What Should Being Black in Philly Look Like? It Should Look Like the Abolition of White Supremacy – Philadelphia magazine

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Opinion

Megan Malachi on the need to disband the police, institute community-led models of public safety and pay reparations.

Educator and organizer Megan Malachi.

Megan Malachi, 39, of Germantown, is an educator and organizer with Philly for R.E.A.L. Justice.

My Black Philly is an abolitionist one. I was born into a racist city. Both of my parents are from West Philly and are graduates of the old West Philadelphia High School. My dad was a Speedboy and was immensely proud of being a member of the class of 1969. His yearbook was an important source of storytelling and cultural pride in our household. Interspersed with these happy memories were darker tales of the Rizzo days and institutional racism. There were stories of my dad and his friends being stopped and frisked on their way home from the YMCA on 52nd and Chestnut. My mom would become visibly angry whenever she spoke about the poor treatment she received from her white teachers at Beeber Middle School and the many opportunities that were denied to Black children.

Throughout my educational experiences in Philadelphia public schools, no one ever taught a single lesson about Mumia or MOVE. This violent erasure and silence continues to thrive in all of our institutions today. Im an activist, and my work has involved fighting police terrorism and dismantling systems that authorize state violence against Black communities. The recent rebellion that occurred in Philadelphia has demonstrated that my people are tired of white supremacy, and we are willing to risk our lives to get free.

When I think about the future of Black Philadelphia, I envision a liberated society created through abolitionist principles such as disbanding the police while forming community-led models of public safety. I think of Black neighborhoods that are self-determining and have the ability to protect themselves against both state and vigilante violence. Our communities will have the economic resources to meet the material needs of all of our members. The Rizzo statue is gone, but a free Black Philadelphia means the removal of the street sign honoring Wilson Goode and other monuments to white supremacist terror. An abolitionist Black Philadelphia will also rid itself of the classism that has enabled generations of Black misleaders, such as the politicians and police commissioners who have consistently worked against the aspirations of the broader Black community.

I am fiercely protective of Philadelphia, especially our African American communities, from the fun and ubiquitous Philly slang word jawn to the deep culture of our institutions, history, food, and intellectual contributions. We have been lied to and dismissed by politicians who want our votes but do not care about our lives. What does it mean for Mayor Jim Kenney to institute a statue of Octavius V. Catto, a 19th-century African American leader murdered by white vigilantes for organizing Black people to vote, while refusing to assist living Black people by ending stop-and-frisk? An abolitionist Black Philadelphia will mean a radical shift in public policy, community control of public safety, and a redistribution of wealth and resources. Yes, I am referring to reparations.

The rebellions in our streets have spoken. We have nothing to lose but our chains.

Published as It Should Look Like Liberation in the What Should Being Black in Philly Look Like? feature in the August 2020 issue of Philadelphia magazine.

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What Should Being Black in Philly Look Like? It Should Look Like the Abolition of White Supremacy - Philadelphia magazine

Confederate monuments: What the men honored by statues did and believed – The Northwest Florida Daily News

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This story is part of The Confederate Reckoning, a collaborative project of USA TODAY Network newsrooms across the South to examine the legacy of the Confederacy and its influence on systemic racism today.

The white men stand, immortalized in metal and stone, in parks, public squares and the halls of government.

Statues of prominent figures in the Confederacy are a common sight in the South. But the visibility of their monuments often belie the way their lives and legacies are obscured by myth.

Like other symbols of the Confederacy, such memorials have been defended for generations as pieces of Southern heritage, or simply uncontroversial artifacts of history. But for many people, they are ever-present reminders of racial discrimination and violent oppression that has never gone away.

The removal of statues of Confederate leaders as well as those of others who promoted or profited from slavery and racism has become a focal point of calls for a true confrontation with racial inequality in the United States. As part of that conversation,USA TODAY Network newsrooms across the South are taking a critical look at several such figures to understand who they were and what they believed.

***

For more than four decades, a bronzesculpture of thebust of Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest has been featured prominently in the Tennessee state Capitol.

A statue portraying Forrest was one of three removed in Memphis in late 2017 afterthe city found a loopholeto legally take down the monument that residents widely agreed should not stand in a public park.

But as the fate of the Capitol bust hangs in the balance pending a state commission meeting later this year and after years of debate among Black and white lawmakers, and Democratsand Republicans who was Forrest and why is he so controversial more than 150 years after the Civil War?

Among the most notorious parts of Forrest's legacy is his reported involvement leading Confederate soldiers in the West Tennessee Battle of Fort Pillow in April 1864, which has commonly become known as a massacre of surrendered Union troops, many of whom were Black.

Primary documents from a variety of sources refute argumentsmade by some Forrest apologists including some who have raised the possibility during conversations at the legislature about the bronze bust and Forrest's legacy that he was not responsible for the mass killings at Fort Pillow.

"We've been going through these excuses for Bedford Forrest for the longest while, and none of them are holding up under scrutiny," said Richard Blackett, a history professor at Vanderbilt University.

In 1868, Forrest gave an interview with a Cincinnati Commercial reporter that was widely published in newspapers around the country. In the interview, he said the Ku Klux Klan had "no doubt" been a benefit in Tennessee. While he denied being an official member, he said he was part of the organization "in sympathy," and later when Forrest testified before Congress about the KKK he eventually disclosed that he was familiar with rituals and practices.

Repeatedly in the 1868 interview, Forrest tried to suggest that he had more disdain for white Radical Republicans and Northerners trying to infiltrate Southern politics than he did African Americans, but he still remained fiercely opposed at that point to Blacks gaining the right to vote or having equal standing in society.

"I am opposed to it under any and all circumstances," Forrest said.

"And here I want you to understand distinctly I am not an enemy to the negro.We want him here among us; he is the only laboring class we have."

***

Jefferson Davis was a man of many words. He literally wrote volumes during his lifetime and spent the last decade of his life writing about the history of the Confederacyandan in-depth analysis of the Civil War.

But Davis (1808-1889) most notably is known for his role withthe Confederate States of America, of which he was named its first and only president.

Susannah Ural,professor of history and co-director of the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society at the University of Southern Mississippi, said Davis seemed to be a natural choice for president of the Confederacy.

Although he did not support secession, he felt duty-bound to represent his state, which voted to secede, and the new government to which he was appointed president. However, he also believed secession was a right afforded tothe states.

Davis wrote in his book,"The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government," that slavery "was not the cause of the war, but an incident."

In his preface to the bookhe said,"the States had never surrendered their sovereignty," and that states should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding slavery.

Davis saidthe federal government was usurping its authority by forcing unwanted laws on the states, first and foremost the abolition of slavery, which was an integral part of the Southern states' agricultural economy.

"(Slavery is) the primary cause, but it's not the only cause," Ural said. "When you talk about states' rights, when you talk about what powers the federal government should have versus state authority, one of the centralissues to states' rightswas the right to slavery."

However, she said, determining the Civil War happened because of slavery isn't entirely accurate.

"There's never one cause ofa war, and things thatmotivatepeople to fight in a war change over the course of time," she said. "To boil the Civil War down to slavery is problematic, but the bigger problem was that for decades, we just kind of pushed slavery aside and didn't really talk about it."

***

Even in his last days, Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, had already become a myth a myth that gave a defeated South something to cling to; a means of understanding its defeat.

In 1865, Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. His exploits during the war and his canonization by defeated Southerners have rendered him among the most famous losers in military history.

To Emory Thomas, who wrote "Robert E. Lee: A Biography,"published in 1995, historical evidence shows Lee was a man who lived by a strict moral code, a sense of honor and duty; a great soldier and engineer who rose to the challenges he faced.

He was also a slave-owner and a white supremacist. While Lee believed slavery was morally wrong, he did not believe the abolition of it should come through the works of man, but, instead, the will of God.

In an interview, Thomas referenced a famous letter Lee wrote about slavery in 1857. In it, Lee distilled his views as a slave owner on race.

"In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country. It is useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it, however, a greater evil to the white man than to the black race," Lee wrote. "The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things. How long their subjugation may be necessary is known & ordered by a wise Merciful Providence. Their emancipation will sooner result from the mild & melting influence of Christianity, than the storms & tempests of fiery Controversy."

In that letter, and other moments throughout his life, including testimony before Congress after the Civil War, Lee displayed views on race that Thomas described as compatible with social Darwinism a worldview that arose later in the 19th century and early 20th that Western governments, particularly that of the U.S., used to justify colonization, war and imperialism.

In 1862, he wouldfree his father-in-law's slaves, as required by the man's will, a matter of weeks before the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.

"He anticipated social Darwinism In the evolutionary pyramid of human beings, I think he saw white folks like himself at the top. And African Americans somewhere down the ranks, above American Indians whom he really thought were dreadful," Thomas said.

***

Known as the "Boy Hero of the Confederacy," Sam Davis' story was resurrected from obscurity in the late 1800s by journalist Archibald Cunningham, founder of the Confederate Veteran magazine. There are monuments erected in Sam Davis'honor. His boyhood home is on the National Register of Historic Places and operates as a museum.

Barely 21 in 1863, Davis was hanged for his refusal to give Union Army Gen. Grenville Dodge the names of Confederate spies. "I would rather die a thousand deaths than betray a friend," Davis said moments before he was hanged on the Public Square in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Davis wasnt a boy, but a young man whose bravery is immortalized as a symbol of the Confederacy and the Lost Cause, said Brenden Martin, a Middle Tennessee State University history professor. The underpinning of the Lost Cause was that the Confederacy was "right all along" and had a right to secede from the United States.

"All youve got to do is look at the (Confederate) Articles of Secession. The people who brought about the secession (from the United States) made it clear it was about preserving the institution of slavery," Martin said.

Slavery was the backbone of the Southern economy, Martin said.

And the Davisfamily plantation was steeped in that economy.

Data from the American Battlefield Trust notes that Charles and Jane Davis, Sam Davis' parents, originally owned a830-acre plantation located in Smyrna. By 1860, there were 51 enslaved people owned by the Davis family. Sam Davis also had his own slave, named Coleman Davis,who was gifted to him when he was a boy.

***

Anarcha was at least 17 when the doctor started experimenting on her. The year before, she suffered terrible complications during a 72-hour labor that opened a hole between her bladder and vagina and left her incontinent.

