Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Will Never Make It in Hollywood, Expert Claims – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

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When Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced they would be leaving the British royal family for a more private and peaceful life, no one could have imagined that the pair would end up in Meghans hometown of LA.

Though Hollywood is very spread out compared to London, its still a city for the stars, one that includes tabloids, celebrity events, and paparazzi. Though the Sussexes have a plan for the future that includes speaking at various events and launching their new charity, Archewell Foundation, nothing else is set in stone.

In fact, though the couple already has a powerhouse team in place as they move into the next phase of their lives, one expert is convinced Megan and Prince Harry will never make it in Hollywood.

RELATED:Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Warned the Royal Family About Megxit Several Times, Source Claims

At present amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all of the Sussexes plans for Archewell are on hold. However, its clear that the pair will use their global profile to address injustices like police brutality and colonization in a way that they could not when they were senior working members of the royal family. Jeetendra Sehdevthe author ofTheKim KardashianPrincipetold The Guardian,

TheMeghanandHarrybrand has always been very disruptive. Theyre going to show us all a different way in which royal family members can live. The closest comparison to Meghan and Harry will be the Obamas and what theyre actually doing, I mean theyve created anentertainment entity where theyre producing documentaries and I think that will be a similar route that Meghan and Harry can certainly take. Letting people into who they are because at the moment we dont really know who Meghan and Harry are. We just know that theyre part of the royal family.

The tricky aspect of all of this is that the Sussexes must be careful not to upset the royal family or misrepresent them in any way.

RELATED:Queen Elizabeth Is Going to Be the Person Most Upset With Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Book, Finding Freedom Source Says

So far, Meghan has done some voiceover work with Disney + and its been rumored that shes signed on to produce a movie. Though we dont expect the duchess to return to acting, she and Prince Harry will certainly become staples in Hollywood.

I also think that were going to see a lot of red carpets, royal expert Myka Meier explained on theRoyally Obsessed podcast. As soon as there are red carpets again, I genuinely think they will be on every major red carpet.

However, one royal expert doesnt believe that the Sussexes royal status or their Hollywood connections will translate into actual careers.

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This evening,The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the annual #WellChildAwards in London. WellChild aims to ensure every child and young person living with serious health needs has the best chance to thrive with the support and medical care needed in the comfort of their own home. The Duke of Sussex became Patron of WellChild in 2007, and last year both The Duke and Duchess attended the awards to honour the children and families that WellChild supports. The Duke, who first came to these awards over a decade ago, shared in his remarks tonight: Last year when my wife and I attended we knew we were expecting our first child no one else did at the time, but we did and I remember squeezing Meghans hand so tightly during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day, and more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time. And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heart strings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own. To find out more about tonights event and how you can support this very special organisation, please visit @WellChild Photos PA images

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 15, 2019 at 2:18pm PDT

RELATED:Queen Elizabeth Couldve Stopped Megxit

As we know and have seen by examining various celebrity careers, having access does not exactly translate into being bankable. Royal biographer Christopher Wilsonexplained that Meghan and Prince Harry were a powerful force in Britain, but they lost all of that with their move to LA. Wilson told The Express,

Crucially for Meghan, no studio seems to have stepped forward with the offer of a leading lady role, her hope and dream. If they had, wed have heard about it. It would seem the all-powerful studio bosses look on the couple as red-carpet fodder, not as a bankable item. In Britain, they were a powerful force, alleged the royal biographer. But when Harry walked away from royal duties he broke the magic thread which binds royalty to the people. Its taken a long time for the penny to drop, but Harry has discovered he is no king of the high seas but a castaway stranded on a desert island.

This is one theory, but from what we understand, Meghan never wanted to return to Hollywood to act.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Will Never Make It in Hollywood, Expert Claims - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Men are rescued after leaving a message on an island – Explica

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| 08/05/2020 | ionicons-v5-c19: 01 | Azteca News |

Pikerot, Micronesia.- Tree men stranded in the remote island of Pikerot in Micronesia (South Pacific) Were rescued by Australian and American authorities, after they were found thanks to a huge message what did he say SOS on the beach.

The Australian Defense Ministry reported that the men, three Micronesian seafarers, had set out on July 30 in a 7-meter boat for a 42-kilometer journey between Pulawat and Pulap atolls, when they were dragged to the island Pikelot, 190 kilometers from where they set sail.

The Coordination Center and Rescue Guam issued an alert after learning of the disappearance and sought help from the Australian Department of Defense on Saturday, including sending the warship Canberra, which sailed between Australia and Hawaii (United States).

The reconnaissance plane found a large message The victims themselves wrote on the Pikelot sand and sent a helicopter from the Canberra ship to transport water and food, as well as to analyze the health of the missing.

Terry Morrison, the commander of the Canberra, commented that he was proud of the response and professionalism of the entire crew in the performance of their duty, to contribute to the safety of lives on the high seas and wherever they are in the world.

After the international mission, the authorities of Micronesia they sent a patrol boat to take their citizens home. Micronesia It is a western Pacific country with more than 600 small islands.

Although the work of the rescue It was important, the castaways also did everything possible so that they could be located quickly, before it was too late.

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Men are rescued after leaving a message on an island - Explica

More travelers are flying in and out of Yakima, leading Alaska Airlines to add a 2nd daily flight – Yakima Herald-Republic

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Although the Yakima Air Terminals financial prospects have slowly improved in recent months, a full recovery could still be months or even years away, an airport official says.

Still, there was some good news for local travelers Saturday when Alaska Airlines resumed a second daily flight between Yakima and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Alaska Airlines reinstated the flight after an increase in passengers from the Yakima airport over the last few months. The Seattle-based airline dropped from three or four flights a day to one a day in April after a drastic drop in passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April, 249 passengers boarded flights in Yakima, according to airport figures. Boardings increased to 438 and 909 in May and June, respectively.

During the first half of 2020, 17,640 passengers boarded Alaska Airlines flights in Yakima, a 47% drop from the same period in 2019.

Other revenue generators tied to air travel including parking and rental cars also have decreased.

As of June 30, the airports cumulative revenue was just over $609,000, a decrease of nearly 15% from the same period in 2019, according to figures from its owner, the city of Yakima.

The Yakima Air Terminal was able to secure a $1.286 million grant through the CARES Act, the federal coronavirus relief program. The money is distributed as reimbursement for qualified operating and expenditures, including payroll, utilities and debt payments, through the end of 2021.

So far, the grant is expected to last long enough to cover expenses for 16 to 17 months, and the money could last longer as the airport continues to see an increase in revenues from commercial airline and general aviation activity, said airport manager Rob Peterson.

Even so, some travel industry experts are not expecting activity to be at pre-coronavirus levels for two to three years, Peterson said.

Were definitely watching our expenses at the airport.

As more people are starting to fly again, the airport is expanding its health and sanitization efforts, Peterson added. It has secured 12,500 masks from FEMA for distribution to passengers. But generally, most travelers have worn their own masks, Peterson said.

