given a proper habitation he so richly deserves in his own city? Is the only good Hindu one who externally and compulsorily appears non-Hindu, who always passively and helplessly complies to the destruction of the symbols of his faith, never having the courage to defend it?

Nobody has waged war in Ramas name. Using specious constitutional arguments to gloss over the terrible history of devastation and violencenearly a thousand years of war and misrule against the very ethos of the landis only a sad testimony to our own hypocrisy and denial. Lets not be such bad losers, dear Le-Lis! The restoration of Lord Rama to his city was effected through judicial means, not street fights or armies of vandals. Come! Ayodhya invites us all to pay homage to the Lord on his triumphant return. Even Mehta, whose version of Rama differs from mine, is most welcome.

Makarand RParanjapeDirector, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. Views are personal(Tweets @MakrandParanspe)

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Sri Rama: Back to Ayodhya - The New Indian Express

The erosion of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act threatens iconic Algonquin wolf – CanadianManufacturing.com

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Algonquin wolves can be legally killed in many parts of Ontario PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

Harming dogs is a criminal act in Ontario, but shooting wolves is a sport. And while animal welfare legislation was recently strengthened, protection for Algonquin wolves could soon be set back if the government invokes changes made last year to the Endangered Species Act.

When Ontario shut down in March, resources rightly focused on public health. By then, however, the government was already far behind on its obligation to protect and recover the Algonquin wolf. Listed as threatened on June 15, 2016, the law at the time required immediate protection and mandated a formal Algonquin wolf recovery plan within two years.

The previous Liberal government protected hotspots, but exempted areas in between. Then in January 2018, they posted a draft recovery strategy for public comment, followed by a request for more time to review feedback. While we waited, Ontario elected a new Conservative premier.

A year later, the new government passed Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choice Act into law, revising the Endangered Species Act with amendments that impede wildlife conservation.

The changes privilege development over habitat protection, extend the timeline for a government response to listing recommendations to up to five years, undermine the expertise of scientists and allow the environment minister to bypass legal protection for species and their habitat when its convenient.

For Algonquin wolves, the ongoing government delay allows hunting and trapping to continue and raises concerns that the government could ignore science-based recommendations in favour of organizations that lobby against wolf hunting bans. There is precedent.

In August 2019, the government proposed easing restrictions on grey wolf and coyote hunting in Northern Ontario to protect moose. The move was based on recommendations from a government-appointed Big Game Management Advisory Committee made up of hunters, trappers and commercial outfitters.

The proposal ignores the work of research scientists who say this will do little to improve moose numbers, and disregards issues of habitat, disease and climate change. Notably, the previous government rejected the same proposal due to lack of scientific evidence.

Algonquin wolves face an uncertain future primarily because they can be legally shot and trapped in many parts of Ontario. In most unprotected corridors, certified hunters can shoot two wolves between September 15 and March 31 with a small game license and a wolf tag. In others, it is open season all year. No tags required.

This harsh truth often comes as a shock to many. Especially since fewer than 1,000 mature Algonquin wolves remain and half are in Ontario. Most are within central Ontarios provincial parks, including Algonquin and Killarney. Beyond that, protected areas are patchy and separated by swaths of land where wolves often meet their demise at the hands of humans.

As a case in point, when captive wolves escaped from the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre into an unprotected corridor on New Years Day in 2013, the outcome was quick and predictable. Within 24 hours someone shot two of the four and left them to die. The fate of the others remains unknown, but their chances were slim. A wealth of research shows that beyond protected areas more wolves die from hunting and trapping than from all other causes combined.

Thats why the draft Algonquin wolf recovery strategy recommends connecting protected areas across central Ontario to create an Algonquin Wolf Recovery Zone. But the process remains, inexplicably, in limbo.

Algonquin wolves are unique to Canada because they have a distinctive genetic signature. Why is that important? Think of it like saving money for a rainy day, except the wolves currency is genetic variation and the rainy day is climate change. Species depend on genetic variation to protect them against unexpected upheavals in their environment. Fewer animals means less variation and higher risk of extinction.

The Algonquin wolf has at its core a unique North American wolf genome (the eastern Canadian wolf), with some genetic signal from coyotes and, to a lesser extent, grey wolves.

Their evolutionary history places them alongside coyotes, solely within North America. Grey wolves, on the other hand, migrated to North America from Eurasia thousands of years ago.

In 2018, a team of international researchers analyzed the largest dataset to date on Algonquin wolves. The conclusion? Algonquin wolves unique genomic composition and their fragmented protection in central Ontario make them a conservation priority.

A significant challenge, however, is a common misunderstanding of how science defines species. Some people protest that Algonquin wolves are just hybrids a made-up species that doesnt warrant conservation. By that logic, humans must also be a fiction because we have bits of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in our genome.

Advances in genome sequencing have revolutionized our understanding of how species interact and evolve. Interbreeding between closely related species creates mixed genomes in a wide array of plants and animals. Hybrid origins is the new normal.

We need wolves. They help maintain the natural order of ecosystems. Their presence improves the health of deer populations by weeding out the old and sick, and prevents the widespread destruction of plant life that sustains the biodiversity we rely on for goods (such as medicine) and services (such as tourism).

At the same time, wolves like dogs nurture our spirit and improve our well-being simply by being there. They represent and protect what environmentalists, First Nations, conservation scientists and hunters alike may value most: untamed and untouched wilderness.

Yet Ontarios hunting and trapping organizations continue to lobby for relaxed wolf harvest regulations and seek to discredit recommendations of the recovery strategy.

But researchers first flagged Algonquin wolves as distinct just 20 years ago, at which point hunting, wolf culls and bounties had already taken their toll. Beyond reducing numbers, intensive hunting exacerbates hybridization with coyotes and the current population size equates to dangerously low levels of genetic potential.

Many people including many hunters question wolf hunting on ethical grounds. Wolves are not food, so researchers Chris Darimont and Paul Paquet from the University of Victoria argue that wolf hunting regulations in this country are embarrassingly out of step with societal values. They suggest that attempts to legitimize trophy and sport hunting use a smokescreen of scientific wildlife management. Public opinion polls in British Columbia support that claim.

After a 2007 update, Ontarios Endangered Species Act was one of the strongest pieces of legislation in North America. It has since been diluted for convenience and short-sighted economic gains, first by the Liberal government in 2013 and again in 2019 by the current Conservative government.

Premier Doug Fords response to the COVID-19 pandemic was impressive in large part because it relied on independent research and was resolutely non-partisan. Its this type of foresight and resolve that will be needed to save Algonquin wolves. In the end, all voices need to be heard, but science should prevail.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The erosion of Ontario's Endangered Species Act threatens iconic Algonquin wolf - CanadianManufacturing.com

Dont blame only English elite. Indian secularism failed in Hindi heartland first – ThePrint

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Secularism, however one defines it, is in crisis. But the bigger worry is the tendency to find scapegoats for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs dominance in polity. The latest target is the English elite. The proposition is that the RSS has succeeded because it communicates with people in Indian languages they understand; whereas the English-speaking liberal intellectuals have failed to connect with people.

While a contemptuous hierarchy does often exist between English and other languages, which has twisted the literary-academic discourse, the above proposition is flawed and problematic. It disproportionately grants more power to the English intelligentsia than they actually possess, and more responsibility than they should fulfill. The English-speaking elite do enjoy great clout, but if you move away from capitals and big metro cities, you would find that while English does generate awe, its influence gradually weans away and the native languages come to determine mainstream discourse.

The Op-eds written by eminent liberals in English newspapers, and acclaimed books on social sciences and history find little echo in smaller cities, towns, and villages. I lived in a state capital, Raipur, for over four years, reporting for The Indian Express. The reports of a national newspaper did occasionally stir the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi, but they ruffled few feathers in towns like Sukma or Surguja in Chhattisgarh. The narrative on the ground, I soon came to learn, is mostly set by local Hindi media.

Also read: Secularism gave up language of religion. Ayodhya bhoomi pujan is a result of that

Political activist Yogendra Yadavs recent attack on the English elite, in which he wrote that secularism was defeated because its custodians disavowed our languages, is partially correct insofar the disavowal is concerned. But it is otherwise erroneous. First, it wrongly assumes that those who write in English are the only custodians of secularism. The duty to build a secular society in a multicultural nation doesnt rest with the practitioners of any one language, whatever power the language may enjoy. The English community does need to communicate with other languages, but the need for this is as vital as it is for, say, Hindi or Bengali intelligentsia to reach out to those who speak Kannada or Malayalam or Manipuri, and vice versa. Various languages are expected to be in a conversation with each other in a multilingual society.

Cultural critic Mathew Arnold once wrote that to be a good English critic one needs to learn English, at least one contemporary European language, the classical European languages of Greek and Roman, as well as Eastern antiquity, that is Sanskrit or Chinese.

Each language carries with it a distinct cultural code. Several languages working together at various planes restrict the formation of an authoritarian centre. A thriving linguistic diversity is a natural hedge against political-cultural authoritarianism, just like a vibrant religious diversity is.