The man who held Anarcha in bondage outside Montgomery sent her to Dr. J. Marion Sims sometime in 1845. She was one of at least seven enslaved women sent to Sims by white slaveholders. They had the same condition as Anarcha, known as a vesicovaginal fistula.

Sims wanted to find a way to address it. From 1845 to 1849, the enslaved women became experiments.

By Sims own account, Anarcha underwent 30 operations as Sims tried different approaches to repairing the fistula.

These women could not say no. Neither Sims nor the white men who held them against their will showed interest in their opinions. Deirdre Cooper Owens, a professor of medical history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and author of "Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology," said if the women protested, they "could get beaten, or they could get ignored."

Anesthesia, Cooper Owens said, was not in wide use at this time.

Despite that, a statue of Sims unveiled in 1939 remains on the grounds of the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery. A bust of Sims also stands in Columbia, South Carolina. New York City officials removed a statue of Sims in Manhattan in 2018.

***

Andrew Johnson considered himselfa champion of the common man but only when those common men were white.

The 17th president of the United Stateswas a common man himself. Born into poverty in 1808, he escaped indentured servitude in North Carolinabefore moving to Greeneville, Tennessee, where he worked as a tailor,owned slaves and launched his political career as a Democrat.

When President Abraham Lincoln died from an assassin's bullet just six weeks after Johnson took office, a fractured countryfound its stubborn new president lacked Lincoln's ability to navigate theend of the Civil War with nuance and sensitivity.

Although Johnson had helped Lincoln end slavery across the land, he nowclashed with the Republican-controlled Congress by planting himself firmly in the way of rights for newly freed slaves. He soon grew widelyunpopular and became the first president ever to be impeached.

Johnson believed in what's called "herrenvolk democracy" the idea that the lowest white man in the social hierarchy should beabove the highest Black man, said Aaron Astor, ahistory professor at Maryville College who researches the Civil War-era South.

In 1860, the year before the Civil War broke out, Johnson said white Southernersfelt so threatened by the prospectof Black freedom that poor men would unite withslave ownersto exterminateslaves rather than see them freed.

***

Albert Pike is a name well-known in Arkansas history as both a Civil War general of Native American troops and a newspaper editor.

Although Pike was known nationally after the Civil War for his involvement with the Freemasons, he gained national attention again on June 19, 2020, when a statue dedicated to him in Washington, D.C.,was toppled by a group of Black Lives Matter demonstrators. The monument to Pike was the only one of a Confederate Civil War general in the District of Columbia.

Pike was a Boston transplant to Arkansas who initially resisted secession, but followed the lead of his fellow Arkansans in fully supporting the Confederacy and even servedas an appointed brigadier general in at least one battle in Arkansas.

By the end of his life, Pike had risen among the highest ranks of the Freemasons.

Before the Civil War, he had moved from the Fort Smith area to Little Rock to pursue a career as a journalist. He eventually became editor and owner of The Advocate where he reported on the Supreme Court of Arkansas.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Pike was called up to be a brigadier general over a troop made up of several Native American Tribes. He was cited as being an advocate for Native Americans and the wrongs they suffered at the hands of the white man.

When it came to African Americans, however, Pikes view of slavery was one that claimed it was a "necessary evil." He claimed that slaves would not be able to hold any other job and that they were treated well by their masters. He even admitted to having his own slave for "necessary" work.

***

Gen. Alfred Mouton has become one of Acadianas most polarizing historical figures. His statue, standing on city property in the heart of downtown Lafayette, has been the focus of public outcry, protest and legal battles for decades.

As support is increasing to remove the statue, most of the controversy over Mouton has focused on the fact that he owned Black peopleas slaves and fought for white supremacy during the Deep South's most oppressive era.

While Mouton is hailed by some as a hero from Lafayette's oldest family who fought to defend his hometown from Union forces during the Civil War, the famous son of former Gov. Alexandre Mouton helped wage another civil war here.

Mouton, along with his father, trained the "Vigilante Committee" in Lafayette Parish, a group that would carry out their own form of violent justice against Black residentsthrough whippings, expulsions and lynchings.

From the late 1850s to the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, Mouton-backed vigilantes fought against other groups in Lafayette Parish's own civil war.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Confederate monuments: What the men honored by statues did and believed

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Confederate monuments: What the men honored by statues did and believed - The Northwest Florida Daily News

Separatist Rhetoric Won’t Sell in J&K Now, Says Ram Madhav on Completion of 1 Year of Article 370 Abr… – News18

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As Jammu and Kashmir completes one year of the official abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A), BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav says the occasion calls for a new kind politics in the union territory. In an interview to CNN-News18, Madhav talks about why politicians accustomed to selling the separatist rhetoric in J&K would find this new politics difficult, the delay in abolishment of Triple Talaq and why 200 invitations were sent for the upcoming Ram Mandir bhoomi puran ceremony. Edited excerpts:

Let me start the interview with Jammu and Kashmir. What is the road ahead and what do you think are the problems? Where do you think is the opportunity?

One year after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35, Jammu and Kashmir calls for a new politics. When I say new politics, the idea was laid out long back by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The three words he used were insaniyat, jamuriyat and kashmiriyat. These should form the basis for the new politics in J&K. I see the regional parties issuing a lot of statements these days. They would still want to return to their old rhetoric, but its not going to work. People want to move on, they do not want any violent rhetoric, any violence per say and have no appetite for it. They want new politics focused on development, employment and material development of the state. This is what we are looking at.

In the last one year, we tried to bring in investment and MOUs worth Rs 13,500 crore were signed. There are many areas where development activity has kick started. About 10,000 people have been recruited in J&K already. This should be the direction now. Those who are used to the separatist rhetoric will find the new politics difficult and uncomfortable and say that there is no place for us. There is ample space for those who play development politics in Kashmir.

There are 40-50 lakh youngsters in Jammu and Kashmir and there has to be a certain level of engagement. Going forward, do you see that happening? Because a lot of exercises such as the delimitation exercise, setting up and working towards conducting elections all of these aspects suffered a little setback and delay due to Covid-19.

Very true. Initially, after the final act was promulgated on the October 31 last year, winters had set in and it is a difficult period for any kind of developmental activity in J&K. So we lost that period. As we came out of the winters came Covid-19. So certain impediments have occurred in the last one year for us to take it forward in a big way. But as you've rightly said, the youth of this state today is looking for a lot of development centric acts in the state. That is where state parties have to reorient themselves. I get really saddened when regional leaders talk in terms of resistance. Resistance will continue is one statement issued by a leader I saw. Those who want resistance politics better join Hurriyat. Those who want development politics, the time for them has come. The youth of the state are looking for more jobs, development and progress at par with the developed states of the country. People want to compete with the rest of India. Leaders are stuck in their old rhetoric.

You mentioned Hurriyat so my next question is this: From Nishan-e-Pakistan to Syed Ali Shah Geelani,does it put bare Pakistan's machinations. Do you think this so called idea of independence and indigenous movement was nothing but a narrative pushed by Pakistan?

First of all, it confirms what everyone has been all along alleging, that Geelani was actually a puppet in the hands of the Pakistani establishment. Today that puppet has been removed from the leadership position and probably to placate him some award has been given (to him) in Islamabad. That is between them but we have always said that Hurriyat never represented the real voices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They've always represented their master's voice from across the border. So I dont think there needs to be too much discussion about issues like Nishan-e-Pakistan, etc.

One important landmark of BJP is the abolition of the Triple Talaq law and one year down the line numbers are showing there is an 82 per cent reduction in the total number such cases. What has been your understanding of it?

In fact, I would say it was such a tragedy it took us so long to abolish it. The Supreme Court had been saying it since the mid nineties. There were at least three big judgments asking the government to take steps towards bringing in some kind of balance or equality among the women of different religions. It took so long whereas all other Islamic countries, be it the world's biggest Islamic country Indonesia or those in our neighbourhood such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia nowhere was this kind of verbal talaq acceptable. In India we continued with this great injustice to women. In that sense, its a great step in terms of gender equality, gender dignity and gender respect and also in terms of bringing in a much delayed and much needed reform in the Islamic Civic Law.

The entire Triple Talaq issue is also related to Ram Mandir because of the Shah Bano case and what happened thereafter in 1985 and 1989. Its been a long struggle and now we have a Bhumi Pujan at Ram Lalla Virajman. What are your thoughts on this?

As far as the BJP and RSS are concerned, we have had a long association with the movement. For us, it (construction of Ram Mandir) was never a political issue. We have sacrificed our government for this issue because we have seen it as an issue of national honour and unity. Ram is the greatest unifier of this country and it is not BJP or RSS but Ram Manohar Lohiya, a socialist himself, who had written that Lord Rama and Krishna were greatest unifiers. One united the north with south and one united the west with east. For us, Ayodhya always signified a unifying value or symbol. From that perspective, we see a gradual progress in the construction of Ram temple as a very heartening thingnot just for us but crores of Indians across, of course, party lines. I saw today Congress leaders telling their leadership, dont utter a single word against the temple because heart of hearts are aligned with that sentiment.

Ayodhya is a very sacred place for Hindus because of its association with Ram and Ramayana, but not many know that it is also sacred place for Jains. At least five of the 24 tirthankars were born there. Its important for Buddhists as well because lord Bhagwan Buddha visited the place and one of his teeth fell there. Its a scared place for Sikhs too. It was a sacred place for those who never believed in temple worship such as Kabir who had great respect for lord Ram and used to refer to himself as the dog of bhagwan Ram. Its a sacred place for crores of people because certain value systems are attached to it. That is what symbolises the renovation or rebuilding of the Ram temple today.

But at a time when COVID-19 is wreaking havoc in the country, do 200 people need to attend the Ram Mandir bhoomi poojan ceremony?

I know some people are trying to make it an issue. We are all taking precautions when it comes to tackling Covid-19 but buses, flights and trains are running. But temples should not run that is not an argument. Having said that, let me assure people that all precautions are being taken. If it was a normal situation, I can imagine the kind of interest the Shilanyas would have generatedmay be 10 million people or more. Today, hardly 200 to 250 people are going to attend with all necessary precautions in place. Chief Ministers who have been waiting for this since the 1980s and 90s are not being given an opportunity to go.

Is this about somebody trying to say that we have to be apologetic about being Hindus or being a majority religion in India or is there an anti-Hindu sentiment in this garb of secularism? How do you see this scenario?