Flights from Yakima to Seattle depart at 5:35 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. daily. The corresponding flights from Seattle depart at 9:45 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Main runway project

The airport received additional CARES Act funding for the project. Typically, it would have to cover 10% of the total cost. But the CARES Act included a provision where the Federal Aviation Administration would cover the entire cost of more than $1.4 million.

The project includes new energy-efficient lighting, asphalt crack sealing and updated markings to meet FAA standards.

General aviation flights and smaller aircraft will be able to use the shorter crosswind runway, which will be open for most of the project, Peterson said. Alaska Airlines will not be able to fly in or out of the airport during the interim because its planes need a longer runway.

Since the closure was scheduled in advance, Peterson said, there should be minimal interruptions as any booked flights should have long been rescheduled. There is no means to book new flights during the runway closure, he said.

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More travelers are flying in and out of Yakima, leading Alaska Airlines to add a 2nd daily flight - Yakima Herald-Republic

PALERMO. Camila Giorgi surprises Peterson in the 1st round. HIGHLIGHTS – Tennis Tonic

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Camila Giorgi upsets Rebecca Peterson 7-5 6-4 in the 1st round in Palermo on Tuesday.

Camila won the set after recovering from 1 break down. In fact, after dropping her serve in the 4th (1-3) game, Giorgi broke back in the 5th (2-3) and in the 11th (6-5) game to win the set 7-5.

The Italian was flawless in converting all her break points in the 5th (1-3 30-40) and the 11th game (5-5 15-40). On the other side, Peterson converted 33% of her break points (1/3). She had her opportunities in the 4th (2-1 15-40) and the 8th game (4-3 30-40 and 40-A).

They played 77 points. The set was a huge battle since finally Giorgi won just 3 more points than Peterson (40-37). Camila lost 16 points on serve (25-16). In addition, on the other side, Rebecca conceded 15 points on serve (21-15).

Giorgi overpowered the opposition at the beginning of the set after breaking Peterson in the 1st game (1-0) before consolidating her break and lead 4-0. However, the set was not over yet and there was more work to do for the Italian to win the set because Rebecca found the way to break back in the 8th (3-5) game.

It is worth noting that a pivotal stage of the set was when the Italian won 4 consecutive games in the 2nd set to convert the game count from 0-0 to 4-0.

The Italian was on the money in converting all her break points in the 1st (0-0 30-40) and the 3rd game (2-0 0-40). On the other side, Peterson was clinical in converting the only break point that she conquered in the 8th game (2-5 30-40).

They contested 57 points. Giorgi won 7 more points than Rebecca (32-25). Camila surrendered 10 points on serve (18-10). In addition, on the other side, the Swede conceded 14 points on serve (15-14).

At the end of the match, Camila scored 72 points vs. Petersons 62.

Camila was stunning in converting all the break points (4/4). In addition, on the other side, Rebecca was pretty effective at converting 50% of the break points that she procured points (2/4). Notwithstanding, that was not enough to win the contest.

After this encounter, the head to head between Giorgi and Peterson is 2-1 for Camila.

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PALERMO. Camila Giorgi surprises Peterson in the 1st round. HIGHLIGHTS - Tennis Tonic

15 Ways Men Can Boost Their Productivity – The Good Men Project

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We all know that there are only so many hours in the day and it is essential to make the most of your time. With this in mind, it is important to work smarter or put more hours into your daily goals. For the vast majority of us, we would all prefer to work smarter.

Believe it or not, it is not that hard to be more productive at work, however, it does require you to be more specific about how you manage your time. Today we are going to walk through 15 simple strategies that will increase your overall productivity at work.

Many of us believe we are pretty good at understanding how much time we spend on a specific task. However, it is estimated that only about 17% of people accurately estimate the amount of time they spend on specific tasks. Tools such as Rescue Time, Harvest, and others allow you to accurately understand how much time you spend on daily tasks such as various apps, word processing, emails and social media.

While it may sound counter-intuitive, regular breaks help to improve your overall concentration. Research is shown that short breaks throughout the day help to maintain a consistent level of performance, whereas working with outbreaks leads to a decline in performance.

These tips are just a few that will help you learn to work smarter and not harder. By making small changes in your daily work life you will find that you are more productive and happier and this, of course, will make its way to your personal life as well.

We all tend to believe that stress is a bad thing and for the most part it is. However, self-imposed stress helps to maintain focus and allow us to meet our goals. Whenever you are faced with an open-ended task or project, create a deadline and stick to it. More than likely youll discover you are much more focused while you have one eye watching the clock on a specific project.

Steve Olenski famously recommended implementing a two-minute rule in which you make the most of small minutes of time at work. The idea is quite simple, if you have a task or action that can be done in two minutes or less, do it right then and there. Typically, completing the task at that moment in time will take less time than getting back to it later. By implementing the simple strategy it has made him into one of the most influential content strategists online.

Meetings are one of the biggest time-suckers in the office environment and generally one of the least needed activities throughout the day. The average office worker will spend over 31 hours every single month in unproductive meetings. Before you attend your next office meeting, find out if it is something that can be accomplished via email, telephone or even a web-based meeting.

If there is an absolute need for a meeting, try creating an environment in which everybody stands. These types of meetings have been shown to increase overall group performance and task performance.

We have all heard how essential multitasking is in the office environment, however, studies have shown that may be completely false. Psychologists have found that trying to do several tasks at one time tends to result in lost productivity and time. Try to focus on committing to one single task before moving on to your next project.

If you use mass transit as a way to get to and from work, this can be the perfect opportunity to get ahead on some daily office tasks. Instead of browsing Facebook or play in mobile games, use this time to send out emails, create to-do lists or even daily brainstorming sessions.

Many entrepreneurs get stuck in the mindset that they must achieve perfection or it is not going to work. It is essential to understand there is no such thing as perfect, get the task done and send it out. Its much better to complete the task and move onto something else and then come back to it later on and fine-tune it.

Taken time throughout your day to exercise can help to improve your overall office productivity. Try to find time throughout the day where you can go on a walk or even visit a gym. A simple exercise session is one of the best ways to get your blood pumping and to clear your head and regain your focus on a specific project.

Nootropics are natural brain supplements that may enhance your cognitive performance, focus, attention, memory and of course, also your productivity. They are especially popular among entrepreneurs and businessmen. Heres a great place to learn more about nootropics. Just keep in mind that nootropics wont help that much if you dont follow other rules as well.

Taking and receiving emails and phone calls throughout the day or one of the best ways of keeping things in line but they may be keeping you from getting everything accomplished. You must set aside a specific time for communication such as answering phone calls and emails. Create a plan of attack for the day and stick to it in order to get everything accomplished.

It is almost impossible to ignore and in common text notification, voicemail or email. Were curious creatures and we want to see what is being said, however, this can be a huge waste of time. When you are at work, you must turn off all your notifications and set aside time to answer any type of communication.