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One of the reasons secularism is in crisis today is because although India boasts of being a multilingual society, we have stopped producing bilingual, let alone multilingual, writers in the last few decades. Many Indian writers born before Independence were effortless polyglots, but the eminent ones from the last few decades seem cocooned in their own languages. Surprisingly, as well as ironically, writers of a multilingual nation find little intellectual stimulation to work in more than one language. It cannot be a mere coincidence that the shrinking of the bilingual space has coincided with the surge of the Hindutva project.

Also read: The mother tongue fanatics are keeping India a poor, backward country

The second reason why I disagree with Yogendra Yadavs hypothesis is that one must move beyond English and question the role of writers in various other languages to nourish secularism. I will confine my argument to Hindi, the language whose inner politics, literature, and media I am familiar with. Apart from being the first language of nearly ten states, the Hindi-speaking zone is also from where the RSS has reaped its richest harvest.

First, the print media. For several decades after Independence, there were formidable Hindi publications like Dharmyug, Saptahik Hindustan, Sarika, Dinman that were headed by people of high calibre and integrity. All these publications were shut down around the 1980s-90s again no coincidence the phase that also saw the explosion of Hindutva politics. The last standing beacon was Prabhash Joshi and his newspaper Jansatta, which gradually lost its armoury after his death.

At present, almost every major Hindi newspaper enjoys a higher readership than an English daily, and has writers and poets at senior positions. Under their editorial watch, these Hindi publications have been compromised at various levels of functioning, much before the English media and the Hindi electronic media began to take a nosedive. Despite massive circulation and advertisement revenues, Hindi print media has invested very little in original reporting, happily rehashing copies from wire agencies or translating stories from its sister publications in English. The Hindi weekly of the behemoth media network India Today is mostly a translation of its English counterpart, week after week. I didnt hear any protest within or outside the newsroom as these prestigious publications capitulated to political and market pressure.

In fact, the Hindi media had begun undergoing a transformation during the Ram Mandir movement in the late 1980s. While English publications called the demolition of Babri Masjid a national shame, several Hindi dailies like Dainik Aaj were euphoric. The papers circulation shot up in Uttar Pradesh in no time, but the Hindi literati could not counter it. If you analyse Hindi dailies of the last six years, you cant help but ask where are the columns and essays of dissenters who speak the language of the masses? When several English dailies ran Op-eds supporting the #MeToo movement in 2018, eminent Hindi newspapers questioned the protesting women and often lent credence to the version of the accused.

Also read: This Hindi book on Indian secularism could have exposed liberals, but it was ignored

The state of Hindi academia is another sorry tale with its track record of negligible work in social sciences, a fact that the Hindi world laments over almost daily, but has not found a way to course correct. Of late, Facebook has added another layer to the smugness of the Hindi world. A large number of Hindi writers are seen writing cheesy posts and one-liners against the BJP government. But there is little attempt to seriously engage with the issue. Abhay Kumar Dubeys recent work, Hindu-Ekta Banam Gyan ki Rajniti, is among the very few exceptions. It is a book that underlines how the secular liberal failed to grasp the transformation within the RSS.

The only sphere in which the Hindi language has excelled is its literary output. There have been an impressive number of poets and fiction writers in the last 70 years, several of them undoubtedly greats. But such is the bitterly divided world that the dominant Left lobby takes no time dubbing someone reactionary over slightest differences. A little love for Indian classical music, arts, or Sanskrit texts quickly earns an epithet of regressive. Even somebody like poet and literary critic Ashok Vajpeyi, who is among the voices who have been consistently writing against the current establishment, has faced bitter accusations by the progressives for decades. (Disclaimer: I have often been termed a Right-winger in the Hindi circle.)

Consider another instance of Hindis smugness. In the early 1980s, when Bhopal was becoming the capital of the Hindi literati and a major centre for various arts, the Naxals made their first entry into Bastar from Andhra Pradesh. Police officers posted in Bastar sent nervous alerts to their political and bureaucratic bosses in Bhopal. At that time, Bhopal was hosting some of the worlds finest poets and artistes, all of them led by Madhya Pradeshs Hindi literati. But they had little time for the Naxal issue. In 1999, the Naxals chopped sitting minister Likhiram Kawre into pieces at his Balaghat home, but the insurgency still left no mark on Bhopals literary consciousness.

The poor intellectual engagement of the Hindi world with two major political issues in their very own backyard Hindutva politics and Naxal insurgency is appalling. Ever since the 1970s, Naxalism has been spreading in Hindi-speaking states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. And yet, few Hindi writers have engaged with the issue. If the government announces talks with the Maoists, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel may not find any Hindi writer with some understanding of the issue, from his state, or even his erstwhile state Madhya Pradesh, to become an interlocutor. Compare this with the vibrant intelligentsia in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, who often formed a buffer zone between the state and the insurgents when the two states faced regular violence.

The writer community that misses no opportunity to stake claim for the national language status for Hindi, which is also the first language of some half of Lok Sabha MPs, has failed to lead in two prime spheres media and intelligentsia.

Secularism in India faced its earliest defeat because the land where the first and the most decisive battle began, the Hindi heartland, failed to grasp the challenge. Because the Hindi intelligentsia, with all its reach and resources, couldnt communicate with people. Because they couldnt anticipate and prevent their region from turning into a project of the Sangh Parivar.

The author is an independent journalist. His recent book, The Death Script, traces the Naxal insurgency. Views are personal.

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Dont blame only English elite. Indian secularism failed in Hindi heartland first - ThePrint

This recovery will require more than fossilised ideas – Sydney Morning Herald

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We do not need this CSG from Narrabri as there is a glut of gas with many tankers waiting to unload gas and nowhere to go. Also, the federal government wants us, on the east coast, to pay twice the price of any other country as there is no domestic reserve. More gas will not make it any cheaper for us. - Felicity Davis, Bayview

Is it our short electoral cycles that produce such pathetic short-termism in our own national and state policies? ("Business to PM: invest for sustainable revival", August 10). Science says urgently reduce carbon emissions for our very survival. Surely then, the only solution to the short-termism of the Narrabri gas proposal is to transform the national cabinet into a war cabinet, have federal and state government, opposition leaders and scientists all work together to fulfil our Paris climate commitments? Business is on side, the community is on side. Only our governments fear for their own short-term political survival, not the nation's. - Sue Young, Bensville

Stuart Ayres could become the minister for dam(n) stupidity ("Parks service blasts impact of raising Warragamba's wall", August 10). Not only will his Warragamba Dam project to raise the wall damage nature, but it will fail to protect the proliferating and vulnerable floodplain communities downstream. He needs to shut out the weasel words of property developers and consult some maps. Downstream of the dam are wild inflows from the Grose and Colo Rivers, coming from the mountains to flood the plains. The Nepean also enters the Warragamba River downstream of the dam, so raising it will not protect the Camden floodplain. It simultaneously will become more exposed to the risk of increased hard-surface flows, as the whole Macarthur region becomes urbanised. The Minister should also imagine this scenario from his seat in Penrith. The vast tarmacs of the new Badgery's Creek Airport and the associated extra mass of bitumen and concrete around industries and housing in the sub-catchments will dump a huge local flood upon it. The new dam wall, way upstream, does nothing for that. So dreaming on, the next engineering marvel could be to blast away those river-hugging sandstone cliffs downstream on the Hawkesbury. Without those pesky barriers, flood dispersal into the sea will be so efficient. The flattened landscape will be a developer's delight. - Sharyn Cullis, Oatley

Amanda Vanstone would be wise to advise our Liberal/National government of her tip that people shouldn't live downstream from a dam in China ("We don't have to play bully game", August 10). Raising the Warragamba Dam wall clears the floodplain downstream, making land available to build houses. My tip is: do not live downstream from Warragamba Dam. Floodplains are so named because they flood. - Suzanne Wicks, Potts Point

"The community needs to have a clear understanding of the direct impacts of the proposal," the National Parks and Wildlife Service review rightly stated, but sadly it seems that this would not have happened had it not been for leaked information reported by the Herald. As so often occurs, it seems likely from Peter Hannam's article that once again money (for developers) will trump environmental protection at every turn. - Bridget Wilcken, Mosman

After Warragamba Dam was built most of Burragorang Valley was lost forever. Little remains but what is amazing is that two extraordinarily beautiful river systems the Coxs and the Kowmung still run in what remains of the nearby valleys. These will be flooded and lost forever if the dam wall is raised. We need to unite in outrage to stop the raising of the dam wall. Saying sorry when it's too late will never be able to bring back this the sacred world hertiage site and its beautiful rivers. - Gai Lloyd, Cammeray