This whole discourse of majoritarian, minoritarian is a very flawed one. We never believed in it. We believed in Indians and they are all equal irrespective of their religions. We are all one nation, one people. So somebody being a majority or minority is a very distorted discourse. Ram symbolises the nations ethos and thats why I gave the examples of Kabir and Ras Khan who worshipped Lord Krishna. They are worshipped as heroes if not gods. But they represented this country's ethos, value system and soul and that is a universally accepted fact. Because of this faulty notion of secularism coupled with minority politics, they have really not helped minorites. The sachar committee report has itself is testimony to the fact that 40 years of minority politics has left minorities much more poorer and far more backward and underprivileged. Thats what needs to be corrected. As one nation, we need to rise to address the concerns of all religions. Its not against any particular religion or group of people. It is a symbol of the entire nation and national self-respect and honour.

Another aspect is the Sanghs agenda and the new education policy. After 34 years there is a vision document that lays the roadmap from 2020 to 2035. But one of the key issues is that you wanted to establish an Indian language as the link language. That is not there in the revised national education policy. Why?

First of all, stop blaming it as a Sangh agenda. I am not saying it's a sangh agenda, I am saying it was clearly a part of the Sanghs ideology that we have to move out of the coat tails of the Raj, drop English and go back to our roots. I agree that we need to embrace our Indian languages. But there is the issue of the link language.

The full document of the national education policy has to come out. Certain details are available in the public domain but once it is all out we will get greater clarity on the issue. But immediately it addresses certain imp needs of the 21st century india which is ambitiously growing into a new india. Pm has been repeatedly talking about new india. New india will be self-reliant, new india will be economically, culturally and morally be a diff india than what we have seen in the last 50-60 years. It has to be different. And w eave a 10 year time before us in which we have to build this new india so that we will become one of the leaders of the world. So in that sense this education system has many things which will help in completely transforming the way we look at education. Structural changes have been announced like the 10+2+3 has been replaced by 5+3+3+4 which is there in many other countries. So our institutions can become on par with them. There is greater role and responsibility on private institutions and private charitable institutions to offer great quality education in this country. Most imp step i believe is to insist on mother tongue to be used during primary education because values cannot be taught in a foreign language.

How are you going to implement it on ground because you will have children speaking multiple languages in different states. Does that mean all students in Mumbai will be instructed in Marathi?

On the three-language issue, greater clarity will come once the document is released. But education in our country is a concurrent subject. States also have a big role to play. That's why I think it has been left on the state education departments to take the final call on the three-language formula. Obviously, one language should be the local language. As far as the other two languages are concerned, one could be English and the other could be another language of the country. The states will decide about it.

You're saying a north Indian student in Tamil Nadu should learn Tamil, a South Indian in Delhi should learn Hindi. But do you see that really happening? Secondly, in terms of spending, from 2014 to 2020, the spending on education has actually dropped in terms of the GDP and now this says we are going to spend 6 percent of the GDP. How is that going to happen?

The document also says we have to gradually move towards that kind of spending. We probably won't be doing it immediately, but we will be moving in that direction. That's what the document says. Today, you are right that we are spending much less than what we spend on other needs. For instance, defense calls for greater spending today. But moving forward, education area will require heavy funding and that's why the mention of 6.6 per cent of GDP being spent on education. That's a very important decision.

Ram Madhav Speaks Exclusive On 1 Year Of Historic Abrogation Of Article 370 In J&K

What are your thoughts on Sanskrit becoming mainstream?

It is one language that is invariably needed to link you to the cultural and moral values of this country. Had we attempted this at the time of independence how the Jews did it in Israel and Japanese in Japan even technology wise and science wise we would have returned to Sanskrit. But it requires a long journey. A big beginning where Sanskrit is going to become an important mainstream language of our education system will help build an integrated man through the education system and not a compartmentalised person. An integrated man who will really help build the nation.

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Separatist Rhetoric Won't Sell in J&K Now, Says Ram Madhav on Completion of 1 Year of Article 370 Abr... - News18

Watch now: In Central Illinois, a heightened focus on police agencies’ efforts to diversify – Bloomington Pantagraph

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Normal Police Department officer Jasmine Johnson says earning the badge has been her dream come true. Johnson said police agencies in general will have to look at changing their approach to minority hiring if they want their departments to reflect their communities. She said Normal was working in the right direction.

Normal Police Department Chief Rick Bleichner says recruiting qualified minority police officers has become one of his primary goals in staffing the department. Making adjustments to the process, such as doing long-distance assessments to make it easier for candidates in other cities to qualify, has helped the department.

Normal Police officer Jasmine Johnson calls for people to work together to end unjust police actions during the "United Against Police Brutality" event June 18. Johnson helped organize the event, which saw officers and protesters walk together through Uptown Normal.

BLOOMINGTON The years-long efforts of Central Illinois law enforcement agencies to diversify their forces are getting more attention in the months since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis police custody.

Floyds death sparked protests in Bloomington-Normal and around the country. Some advocates have called for police reforms that include restructuring and defunding, or shifting resources to other positions, like social workers. Many also pointed to departments across the U.S. that dont look like the communities they serve.

You need to have people, law enforcement, going into the community that represents the community, said Linda Foster, president of the NAACPs Bloomington-Normal Branch. Thats how you learn, thats how you understand and thats how you are able to build relationships and its not seen as us against them.

Bloomington-Normal NAACP President Linda Foster addresses the topic of "change" during a rally May 31 outside the Law and Justice Center in downtown Bloomington.

Its too soon to tell whether Floyds death will make that harder, they said, but overall heavy scrutiny and negative media coverage of the profession in recent years have not helped.

It's only been a couple of months since that incident, said Bloomington Police Chief Dan Donath, who anticipates it will have an impact on recruitment of minorities and new officers overall.

In Bloomington, data provided by the department shows that 92.7% of the departments 123 officers are white and 7.3% are people of color, including seven Hispanic officers. Compare that with U.S. census data that shows the citys population is 73.4% white and 10.1% Black.

The Normal Police Department has 82 officers, of whom 90.2% are white and 9.8% are minorities. The towns population is 77.4% white, 11.2% Black and 5.8% Hispanic.

The McLean County Sheriffs Office has 54 officers, of whom 94.4% are white and 5.6% are minorities. The countys population is 79.2% white, 8.4% Black and 5.2% Hispanic.

At Illinois State University, the police force is 79.3% white and 20.7% minority officers. Roughly 71.2% of the students enrolled in fall 2019 were white; 10.8% were Hispanic, and 9% were Black.

Leaders of all four departments acknowledge the disparity and say diversity remains a high priority in recruitment and hiring. Theyre competing with departments across the region that are working toward similar goals, and several said they face an uphill battle because of the stigma surrounding police work these days.

We have not initiated a testing cycle for deputy sheriff since before the George Floyd incident, McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage said. However, we are seeing an overall decline in applicants to be police or correctional officers, I believe largely due to the anti- police sentiment that is being pushed.

Meanwhile, advocates for police reform say a focus on diversity could distract from other changes that need to be made.

As long as our policing system continues to operate the way it does now, we will continue to have problems no matter the racial makeup, said Bloomington Ward 6 Alderwoman Jenn Carrillo, who has been involved with the local Black Lives Matter movement. ... People do get stuck in this whole diversity angle of things. Diversity isn't the same as racial justice.

Black Lives Matter of Bloomington-Normal member Jenn Carrillo, also Ward 6 Alderwoman on the city council, leads the crowd in raising their fists for solidarity duringthe organization's meeting June 7 at Miller Park in Bloomington.

Recruiting efforts

By the time Jasmine Johnson joined the Normal Police Department in 2016, the department had been working for years to recruit more officers of color. Police Chief Rick Bleichner had spoken publicly for months about it as a priority, something Johnson, who is Black, said she appreciated reading in a news article.

To her, hiring a diverse workforce just makes sense. Its important for a number of reasons, but it mainly builds trust between officers and community members while placing potential victims at ease.

From my experience, it seems as though with everything thats going on, if you can see someone who looks like you, its more of a comfort thing, said Johnson, 29. They can relate to you more. I dont think its a racial thing by any means, but I think its important.

Johnson said she sometimes encounters women who are more comfortable speaking with her than with a male officer. Ive also had where Ive interacted with someone whos African-American and they feel more comfortable speaking with someone whos African-American, as opposed to someone who is Caucasian, because we can understand the experience, she said.

Normal Police Department patrolman Jasmine Johnson is the third generation of police officers in her family. She said one tip she would give potential minority applicants is to be determined in meeting the requirements for a police department's screening procedures.

Bloomington police this spring added five new officers, three of whom were people of color. But Donath stressed that they were hired for their qualifications, not skin color.

I am very adamant about hiring only highly qualified candidates to ensure we provide great service to our community, he said. In addition, we would like people of color to see working at our police department as a real possibility. Sometimes, people in general fall into a trap that any given career field is not for their race or sex, etc.

But, this is a good job that gives a person an opportunity to help others and make a good living for themselves and their family.

City Manager Tim Gleason, who also is a chairman on the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, said the city has taken measures to improve minority officer recruitment and there is still more to do.

This is definitely a priority, Gleason said. In no way am I satisfied with where we are at as an organization, but over the last two years, our minority employees have increased from 7.5 to 11.5%, and my direction to staff is let's be targeted and intentional. Lets cast a wider net on government employment, specifically public safety.

Of the 29 officers on the Illinois State University Police force, 23 are white, three are Black, two are Hispanic, and one is listed as other.

Officers Jasmine Johnson, right, and Brad Park led the Normal Police Department's "United Against Police Brutality" walk across Uptown Normal on June 18.

Hiring for diversity has been, and always will be, a primary focus for our department, said Chief Aaron Woodruff, but its just too early to say if there has been any impact recently, since we havent had any vacancies posted. Prior to the George Floyd murder, we had already seen a downturn in overall applications for police officer. We attributed that to a number of factors, including the healthy economy (prior to COVID-19); the type of work which requires working weekends, overnight, and holidays; decreasing benefits; and the continuing fallout over the previous policing issues after Ferguson.

Woodruff said the key is to develop personal relationships when recruiting.

That includes, but is not limited to, working with our local community organizations to help us find good people who still want to make a positive difference in our communities, despite the current stereotypes surrounding policing.

In Normal, the police department made minority hiring a top priority when Bleichner was hired nearly nine years ago. However, he said, the department is committed to hiring the best candidate for the job, which means attracting a diverse talent pool.