Researchers who study elite performers who had worked in intervals of no more than 90 minutes tended to be more productive than those who worked in 90 minute plus intervals. In addition, they found that those who were at the top of their field tended to work no more than 4 1/2 hours a day. That sounds like a pretty good lifestyle, doesnt it?

While it may sound unbelievable, researchers have stated that an office that is aesthetically pleasing can help to increase productivity by up to 15%. Be sure to include live plants, a fish tank, pictures, candles or anything thats going to provide a smile on your face.

All friendly chitchat or office visits may seem to be innocuous, the simplest of interruptions throughout the day can change your overall work pattern and drop your productivity. It essential to minimize overall interruptions by creating specific office hours, closing and locking your door or simply work at home for time-sensitive projects.

If you feel as though you need to increase your productivity at work, resist spending more hours of your time and creating longer calendars. Instead, look throughout your day and see how you can work smarter and not harder.

Photo: Shutterstock

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15 Ways Men Can Boost Their Productivity - The Good Men Project

Doctors’ cries of censorship become part of their message – Poynter

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Factually is a newsletter about fact-checking and accountability journalism, from Poynters International Fact-Checking Network & the American Press Institutes Accountability Project. Sign up here

The major social media platforms arent always in lockstep on what content they moderate. But this week, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube were all on the same page in blocking a video of a group called Americas Frontline Doctors touting the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19, contrary to scientific evidence. One of the doctors said you dont need masks to halt the spread of the virus.

By now, the story of the video is well known the retweets by President Donald Trump and his son, the fact-checks that followed, and the bizarre beliefs of one of the doctors involved, Stella Immanuel.

What happened in the days after that, though, is key in understanding the methods and tactics of people who push unproven cures and other falsehoods and then have their content blocked: The blocking itself and the claims of censorship that follow become part of the attempt to get attention.

The day after the video of their Washington press conference was removed, the white-coated doctors were out again talking about the same messages, but with an added angle: They were being silenced.

Were coming after you Big Tech, were coming after you, said Simone Gold, one of the doctors leading the effort. We wont be silenced,

The censorship message then took off among the doctors supporters on Twitter and other platforms.

This is a common tactic among groups that champion unconventional messages. The censorship claim becomes central to their efforts to control the narrative, said Aimee Rinehart, U.S. deputy director of the nonprofit organization First Draft, which fights disinformation.

Cries that Big Tech is censoring us! become part of the attention grab, she said, even though the platforms are clear that they will only remove content that spreads false information about the coronavirus or messages that suppress the vote.

The doctors events were also held the same week that the CEOs of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple (Twitter was not among them) were testifying before a House subcommittee, which is probing the power of the tech companies. So it was convenient timing for the doctors, since there was a good chance that the platforms decision to take down the video would come up in the hearing, and it did.

In short, the doctors were successful in inserting their cause into the hearing, in effect, using the platforms content moderation decision to extend what might otherwise have been written off as a one-news-cycle fringe event.

Susan Benkelman, API

This week, Brazillian fact-checking organizations Agncia Lupa and Aos Fatos debunked a claim that citrus fruit peels contain the same basic ingredients as chloroquine and ivermectin.

Chloroquine has been shown to be ineffective at treating COVID-19 according to studies by both the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ivermectin, a medicine used to treat heartworm in animals and roundworm in humans, has shown some promise in early studies to treat COVID-19, but has not been properly vetted and approved to treat the disease.

Both fact-checkers talked to experts who explained both chloroquine and ivermectin are created through combining other chemicals in laboratory settings. They do not exist in citrus fruit peels. Both also noted misinformation about using citrus to treat COVID-19 is not new, and put this latest hoax in that context.

What we liked: This is a unique fact-check that builds on the work fact-checkers have been doing throughout the infodemic. It reiterates the current scientific understanding about the efficacy of chloroquine, and recognizes the trope of citrus fruits being used to treat COVID-19. This falsehood is a combination of those two narratives, and Aos Fatos and Agncia Lupa unpack that for their readers.

Harrison Mantas, IFCN

Thats it for this week! Feel free to send feedback and suggestions to factually@poynter.org. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, or if youre reading it on the web, you can subscribe here. Thanks for reading.

Susan and Harrison

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Doctors' cries of censorship become part of their message - Poynter

Turkey takes Germany’s hate speech law, and makes it much worse with its own censorship and data localization rules – Privacy News Online

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Last month we wrote about Frances hate speech law, and noted that it followed in the footsteps of the earlier German law known as NetzDG (short for Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz, or network enforcement law). NetzDG was bad news not just for German freedom of speech, but for human rights around the world, because of its knock-on effects. Once Germany had set a precedent for censoring the Internet, it was much easier for other countries to do the same. When people complained, governments could say that if it was acceptable for a liberal democracy like Germany, it was good enough for them. A report from Justitia, a think tank in Denmark, shows just how pernicious the influence of the NetzDG has been:

at least 13 countries have adopted or proposed models similar to the NetzDG matrix. According to Freedom Houses Freedom on the Net (2019), five of those countries are ranked not free (Honduras, Venezuela, Vietnam, Russia and Belarus), five are ranked partly free (Kenya, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines), and only three ranked free (France, UK and Australia). Most of these countries have explicitly referred to the NetzDG as a justification for restricting online speech. Moreover, several of these countries, including Venezuela, Vietnam, India, Russia, Malaysia, and Kenya, require intermediaries to remove vague categories of content that include fake news, defamation of religions, anti-government propaganda and hate speech that can be abused to target political dissent.

One more can now be added to the list. Turkey has just passed what the Electronic Frontier Foundation calls the worst version of Germanys NetzDG yet. Although its unfortunate that a regional leader like Turkey has brought in this law, its hardly a surprise. Turkey has a terrible record for freedom of speech: it is ranked 154th out of 180 countries in the RSF 2020 World Press Freedom Index. In 2018, its courts blocked access to around 3000 articles, including those on political corruption and human rights violations. Turkey has a track record of repeatedly blocking online companies like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Its government also brought in a VPN ban, and blocked the whole of Wikipedia.

One reason for these continuing attacks on freedom of speech is that Turkeys President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is notoriously thin-skinned. For example, a Turkish citizen who simply shared a meme comparing Erdogans facial expressions with Gollum from Lord of the Rings was not only hit with a suspended sentence, but lost custody of his children. The new censorship law also seems to have been brought in partly for personal reasons, as Al Jazeera reports:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has greatly concentrated powers into his own hands during 17 years in office, pledged this month to bring social media platforms under control following a series of tweets that allegedly insulted his daughter and son-in-law after they announced the birth of their fourth child on Twitter. At least 11 people were detained for questioning over the tweets.

The new law was passed extremely quickly: barely a month passed from its announcement to its approval.

The EFF has provided a good summary of its main features. They include requiring social media platforms that have more than two million daily users to appoint a local representative in Turkey. This is similar to the approach taken by Brazil in its new fake news law, discussed by Privacy News Online a few weeks ago. The penalties for failing to do so can be steep: they include advertisement bans, heavy financial penalties, and bandwidth reductions. The legislation allows Turkish courts to order Internet providers to throttle social media platforms bandwidth by up to 90%, in effect blocking access to those sites. Once local representatives are in place, they are responsible for blocking or taking down content when ordered to do so by the Turkish government.