If we cant point the finger at Planning Minister Rob Stokes for Sydneys planning, who can we blame ("Dont blame planning for woes: Stokes", August 10)? Id suggest Mr Stokes take a trip to Singapore, as I did recently, to witness planned high-rise apartments, set in tropical gardens with plenty of space between them. Compare this with the so-called planning that has resulted in miscellaneous tower apartments (often shoddily constructed) heaped almost on top of each other. Is this what our Planning Minister calls planning? Now we have Stokes latest initiative, the missing middle. Cute name but a nasty, community-dividing measure in which a homeowner is persuaded by a rapacious developer to put four dwellings on a suburban block, destroying the streetscape, reducing green coverage, exacerbating parking problems and over-building on the site, leaving his neighbours to pay the price for his miserable profit. It makes you want to cry for our beloved city. - David Catchlove, Newport

It is pleasing to finally hear Stokes admit that high-rise apartments come with a "massive potential cost to everyone else" in NSW from higher urban density, heritage impacts and the need to retrofit utilities, hospitals and schools. Growth is the disease masquerading as the cure. Its time to stop overdevelopment and start planning a sustainable Australia that is better, not bigger. - William Bourke, Wollstonecraft

It is unfortunate that universities such as UTS will be losing income as a result of the fall in international student enrolments ("UTS fears decline in student numbers could cost 500 jobs", August 10). However, there is an anomaly in this claim in light of the government's intention to reduce the cost of degrees such as nursing in order to attract more students. If student numbers in nursing increase as a result of the government's sweetener, does UTS plan to retain staff to teach them, or can nursing students continue to be taught by casual, often inexperienced staff who are cheaper to employ? What about student-to-lecturer ratios? If UTS is most concerned about its losses of up to $200 million, then it is a corporation and no longer a university. - Patricia Farrar, Concord

Its not so much our sense of shared burden starting to fray ("Great test of our togetherness", August 10) but recognising the unequal burden Victorians are shouldering right now. Politicians may snipe from the sidelines but we should reject the idea that Victoria has let the side down. Yes, some states are in much better shape and good luck to them. Were not offended by their hard border closures. But we should be sending Victorians, including their embattled Premier, a big virtual hug. We do appreciate the sacrifices they are all making, particularly healthcare workers, more than 1000 of whom have contracted COVID-19 in the line of duty. Each deserves a medal from a grateful nation. - Margaret Johnston, Paddington

If, like me, you hanker to have faith in a politician, watch Jacinda Arderns election campaign launch speech. In a packed town hall with no social distancing and no masks (thanks to 100 days with no community transmission), Ms Ardern speaks eloquently and passionately without notes. She makes more sense in one speech than anything I have heard recently from our state or federal leaders. - Graham Cochrane, Balmain

I have fond memories of Eric's Seafood Cafe at Crows Nest (Letters, August 10). Not only was it my favourite stop on the way home from school (two potato scallops for 3d) but, as the location of many fish 'n' chips-fuelled committee meetings, it can be credited as one of the birthplaces of FM radio in Australia, in 1974 (2MBS-FM, now Fine Music Sydney). - David James, Russell Lea

Erics Seafood Cafe? Be still my beating heart (and stomach). Fresh scallops, grilled barramundi, chunky chips and a decent riesling. Thus refreshed and fortified, we young tearaways would return from lunch to the 2pm This Day Tonight production meeting ready to do battle with timid producers and our repressive ABC management. Erics wonderful meals and hospitality were unsung heroes in that memorable era of current affairs television. - David Salter, Hunters Hill

One wonders if Dominic Perrottet has ever heard of the Westminster convention of ministerial responsibility (Letters, August 10). As a conservative, isn't he supposed to be the trustee of time-honoured and valued mores and codes of conduct? More and more it seems in this country politicians of the right seem to have the palsied hand of Trumpism on them. Admit nothing, apologise for nothing and take responsibility for nothing. Well, it works for Donald Trump, I suppose. Maybe. - Peter Spencer, Glebe

It beggars belief that our frontline healthcare staff are running short of essential equipment ("Mask use limited for one in five doctors, nurses", August 10). The last thing they need is number-crunchers doing an Ebenezer Scrooge and tut-tutting at the amount of PPE that is being used. - Genevieve Milton, Newtown

I welcome the article by Sarah Ayoub with its many interesting details about Lebanese Australians ("Chance to extend hand of comfort to Lebanese", August 10). In our neighbourhood, we have Lebanese Australian extended families living next door and directly opposite. They were all here before we moved in, and from our very first day, they welcomed us warmly and generously. They are all truly our neighbours. In their grief and trauma, I hope that we may be the kind of neighbours that they have been to us. - Susan Emeleus, Ermington

$15 billion to rebuild Beirut? That's the same price as building two road tunnels from Rozelle to Balgowlah. Really? And we're still waiting on the business case as to why two road tunnels were assessed to be the most effective option to reduce congestion and travel time over all other alternatives. - Kristina Dodds, Northbridge

When Volvo developed the three-point car seat belt in 1959, it realised the life-saving potential far outweighed any issue of a patent and shared the idea with the world. Let us hope that whoever comes up with COVID-19 vaccine will be as philanthropic. - Michele Thomas, Mollymook Beach

Never mind the Jaffas (Letters, August 10). I remember going to see The Ten Commandments at the Toonie (Toongabbie) Rocket. After half an hour, the movie was stopped so staff could scrape all the chewing gum missiles from the screen, and management warned that if it happened again they'd call the whole session off. - Mickey Pragnell, Kiama

You could get a lot with threepence at the flicks in the 1950s. Unfortunately, all those Fantales, Jaffas, Minties and Choo-Choo bars have proved very profitable for my dentists over the years. - Tony Everett, Wareemba

There were three cinemas in Bankstown in the 1940s: the Regent, which I attended with my grandparents to watch a double-bill of serious, old movies and to take part in community singing with a bouncing ball over the words on screen; the upmarket Civic, where the latest releases were shown; and the Jewel, where, when sport was washed out, I could join the raucous Saturday arvo Jaffa-rollers to watch westerns and Bulldog Drummond serials. - Ray Alexander, Moss Vale

Rick Johnstons recollection of staying seated during the national anthem (Letters, August 10) reminds me of my first venture into a London movie theatre about a week after arriving from Australia in 1966. When God Save the Queen was played, in spite of my republican inclinations, I automatically stood, alone amongst the English patrons who remained seated while at least half lit up their cigarettes. - Brian Milton, Avalon

While we stood for the national anthem at the Capitol Theatre, Tamworth, in the 1950s, the teenage girls and boys readied themselves psychologically for a session of slap-and-tickle. (For the benefit of your younger readers, slap and tickle meant kissing and cuddling.) - Paul Hunt, Engadine

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This recovery will require more than fossilised ideas - Sydney Morning Herald

As Trump wears out the electorate, his anointed favorite Bill Hagerty is one step closer to D.C. | Opinion – Tennessean

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Ambassador Bill Hagerty relied on President Donald Trump's endorsement to earn him the GOP nomination to compete for Tennessee's U.S. Senate seat.

Bill Hagerty, the former ambassador to Japan and state economic and development commissioner, chalked up a modest win for the Republican Party establishment Thursday night in the U.S. Senate primary. But it was a hollow victory as far as the establishment is concerned.

Hagerty is the overwhelming favorite to replace Lamar Alexander in the Senate after defeating outsider candidate Manny Sethi, a surgeon who looked to tread the same path as former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist before him. Hagerty for many months was the undisputed front-runner, but his easy lap at the polls by more than 10 percentage points belied what most observers saw as a tightening race in the final weeks.

Everything was calm as long as the race was perceived as not very close. Hagerty was just your good ol Sumner County boy made good. Really good. And by the way, Donald Trump endorsed him.

Bill Hagerty speaks after defeating Manny Sethi in the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Tennessee. Nashville Tennessean

Hagertys campaign trotted out the Trump endorsement every chance itgot. Thats not an exaggeration. Every chance. In commercials, in news releases, the first four words of campaign email blasts were Trump endorsed Bill Hagerty.

So Sethi struck back by of course saying he loved Donald Trump, too. In fact he loved Donald Trump more. The closer the race was perceived to be, the more Hagerty and Sethi turned on each other.

Sethi became Massachusetts Manny, in some sort of stretch reference to how Sethi might once have said something or belonged to an organization that maybe indicated something other than outright hatred for the Affordable Care Act.

Manny Sethi speaks following being defeated by Bill Hagerty in the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Tennessee Nashville Tennessean

Hagerty became Romneys guy, in reference to his previous support for Massachusetts Gov. turned Utah Sen. Mitt Romney. Of course, every Republican in Tennessee, presumably Sethi too, were Romney guys in 2012.

More: Meet Republican candidates running for US Senate in Tennessee

Republican Bill Hagerty waves to supporters who came to see him and Donald Trump Jr. on Jan. 28, 2020. Trump came to Gallatin to help raise money for Hagerty in his bid for an open U.S. Senate seat.(Photo: Larry McCormack / The Tennessean)

In short, the campaign became a farce something seemingly taken from a novel about a parody of a political campaign. Policy was in short supply. Especially on TV, the campaign became dominated by fears of immigrants and liberal mobs, evidently a big threat in the state, according to these two men. One commercial in support of Sethi even branded Alexander and Hagerty liberals, a claim so ridiculous that saying it with a straight face is an impossibility.