One of the most important things I think I do, or functions as a chief, is hiring people, said Bleichner. At the end of the day, I could retire, somebody else could come in and they could change every directive within the police department, but one thing they cant change very easily is the people. Thats the legacy.

The department follows a comprehensive recruitment plan that is evaluated each year. Most candidates are pulled from within an 80-mile radius of the department, and Normal actively recruits at colleges, universities and in military magazines.

We certainly arent where we would like to be, but we have made progress, said Bleichner. We dont have a specific number in place that once we get there we can declare victory. Our approach is hiring the best people that we can because theyre going to be representatives of us.

Community policing

Johnson feels the Normal Police Department has had some success in recruiting minority officers because of its commitment to creating a welcoming culture and engaging with people through programs such as the Minority and Police Partnership.

But, as conversations and opinions toward police shift, Johnson said it is more important now than ever to focus on community policing. That doesnt just mean attending events, she said; it includes getting out of the patrol vehicle and interacting with people on the streets.

I know sometimes thats very hard to do when were getting calls for service, she said. I think if we can get back to community policing, engaging with the community and hosting more events that actually engages the community, that will be a way to not only change the narrative, but show the community that we are more than what we have been in the past perceived to be.

As part of an effort to connect with the community, Normal and Illinois State University police officers held a march June 18 at which they walked alongside protesters carrying Black Lives Matter signs. Johnson came up with the idea for the event and brought it to Bleichner, who readily agreed. Officers who attended said it was important for them to show the community that they did not agree with the excessive force shown in Minneapolis.

Miltonette Craig, an assistant professor in the Criminal Justice Sciences Department at Illinois State University, said community engagement is crucial for departments.

The underlying premise is that the police are supposed to protect and serve, she said, and it is very hard for them to work with the community that views them as illegitimate.

Craig, who is Black, described growing up in a Florida community where her experience with law enforcement was different from some in other communities where most residents are white.

When it comes to those that are disadvantaged, high-crime, high poverty, then they dont see the police unless they are coming in for law enforcement purposes, Craig said. I did not see the service part of policing until much later in my life.

Bloomington city leaders in December 2017 formed a group, the Public Safety and Community Relations Board, to handle appeals from people unhappy with how the police department handled complaints about officers.

Art Taylor, who was the boards first chairman and is still a member, said the group has only had two complaints to review since it was created. But the board plays a vital role because it serves as a factor in officers decision-making while on duty and could prevent incidents from escalating, he said.

We have had no police brutality in Bloomington, to my knowledge, in the same kind of light of what is going on with George Floyd and others who have lost their lives in other communities because of police brutality, Taylor said. I think the PSCRB has created something where the police at least have some pause to think and consider, before anything happens.

More work ahead

Advocates of police reform say there is still much work to be done, both in Central Illinois and nationally. Some believe the problems cant be solved by only diversifying the force.

Theres a systemic problem in policing and putting Black bodies or bodies of color into the blue uniform is not really addressing the issue that we see within police departments nationally, said Ky Ajayi, a leader with Black Lives Matter Bloomington-Normal.

Efforts to increase minority recruitment are needed, but Ajayi fears a hyper focus on the former will overshadow the pressing need for widespread police reform.

There needs to be radical restructuring of policing, he said. We have seen officers of color brutalize citizens, brutalize residents of communities. Weve come to the conclusion that when we focus on diversifying law enforcement, it doesnt address the systemic problems within policing.

Black Lives Matter of Bloomington-Normal member Ky Ajayi speaks to attendees of its meeting June 7 at Miller Park in Bloomington.

The solution, he said, is police reform and decreasing the number of interactions between officers and citizens. To do this, Ajayi suggested funding social service programs and having people equipped to handle calls for service for mental health crises and homelessness.

Taylor, of the review board, has said that he felt concerned about a recent interaction with Bloomington police in his neighborhood. He and his wife, Camille, were approached as part of a complaint of disorderly conduct involving a vehicle that matched the description of their car.

Donath said last week that a review of the situation found the officer acted appropriately.

Art Taylor, of Not In Our Town, left, talks with Bloomington Police Chief Dan Donath on June 8 after a rally of the Bloomington-Normal Branch of the NAACP, NIOT and local law enforcement departments.

But Art Taylor said they were approached in a way that put them on the defensive, and he wrote to several local officials and community leaders about his concerns with the experience.

The Taylors have been active in community service projects and nonprofit organizations during the 30 years theyve lived on Bloomingtons east side; Art Taylor had been named chairman of the review board at its first meeting because of his reputation for this work.

If that can happen to us and we understand that we are known in this community and I am on the PSCRB it can happen to anybody, he said.

Whole new era

It is not enough for police departments to simply increase minority recruitment efforts, said Foster, of the NAACP. Agencies must be transparent with their efforts to recruit and hire officers.

It comes down to hiring, Foster said. Thats the proof. We need to see an intentional effort to make a difference in our community.

People need to see police departments recruiting in areas out of their comfort, and the department needs to show there are minority officers who have been promoted to higher ranks, Foster added. That means having minority officers who are sergeants, lieutenants and captains, not just patrol officers.

The Bloomington-Normal NAACP is working on a list of recommendations for law enforcement agencies to increase transparency and minority recruitment. While the list has not been finalized, Foster said the organization plans to unveil the recommendations soon.

We really do need to move forward toward a more aggressive stance on making our community a community that is inclusive of all individuals that are willing to put the work in, she said. Its going to take some work.

If law enforcement agencies are serious about increasing diversity, then they need to evaluate what barriers are preventing them from achieving that goal, said Robert Moore, a retired U.S. Marshal and police community relations consultant who chairs the Illinois NAACP criminal justice committee.

You have to know whats stopping you from being successful, he said. If you have a department that is constantly losing your African Americans or minorities, you know theres something wrong.

These barriers include not having a proper recruitment plan, not having trained recruiters, a lack of resources and tense community relations. Once the barriers are identified, Moore said, the police department can move on to developing a comprehensive recruitment plan.

Moore was lead consultant in a 2016 case study of the Springfield Police Department as it made diversity a priority. When he was first brought on, Moore and his team started by evaluating the police departments mission statement, past newspaper clippings and interviews with community members.

What we found was that mayors and city council people had been promising minority recruiting for 20 years and nothing had changed, he said, which further damaged community relations. We also found that there was no recruiting plan.

Moore added that Springfield, like many police agencies from the 1980s to 2000s, had essentially cut off the hiring process and was not actively recruiting officers.

The Springfield department has since increased its number of black officers by nearly 150%. But the issues that led to the lack of diversity will likely be felt for years to come, Moore said.

Today, the Illinois NAACP and the Illinois Chiefs of Police have developed a list of 10 principles to building trust. They include treating all people with dignity and respect, rejecting discrimination, embracing community policing and undergoing de-escalation training.

Moore travels with the Illinois Chiefs of Police to promote the 10 principles, bringing residents and law enforcement agency leaders together for dialogue. Officers need to be held accountable and disciplined when they behave badly, he said.

Were heading into a whole new era when it comes to policing and accountability, he said.

Can you help? The latest Crime Stoppers of McLean County cases

Daniel P. Simpson, 43, was wanted as of July 31, 2020, on a charge of burglary. He is5 feet8 inches tall and weighs190 pounds. He hasbrown hair andblueeyes. His last known address is in Bloomington.

Davis W. Hopkins, 42, was wanted as of July 3, 2020, on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Heis5 feet11 inches tall and weighs190 pounds. He hasblack hair andgreeneyes. His last known address is in Lexington.

Hopkinsis

Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of people who commit felony crimes in McLean County. Call (309) 828-1111.

Elizabeth A. Johnson, 39, was wanted as of June 27, 2020, on a charge of obstructing justice. She is5 feet4 inches tall and weighs140 pounds. She hasblack hair andblueeyes. Her last known address is in Bloomington.

Darius D. French, 31, was wanted as of May 19, 2020, on a charge of aggravated driving under the influence. He is6 feet1 inches tall and weighs295 pounds. He hasblack hair andbrowneyes. His last known address is in Bloomington.

Star A. Jones, 26, wasnamed as of May 15, 2020, on a warrant charging her with theft over $500. Sheis 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Her last known address was in Normal.

Timothy L. King, 21, was wanted as of May 5, 2020, on a robbery charge. He is6 feet tall and weighs155 pounds. He hasblack hair andbrowneyes. His last known address is in Bloomington.

Deonte K. Spates, 21, was wanted as of May 2, 2020, on a warrant charging him with robbery. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in Bloomington.

Terrell D. Moon, 33, was wanted as of April 3, 2020, of a warrant charging him with delivery of a controlled substance. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in Bloomington.

Aaron J. Fluty, 44, was wanted as of April 1, 2020, on a charge of delivery of a controlled substance. He is5 feet10 inches tall and weighs150 pounds. He hasbrown hair andblueeyes. His last known address is in Bloomington.

James L. Fields, 22, was named as of March 27, 2020, on a warrant charging him with delivery of a controlled substance. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in Bloomington.

Regina M. Evans, 43, was wanted as of March 4, 2020, on a charge of aggravated driving under the influence. She is5 feet8 inches tall and weighs140 pounds. She hasred hair andgreeneyes. Her last known address is in Normal.

Carl R. Herrman, 74, was wanted as of Feb. 25, 2020, on a charge of theft. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs180 pounds. He has white hair andbrowneyes. His last known address is in Bloomington.

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Watch now: In Central Illinois, a heightened focus on police agencies' efforts to diversify - Bloomington Pantagraph

Starbird: Disinformation campaigns revealed by pandemic are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs – Chattanooga Times Free Press

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The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned an infodemic, a vast and complicated mix of information, misinformation and disinformation.

In this environment, false narratives the virus was "planned," that it originated as a bioweapon, that COVID-19 symptoms are caused by 5G wireless communications technology have spread like wildfire across social media and other communication platforms. Some of these bogus narratives play a role in disinformation campaigns.

The notion of disinformation often brings to mind easy-to-spot propaganda peddled by totalitarian states, but the reality is much more complex. Though disinformation does serve an agenda, it is often camo0uflaged in facts and advanced by innocent and often well-meaning individuals.

As a researcher who studies how communications technologies are used during crises, I've found that this mix of information types makes it difficult for people, including those who build and run online platforms, to distinguish an organic rumor from an organized disinformation campaign. And this challenge is not getting any easier as efforts to understand and respond to COVID-19 get caught up in the political machinations of this year's presidential election.