Social media companies will also be required to remove content that allegedly violates personal rights and the privacy of personal life within 48 hours of receiving a court order, or face steep fines. Measures to protect privacy are to be welcomed, generally; however, these sound dangerously vague. Its easy to imagine them being abused by the rich and powerful who want true but embarrassing material removed. Another requirement is for social media platforms to store user data locally. It is likely that Turkish authorities will use this to demand details about people posting items that displease Erdogan, for example. In order to avoid that risk, many Turkish social media users will probably prefer to engage in self-censorship, which is doubtless the outcome the authorities want here.

Freedom of speech in Turkey has been under attack for years, and the new law is likely to exacerbate the existing problems. Given Erdogans grip on power, theres not much that can be done about that for the moment. The worry has to be that if these new measures choke off online dissent in Turkey, as seems likely, it will encourage other repressive governments to adopt a similar approach elsewhere.

Featured image by Mstyslav Chernov.

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Turkey takes Germany's hate speech law, and makes it much worse with its own censorship and data localization rules - Privacy News Online

Op-ed: Censorship and higher taxes won’t create more Apples, Amazons, Facebooks and Googles – CNBC

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law on "Online Platforms and Market Power" in the Rayburn House office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on July 29, 2020.

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

The House Judiciary Committee held an antitrust hearing on Wednesday with the CEOs of four of the largest U.S. technology companies Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google to determine whether they have grown too large (i.e., are "too successful"), and therefore, should be broken up.

Democrats on the Committee suggested that these companies' success threatens the free market and even democracy itself. Numerous Republicans raised concerns about their alleged political bias as well as their size.

Meanwhile, in China, the government is taking an opposite course. Instead of attacking its "national champions," China is showering them with government subsidies and discriminating against "would-be" competitors to great effect.

Ten years ago, nearly all of the top technology companies and start-ups in the world were American. Now, China has nine of the top 20 technology companies and four of the top 10 start-ups. And this trend appears likely to continue.

China recently passed the United States in the number of global patent applications and is on track to eclipse U.S. research and development spending in the next two years, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

As policymakers on the Right and Left increasingly proclaim the importance of out-innovating China in critical technologies, their comments during yesterday's hearing raise an important question which companies will they actually let play that role?

Ten years ago, nearly all of the top technology companies and start-ups in the world were American. Now, China has nine of the top 20 technology companies and four of the top 10 start-ups. And this trend appears likely to continue.

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are not the only important U.S. technology companies, but they spend a disproportionate amount on research and development in key areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and robotics. They are also leaders on privacy and security technology, an area where China poses a particular threat, and they provide communication alternatives to less secure Chinese competitors. Mere search engines and social networks they are not.

Moreover, all four companies are uniquely American. They were built from the ground up by hard-working middle-class entrepreneurs, they revolutionized their industries, and they provide platforms to expand American influence and ideals like free speech around the world.

So rather than tear down our most innovative and most American of companies, let's build them up and others like them to stay ahead of China. How to begin?

First, let's stop attacking success to score political points. Policymakers should always question potential monopolistic behavior and make sure that a diversity of opinions are allowed to thrive online, but much of Big Tech's recent scrutiny appears populist in nature either intended to bolster "anti-corporate" credentials or to admonish the political views of their CEOs and employees.

The consequences of this "loose talk" is real it threatens American jobs at these companies, discourages other would-be risk-takers from setting out on new ventures, and provides cover for other countries to target U.S. business. After all, if U.S. policymakers are attacking Big Tech, why shouldn't their counterparts in China and Europe do the same? Instead of needlessly hurting our most innovative companies, let's champion their ingenuity and encourage others to replicate it.

Second, let's use the size of these companies and the unique skill sets of their workers to the government's advantage. Let's harness their cross-cutting strengths through public-private partnerships and joint R&D programs in critical technologies so the United States (and the U.S. military) remains the global leader. When policymakers consider their options for a modern U.S. industrial policy, working with and further strengthening these American champions is exactly what they should be doing.

Third, let's tread carefully when it comes to circumscribing the activities of these and other U.S. companies abroad. There are areas where our companies should not be permitted to engage, such as helping China improve its military capability. But one of the best ways for America to stay ahead of its global competition is for our companies to sell more in markets like China so they can spend more on innovation in the United States.

Fourth, let's forcefully back these companies against unfair practices abroad, whether it be unacceptable pressure from China to censor their activities or opportunistic targeting from France for tax revenue. Such pressure is very difficult for companies to combat alone, and they shouldn't be criticized for trying. Rather, the U.S. government should stand by their side and help them to compete fairly in these crucial markets, not encourage them to disengage.

Finally, as we continue to push back against the unfair practices of others, let's not emulate them ourselves. Censorship and higher taxes are not the way to create more Apples, Amazons, Facebooks, and Googles. And using anti-trust tools for political purposes a trick right out of the Chinese playbook will certainly not help win the defining global competition of our time.

Clete Willems is a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, the former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council (2018-2019), and proudly represents innovative U.S. tech companies.

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Op-ed: Censorship and higher taxes won't create more Apples, Amazons, Facebooks and Googles - CNBC

Pence Says Administration Will ‘Lean Into’ Issue of Tech Censorship – Newsmax

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Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday the Trump administration is continuing to "lean into"investigatingthe claimsocial media and other tech companies are censoring content and opinions contrary to liberal doctrine, promising to preserve the freedom of speech and freedom of press on the Internet.

Speaking with Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow on SiriusXM's "Breitbart News Daily," Pence addressed in broad terms the actions of tech companies such as Facebook, Google and particularly Twitter.

Last week, Twitter removed a Breitbart's livestream news conference of the medical group America's Frontline Doctors held on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding what it said was misinformation on the novel coronavirus.

It was also removed from YouTube.

Twitter claimed the livestream was a violation of its "COVID-19 misinformation policy," Breitbart News reported. Among the claims made by some of the participants of the event was the promotion of the half-century old anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as possible treatment for the novel coronavirus.

The group's website has been removed by the tech company squarespace.com.

"We're going to do our very best every day between now and election day and for four more years after that to make sure that we preserve the freedom of speech and freedom of the press on the Internet," Pence said.

Marlow also said one of Breitbart News' Twitter accounts was "shuttered" until the video of the press conference was deleted.

Pence said the Trump administration was working to ensure freedom of opinion on social media platforms, which have enjoyed liability protection under the 1996 Communications Decency Act by claiming they are merely "passive bulleting boards" of information.

He referred to last week's action by President Donald Trump, which formally requested the Federal Communication Commission reinterpret the law particularly in regard to social media companies which selectively choose which user content to allow and which to block, edit or censor.