It seems like beating a dead horse at this point to once again say the Tennessee Republican Party wasnt always this way. It was once a party of ideas, and sometimes on the state level still is. This was the case not the least under Alexander as governor. In those days the right flank of the Democratic Party reached further than the left flank of the Republicans.

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In such an overlapping landscape, extremists were heard but generally ignored, if not outright ridiculed. This is not to say there were not spirited debates, or that everyone was committed to high principle, but look at what were putting up with now in a Republican land of personality cult.

Who is the most Trumpian Trumper of the Trumpists? That is what the Republican primary became.

Nobody commanded more affection among Republicans than did Ronald Reagan. For many years he maintained his 11th commandment:Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican. It was hardly of pure motive that Reagan adopted the commandment, but it was a fresh touch that does not exist now.

The reality is that the Republican Party is growing smaller nationally as Trump increasingly wears out the electorate. The outcome is a party of only the truest believers.

As a result, candidates like Sethi and Hagerty have to go more and more vicious on one another on the only issue that seems to matter: their loyalty to the president. And it all may not matter because Trumps electoral prospects arent terribly bright at the moment. What a shame it would be to have based your entire campaign on your loyalty to a man whom you pass going the opposite way as you enter Washington. And what would you stand for then?

Republicans long for the days of Reagan. And well they should, for he was the partys last hero, their last real vote-getter, wrote the historian H.W. Brands. But theyre not going to see another Reagan until they revive their Eleventh Commandment and stop beating up on one another.

Alex Hubbard is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. Email him at dhubbard@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @alexhubbard7.

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As Trump wears out the electorate, his anointed favorite Bill Hagerty is one step closer to D.C. | Opinion - Tennessean

MWCC Contemptuous of Planning Process and Public Input – Tasmanian Greens MPs

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Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader

Proponents of a private cable car on the publicly owned summit of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington are treating the planning system and people of Hobart with contempt.

In January, Hobart City Council deemed the cable car development application non-compliant, and requested a complete package of assessment reports. MWCC has again failed on this front, and seem more worried about making excuses than actually meeting council requirements.

It begs the question. Why is MWCC so casual about the Hobart City Council planning process?

Are they just biding time until the Liberal and Labor parties pass the divisive, developer-driven Major Projects legislation?

The mountain and its summit are public land.

To show so little regard for the Council and public owners of the pinnacle says much about where MWCCs priorities lie.

And, its not with good planning process, or transparency.

MWCC clearly wants to get around having to deal with public involvement in its plans.

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MWCC Contemptuous of Planning Process and Public Input - Tasmanian Greens MPs

Bishan Singh Bedi: With years, this too shall pass – The Indian Express

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Updated: August 9, 2020 11:02:58 am

Elder by a year to independent Indias midnights children, I have aged with our beloved nation. I have seen this country face several crises but I could never imagine that a disaster of this scale would strike us. I feel deeply saddened with the lives lost due to the present pandemic but experience has taught me to grin and bear it, to not succumb.

There had been another time in my life when I had been confined at home, worrying about my safety and that of my family. That was in October 1984, when the country was witnessing the anti-Sikh violence. A few months earlier, in June, I was one of the two beneficiaries of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) in Sharjah, along with Imran Khan. With the money I got, I bought some farmland outside Delhi, hoping to settle in the peaceful countryside. But when even the capital wasnt safe for us, it was unthinkable for a Sikh family to live in a secluded area on its outskirts. For close to nine months, my family and I had no roof over our heads. Sometimes, we would stay with friends who were gracious enough to host us, and, at other times, we were at my employers Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) guesthouse.

Sunday Eye| Uttara Baokar: Anything that begins has an end

Fearful of the future, I went to a senior bureaucrat, also a cricket administrator, posted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. I told him I was thinking of selling my land and moving to my hometown Amritsar, where I would feel safe but would have nothing to do. The other option was to leave the country. I thought he would be sympathetic and, perhaps, help me get government accommodation in Delhi. Without much thought, he told me, Bishan, if I were you, I would leave the country. Imagine, the countrys top bureaucrat, sitting in Rashtrapati Bhavan, asking a former India captain to leave the country!

I didnt say a word but I was fuming inside. I left without any dua-salaam, reached home and told my wife that we are removing the For Sale sign from the land and we would build a house there. If I get killed, so be it. I will not leave this country. I have every right to be here, I told her. I stuck around, the land wasnt sold and the house was built. When pushed into a corner, you worry for your life. However, if you take it as a challenge and fire yourself up, you get the strength to tide over bad times. This time, its the virus, but, for me, the antidote remains the same.

The wars India fought brought more grim times. My memories of 1965 (India-Pakistan war) are of an amusing day in Amritsar when my father, a civil-defence warden, gathered the simple folks of our mohalla for a war-training session. He first initiated everyone into the blackout protocol, and, later, asked them to lie on the ground for a firing session. I, too, joined and tried imitating my father who was pulling the trigger with gusto. The shoulder-smashing recoil of the heavy rifle made me surrender my weapon Mujhe ball phekni hai, yeh lijiye aapki bundook.

In 1971-72, we were touring Australia at the time of the Bangladesh Liberation War. When I called home, my father assured me everything was fine, even though I could hear guns booming in the background. Next on line was my mother. In a muffled voice, she whispered, Only the Almighty knows if we will meet again. Their contrasting statements left me puzzled. Now, years later, I can laugh about that traumatic day. The human minds partiality in preserving pleasant moments and air-brushing the dire parts helps us move on in life. With years, this, too, shall pass the pandemics trauma will fade away.

Right now, however, there are a few heartbreaking images stuck in my head like the one of a daughter who pedalled over 1,000 km with her sick father. It highlights the utter lack of compassion in our politicians, who enforced the sudden and complete lockdown. Honesty and transparency, too, are missing when it comes to coronavirus numbers. I am not naming or blaming any political party. But I ask, What is the need to camouflage figures? You havent created this pandemic. If they stuck to the truth, the situation would have been handled better.There arent many speaking out, though. Do we have the freedom of thought, expression and conviction in our country? Not yet such liberal ideas get ingrained with time. We are still young, we will learn. But first we need to fight illiteracy and impoverishment. Of late, I feel worried. We have become increasingly regressive and narrow-minded. The other day, I tweeted Eid Mubarak. It was a simple and secular message, but on my timeline there were posts that said: Bedi saab, kabhi Hindus ko bhi kar diya karo. Come on, this is Eid, its a Muslim festival!

But above everything else, the one thing that has really pulled this nation down is sycophancy. I have experienced this in the past and now I see it all the time. While I was at SAIL, in the days following the armys entry into the Golden Temple, a reporter came to me for my reaction. I told her, Every Sikh is not a terrorist but every Sikh is hurt that the army has gone into the Golden Temple. And I am one of them. Thats it, nothing more, nothing less.

This reached the minister-in-charge at SAIL. Without talking to me even once, he suspended me. In that atmosphere of mistrust, the Sikh community felt, Bishan Singh Bedi tu shaheed ho gaya (Youve become a martyr). That the government is not even sparing sportsmen now. Soon my photographs started appearing on the walls of gurdwaras in America and Canada.The repercussions of my suspension got people at SAIL worried. So I was called by the top guy, who asked me: Whats happening, Bish? I said thats exactly what I want to know. The big man had a climbdown, and, in a conciliatory tone told me, See, before anybody could question me from 1, Safdarjung Road, I had done my job.When you always think of pleasing those at the top, you make wrong calls, you become servile, you lose self-respect. Thats happening even today. Theres this one from my fraternity squirming for a seat in the commentary box, bending over his back to please the powers that be all this for saying something that was anything but offensive. He had a readymade platform to take on the establishment. But no, the courage of conviction was missing. It makes me cringe to see him begging for the BCCI job.

We are constantly reminded that we are a nation with a high percentage of young and progressive minds. For me, its a mirage. Even the young and the educated are joining the political conundrum and are reluctant to raise their voice. The reason: sycophancy.I, fortunately, had the gumption and the strength of character. When I was young, and so was India, I was able to stand up and be counted. Now, it is too late in life. But I am not a pessimist, I have faith in my spirituality and I have hope. We survived wars and invasions and we will survive the political pandemic, too.

The writer, 74, is a former India cricket captain

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Bishan Singh Bedi: With years, this too shall pass - The Indian Express

How has the pandemic impacted work at the NSA? – C4ISRNet

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WASHINGTON A cross-agency team at the U.S. National Security Agency is working to identify areas where the spy organization can do more remote work by reducing classification levels of work performed there, the NSAs chief information officer said Wednesday.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, on-site NSA employees are practicing social distancing within the same building, said Greg Smithberger, who also heads the agencys Capabilities Directorate. In this environment, the agency discovered its more efficient when personnel dont have to walk from meeting to meeting.