Rumors, misinformation and disinformation

Rumors are, and have always been, common during crisis events. Crises are often accompanied by uncertainty about the event and anxiety about its impacts and how people should respond. People naturally want to resolve that uncertainty and anxiety, and often attempt to do so through collective sense-making. It's a process of coming together to gather information and theorize about the unfolding event. Rumors are a natural byproduct.

Rumors aren't necessarily bad. But the same conditions that produce rumors also make people vulnerable to disinformation, which is more insidious. Unlike rumors and misinformation, which may or may not be intentional, disinformation is false or misleading information spread for a particular objective, often a political or financial aim.

Disinformation has its roots in the practice of dezinformatsiya used by the Soviet Union's intelligence agencies to attempt to change how people understood and interpreted events in the world. It's useful to think of disinformation not as a single piece of information or even a single narrative, but as a campaign, a set of actions and narratives produced and spread to deceive for political purpose.

Lawrence Martin-Bittman, a former Soviet intelligence officer who defected from what was then Czechoslovakia and later became a professor of disinformation, described how effective disinformation campaigns are often built around a true or plausible core. They exploit existing biases, divisions and inconsistencies in a targeted group or society. And they often employ "unwitting agents" to spread their content and advance their objectives.

Regardless of the perpetrator, disinformation functions on multiple levels and scales. While a single disinformation campaign may have a specific objective for instance, changing public opinion about a political candidate or policy pervasive disinformation works at a more profound level to undermine democratic societies.

The case of the 'Plandemic' video

Distinguishing between unintentional misinformation and intentional disinformation is a critical challenge. Intent is often hard to infer, especially in online spaces where the original source of information can be obscured. In addition, disinformation can be spread by people who believe it to be true. And unintentional misinformation can be strategically amplified as part of a disinformation campaign. Definitions and distinctions get messy, fast.

Consider the case of the "Plandemic" video that blazed across social media platforms in May 2020. The video contained a range of false claims and conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Problematically, it advocated against wearing masks, claiming they would "activate" the virus, and laid the foundations for eventual refusal of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Though many of these false narratives had emerged elsewhere online, the "Plandemic" video brought them together in a single, slickly produced 26-minute video. Before being removed by the platforms for containing harmful medical misinformation, the video propagated widely on Facebook and received millions of YouTube views.

As it spread, it was actively promoted and amplified by public groups on Facebook and networked communities on Twitter associated with the anti-vaccine movement, the QAnon conspiracy theory community and pro-Trump political activism.

But was this a case of misinformation or disinformation? The answer lies in understanding how and inferring a little about why the video went viral.

The video's protagonist was Dr. Judy Mikovits, a discredited scientist who had previously advocated for several false theories in the medical domain for example, claiming that vaccines cause autism. In the lead-up to the video's release, she was promoting a new book, which featured many of the narratives that appeared in the "Plandemic" video.

One of those narratives was an accusation against Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. At the time, Fauci was a focus of criticism for promoting social distancing measures that some conservatives viewed as harmful to the economy. Public comments from Mikovits and her associates suggest that damaging Fauci's reputation was a specific goal of their campaign.

In the weeks leading up to the release of the "Plandemic" video, a concerted effort to lift Mikovits' profile took shape across several social media platforms. A new Twitter account was started in her name, quickly accumulating thousands of followers. She appeared in interviews with hyperpartisan news outlets such as The Epoch Times and True Pundit. Back on Twitter, Mikovits greeted her new followers with the message: "Soon, Dr Fauci, everyone will know who you 'really are'."

More recently, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates 191 local television stations across the country, had planned to air an interview with Mikovits in which she reiterated the central claims in "Plandemic." In airing this program, Sinclair would have used the cover and credibility of local news to expose new audiences to these false and potentially dangerous narratives. The company is reconsidering its decision after receiving criticism; however, the interview was reportedly posted for a time on the company's website and was aired by one station.

This background suggests that Mikovits and her collaborators had several objectives beyond simply sharing her misinformed theories about COVID-19. These include financial, political and reputational motives. However, it is also possible that Mikovits is a sincere believer of the information that she was sharing, as were millions of people who shared and retweeted her content online.

What's ahead

In the United States, as COVID-19 blurs into the presidential election, we're likely to continue to see disinformation campaigns employed for political, financial and reputational gain. Domestic activist groups will use these techniques to produce and spread false and misleading narratives about the disease and about the election. Foreign agents will attempt to join the conversation, often by infiltrating existing groups and attempting to steer them towards their goals.

For example, there will likely be attempts to use the threat of COVID-19 to frighten people away from the polls. Along with those direct attacks on election integrity, there are likely to also be indirect effects on people's perceptions of election integrity from both sincere activists and agents of disinformation campaigns.

Efforts to shape attitudes and policies around voting are already in motion. These include work to draw attention to voter suppression and attempts to frame mail-in voting as vulnerable to fraud. Some of this rhetoric stems from sincere criticism meant to inspire action to make the electoral systems stronger. Other narratives, for example unsupported claims of "voter fraud," seem to serve the primary aim of undermining trust in those systems.

History teaches that this blending of activism and active measures, of foreign and domestic actors, and of witting and unwitting agents, is nothing new. And certainly the difficulty of distinguishing between these is not made any easier in the connected era. But better understanding these intersections can help researchers, journalists, communications platform designers, policymakers and society at large develop strategies for mitigating the impacts of disinformation during this challenging moment.

Kate Starbird is associate professor of Human Centered Design and Engineering, at the University of Washington.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

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Starbird: Disinformation campaigns revealed by pandemic are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Different Lives, Different Narratives: Messiah College Professor Drew Hart on the divisions between Black, white America – The Burg News

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Drew Hart

There is more support than any time in our history, in this moment, said Dr. Drew Hart, author, professor, activist and Harrisburg resident about the current attention on racist policies in this country.

He hopes that this interest and activism are not superficial.

There is the potential that something really meaningful could flourish from this, he said.

How do we move from this cursory concern to profound change?

Not in the way one might think, according to Hart. We must start at the root and unlearn and relearn much of the knowledge we have acquired, not just about Black history, but about American history or real American history. In his book, Trouble Ive Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism, Hart give readers an opportunity for this relearning.

He described historical practices like red-lining, an intentional federal government system of color-coding neighborhoods to keep minorities and immigrants out of predominantly white neighborhoods, and the withholding of GI Bill benefits like low-interest loans and mortgages from Black veterans.

There are two different narratives in America, Hart explained. Black stories include oppression, brutal policing and the constant scrutiny of whites. White stories are centered around American pride, opportunity and wealth achieved by hard work. By challenging the white narrative, white Americans challenge their identity.

If you are in a social bubble, when your narrative always gets told, then you take that for granted, he said. That becomes the instinctive way that you interpret everything that happens around you.

In other words, people begin to think that their perspective is the only perspective, and they spend little time listening to other peoples experiences.

Even though they [whites] may not have any lived experience in these [Black] communities, they dont have the meaningful, substantive relationships from a variety of people in those communities to receive these stories, and yet they have an immediate response to events in the Black community, he said.

His book described this as going with your gut, a practice that white Americans need to set aside in order to understand the struggles of the Black community.

To sustainably turn this present progress into change, people need to invest time into their neighborhoods, find ways to participate in community good, hold police accountable, and link arms with those who are oppressed, said Hart.

For those who doubt the racism and oppression against Blacks and respond that All Lives Matter to the cries of injustice, You are not listening to what Black people have been saying, Hart said.

This response to Black Lives Matter is also a result of not recognizing racism, he said. People hearken back to crosses burned on yards, segregated lunch counters and whites-only water fountains to define racism. However, according to Hart, racism is a chameleon, adapting to the current situation just as it has done throughout American history.

After slavery was abolished, Jim Crow laws took effect. These laws, which lasted into the late 1960s, allowed for segregation, decided where Blacks could work and travel, and disallowed voting rights. The war on drugs followed, which incarcerated Blacks at a higher rate than whites and provided for much tougher jail sentences for the use of crack cocaine, used more by Blacks, versus the use of powdered cocaine, used more by whites.

These racist policies are fueled by the idea of white supremacynot the skinhead white supremacy many people are familiar with, but the accepted, often unconsciously held idea that whites are superior to Blacks. Harts book points out that white people need to begin to examine their assessment of Blacks and other minorities.

Society labels white teenagers who use drugs as experimenting, as a normal part of growing up. However, it labels Black teens who engage in drug use as thugs and a threat to society.

In fact, Hart has experienced that a Black mans mere presence often labels him a thug. The book dives into these experiences and the fact that they happened in an unlikely placea Christian college.

That Christians foment racial division may seem unconscionable, but Christianity has not only participated in but has perpetuated and justified racial oppression and remained silent in its midst. Within the pages of Trouble Ive Seen, Hart calls out the church and urges it go beyond its complacency.

Christianity has racial work to do, as does Harrisburg, according to Hart. Substantial conversations regarding race need to be had and neighborhoods like Uptown and Allison Hill need more investment.

[There are] no simple answers, but until we talk about the root problems, we wont get to anything meaningful, he said.

This weighty work is what birthed Harts next book, Who Will be a Witness: Igniting Activism for Gods Justice, Love and Deliverance, due out in September. During his countrywide speaking engagements, people often ask whats next or how to we do racial justice.

I realized they need a little more help thinking through this, he said.

Even with the focus on racial matters right now, those working on the long, uphill cause of justice know this is an ultramarathon not a sprint. When asked if he has hope for the future, Hart measured his words. He said hes not hopeful in the optimistic sense but in another way.

Im hopeful in the sense that we can be the hope, he said. Im more interested in the practice of hope, of exercising hope, of living hope for others.

For more information on Dr. Drew Hart, his activism and books, visit http://www.drewgihart.com.

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Different Lives, Different Narratives: Messiah College Professor Drew Hart on the divisions between Black, white America - The Burg News

Siebel Institute of Technology Teams Up with Wild Goose Filling on Quality Beverage Packaging Education – Brewbound.com

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LOUISVILLE, Colo. Brewing education pillar Siebel Institute of Technology and filling equipment leader Wild Goose Filling have joined forces to advance quality beverage packaging. Through combined experience, research and testing, the collaboration establishes comprehensive educational resources that strengthen beverage filling knowledge and practices.