"Well, freedom of speech is the bedrock of American democracy, that's why our founding fathers enshrined the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, in the first amendment of the constitution and I want all your listeners to know as they've seen this president and our administration take action to prevent online censorship in the past, that we're going to continue to lean into this effort," Pence said.

"As you know, last summer the Department of Justice launched a broad antitrust review of big tech, that's ongoing. The president this summer signed an executive order that set into motion a series of actions that launched a tech bias reporting tool at the White House and called on the FTC to consider action whenever is appropriate to prohibit unfair or deceptive acts affecting commerce, etc."

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GreatFire introduces app maker to bypass Chinas censorship – Reclaim The Net

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GreatFire, an anonymous China-based organization dedicated to monitoring and circumventing Chinas internet censorship system known as the Great Firewall, has announced the release of an app creator for the Android market.

The GreatFire AppMaker is meant to allow third parties blocked in mainland China to build apps that will bypass those restrictions.

According to the announcement, one such organization, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has already made use of the GreatFire AppMaker to create its own app. This means that while the website of this group dedicated to human rights and freedoms remains inaccessible to users in China, they can now see that content by installing the app built using the GreatFire AppMaker.

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GreatFire which says it has in the past directed Chinese internet users more than 13 million times to censored news stories about government corruption, politics, scandals and other sensitive issues explained how organizations, media outlets, and individual bloggers can make use of the new tool free of charge.

They are invited to visit the GreatFire AppMakers website and compile their app following a number of steps, such as naming it, providing the homepage of the website it will draw content from, etc. The app will be branded both with theirs and GreatFires logo and downloadable as an APK file.

As for how it works GreatFire said a censorship-circumventing browser is included in it, while this evasion of Chinas restrictions is happening using multiple strategies, including machine learning.

The app creator and the apps it builds are not limited to the Chinese market, the organization said, and can be used anywhere where internet restrictions similar to those in China have been put in place.

GreatFire offers several products and services, such as FreeBrowser, FreeWeChat, FreeWeibo, GreatFire Analyzer, among others, aimed at providing access to blocked pages and restoring deleted content.

GreatFire said the appmaker project was inspired by its FreeBrowser app that allows users in China access to censored stories.

The organization said that it appeared on the scene in 2014 with the support and funding of the Open Technology Fund (OTF), including to develop AppleCensorship.com, which is tracking Apples censorship of app stores around the world, including Hong Kong.

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GreatFire introduces app maker to bypass Chinas censorship - Reclaim The Net

Facebook removes pro-Trump ad aimed at Joe Biden, claiming false information – Fox News

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A pro-Trump ad was removed from Facebook after claims that it contained false information, Fox News has learned.

AmericaFirst Action PAC on Tuesday told Fox News that Facebook removed one of its ads, titled "On Hold,"which was placed in Arizona, Pennsylvaniaand Wisconsin on July 24. The ad was flagged by Politifact on July 29, according to the PAC.

"Facebook's decision to take down this ad shows its anti-conservative bias,"America First Communications Director Kelly Sadler told Fox News. "America First Action has logged an appeal, but the threat of anti-conservative bias, targeting, and censorship remains ahead of Election Day in November and we must be vigilant inholding big tech, like Facebook accountable."

TWITTER EXEC IN CHARGE OF FACT-CHECKING MOCKED TRUMP SUPPORTERS, CALLED MCCONNELL 'BAG OF FARTS'

Sadler, during an interview on FoxBusiness on Tuesday, added that this "is just more bias from these social media companies."

"We're going to file an appeal, but there's really little we can do about it," she told host Stuart Varney."These social media giants are monopolies, and ultimately they make the decision of what runs on their platform."

Facebook confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that the ad had, in fact, been fact-checked. A Facebook spokesperson told Fox News that ads that are fact-checked and found to contain false information are not eligible to run as a paid ad on the social media platform.

The spokesman added that the videos can, instead, run as original content on the group's page.

America First Action, though, said certain versions of the ad were removed in particular states, but the Facebook spokesman said that once the ad was fact-checked as false, all versions would be removed from the platform.

The Facebook spokesperson said that if any version of the ad was still running on the platform, it would be due to a lag in Facebook's fact-checking system.

The ad in question was titled On Hold, and shows a woman calling 9-1-1 and being put on hold. The ad moves to show Democratic nominee former Vice President Joe Biden saying yes, with a "defund the police?" banner.

The ad is currently marked on Facebook with a label saying: "False Information. Checked by independent fact-checkers."

Facebooks fact-checking comes as members of the Trump administration and prominent Republicans have claimed that social media platforms have censoredright-leaning viewpoints.

Attorney General WilliamBarr told Fox News in June that social media platforms are "engaged in censorship"and are acting more like "publishers."

"They originally held themselves out as open forums where people, where the third parties could come and express their views and they built up a tremendous network of eyeballs,"Barr said on "Special Report"in June.

"They had a lot of market power based on thatpresentation," the attorney general added. "And now they are acting much more like publishers because they're censoring particular viewpoints and putting their own content in there to diminish the impact of various people's views."

Twitter, earlier this summer, slapped a warning label on one of President Trump's tweets for the first time, cautioning readers that despite the president's claims, "fact checkers" say there is "no evidence" that expanded, nationwide mail-in voting would increase fraud risks -- and that "experts say mail-in ballots are very rarely linked to voter fraud.

Within minutes, Trump accused Twitter of "interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election,"that the platform "is completely stifling FREE SPEECH"and vowing: "I, as President, will not allow it to happen!"

Two days later, the president signed an executive order that interprets Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 as not providing statutory liability protections for tech companies that engage in censorship and political conduct. It also cuts federal funding for social media platforms that censor users' political views.

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Facebook removes pro-Trump ad aimed at Joe Biden, claiming false information - Fox News

#SavetheChildren Ban? Facebook Censors ‘Save the Children’ – Heavy.com

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Facebook users are noticing that a hashtag with the phrase Save the Children (#SavetheChildren) appeared to be banned or censored on Facebook. Although statuses with the hashtag could still be posted, clicking on the hashtag didnt reveal any results or, instead, came with a warning about community safety guidelines. After a couple of hours, it appears the hashtag may be restored. It works for Heavy, but some Facebook users are telling Heavy that the hashtag is still censored for them.

While you could still post using the Save the Children hashtag (and Facebook automatically suggests adding a donation button when you do so), the hashtag itself appeared to be banned or censored on Facebook searches. Now it appears to be working again as of 12 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, August 6, but its not clear if thats a permanent or temporary change. The ban was first noticed on the evening of August 5.

Clicking on the hashtag on desktop revealed the following error message: This Content Isnt Available. This may be because of a technical error were trying to fix, or because the content was removed.

A different error message popped up if you tried to click on the hashtag on mobile. On mobile, a message appeared that read: Keeping Our Community Safe. Posts with #SavetheChildren are temporarily hidden here. Some content in those posts goes against our Community Standards.