We had a culture of face-to-face meetings, and weve learned that we can be a lot more effective and efficient, you know, operating virtually even in our classified environment and then the unclassified things and the telework that opens up, Smithberger said on a virtual panel hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance. [T]heres a pretty interesting cross-agency team right now is looking really hard at all the mission areas that could be doing more on the low side, and our ability to really open up telework.

Telework before the spread of COVID-19 was rarely done, he added, and telework in the future will be restricted to unclassified work. The NSA uses the Intelligence Community GovCloud environment for its cloud computing needs, a platform that hosts highly sensitive information and data. Access to the IC-GovCloud will not be allowed from home, Smithberger said.

He also said the NSAs new way of doing business virtually presents new opportunities for industry to interact with the spy group.

These more remote-friendly ways of doing business, whether theyre in the classified space or the unclassified space, have really opened up opportunities also for industry partners to bring in talent from other parts of the country that were kind of hard to get into supporting NSAs mission the way we used to do things, Smithberger said.

In the last few years, he said, the NSA developed a secure but unclassified environment hosted in the cloud that allowed for software development. Since the pandemic started, his team realized that the security architecture around the environment was strong enough that there wasnt additional risk in allowing people to use the system from home.

Overall, the NSA wants to broaden its relationship with private industry. Smithberger said the agency is building a similar environment that would allow for collaboration with people who dont have security clearances but can support the NSAs capabilities mission, cybersecurity efforts or research work.

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Its kind of become more of a standard for us ... to see how much we can actually do in a less protected environment, Smithberger said, adding that he also wants the agency to expand to work with some corporate partners who in some cases simply dont have access to a [sensitive compartmented information facility], but are fully clearing people.

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How has the pandemic impacted work at the NSA? - C4ISRNet

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Election interference efforts have shifted, NSA and Cyber Command election threats leads say – CyberScoop

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Written by Shannon Vavra Aug 7, 2020 | CYBERSCOOP

With Election Day less than 100 days away, the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command are carefully monitoring threats to the 2020 U.S. presidential election from Russia, China, Iran, and groups of criminal actors, two officials said Friday.

And while Russian government operatives have probed state IT systems and run hack-and-leak operations to influence U.S. elections in the past, the playbook is not necessarily the same this year, the NSA election threats lead, David Imbordino, and Brig. Gen. William Hartman, the Cyber Command election threats lead, said.

While Russia depended on the Internet Research Agency (IRA) to run influence operations in 2016, they have been outsourcing operations to other actors, Imbordino and Hartman said, confirming that the IRA recently set up an offshoot of its troll farm in Ghana and Nigeria.

In terms of 2020 [in the IRA] weve seen a shift towards more use of proxiesintermediarieslaundering information through other individuals in the media space, Imbordino said while speaking on a panel at the virtual DEF CON conference. They had set up something in Africa, in Ghana in terms of having people there trying to put stuff online about divisive issues, using covert influence websites being able to get their narrative out.

Beyond Russias shifting tactics, the officials said the country is dealing with a whole host of foreign government interests outside of Russia in U.S. politics.

As part of a recognition of the growing threats from nations other than Russia to include China, Iran, and North Korea the NSA and Cyber Command formalized its Election Security Group following the 2018 midterm elections to cover threats fromall four nations, as CyberScoop first reported. Previously, the NSA and Cyber Command only had a joint taskforce for Russian threats, the Russia Small Group.

The NSA and Cyber Command have been tight-lipped about election threats from abroad. But Friday appeared to mark a pivot point: the two officials delivered their assessment of foreign governments efforts to interfere in U.S. politics just minutes after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a statement revealing details of Russias, Chinas, and Irans thoughts on President Donald Trumps and former Vice President Joe Bidens campaigns.

Bill Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, revealedRussia wants to primarily denigrate Biden, while China prefers that President Trump does not win reelection. The intelligence community has assessed that Iran seeks to undermine President Trump, and to divide, Evanina added.

Threats to U.S. elections dont stop with nation-state actors social media operations.

Ransomware threats to U.S. elections are so great, for instance, that the Election Security Group in recent months has expanded their focus to include those types of attacks, a U.S. government official told CyberScoop.

Imbordino noted Friday he is concerned about ransomware, indicating that ransomware actors could wittingly or unwittingly contribute to possible election interference operations.

I think ransomware is one of those wild cards out there that could be wielded by anyone, criminal actors, etc., Imbordino said.

In the case that a ransomware attack does target any election infrastructure or networks, Imbordino expressed concern that malicious actors could seize the moment to make people distrust the election results. Imbordino said he is worried bad actors might spread disinformation suggesting that a ransomware attack could impact the tally of peoples votes, even if thats not the case.

You can have a ransomware in a local network that actually doesnt even impact the elections counting, Imbordino said. But someone could then spin an influence campaign from that and report it to make you think there has been an impact and then not trust the results.

Moving forward, the NSA is continuing to monitor Chinas threats to the election, primarily due to both the scope and depth of their capability, Imbordino said.

[For] China, I think scale is something that is a bit unmatched in terms of them as a threat both from a cyber standpoint and from an influence standpoint. Certainly on influence theyve been very active in that region Taiwan [and] Hong Kong, Imbordino said. Them potentially becoming more aggressive in the U.S. space is something that weve been monitoring.

The Election Security Group is also continuing to monitor Irans social media influence efforts, Imbordino indicated. The U.S. intelligence community assesses Irans efforts will probably will focus on online influence, such as spreading disinformation on social media and recirculating anti-U.S. content, according to the ODNI.

Chinese- and Iranian-linked hackers have also beensending spearphishing emails to Biden and Trump campaign staff, respectively, according to Googles Threat Analysis Group.

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Election interference efforts have shifted, NSA and Cyber Command election threats leads say - CyberScoop

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Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA)? – Yahoo Finance

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The latest 13F reporting period has come and gone, and Insider Monkey have plowed through 821 13F filings that hedge funds and well-known value investors are required to file by the SEC. The 13F filings show the funds' and investors' portfolio positions as of March 31st, a week after the market trough. Now, we are almost done with the second quarter. Investors decided to bet on the economic recovery and a stock market rebound. S&P 500 Index returned almost 20% this quarter. In this article you are going to find out whether hedge funds thoughtNational Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA)was a good investment heading into the second quarter and how the stock traded in comparison to the top hedge fund picks.

Is National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA) going to take off soon? Investors who are in the know were becoming more confident. The number of bullish hedge fund bets increased by 7 lately. Our calculations also showed that NSA isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q1 rankings and see the video for a quick look at the top 5 stocks). Video: Watch our video about the top 5 most popular hedge fund stocks.

In the financial world there are a large number of tools investors have at their disposal to grade stocks. A pair of the most under-the-radar tools are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the best fund managers can outperform the broader indices by a solid amount. Insider Monkey's monthly stock picks returned 101% since March 2017 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 58 percentage points. Our short strategy outperformed the S&P 500 short ETFs by 20 percentage points annually (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is a useful indicator that investors should pay attention to.

David Harding of Winton Capital Management

At Insider Monkey we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. With Federal Reserve creating trillions of dollars out of thin air, we believe gold prices will keep increasing. So, we are checking out gold stocks like this small gold mining company. We go through lists like the 10 most profitable companies in America to pick the best large-cap stocks to buy. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. If you want to find out the best healthcare stock to buy right now, you can watch our latest hedge fund manager interview here. Now let's take a look at the new hedge fund action encompassing National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA).

At Q1's end, a total of 18 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of 64% from the fourth quarter of 2019. On the other hand, there were a total of 16 hedge funds with a bullish position in NSA a year ago. With the smart money's sentiment swirling, there exists an "upper tier" of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were adding to their holdings considerably (or already accumulated large positions).

The largest stake in National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA) was held by Renaissance Technologies, which reported holding $54.7 million worth of stock at the end of September. It was followed by Winton Capital Management with a $7.9 million position. Other investors bullish on the company included Millennium Management, Two Sigma Advisors, and D E Shaw. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Quantinno Capital allocated the biggest weight to National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA), around 0.27% of its 13F portfolio. Navellier & Associates is also relatively very bullish on the stock, setting aside 0.24 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to NSA.

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As one would reasonably expect, key hedge funds were breaking ground themselves. Citadel Investment Group, managed by Ken Griffin, established the most valuable position in National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA). Citadel Investment Group had $1.4 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Paul Marshall and Ian Wace's Marshall Wace LLP also initiated a $0.6 million position during the quarter. The other funds with brand new NSA positions are Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital, Hoon Kim's Quantinno Capital, and Greg Eisner's Engineers Gate Manager.