Siebel Institute of TechnologyAmericas oldest brewing schoolhas educated brewers worldwide through specialized curriculum for 148 years. As one of the worlds first educational brewing institutions, Siebel Institutes alumni are found in almost every major brewery around the globe.

Wild Goose Filling harnessed decades of experience in beverage filling systems to become a global leader in craft canning and bottling equipment. The companys patented innovations helped make reliable packaging a viable in-house option for small breweries and other craft beverage producers. Drawing on longstanding brewing industry experienceSiebel Institute is nearing its 150th anniversary and Wild Goose recently installed its 1000th canning linethe collaboration arose from a mutual commitment to excellence in brewing education, practices and equipment. With specialty programming using a Wild Goose canning system, Siebel Institute can demonstrate packaging processes in a live production setting and offer hands-on canning equipment experience to develop student skill sets.

Said Christian R. von der Heide, president and CEO of Siebel Institute, I am delighted for our partnership with Wild Goose Filling. We love innovative companies and leaders in their field. We can showcase to our students how smaller scale can filling and seaming works, achieving great quality and shelf life. For Wild Goose, we are the go-to school and educator when it comes to all things brewing. Our pilot brewery is now enhanced with the ability to leverage can format for our consulting, training and trial projects.

Wild Goose Fillings chief executive officer Chris Fergen said, Promoting knowledge and advocating for quality strengthens our entire brewing community. We at Wild Goose stand on the quality of our equipment, and Siebel Institute of Technologys reputation for excellence is unmatched around the world. Our relationship with Siebel Institute means individuals are best prepared for success in their brewing career, which in turn helps the global craft industry flourish and grow.As more craft breweries around the world choose to implement canning systems, packaging equipment knowledge and training has become increasingly important to successful brewing operations.

About Siebel Institute of Technology

Since 1872, the Siebel Institute of Technology has attracted an extensive global following, educating brewers from around the world. Alumni span more than 60 countries and are found in almost every major brewery on earth. Siebel Institutes on-campus classes include a mix of participants from breweries of all sizes who hail from locations all over the world, enhancing the student learning experience through exposure to differences in culture, equipment, methods and beer styles.

About Wild Goose Filling

With decades of experience in brewing, canning and bottling craft beverages, Wild Goose Filling designs filling systems for beer, cider, kombucha, cannabis, wine, seltzer and other ready-to-drink beverages. Wild Goose pioneered the first craft canning and bottling systems on the market, innovating patented technology that maintains the highest quality levels for packaged beverages. The company engineers and manufactures equipment from its headquarters in Louisville, Colorado and operates offices in Europe along with a network of global partners. Wild Goose has sold 2,200 canning and bottling systems in more than 65 countries.

For more information: https://wildgoosefilling.com/siebel-institute-packaging-education/

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Siebel Institute of Technology Teams Up with Wild Goose Filling on Quality Beverage Packaging Education - Brewbound.com

In Congresss big tech hearing, look beyond technology policy – Brookings Institution

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On July 29, the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee will hold a hearing with some of the nations top technology CEOs. Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Googles Sundar Pichai, and Apples Tim Cook are all testifying (remotely), with the hearing focused on the anti-competitive behavior of their respective firms. The House Judiciary Committee started this investigation over a year ago and has collected over 1.3 million documents about these business practices, so there is some reason to be believe that this meeting will be more substantive and nuanced than some prior technology sector hearings.

On the other hand, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) just asked the Department of Justice for a criminal investigation into Mark Zuckerberg based on a report from the chronically misleading Project Veritas. So, there is also some reason to believe it will be a circus.

The antitrust considerations are important (there are many specific issues with each company) and will hopefully be seriously engaged. Yet it would be a mistake to look at this hearing and see only a conversation around the size of some technology companies. Democratic governance of technology touches on broad foundational questions of our economic future. These questions will go far beyond what we now consider the tech sector and may define how we work and even what we know.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of the digital knowledge economy. Many internet users observed the early chaotic evolution of the internet, but that disorder is increasingly less prevalent today. More and more, a small number of companies are creating rules and systems that define the structure of the webrules that new generations of internet users will inherit as the status quo. While Google has long shaped the web due to the importance of its search results, it now directly subsumes other websites into its service.

On July 27, The Markup reported that 41% of Googles first page search results are composed of more Google services. This includes direct answers, which displays content from other webpages without their consent. Sundar Pichai may hear about this as an antitrust issue. For instance, it may not be to our benefit that Google Translate and not other cross-language dictionaries will always have the final word.

However, incisive observers should broaden their perspective and consider how a healthy internet should enable the discovery and distribution of knowledge. Despite its benefits, social media continues to enable large swaths of the country to disseminate dangerous pseudoscience and misinformation. On July 27, New York Times reporter Kevin Roose tweeted that a video claiming that masks arent necessary and hydroxychloroquine is a cure for COVID (both false and dangerous claims) garnered tens of millions of views, mostly on Facebook. This is with Facebook explicitly promising to fight COVID-19 misinformation, a step they do not take for most of the false information on their site. More systemically, look no further than how Facebook elevates the hyper partisan conservative site, The Daily Wire. Meanwhile, these companies are siphoning revenue and autonomy (see Google AMP, for instance) from objective journalism. It poses a problem that tech companies are undermining the stability of objective journalism while also being uninterested in the responsibility of content moderation. As more of that public discourse, from TikTok to academic journals, becomes internet native, do not expect this already-pressing question to go away.

These companies are also pioneering models of hybrid human and algorithmic workplaces models that may find their way to industries far beyond what we consider tech. Amazon is automating significant parts of its interaction with employees, tracking efficiency and automatically generating warnings and possibly terminations (Amazon has disputed the latter) for workers who arent keeping up. This management by algorithm is also well-established through companies like Uber and Lyft. Despite lack of profitability, these companies still inspire so many imitators that Uber for _____ is a trope of venture capitalist culture. Alternatively, Facebook is working to integrate AI systems and employees to work side-by-side, such as with content moderation on their platforms. Automated systems seek to detect and remove pornography and hate speech, and when those systems struggle, they pass the task off to human moderators.

One commonality is that these practices tend to create two tiers of employees: the highly paid jobs in the technology company, and the far less appealing roles working as an algorithmically managed contractor. Research has shown that almost all jobs across economic sectors are subject to some degree of automation, and so these models of workplace integration may be harbingers of far broader trends.

Much of the hearing will be focused on anti-competitive behavior in the markets that these four tech behemoths directly engage, such as retail, app stores, and advertising. For instance, representatives will likely ask if Apple is overcharging for hosting phone applications in its App Store, and whether all of the companies are using their data to acquire competing services before they are too big. Yet, the implications again go much further, as there are no markets untouched by technology. Even restaurants, quintessentially local businesses, need to actively manage a relationship with Google Maps, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, and others just to survive. Further, Grubhub and DoorDash have been known to subsume restaurants into their services, sometimes without the eaterys knowledge or consent. If restaurants are functionally coerced into engaging with a series of online services just to serve food in person, is any industry going to be untouched?

This hearing could be the start of a broader reform of the tech industry, perhaps ranking among major regulatory milestone like the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Board in 2010 or the passage of the Food and Drugs Act and Meat Inspection Act in 1906. While this might lead to enormously important legislation for technology companies, the stakes are even far greater than that. Little of our society will remain untouched by the rules we decide on for technology and the web.

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are general, unrestricted donors to the Brookings Institution. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions posted in this piece are solely those of the author and not influenced by any donation.

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In Congresss big tech hearing, look beyond technology policy - Brookings Institution

Technology, Innovative Approaches Enhance Road Safety for the Oil and Gas Industry – Journal of Petroleum Technology

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Technology, Innovative Approaches Enhance Road Safety for the Oil and Gas Industry

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The complete paper describes a service companys approach to the development and application of technology and innovative solutions to improve driving performance on the basis of extensive data analysis. Driving-performance data identified potential scenarios in which outcome-focused solutions can be used to influence driver behavior. Tailored approaches were implemented, ranging from vehicle enhancements to mobile applications.

The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers reports that land-transportation-related incidents historically have been the single largest cause of fatalities in its member company operations. Since 2000, such incidents have accounted for 22% of all work-related fatalities reported by the members.

The service company Schlumberger has a long-standing commitment to road safety, including mandatory driver safety training for all employees and contractors who drive on company business. The company has also invested in providing global journey-management centers to support company driving activities.

All automotive accidents involving the company in 2017 (including contractor automotive accidents) were analyzed in detail to determine the nature of these incidents. This information was used to target improvement programs in specific areas (Fig. 1). Automotive accidents involving a head-on collision or rollover were considered to have the highest potential for fatality, so these were specifically targeted for improvement initiatives.

The company adopted a risk-based approach for its global driving and journey-management standard to address both fundamental and risk-based driving controls. The comprehensive driver-management system consolidates company best practices with the aim of eliminating automotive accidents systematically through training, journey management, safe driving behavior, and compliance with the company code of conduct. Every company driver from field to office is required to take regular fit-for-purpose driver training that includes the use of simulators and driver-improvement monitors to provide real-time, in-vehicle driving performance feedback.

Driver Training. The company operates several global driving-training centers, where practical skills can be practiced in a variety of driving environments. Driver training is provided in light, medium, and heavy categories. The company uses driver-training simulators with multiple vehicle profiles, including light, heavy articulated, and nonarticulated vehicles to enable drivers to practice their basic and advanced skills in a safe environment.

Driver Behavior and Driver Improvement Monitoring. The company first installed driver-improvement monitors into vehicles in 1996 and has relied on this type of technology heavily ever since. However, many improvements have been made in the intervening years in terms of real-time data streaming and user interfaces allowing data to be used better through connected digital platforms to further improve driving performance.

The most-recent addition to the companys driving-safety toolkit was a driving app that uses sensors in the drivers mobile device to enable the recognition of vehicle movement. Drivers are provided with a customized dashboard and immediate feedback on driving performance to identify personalized areas of improvement. This app is easy to deploy, promoting driver engagement with immediate in-vehicle feedback to increase personal awareness of driving performance and warn of hazardous behaviors.

Another technology that has been implemented to improve driving performance is an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). This technology aids drivers by enhancing vehicle safety systems and reducing human error by alerting the driver of maximum speed limits, lane departure, and the proximity of pedestrians and other vehicles to prevent collisions.