At this time, an official reason why the posts were hidden had not been confirmed. Some people said they were reporting disturbing photos and pages that theyd seen to Facebook and tagged them with #SavetheChildren to spread the word and ask others to report the pages too. The hashtag may have been auto-censored because of the photos that were tagged with it.

In the Facebook screenshot below, one person said they had edited their photos later because of the disturbing nature of the images that were connected to the hashtag they had shared.

Others thought it may have been because some posts with the tag were reported to Facebook as violating standards, and an auto-censorship may have kicked in. Heres one example where the hashtag appeared with a photo claiming Tom Hanks was a pedophile:

Facebook has not yet announced a reason for censoring the hashtag as of the time of publication.

Some commenters told Heavy that they had previously run into issues reporting disturbing Facebook pages or groups involving children. One person told Heavy that they personally had reported a disturbing page to Facebook and were later told that the page didnt violate Facebooks standards. Heavy has blurred out the name of the page so as not to advertise it.

The commenter told Heavy about the page they reported, asking that their name not be included: Its so sick I cant even write it. Looked to be a young person being made to do something to an adult . And then I got freaked out that I was even on the link to report it, and jumped out fast.

They were later told by Facebook, as shown in the screenshot above, that the page didnt violate Facebooks standards. Several other people came to Heavy sharing that they too had reported disturbing groups to Facebook that they were concerned may have involved minors, but the groups had not been removed yet. Heavy has not verified those pages or groups, but has reached to Facebook for comment.

People are talking about the ban on Twitter too.

Most of the tweets are anger about the hashtag being censored, as quite a few people were using it to try to bring attention to child trafficking.

Some suggested that because the hashtag was also associated with QAnon, that might have been why it was censored.

Some people are simply sharing the hashtag because theyre not sure why it was censored.

Heavy has reached out to Facebook for comment.

READ NEXT: The latest COVID-19 deaths, cases, and updates

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#SavetheChildren Ban? Facebook Censors 'Save the Children' - Heavy.com

Censorship or fighting disinformation? Russia to use AI to create controversial fake news filter, as Facebook efforts stall – RT

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Russia plans to create a data service to tackle 'fake news,' the country's media watchdog Rospechat said on Tuesday. US social media giant Facebook has also attempted to construct a similar system but progress has been slow.

The automated editor's job description will include comparing as many news-related facts as possible and finding the wrong ones, Rospechat's deputy chief Ilya Lazarev wrote in a letter to the Ministry of Communications, which was quoted by Moscow business daily RBK on Tuesday.

Rospechat expects the counter-misinformation aggregator to be completed by 2023 and hopes to make it available to both organizations and individuals. In order to get the project moving, the watchdog has requested 94.3 million rubles ($1.3 million) from federal authorities.

Previously, Human Rights Watch - an American lobby group bankrolled by George Soros - has claimed that the Russian government has been building an entire arsenal of tools to reign over information, internet users, and communications networks which could further suffocate independent media in the country.

Rospechat's fake news filter is somewhat similar to a tool Facebook has been attempting to create. In 2016, its founder Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to develop a 'misinformation' filter but four years later, there is still no sign of it. Zuckerberg admitted then that the problems were complex, both technically and philosophically.

Russia has significantly expanded laws and regulations tightening control over internet infrastructure, online content, and the privacy of communications.

If carried out to their full restrictive potential, the new measures will severely undermine the ability of people in Russia to exercise their human rights online, including freedom of expression and freedom of access to information.

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Censorship or fighting disinformation? Russia to use AI to create controversial fake news filter, as Facebook efforts stall - RT

The Italian journalist sets fire to Instagram bordering on censorship with her first bath – Explica

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Italy is still in love with Diletta Leotta, the sexiest sports journalist in the transalpine country, who is also popular and known worldwide for her activity on Instagram, where she has more than seven million followers who in the last few hours has delighted with a suggestive bikini-clad posing the censorship of the aforementioned social network.

The first bath is never forgotten, wrote the DAZN reporter next to the photo, in which she appears in a bikini on a boat with the sunset in the background. Diletta Leotta begins her vacation after the end of Serie A, and celebrates it with her first dip in the Mediterranean Sea.

Diletta Leotta has been in focus for several years, but there was an episode that ended up catapulting her to fame. Surely, she does not remember it with a good taste in her mouth, because she must have had a bad time when some hackers stole videos and photos of sexual content from their mobile phone and published it on the Internet.

The hackers illegally accessed his phone and collected the necessary data to expose a sexual video with his partner, with whom he was in the kitchen house playing risqu games with cream, etc. At the moment, those responsible for this illegal act have not been found and the videos and photos have become so viral that it is still possible to find them online.

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The Italian journalist sets fire to Instagram bordering on censorship with her first bath - Explica

Facebook censors hydroxychloroquine praise, even in countries where its an official treatment – Reclaim The Net

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By its own admission, Facebook has nearly 2.5 billion active users, so its clear that it serves the entire world, rather than just the US market.

Yet during a global crisis and turmoil such as the multi-month coronavirus pandemic the way it dishes out coronavirus disinformation censorship, Facebook went with imposing the rules of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its users.

The CDCs position, for example, is that hydroxychloroquine is not effective in treatment of Covid-19 patients. Facebook and other social media giants dutifully follow this line, regardless of the fact that many countries are already officially using and recommending hydroxychloroquine as efficient medicine.

This could easily be seen as a case of digital imperialism, where these corporations give themselves the right to impose one countrys agencys rules onto the rest of the world. All the more so, since a recent study by Sermo a global social network for physicians shows what the rest of the world is up to, in a bid to cure Covid patients.

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This company, that says it is the largest healthcare data collection, carried out a 3-day poll with participation of 6,200 physicians from 30 countries, to, among other things, find out that hydroxychloroquine is one of the three most commonly prescribed treatments for the disease (33%). Only analgesics (56%) and the drug Azithromycin (41%) are used more frequently overall, the study has shown.

It might seem strange to Americans, where the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine has been relegated to a hoax and even a conspiracy theory by mainstream media and Big Tech, that there are countries in the world like Spain and Italy among the hardest hit initially, but that, according to the study, seem to be doing well in this second coronavirus wave where hydroxychloroquine is by far the most used anti-Covid drug (72% and 49% respectively).

And while in the US giant social media are taking down content promoting this medication as dangerous disinformation the drug is among the most commonly prescribed (in double digits percentage-wise) in Mexico, Canada, Germany, France, and Brazil.

Not only that, but hydroxychloroquine has been overall chosen as the most effective therapy amongst COVID-19 treaters from a list of 15 options (37% of COVID-19 treaters): 75% in Spain, 53% Italy, 44% in China, 43% in Brazil, 29% in France, 23% in the US, and 13% in the UK.