Let's go over hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA). These stocks are Fitbit Inc (NYSE:FIT), Rogers Corporation (NYSE:ROG), Vonage Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:VG), and BankUnited Inc (NYSE:BKU). This group of stocks' market caps are similar to NSA's market cap.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position FIT,26,273167,2 ROG,19,77338,-2 VG,25,206818,-10 BKU,18,172092,-7 Average,22,182354,-4.25 [/table]

View table hereif you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 22 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $182 million. That figure was $77 million in NSA's case. Fitbit Inc (NYSE:FIT) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand BankUnited Inc (NYSE:BKU) is the least popular one with only 18 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA) is even less popular than BKU. Hedge funds dodged a bullet by taking a bearish stance towards NSA. Our calculations showed that the top 10 most popular hedge fund stocks returned 41.4% in 2019 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 10.1 percentage points. These stocks gained 18.6% in 2020 through July 27th but managed to beat the market by 17.1 percentage points. Unfortunately NSA wasn't nearly as popular as these 10 stocks (hedge fund sentiment was very bearish); NSA investors were disappointed as the stock returned 0.2% since Q1 and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 10 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market so far in 2020.

Get real-time email alerts: Follow National Storage Affiliates Trust (ETR:NSA)

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

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Did Hedge Funds Make The Right Call On National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA)? - Yahoo Finance

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National Speakers Association Inducts Mary Kelly, Ph. D. into the Speaker Hall of Fame – The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

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DENVER, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Speakers Association (NSA) inducted Commander Mary Kelly, Ph.D., into the Speaker Hall of Fame in a virtual ceremony in August 2020. Kelly is among an elite group of only 255 professional speakers throughout the world to ever receive this honor. Past recipients include Ronald Reagan, Norman Vincent Peale, Ken Blanchard, Jeanne Robertson, and General Colin Powell.

"Thank you to everyone who is part of this amazing community. I'm honored to be with you tonight, humbled beyond belief by this amazing award, and thrilled to serve this community of people dedicated to changing the world," Kelly said during the induction ceremony.

In presenting the award, Tim Gard noted that Mary Kelly, "Is someone who handles every situation with grace and humor."

"Mary Kelly is one of the most creative and motivating speakers I have ever worked with.Energetic, creative, witty, genuine, and extremely knowledgeable! She's the BOMB!" declared Michael Paulovich, Project Management Office.

"Mary hit it out of the park with our wine ambassadors. She taught them how to manage their time, be productive leaders, and most importantly, how to create business plans. She understood our business as if she had been working with us for years," said Melissa Lynch, Boisset Collection.

About Mary Kelly

Mary Kelly is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and spent over 20 years on active duty in intelligence and logistics. She retired from the Navy as a commander. She has masters' degrees in history and economics, and a Ph.D. in economics.

With over 20 years combined teaching experience at the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and Hawaii Pacific University, she taught economics, finance, history, and leadership. She has extensive experience in executive business coaching, improving profit growth, banking, and organizational leadership. Her programs are leadership-based, and focus on communication, business growth, teamwork, strategic planning, productivity, and project development.

Mary Kelly, Keynote Speaker

A high-energy, high-content keynote speaker, Mary uses research, humor, and experience to show professionals how to excel. Mary's relatable, no-nonsense approach inspires audiences to embrace their roles, surpass their goals, and plan for the future. She is a certified virtual speaker, and has delivered virtual programs since 1998.

Mary speaks to 80+ organizations a year, and is a favorite with financial planners, real estate professionals, medical practices, insurance agents, financial institutions, military audiences, manufacturing organizations, and CEO groups.

For a full list of Mary Kelly's live and virtual programs, please click here.

Mary Kelly, Executive Consultant and Coach

Mary has a unique ability to reach executives and help them attain their goals through leadership training, professional development, and succession planning.

To learn more, please inquire directly here.

Mary Kelly, Author

Mary has written 13 books on leadership, productivity, business planning, and personal finance help people at all levels or organizations. Her latest book, "Who Comes Next? Leadership Succession Planning Made Easy," is being used in 5 countries.

Media

Mary Kelly has published more than 500 articles. She is a frequent guest on media programs. To schedule an interview with Mary, click here.

About the National Speakers Association

The National Speakers Association (NSA) is part of a global network of more than 3,000 members whose skills, expertise and experience represent the most recognized and respected community of thought leaders in the industry.

Founded in 1973 by Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE, NSA has comprehensive resources, cutting-edge tools, insightful education and productive events that speakers need to develop their brands and grow their businesses. NSA members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as speakers, trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, and authors.

In February 1977, the National Speakers Association established the Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speaker Hall of Fame to honor professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform distinction. Inductees are evaluated by their peers through a rigorous and demanding process, and must excel in seven categories of speaking excellence and professionalism.

For more information on the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, contact NSA headquarters at (480) 968-2552.

Media Contact for Mary KellyBrynn Brinkmann719-357-7360244999@email4pr.com

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National Speakers Association Inducts Mary Kelly, Ph. D. into the Speaker Hall of Fame - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

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For 2020 Election, Threat is Bigger than Russia > US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE – Department of Defense

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As November approaches and a new general election is on the minds of most Americans, preserving the security of that election is on the minds of cyber experts at U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. Officials there say that unlike in 2016, where Russia was the biggest threat to election security, there are now new threats that pose a risk.

"We're looking at the spectrum of all of our adversaries, Russia, China, Iran, and ransomware actors,"said Dave Imbordino, the election security lead with the National Security Agency, during a panel discussion Friday that was part of the 2020 DEF CON convention.

For the 2020 election, Imbordino said, there are more threats to consider, and it's easier for those threats to get involved.

"There's more people in the game,"Imbordino said. "They're learning from each other. Influence is a cheap game to get into now with social media. It doesn't cost a lot of money. You can try to launder your narratives online through different media outlets. That's something we're laser-focused on as well."

Army Brig. Gen. Joe Hartman, commander of the Cyber National Mission Force at U.S. Cyber Command and also the election security lead for Cybercom, said that since 2018, Cybercom hasn't let its guard down in regard to election security. While in 2016, he said, the Defense Department was focused on other things, by the 2018 midterm election, Cybercom and NSA had set up the "Russia Small Group"to deal with potential Russian interface during that election. They haven't lost focus since then.

"For us that never stopped. I got back to the command about a year ago in 2019. And we didn't start up ... this thing called the election security group. It was already working, and it never stopped working [since] 2018,"he said. "We think we're in a much better position now, certainly, than we were in 2016 or 2018."

What are the threats to U.S. elections? Influence operations are a primary threat. That involves the creation of information online by adversarial nations, often through proxy groups, to create discord and influence opinion in the U.S.

Imbordino said the Russian-operated Internet Research Agency, for instance, has set up operations overseas to generate misleading and divisive information to influence voter opinion.

"They have set up something in Africa, Ghana, in terms of ... having people there trying to put stuff online, posting things about, you know, socially divisive issues, using covert influence websites to be able to get their narrative out,"he said. "That's kind of a shift in tactic we've seen from Russia side."

China, he said, has proven effective in doing the same in their own part of the world, in Taiwan and Hong Kong, for instance.

"Them becoming potentially more aggressive in the U.S. space is something that we need to monitor and be prepared for,"Imbordino said. "For the Chinese cyber threat ... they're a little bit different in terms of the scale and breadth of the targets they go after. Every U.S. citizen is a target of China, just because of the big data, the PII [personally identifiable information] that they're interested in collecting ... I think that sets them uniquely apart."

Iran is also getting into the influence game, he said, and is learning from what other adversaries are doing.

Hartman said Cybercom has capabilities now on the home front to defend against threats to national elections, including on-call defensive cyber elements in "war rooms"that are ready to respond if called upon by agencies like DHS or FBI, for instance. But that's not all, he said.

"We have elements that are sitting over in other op centers, and they are prepared. If we see an adversary that's attempting to do something to interfere with that election ... we have the ability to play the away game,"he said. "We have the ability to go out in foreign space and look at what you're doing. And we have the ability to make you stop doing that."

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For 2020 Election, Threat is Bigger than Russia > US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - Department of Defense

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GFA Express Appreciation To NSA | General Sports – Peace FM Online

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The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has expressed appreciation to the National Sports Authority(NSA) for the successful vetting of prospective beneficiaries of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) sports allowance.

According to a statement released by the NSA on August 7, the Director-General of the NSA has forwarded the report he received from the committee tasked to vet the prospective beneficiaries of the sports allowances to the YEA.

The YEA is expected to begin processing of the monthly allowances to be paid to the vetted beneficiaries.

"We will continue our excellent working relationship with the National Sports Authority team to quickly get our Womens clubs to resolve all outstanding issues on the remaining 57 female players to complete the Vetting Process successfully," said General Secretary Mr. Prosper Harrison Addo.

The GFA would continue to engage Womens Premier League clubs to immediately resolve all the outstanding issues on the remaining players to immediately complete the vetting process with the NSA.

Source: GNA

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GFA Express Appreciation To NSA | General Sports - Peace FM Online

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The White House reportedly quashed part of an intelligence report that showed Russia is helping the Trump campaign – MSN Money

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Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting with President Donald Trump. Reuters

Last year, President Donald Trump's administration tried to pressure intelligence agencies to delete part of a classified report that found Russia was trying to help him win the 2020 election, according to an investigation by The New York Times Magazine.