Using a single digital platform for data collection and analysis has enhanced the value of data to the company significantly. For example, such data have been used to improve quality of road-hazard assessments and communicate these hazards to the driver.

Driver Engagement and Proactive Approach. Engaging drivers in a digitally enhanced world has involved using mobile technology to raise awareness of their own driving habits, using the sensors embedded in mobile devices to monitor performance and provide feedback in real time to the driver. After the trips, the application enables a customized personal dashboard to display the drivers performance for each trip. The data generated from these devices also provide the ability to perform advanced data analytics, essentially allowing a mobile device to be used as a software driving improvement monitor (DIM).

This allows anyone to benefit from a DIM merely by using an app on their mobile device, with no hardware installation required in the vehicle. The app serves as a source of input data connected to the digital platform to benefit data analytics for the entire fleet.

Journey Management. The company has developed an innovative journey management app that provides an algorithm for instantaneously calculating the risk of the trip, reinforcing engagement of the driver with the company driving controls. The combination of the journey-management mobile app along with the DIM app provides one more step in the evolution of journey management toward a truly smart solution. These apps both contribute data to, and provide data from, an enabled global connected digital platform that uses a comprehensive geography-based logic architecture. These apps provide data on road conditions, driver hours of service, weather conditions, visibility, light conditions, and nighttime hours for use in the trip risk assessment, without the need for data entry by the driver.

The 2017 data were analyzed to determine whether the range of features provided by ADAS could have prevented any of the collisions. The analysis revealed that implementation of each of the ADAS features could have resulted in the following improvement percentages:

This gave an overall potential reduction of 29% of all automotive accidents based on a full-scale implementation of the ADAS technology across the entire company and contracted vehicle fleet.

Hit Vehicle in Front. The front collision warning, the headway monitoring speed-limit-indication features of ADAS, increased driver-behavior awareness, and the companys journey-management process combined to provide prevention potential. These initiatives have shown a reduction in the automotive accident rate involving impacting vehicles in front by 31% when compared with the 2017 rate data.

Rollover, Run Off Road, or Sideswipe. The speed-limit-indication features of ADAS combined with increased driver-behavior awareness through the driver-improvement app and the journey-management process combined to provide prevention potential for automotive accidents involving rollovers.

The technologies applicable for the reduction of impacting vehicles from the front, with the addition of the lane-departure feature of ADAS, also contributed to a reduction in automotive accidents that involved a vehicle running off the road. A 42% reduction in these incidents was observed when comparing 2019 year-to-date data at the time of writing with 2017 data.

Head-On Collisions. Particular emphasis was placed on head-on collision prevention because this type of impact often results in severe or fatal injury. The lane-departure warning, the headway monitoring speed-limit-indication features of ADAS, increased driver-behavior awareness, and the journey-management process combined to provide prevention potential for such collisions. The results of these initiatives have shown a reduction in the accident rate involving these impacts by 60% when compared with 2017 data.

Hit From Behind. Another area of focus was to reduce the 20% of vehicle accidents involving vehicles being hit from behind. The company investigated how this type of impact could be reduced, taking best practices from the construction and utility industry sectors.

The use of such simple, low-technology steps as the fitting of bold fluorescent chevron striping to the rear of light company vehicles was implemented. The aim was to change the behavior of other road users toward the company vehicles in front of them both during the day and night. On the basis of the results of the preliminary trials, the initiative was implemented and has resulted in an overall reduction of almost one out of every three rear-end-collision events.

Collectively, these solutions have resulted in significant improvement to the companys driving performance. An overall reduction in automotive accidents of 17% has been observed when accident rates were compared from 2017 to the end of September 2019.

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Technology, Innovative Approaches Enhance Road Safety for the Oil and Gas Industry - Journal of Petroleum Technology

More than $700,000 awarded to WVU to create space technology – WVNS-TV

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MORGANTOWN, WV (WVNS) West Virginia University (WVU) will receive a grant for a project using 3D printers to create space technology and hardware. U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) made the announcement on Friday, July 31, 2020.

I am so pleased NASA has chosen WVU to conduct important research in better understanding our universe and outer space. This project will explore ways to use technology to help create flexibility in the systems and designs we use for exploring other planets and our solar system. NASA continues to be a great partner for our state and WVU, and I look forward to strengthening this partnership through further investments into our state and institutions,said Senator Manchin.

During a time where space exploration and scientific discovery is in the news, I am excited to see West Virginias continued role in our nations pursuit to learn more about what exists beyond our earth. I am very happy to see this tradition continued at WVU with the acceptance of their proposal into the NASA EPSCoR Program. We must continue to give our higher education institution the resources they need to shoot for the stars and to inspire young people across our state. I look forward to the progress this program will make at WVU as a result of todays funding announcement,said Senator Capito.

The $749,999 was funded by NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCor).

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Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market Research Report by Operations, by Product, by Technology, by Type, by Industry, by Deployment – Global…

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New York, Aug. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market Research Report by Operations, by Product, by Technology, by Type, by Industry, by Deployment - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913968/?utm_source=GNW

The Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market is expected to grow from USD 4,290.05 Million in 2019 to USD 17,142.57 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.97%.

Market Segmentation & Coverage:This research report categorizes the Conversational Artificial Intelligence to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Operations, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across Branding & Advertisement, Customer Engagement and Retention, Customer Support, Data Privacy & Compliance, Onboarding & Employee Engagement, and Personal Assistant.

Based on Product, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across Platform and Services. The Services further studied across Consulting Services, Managed Services, Professional Services, Support & Maintenance, and Training & Education.

Based on Technology, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across Automated Speech Recognition, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, and Natural Language Processing.

Based on Type, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across Chatbots and Intelligent Virtual Assistants.

Based on Industry, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Transportation, Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, Building, Construction & Real Estate, Consumer Goods & Retail, Education, Energy & Utilities, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Telecommunication, and Travel & Hospitality.

Based on Deployment, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across On-Cloud and On-Premises.

Based on Geography, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Company Usability Profiles:The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market including Amazon Web Services, Inc., Artificial Solutions, Avaamo, Inc., Baidu, Inc., Cognigy Inc., Conversica, Inc., Google Inc., Haptik Infotech Pvt Ltd., International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Nuance Communications, Inc., Oracle Corporation, Rasa Technologies GmbH, Rulai, Inc., and SAP SE.

FPNV Positioning Matrix:The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Competitive Strategic Window:The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments

The report answers questions such as:1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market?2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market during the forecast period?3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market?4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market?5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market?6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913968/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Conversational Artificial Intelligence Market Research Report by Operations, by Product, by Technology, by Type, by Industry, by Deployment - Global...

This Technology Is Big Oil’s Best Chance to Become Carbon Neutral – The Motley Fool

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Many oil majors have now pledged some form of carbon neutrality in the coming decades in an effort to transform their brands from fossil fuel companies to all-encompassing energy companies. If successful, that could mean positive press, a diversified portfolio, and more effective recruitment efforts from an evolving talent pool.

There are many questions surrounding the feasibility of carbon neutrality for an industry that is inherently carbon-emitting -- but one technology has the potential to make oil and gas relevant for the long term.

Image Source: Getty Images.

Each oil major is handling the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables a little differently. Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) (NYSE:RDS.B) is leading the pack with its electrification efforts in solar and electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations. Norway's oil giant, Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR), sees the inevitable decline of its mature offshore assets in the North Sea so it's investing heavily into offshore wind energy. However, one solution that nearly all oil majors are investing in is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) -- which is the process of capturing CO2 from high-emitting areas like drilling and production sites and transporting that CO2 for use in industrial processes or storing it where it won't enter into the atmosphere.

Unlike renewable energy investment, CCS is a method of reducing emissions that works hand in hand with the oil and gas industry. If developed at scale, CCS could drastically reduce emissions and justify the long-term benefits of oil and gas production.

For investors familiar with oil and gas majors, it should come as no surprise that ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) is the current leader in CCS solutions. Unlike other oil majors, Exxon has repeatedly doubled down on oil and gas investment and made only minor investments into renewable energy sources like biofuels. To its credit, the company has captured 40% of the cumulative CO2 captured over the last 50 years. In addition to developing ways to capture CO2 from industrial sources, Exxon is investing in carbonate fuel cells that reduce the energy needed to capture CO2 from natural gas-fired power plants and other industries. Exxon cites the power generation sector as having the most CO2 emissions by sector.

Exxon's investments in biofuels and CCS reflect its core belief that its purpose is to make oil and gas production as efficient and low-emission as possible, not necessarily divest from oil and gas into renewables.

European majors Shell, Equinor, and Total (NYSE:TOT) are pushing heavily into CCS with their Northern Lights consortium. Northern Lights aims to capture CO2 along the Norwegian continental shelf where a lot of offshore oil and gas production occurs.

The initial investments of the project are currently $673 million, with over half of that investment going toward Norwegian contractors. Assuming that the project is approved upon a final investment decision by the Norwegian government later this year, Phase 1 should be operational by 2024.

Northern Lights works hand in hand with other projects like Norway's Full-Scale Project, where independent companies build their own capture facilities and deliver CO2 to the Northern Lights consortium that handles the transportation and storage of the CO2. Norway's cement giant, Norcem Brevik AS, and power generation company Fortum Oslo Varme AS have both agreed to capture 400,000 tons of CO2 per year for delivery to Northern Lights via pipeline to the onshore terminal in ygarden on the west coast of Norway. According to Trude Sundset, CEO of Gassnova -- which is working with the Full-Scale Project -- CCS is popular in Norway because the country has a unique combination of investment expertise and 24 years of CCS experience, and there is a consistent interest from the Norwegian government.

ExxonMobil's investments into CCS should help the company be an even more efficient oil and gas operator -- but the joint efforts of European majors are even more impressive. Through a coordinated effort between Northern Lights, The Full-Scale Project, and European governments, Shell, Equinor, and Total are pushing into CCS with multiple stakeholders, which decreases the risk for each company while also increasing the chances of the project actually being successful since several parties have skin in the game.

CCS is just one form of green energy that oil majors are investing in, but right now, it's arguably the best solution for oil and gas companies to reach their carbon-neutral goals while staying within the scope of oil and gas.