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Facebook censors hydroxychloroquine praise, even in countries where its an official treatment - Reclaim The Net

What’s Happening With Progress Software Stock? – Trefis

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Based on a comparison ofProgress Softwares stock (NASDAQ: PRGS) trajectory over recent months with that around the 2008 recession, we believe that the stock can potentially gain 10% once fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak are abated to reach $40, from current levels of $36. The stock lost more than 30% in 2008 and gained around 83% after that, however, this time around, it dropped 32% between Feb 19th and March 23rd, before improving by 21% since then a partial recovery. A detailed comparison of Progress Softwares performance against the S&P 500 is available in our interactive dashboard analysis, 2007-08 vs. 2020 Crisis Comparison:How Did Progress Software Stock Fare Compared With S&P 500?

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency at the end of January in light of the coronavirus spread. The rally in the equity market continued till February 19 with the S&P 500 reaching a record high, but the trend reversed sharply over the following weeks. PRGS stock lost 32% of its value (vs. about 34% decline in the S&P 500) between February 19 and March 23. A bulk of the decline came after March 6th, when an increasing number of Coronavirus cases outside China fueled concerns of a global economic slowdown. Notably, though, the multi-billion dollar stimulus package announced by the U.S. government has helped the stock price recover 21% over recent weeks (vs. about a 48% gain in the S&P 500) to its current level of $36.

Progress Softwares Stock Fell Because The Situation On The Ground Has Changed

Progress Software is a U.S based Software Company that provides solutions for developing and deploying business applications. It offers tools for easily building adaptive user experiences across any type of device, the flexibility of a serverless cloud platform to deliver modern apps, data connectors, etc. The Covid-19 crisis has compelled businesses to re-think their IT spending to save costs. Companies are either postponing or slashing IT expenditure in the short term, investing in only business-critical projects. This is likely to impact Progress top line as both new deals and subscription revenues could suffer. On the flip side, Progress Software has a strong balance sheet and a large network of over 1,700 independent software vendors, 100,000 enterprise customers, and two million developers who use its offerings, enabling it to grow in the long term.

We believe Progress Softwares Q3 results will confirm this reality with a drop in both product licenses and subscription revenues. If signs of coronavirus containment arent clear by the September Q3 earnings timeframe, its likely Progress Softwares stock along with the broader market is going to see another round of sell-offs when results are well below expectations.

But Progress Software Stock Witnessed Something Similar During The 2008 Downturn

We see PRGS stock declined from levels of around $13 in October 2007 (the pre-crisis peak) to roughly $7 in March 2009 (as the markets bottomed out) implying that the stock lost as much as 50% of its value from its approximate pre-crisis peak. This marked a similar drop as the broader S&P, which fell by about 51%.

However, PRGS recovered strongly post the 2008 crisis to about $12 in early 2010 rising by 83% between March 2009 and January 2010. In comparison, the S&P bounced back by about 48% over the same period.

Will Progress Softwares Stock Recover Similarly From The Current Crisis?

Keeping in mind the fact that PRGS stock fell 32% from the market peak on February 19 to the low on March 23 compared to the 50% decline during the 2008 recession, we believe it can potentially bounce back (10%) to around $40 once economic conditions begin to show signs of improving. This marks a partial recovery to the $44 level PRGS stock was at before the coronavirus outbreak gained global momentum.

That said, the actual recovery and its timing hinge on the broader containment of the coronavirus spread. Our dashboardforecasting U.S. Covid-19 cases with cross-country comparisonsanalyzesexpected recovery time-frames and possible spread of the virus.

Further, our dashboard-28% Coronavirus crash vs. 4 Historic crashes builds a complete macro picture and complements our analyses of the coronavirus outbreaks impact on a diverse set of Progress Softwares multinational peers. The complete set ofcoronavirus impact and timing analysesis available here.

Want out-performance? Try guessing the % returns for ourPershing-inspired portfolio based onbillionaire Bill Ackmans firm Pershing Square vs. the S&P over the last 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, YTD or even 3 years. Our portfolio combines high growth, quality, and risk mitigation criteria in an interesting way.

See allTrefis Price EstimatesandDownloadTrefis Datahere

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What's Happening With Progress Software Stock? - Trefis

More progress at Hanford despite the challenges of a Global Pandemic | Fox 11 Tri Cities Fox 41 Yakima – FOX 11 and FOX 41

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HANFORD, WA The Energy Department and Tank Farms Contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions, joined ranks with the state Ecology Department to break ground on a new waste pre-treatment system.

Its a critical component of turning legacy waste now stored in underground tanks into glass.

The groundbreaking marks a year and a half of design and fabrication work.

Were out here today to break ground on the line that will bring the waste from the new tank-side cesium and removal facility over to the waste treatment plant for treatment and its a big deal because this is the missing link for really getting waste treatment started at Hanford. Which has been a priority for the State of Washington for a very long time, said Alex Smith, Washington Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste program manager.

The system helps strain solids and remove radioactive cesium from the tank waste.

Its then stored in a tank until it can be sent through underground pipes to the low-activity waste facility, where it will be heated to 2,100 Degrees Fahrenheit, mixed with glass-forming materials and poured into stainless steel containers for disposal.

FOX41 YakimaFOX11 TriCities

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More progress at Hanford despite the challenges of a Global Pandemic | Fox 11 Tri Cities Fox 41 Yakima - FOX 11 and FOX 41

August begins with cooler weather as crop progress is above average – Grand Island Independent

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Cooler weather has been prevalent for the beginning of August, with temperatures more than 6 degrees below the 30-year average in Grand Island, according to the National Weather Service in Hastings.

July ended on a rainy note with 2.41 inches of precipitation falling in the waning days of the month. The rain was followed by cooler than normal weather during the heart of summer.

But the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that corn and soybean progress was ahead of schedule.

Cooler summer weather will stick around through Wednesday until temperatures head back up into the mid- to upper 80s and low 90s later in the week. There will also be increased chances of showers and thunderstorms.

During the last 20 years, the daily average temperature for August has been 74.2 degrees. That is 3 degrees lower than the average for July as the daylight hours slowly begin to lessen.

Average rainfall for August, during the last 20 years, has been 3.2 inches, though Grand Island received about 12 inches of precipitation last August. Two years prior, in 2017, less than an inch of precipitation fell during the month in Grand Island.

Wednesdays high will be near 81. There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night, with a low of about 64.

Thursdays high will be near 85, with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms that night. The low will be about 68.

Friday through the weekend, high temperatures will be in the low 90s, with lows in the upper 60s. There are chances of rain and thunderstorms each night.

Statewide, corn condition rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 16% fair, 55% good and 22% excellent. Corn silking was 94%, ahead of the 81% last year, and the 91% five-year average. Dough was 43%, well ahead of the 23% last year and the 31% average. Dented was 6%, near the 2% average.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 16% fair, 57% good and 22% excellent. Soybeans blooming was 95%, well ahead of the 75% last year and ahead of the average of 87% . Setting pods was 64%, ahead of the 46% last year and the 53% average.

Winter wheat harvested as of Sunday was 96%, well ahead of the 69% last year and ahead of the 90% average.

Sorghum condition rated 2% very poor, 6% poor, 28% fair, 39% good and 25% excellent. Sorghum headed was 64%, well ahead of the 38% last year and ahead of the average of 51%. Coloring was 1%, near the 3% both last year and average.