The report, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, was compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in July 2019 and made several "key judgments" about matters of national security. "Key Judgement 2" in the report concluded that Russia aimed to interfere in the 2020 election to help Trump, unnamed national security sources told Times reporter Robert Draper.

Trump was reportedly unhappy with that finding. He has repeatedly denied the assertion that Russia tried to help his campaign in 2016 despite reports from the FBI, CIA, NSA, Justice Department, and Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee that supported that conclusion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly denied interfering in the 2016 election, but has also said he wanted Trump to win.

When the ODNI was finalizing last year's report, Trump administration staffers requested that it remove language in "Key Judgement 2" that detailed Russia's attempts to help Trump in 2020, former director of national intelligence Dan Coats told the Times.

"I can affirm that one of my staffers who was aware of the controversy requested that I modify that assessment," Coats said. "But I said, 'No, we need to stick to what the analysts have said.'"

Shortly after that exchange, Coats was surprised to learn that Trump was forcing him into early retirement. He was first made aware of the news when Trump tweeted that Coats' last day as DNI would be August 15 months before Coats planned to retire.

After Coats' departure, the National Intelligence Estimate was published with softer language describing Russia's potential motivation for interfering in the 2020 election. Instead of directly concluding that Russia wanted Trump to win in 2020, the report was updated to state that "Russian leaders probably assess that chances to improve relations with the US will diminish under a different US president."

The changes were made, according to an email reviewed by the Times, following edits by Beth Sanner, an ODNI official who presents President Donald Trump's daily national intelligence briefings.

The episode is part of a broader conflict between Trump and US intelligence communities, Draper reported. After a yearslong FBI probe into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Trump's Republican allies in Congress are now pushing an investigation into whether the FBI overstepped its authority.

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The White House reportedly quashed part of an intelligence report that showed Russia is helping the Trump campaign - MSN Money

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DHS Warns of a Persistent Cyber Threat Targeting Critical Infrastructure in the U.S. – CPO Magazine

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Foreign rogue nation-state threat actors are targeting critical infrastructure in the U.S., according to the White House report involving the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

The threat actors are targeting internet-connected operational technology (OT) in the United States defense systems. Cyber threats originating from state-sponsored actors were also targeting critical infrastructures such as electricity, water, and gas. Consequently, the NSA and CISA directed the owners and operators to take immediate action to secure the systems.

The agencies warned that the increase in adversary capabilities and activity, the criticality to U.S. national security and the vulnerability of OT systems, civilian infrastructure makes attractive targets for foreign actors.

The NSA and CISA noted that OT assets are present in the Department of Defense systems and also in the defense industrial base sector. Their use is prominent in most critical areas including in the national security systems. The agencies say the use of such systems is necessary because of the increased demand for a decentralized workforce. However, their use opens an attack landscape while increasing monitoring complexities because of the pervasive nature of the systems.

The DHS indicated there was strong evidence of a cyber threat involving the use of email spear phishing tactics to infiltrate critical infrastructure networks through OT assets. Additionally, there are persistent efforts to conduct ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure. A ransomware cyber threat is particularly concerning because of its disruptive nature and ability to leak sensitive information.

In February, CISA released a report describing a ransomware attack on a natural gas compression facility, which led to the shutdown of operations on the facility.

A similar cyber threat was blocked in May targeting critical infrastructure on an Israeli water system, according to CyberScoop. Authorities said the attack was highly organized and synchronized.

Nilesh Dherange, CTO of Gurucul, reiterated that the cyber threat was real.

The most recent NSA and CISA alerts are directed at Government assets, but they are valid warnings for any organization that has internet-facing systems. They offer solid advice that applies to any size of the operation and reiterates recommendations the Information Security community has been giving for years.

The NSA and CISA advised organizations to create a resilience plan for the OT assets. The plan involves the creation of a manual process to restart industrial control systems after an attack takes place. They also recommended having a system monitoring process in place to monitor the cybersecurity state of the critical infrastructure concerning cyber threats. Because of the increased risks facing essential services, the agencies advised organizations to remain ahead of the cyber threat operators by being proactive.

Organizations should also create an incident response plan to anticipate new methods that hackers may deploy. This should include collaboration between organizations and CISA in the creation of organizational cybersecurity plans.

Operators should also harden their networks by restricting access to OT networks, and to carry regular tests to discover vulnerable OT devices within their networks.

Dherange summed up the list of measures that the operators of critical infrastructure should adopt.

In a nutshell: Have resiliency, business continuity, and response plans in place and exercise them. Understand and document your environment, your likely adversaries, and how they will probably attack so you can harden appropriately. Make sure personnel are trained and equipped to resist the expected attack vectors and mitigate them after a breach.

Evan Dornbush, CEO and Founder of Point3 Security, says the cyber threat was critical, and therefore, operators should heed the advice.

If the NSA is coming out of the shadows to speak up in a joint alert with CISA, you want to listen and take action. What is most helpful is that the advisory shares a list of tools attackers are using to identify targets. Seeing what the attacker sees allows your cybersecurity team to prioritize your defensive actions. The Advisory goes further still, offering a robust set of recommendations for executing a response strategy.

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DHS Warns of a Persistent Cyber Threat Targeting Critical Infrastructure in the U.S. - CPO Magazine

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NSA O’Brien Says US Has ‘Sanctioned The Heck Out Of Russia’ – Newsmax

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National security adviser Robert O'Brien on Sunday said theres almost nothing left of sanctions to penalize Russia for election interference.

In an interview on CBS News Face The Nation, OBrien praised President Donald Trump and his administration for its firm stance against Moscow.

The president has told the Russians many times not to get involved in our elections, OBrien said, adding: Theres almost nothing we can sanction left of the Russians.

Weve sanctioned the heck out of Russia, he declared.

According to OBrien, the tough sanctions in response to election interference all happened under the Trump administration.

"We're not going to have foreign countries decide who our next president will be, that's outrageous, he said.

Now recovered from his own bout with the coronavirus, OBrien also praised the U.S. response to the pandemic.

What has happened with testing in America is really a miracle, he said. There is no country in the world that comes close to what America is doing on testing."

2020 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

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Money Explodes; Gold Glitters; The Recovery Slows – Forbes

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03 April 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne: Jewellery is presented in the shop window of a ... [+] goldsmith's studio together with toilet paper for decoration. Photo: Henning Kaiser/dpa (Photo by Henning Kaiser/picture alliance via Getty Images)

I often get asked why the price of gold is rising, and, as a follow on, will it continue.The price of gold has always had a significant correlation (80%) with the Feds balance sheet (i.e., the money supply), especially during periods of significant balance sheet expansion (money printing).The table shows the Y/Y change in the money supply of the western worlds major economies.The U.S., clearly the largest western economy, has increased its money supply at a much faster pace than any of the other majors.Note that the EU, the only western economy that approaches the size of the U.S., is growing its money stock at less than 40% of the pace of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed).

Year over Year Money Supply

Noteworthy is the fact that the value of all of these countries currencies have risen since the virus outbreak as the U.S. money supply has exploded and the U.S. Congress has sent helicopter money to the U.S. populous.In fact, at the time of this writing, the U.S. Congress is in the time honored process of having the two major political parties posture on how the opposition party doesnt care about the American people etc. etc.This, of course, is a prelude to what will be another multi-trillion stimulus package.The CARES Act stimulus amounted to about $2 trillion, and its a pretty sure bet that the upcoming one will be in the same area.Thats $4 trillion total, bigger than the entire GDPs of most of the western worlds economies (only Japan and the combined EU are larger).In fact, the big news out of the EU in the latter part of July was that they finally reached agreement on a stimulus package of their own total was $860 billion!So, $4 trillion vs. $860 billion.Is it any wonder why the dollars exchange rate is in free fall?

The Fed, of course, has been on a mission of its own to protect asset values and has expanded its balance sheet by over $3 trillion since February.And when the Congress appropriates free money, the federal government must issue new debt.Normally, when a huge amount of new debt supply comes to market, the laws of supply and demand would require that the price (i.e. the rate of interest) would have to rise to clear the market.However, the Fed has pledged that interest rates wont rise for several more years (i.e., until inflation rises to their targeted 2% level, which wont happen until the economy is much further along in the recovery process).To keep interest rates at current levels means that the Fed must buy the new debt, in effect, monetizing the federal governments stimulus. That means that the U.S. money supply will continue its rapid escalation, and the value of the dollar will continue to fall vis a vis other currencies.

The Price of Gold

What does all of this have to do with golds price?Gold is priced in dollars, and the dollar is the worlds reserve currency.As the dollar falls in value vis a vis other currencies, the price of gold in terms of dollars is going to rise.