Oats harvested was 92%, well ahead of the 68% last year and the 81% average.

n Dry edible bean condition rated 0% very poor, 1% poor, 13% fair, 71% good and 15% excellent. Dry edible beans blooming was 73%, ahead of the 55% last year. Setting pods was 38%, ahead of the 19% last year.

Pasture and range conditions rated 2% very poor, 7% poor, 32% fair, 55% good and 4% excellent.

The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that about 33% of the U.S. is experiencing some form of drought. That number was 25.5% in late June.

Nationwide, 37% of the topsoil moisture and 35% of the subsoil moisture was short or very short, and 30% of the pasture and rangeland was in poor to very poor condition, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

For the week ending Sunday, the USDA reported that in Nebraska topsoil moisture supplies rated 12% very short, 25% short, 60% adequate and 3% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 10% very short, 26% short, 62% adequate and 2% surplus.

The drought report said that approximately 28% of the U.S. cattle inventory are in areas experiencing drought.

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August begins with cooler weather as crop progress is above average - Grand Island Independent

Virtual Against the Tide Events Making Progress – CapeCod.com News

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HYANNIS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this years Against the Tide events are being held virtually.

Hosted by the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, the events raise money and awareness for cancer prevention.

Running, walking, and swimming elements are involved, along with paddle-boarding, and kayaking.

The first virtual event was held earlier this summer and the remaining three will be held in the coming weeks and into the early fall.

Its really gone quite well, surprisingly well in that we cannot meet in person, which is truly sad, but what is a very inspirational story is that people have come together, not only in the areas where we are used to seeing people come together in a specific location, but people far and wide have joined us virtually to help our unique goal of cancer prevention, said Executive Director Cheryl Osimo.

Because of the way the world is today, we want to make sure that we keep all of our friends and supporters safe.

The remaining three events will take place on Saturday, August 15, September 19, and September 26.

Osimo said people can participate in the days before and after the event.

Even though we are using the same date, we would have had the event on August 15, people can participate on the 13, 14, 15, 16, thats Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, continued Osimo.

In September the actual dates are September 19 and 26 but again people can participate on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

It is $40 to register for the event, however the coalition offers a family registration plan which is $100 for up to five members.

Its different for sure, but we have to do the best that we can. said Osimo.

All proceeds from the events go toward the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalitions work toward breast cancer prevention.

For more information, visit the coalitions website.

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Virtual Against the Tide Events Making Progress - CapeCod.com News

Thrust, parry and progress – Chinadaily USA

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MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

Higher-level opening-up and reform can counter anti-globalization, divestment and decoupling strategy of the US

In the face of changes brought by protectionism and the novel coronavirus outbreak, China needs to focus on a new economic pattern, one dominated by domestic economic circulation and facilitated by circulation between China and the rest of the world. This dual economic circulation between domestic and international markets will be promoted during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

This is not only expedient to cope with the industrial and supply chain disruption caused by the global public health crisis but also the means for China to seek high-quality economic growth at this critical stage of its development.

Amid the rise of global trade protectionism, unilateralism and the impacts of the pandemic on the global economy, China needs to advance reforms and higher-level opening-up and lower tariffs and expand imports to gain a bigger say on the global economic stage. Today, large exporting countries are not necessarily economic powers for the exports may be mainly labor-intensive products and processed ones with imported components. However, large importing countries are definitely economic heavyweights for the foreign exchange for imports is generated by technology and service trade surpluses. The currencies of such countries are included in the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights basket of reserve currencies that can be used for direct transnational settlements.

In the next three to five years, China should lower its overall tariff rates, which would help reduce the import costs borne by consumers, facilitate industrial transformation and upgrading, and drive the growth in imports.

China has performed the best in bringing the pandemic under control, making it a place with the lowest investment risks. Through furthering opening-up, it will see more international industrial investment and less transfer of foreign industrial chains in China to other countries, which will help supplement, expand and improve the domestic industrial chains. Efforts are now needed to expand the fields open to foreign investment and ease market access for the service industry. The 2020 negative list for foreign investment was recently introduced. The items that are off-limits on the nationwide negative list for foreign investment have been cut from 40 to 33 and those on the list governing foreign investment in pilot free trade zones have been reduced from 37 to 30.Notably, restrictions on foreign shares in securities companies, securities investment fund management companies, futures companies and life insurance companies have been scrapped. Restrictions on foreign investment share ratios in commercial vehicle manufacturing will also be lifted. These measures will enable China to better attract foreign capital and supplement its industrial chains.

China needs to expand the opening-up of its service industries including logistics, research and development and design, and the digital economy to attract more international companies to enter the Chinese market and join regional industry chain clusters to develop clusters of strategic emerging industrial chains. Amid weak external demand, China can develop industrial circulation by driving domestic demand. After the global market recovers, it can further expand its industrial clusters and improve the quality of development to further the circulation of the global industrial chain.

China needs to accelerate the development of an internationalized, law-based and fair business environment. In recent years, it has made significant progress in improving its domestic business environment in line with the standards of the World Bank, which can be attributed to the country's steady efforts to streamline administration, delegate power and improve government services. Under the new situation, the government needs to further drive reforms and improve the domestic business environment, by translating specific requirements into laws and regulations with clear accountability.

The country also needs to develop new pacesetters for opening-up by building free trade zones and free trade ports with Chinese characteristics. China has developed an opening-up landscape featuring 18 free trade zones and one free trade port. It needs to improve its industrial capabilities in line with international standards, build advanced manufacturing clusters and strategic emerging industrial bases with international influences, develop a world-class business environment and greatly ease market access for foreign investment in the fields of finance, insurance, logistics, R&D and design, education, health and the digital economy.

The country should seek to accelerate free trade agreement negotiations and participate in the negotiations for the formulation of international economic and trade rules. The revised US-Canada-Mexico Agreement came into effect in July, in which a "poison pill" clause is targeted at weakening China's position in global trade and industrial supply chains. The US is likely to push for similar free trade agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan. In this regard, China needs to seize the opportunity to accelerate the China-Japan-Republic of Korea, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China-EU bilateral investment treaty and China-UK BIT negotiations, and start negotiations to join the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. It needs to launch countermeasures against the US containment efforts and attract technologies, industries, capital and talent by participating in the economic and trade rule negotiations.

The pandemic has led to a global economic recession and all countries need to continue to support globalization, give full play to the role of the market in optimizing resource allocation, and improve the division of labor between enterprises, regions and countries around the world. The beggar-thy-neighbor approaches and practices of decoupling, shifting the blame and promoting unilateralism and anti-globalization are against the trend of times and are thus doomed to fail. China needs to counter anti-globalization, divestment and decoupling through driving high-level opening up, improving the business environment and enhancing the appeal of its large market.

The author is former mayor of Chongqing and academic advisor of China Finance 40 Forum (CF40). The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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Thrust, parry and progress - Chinadaily USA