Gold is the ultimate currency, i.e., it cant be manipulated by any government.Its supply is limited, growing at a rate of about 2% per year (new mining).Historically, gold has been a hedge against inflation.But it is also a safe haven, i.e., a hedge against uncertainty (like a pandemic).So, it would be natural for its price to rise in the current worldwide pandemic, even without money supply growth.While the U.S. is clearly the money supply glutton, it isnt as if the money supply of other countries isnt growing at a faster pace than their economies (i.e., they are also creating excess money, just not as fast as the U.S.).Together, uncertainty and money creation are pushing golds price up.Will it continue? You already know the answer.

There is a danger, however, to the policies being pursued by the Administration, Congress and the Fed.The danger is that if the U.S.s money creation continues at a much faster pace than that of the rest of the western countries, there is a good chance that the dollar loses its status as the worlds reserve currency.What would take its place?Probably no singe countrys currency (like China).More likely, a basket of currencies, like an index.This would be a big blow to the U.S economy.As the reserve currency, almost all international transactions are done in dollars, creating a demand for the currency and providing cheap financing for U.S entities.All this would disappear if the dollar loses its reserve currency status.

Whats Trending

Heres whats trending in the U.S. economy:

Employment

The big news of the week was the better than expected payroll numbers for July.The headline number for net new job creation was 1.763 million, much better than the 1.4-1.5 million expectation.Once again, the headline number was the seasonally adjusted (SA) one, and it is very misleading.Given government ever-changing edicts on business closures, re-openings, capacity constraints, masks, etc. etc., and the monumental changes in consumer behavior and attitudes toward shopping, entertainment, leisure, travel since February, the use of seasonal factors makes no sense at all and only distorts the data.The non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) number was a much lower 591k, still positive, but only about 1/3rd of the headline.

The Unemployment Picture

On the state reporting level, we see the same issues.On August 6, markets were happy when the Initial Claims data (IC) from state reporting agencies showed 1.186 million new claimants (week ended August 1), much better that the 1.4 million expectation. Continuing Claims (CC) showed up at 16.107 for the July 25 week (CC lags IC by a week).The NSA data are actually much more encouraging.For IC, the August 1 week was 984k, the first time new claims have been less than one million since early March.NSA CC were also lower (15.849 million).Using the BLS most recent Establishment (Payroll) Survey, and data from those surveys back to February, the table shows the SA and NSA net new jobs.Note that the differences werent significant until the latest (July) count.

New Payrolls

Still a steep hole to climb out of, but more encouraging than the headline SA numbers. As can be seen from the chart, the much-needed downtrend in the unemployment data may have resumed.However, lets not be too hasty.This is only one data point.

In addition, that payroll survey was taken the week ending July 17, just when the re-closings had commenced.Since then, large layoffs have been announced by companies that have given up on the concept of a V-shaped recovery.The August payroll survey, taken this week (week of August 10-14) will provide us a better view of the impact that the upward spiral of cases and the reaction of various state and local governments have had on the employment situation.Unfortunately, that data release is still nearly a month away.

Bankruptcies (BKs)

As discussed weekly in this blog, publicly traded company bankruptcies continue their uptrend unabated.We are now trending for 277 for the year almost double that of 2019 (139).

Annualized Bankruptcies

Conclusions

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Money Explodes; Gold Glitters; The Recovery Slows - Forbes

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FJ Book Club: A haunting debut thriller brimming with excess – Fashion Journal

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This week were reading The Girl in the Mirror.

Hello dearest friends and welcome to the Fashion Journal Book Club! Weve created this club as a way for us all to switch off from the current news cycle and connect with other, real human beings about something we all love, books.

Every fortnight, well announce a new title as the book well all be reading, as selected by your FJ editors.

Next on the bill is a debut by emerging novellist Rose Carlyle. Titled The Girl in the Mirror, its a thriller with the same chilling suspense as The Girl on the TrainandBefore I Go to Sleep, making it a no brainer for our next meet.

The story follows two identical twin sisters, Summer and Iris. While both are strikingly similar on the outside, there is a darkness in Iris, who has long been envious of her sisters open-hearted nature, seemingly endless good luck and perfect husband. One day, Iris is called to Thailand to help sail her familys yacht to the Seychelles, where she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It marks a chance for Iris to seize the idyllic life shes always wanted, but the question remains: how far she will go to get it?

Set on the lush landscape of the Seychelles, the backdrop is glamorous and brimming with excess. Yet, its a haunting and intoxicating story of wealth, jealousy, subterfuge and greed.

To join the next FJ Book Club meet, fill out your details below and find yourself a copy ofThe Girl in the Mirror here. Weve scheduled a Zoom session for Thursday September 10 at 6.30pm AEST, when well gather to discuss our thoughts.

FJ Book Club will continue every fortnight, with new title announcements dropping every other Monday.

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FJ Book Club: A haunting debut thriller brimming with excess - Fashion Journal

President Faure visits Agency for Social Protection – News – Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

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06 August 2020 | Social Affairs

President Danny Faure visited the Agency for Social Protection (ASP) offices located at Ocean Gate House this morning, continuing his series of visits to key services. During his visit, President Faure was accompanied by the Chairperson of the Board of ASP, Secretary of State Amb. Marie-Pierre Lloyd, the CEO of ASP, Mr Marcus Simeon and Deputy CEO of ASP Mrs Roma Edmond. The President took the time to interact with the staff and obtain a first-hand understanding of their daily operations.

The President visited various sections including Accounts, Home Care and Benefits, Data Processing, Administration and Human Resource, Customer Service Centre and Operations (Social Security) section. The President also made a stop at the Vetting Unit (Unemployment) and Approval Unit which manages supplementary assistance, medical benefits and part-rental payments.

As one of the key frontline agencies that has been serving the people both prior to and post COVID-19, the visit this morning was an opportunity for the President to meet the staff and convey his sincere appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

Social protection is the key to our values as a nation and you all play a key role in ensuring social protection services are accessible to our people. Today I would like to reiterate the value of the work that you all are doing. I know that it gets challenging at times and you work under tremendous pressure, but despite that you continue working together for the benefit of the country and for this we say thank you," said President Faure.

The President also met members of the public accessing some of the services whilst he was visiting the various sections and units within the ASP. He met with the ASP Management team for a debriefing at the end of the meeting to discuss their ongoing challenges and solutions moving forward.

With 86 staff, the Agency of Social Protection (ASP) delivers on activities to promote active participation of citizens in society through the provision of income support and other services. It serves a diverse group of customers including families, people in employment, unemployed people, people with disabilities, carers, and the elderly.

View Full Video via Website video gallery:http://www.statehouse.gov.sc/video-gallery/116/statement-by-president-faure-following-visit-at-the-agency-for-social-protection

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President Faure visits Agency for Social Protection - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino is one of the cheapest offerings on the Strip with prices regularly under $50 a full renovation means there’s no…

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A note from your Insider Reviews travel editor: This review was originally published before the novel coronavirus interrupted travel on a global scale. We have updated the review to include the hotel's latest policies regarding COVID-19, as well as key guidance to consider. We encourage all travelers to stay safe, follow guidelines from the CDC and WHO, and take precautions. For more reporting on whether it is safe to travel right now, please read our guide to safe travel.

In Las Vegas, a city defined by excesses, glitz, and glamour, there's never a shortage of things to do and see. You can gamble, catch a show, indulge in world-famous restaurants and buffets, dance at nightclubs, and more.

Bally's Las Vegas, a Caesars Entertainment-owned hotel located centrally on the Las Vegas Strip, is exactly where you want to stay when you need easy access to everything on your itinerary plus a clean, sleek, modern room to return to for an affordable price.

First opened in 1973 as the MGM Grand, Bally's is one of the older hotels on the Strip. But don't let its age deter you. A 2018 renovation to the guest room tower transformed it into a more desirable place to stay. What it lacks in elaborate attractions and entertainment, it makes up for in value, convenience, and reliability.

I stayed here while in town for the CES trade show (one of the tech industry's largest, no less), and found the hotel to be incredibly comfortable and convenient with an on-site Monorail station. But even if you're not a conference attendee, you'll appreciate the same features about Bally's that I did: the accessibility, spacious and comfortable rooms, and a wide variety of useful but not overwhelming amenities.

Because I stayed at Bally's during a high-traffic week, rates were more expensive than usual. At the beginning of January for a popular conference, I paid $336 per night.

Average rates are typically around $100 per night at other times of year but you may even find nightly rates as low as $34 midweek, which just might be cheaper than your Vegas buffet dinner.

If you are thinking about a Las Vegas vacation right now, it may be useful to consider what experts say about whether it is safe to stay in a hotel right now, as well as reviewing new cleaning policies and procedures from major hotel brands and their cancellation policies so you can make informed decisions before booking.

Keep in mind that there is no guarantee of safety without a vaccine. We recommend following guidelines from the CDC and WHO, as well as checking all state and local guidelines before traveling. You should also weigh personal risk factors and consider whether you are traveling to or from a hotspot and adhere to safety measures such as social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing hands.

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Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino is one of the cheapest offerings on the Strip with prices regularly under $50 a full renovation means there's no...