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This Technology Is Big Oil's Best Chance to Become Carbon Neutral - The Motley Fool

Control Valves Market Research Report by Type, by Size, by Technology, by Application – Global Forecast to 2025 – Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 -…

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New York, Aug. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Control Valves Market Research Report by Type, by Size, by Technology, by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913966/?utm_source=GNW

The Global Control Valves Market is expected to grow from USD 7,522.92 Million in 2019 to USD 10,037.87 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.92%.

Market Segmentation & Coverage:This research report categorizes the Control Valves to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Type, the Control Valves Market studied across Ball Valve, Butterfly Valve, Cryogenic Valve, and Globe Valve.

Based on Size, the Control Valves Market studied across 1-6, 25- 50, 50 and Above, 6-25, and Up to 1.

Based on Technology, the Control Valves Market studied across Electric Control Valve, Hydraulic Control Valve, Manual Control Valve, and Pneumatic Control Valve.

Based on Application, the Control Valves Market studied across Building & Construction, Chemicals, Energy & Power, Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas, and Pharmaceuticals.

Based on Geography, the Control Valves Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Company Usability Profiles:The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Control Valves Market including Alfa Laval, Emerson, Flowserve Corporation, IMI PLC, Kitz Corporation, Metso, Pentair PLC, Samson AG, The Weir Group PLC, and Velan Inc.

FPNV Positioning Matrix:The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Control Valves Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Competitive Strategic Window:The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments

The report answers questions such as:1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Control Valves Market?2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Control Valves Market during the forecast period?3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Control Valves Market?4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Control Valves Market?5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Control Valves Market?6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Control Valves Market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913966/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Hovering Technology Market Overview with Detailed Analysis, Competitive landscape, Forecast to 2025 – Market Research Posts

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The Global Hovering Technology market study focuses on major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure.

The report on Hovering Technology market is an in-depth analysis of this business sphere. As per the study, the market is poised to amass substantial returns while recording a strong CAGR between the prediction years. Valuable insights regarding numerous drivers and persisting challenges which will influence the growth trends of the industry are entailed in the report.

Request a sample Report of Hovering Technology Market at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2826739

The research document scrutinizes the industry landscape based on various segmentations including product type, application spectrum, regional terrain, and competitive hierarchy. Information about the impact of COVID-19 on sales volume, revenue share, and anticipated growth rate displayed by each of the segments is presented. The report also emphasizes on company profile, product portfolio, and expansion strategies of major players in order to inform and enable industry stakeholders to take profit worthy decisions.

Unveiling regional topography of Hovering Technology market:

Report Highlights:

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Major Highlights from Table of contents are listed below for quick look up into Hovering Technology Market report

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Daikin Applied Launches New Heat Pump Technology For Cost-Effective Heating And Cooling In All Environmental Conditions – PRNewswire

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MINNEAPOLIS, July 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Daikin Applied today introduced the Daikin SmartSource Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS), its next generation of heat pump heating technology that enables efficient and cost-effective heating and cooling in all conditions using 100 percent of fresh, outside air. The new unit features exclusive SmartBoost Heat Technology, which allows for air as cold as 0 degrees Fahrenheit to enter without any pre-heating, all while achieving 49 percent higher than ASHRAE 90.1-2016 minimum efficiency.

"Striking the right balance between maintaining fresh, clean air throughout a buildingand doing so cost-effectivelyis no simple task, but it's increasingly important today as we think about how to achieve healthy indoor environments," said Alan Youker, Daikin Applied Product Manager. "The SmartSource Dedicated Outdoor Air System is a new technology for facility managers seeking a reliable and tech-forward way to ensuring optimal indoor heating and cooling with unmatched efficiency."

The SmartSource DOAS taps a water source heat pump's hot gas reheat coil in addition to the unit's primary DX coil. The resulting heating efficienciesup to 5.1 ISCOP2 per AHRI 920-2020coupled with the latest advancements in electronically commutated motors and industry-leading shaftless blower technology help ensure premium performance.

Other key features of the new SmartSource DOAS include:

The Daikin SmartSource DOAS is available today. Click here for more information, or contact a representative.

About Daikin Applied Americas

Daikin Applied Americas, a member of Daikin Industries, Ltd., designs and manufactures technologically advanced commercial HVAC systems for customers around the world. Customers turn to Daikin with confidence that they will experience outstanding performance, reliability and energy efficiency. Daikin Applied equipment, solutions and services are sold through a global network of dedicated sales, service, and parts offices. For more information or the name of your local Daikin Applied representative, call 800-432-1342 or visit, http://www.DaikinApplied.com.

About Daikin Industries Ltd.

Daikin Industries, Ltd. is a Forbes 1000 global company with 2019 revenues of over $24.3 billion and more than 70,000 employees worldwide, making it the largest HVAC manufacturer in the world. Daikin is engaged primarily in the development, manufacture, sales and aftermarket support of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) equipment, refrigerants and other chemicals, as well as oil hydraulic products. Daikin was named one of the world's most innovative companies by Forbes magazine. For more information, visit http://www.daikin.com.

Media Contact

Tracy Sciacca Weber Shandwick/Daikin Applied651-983-4346 [emailprotected]

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Daikin Applied Launches New Heat Pump Technology For Cost-Effective Heating And Cooling In All Environmental Conditions - PRNewswire

Emerging Products: Breach and attack simulation technologies – SC Magazine

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SC Labs tests seven breach and attack simulation products for August that will sharpen up your security assessments. (Source: Erikona, Getty Images)

Manual security testing cant keep pace with the threat landscape. Penetration testing takes time and its costly and labor-intensive. Its also fully dependent on the expertise of the penetration tester. Despite these inefficiencies, security pros need to test security posture and validate controls. Organizations have no way of knowing the efficacy of controls configurations or the performance of existing security investments without data from frequent assessments. Additionally, most compliance standards today mandate regular security testing as part of their frameworks.

Breach and attack simulation (BAS) technologies are the solution to the costly venture of manual testing. These tools answer the same questions as manual testing, except they do so more inexpensively, frequently and quickly. Security tools are irrelevant if they are misconfigured or underused and the breach and attack simulation BAS technologies we assessed this month have tremendous potential for profound return on investment thanks to the validation offered through security controls testing and security tool testing.

In addition to being extremely efficient, BAS tools are incredibly simple to deploy and manage. They have easy setup and centralized management to maximize the simplicity for security teams and administrators alike. Each product comes with numerous out-of-the-box assessments and reports, driving the user-friendliness and intuitive implementation. All of the templates are customizable to ensure the flexibility necessary to meet the needs of any organization.

A security tool that acts as a hacker constantly attacking a network and its infrastructure may seem risky. These tools are safe and offer valuable insight into vulnerabilities and attack vectors without compromising production environments. These products take security assessments a step further to offer remediation suggestions, prioritizations and guidelines to assist analysts with threat response. The broad use cases and potential gain from these solutions makes choosing to implement them a no-brainer. They capitalize on existing security investments and ensure that an organizations digital estate and human resources are secure.

Group Opener

This month we revisited the still emerging space of BAS technologies. These products have undergone a great deal of maturity and growth over the last year and are continuing the trend towards mainstreaming and transforming the security space. Security testing remains crucial for maintaining a strong security posture and good security hygiene. Misconfigured controls and underused tools are commonplace across industries and security testing offers a way to mitigate these vulnerabilities.

The costly and time-consuming nature of the previous go-to security testing methodologies have and continue to get outperformed by the cutting-edge technology breach and attack simulation tools offer, rendering manual controls testing and penetration testing more obsolete than ever. Reoccurring assessments and validation are not feasible with manual testing, notoriously expensive and time-consuming. The threat landscape we face today requires security testing thats continuous and repetitive. This need coupled with the obsolescence of manual penetration testing paves the way for breach and attack simulators.

BAS technology uses automation to drive continuous security control testing, exposing and identifying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Analysts may use this information to get more out of their existing security tools and validate environments are properly configured. You may think of these solutions as a personal trainer for your security environment as they strengthen whats already there and identify weaknesses, providing suggestions on how to bolster those vulnerabilities and mitigate risks. We continue to see these products increasingly implement purple team capabilities with extensive remediation guidance to streamline the detection and response process.

In addition to the breach and attack simulation use cases that target controls testing and product testing, these products also test the human element within organizations. Staff testing is a crucial component of security. An organization could have an airtight environment with all the top-of-the-line tools money can buy. None of that means anything if the human element opens the organization to attack and exploitation. These products deliver the insight necessary for security teams to ensure everyone on the team abides by the protocols in place.

The BAS tools we assessed this month continue to solidify their place within the cybersecurity realm and efficiently shore up human and technical vulnerabilities while offering a substantial return on investment of all security implementations. Security experts now consider these products a staple for any security toolset and will continue to transform the landscape and the way security teams operate.

August Reviews:

AttackIQ Platform v2.1

Cymulate Breach and Attack Simulation Platform 3.30.16

The Picus Security Validation Platform 3113

SafeBreach Platform

Sophos Phish Threat

Spirent Communications CyberFlood Data Breach Assessment v2.02

XM Cyber 1.35

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Emerging Products: Breach and attack simulation technologies - SC Magazine

Cloud Management Market by Trends, Dynamic Innovation in Technology and 2025 Forecasts – Market Research Posts

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The selective research report on the GlobalCloud Management Market2020 analyzes the market in detail alongside concentrating on huge market elements for the key players working in the market. Worldwide Cloud Management Market Industry research report offers granulated at this point top to bottom examination of income share, advertise portions, income gauges and different areas over the globe.

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CA Technologies Inc.Citrix Systems IncVmwareIBM CorporationHP CompanyMicrosoft CorporationBMC Software Inc.Cisco Systems Inc.Adaptive Computing Inc.Oracle Corporation

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Private/Hybrid CloudPublic

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TelecomHealthcareIT & ampBanking, Financial Services And Insurance (BFSI)Government and DefenseE-CommerceEnergy and UtilitiesRetailOthers

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The Cloud Management Market Report likewise decide the economic situations including the item value, particular, inquire about approach, money related and specialized subtleties which will extend the market activities. The Market research report gives the most recent industry information and industry future patterns, enabling you to distinguish the items and end clients driving income development and gainfulness.

Key Features of the Report:The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2014-2018) and forecast (2019-2025)

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About Us:Precision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and management consulting firm, run by a group of seasoned and highly dynamic market research professionals with a strong zeal to offer high-quality insights. We at Precision Business Insights are passionate about market research and love to do the things in an innovative way. Our team is a big asset for us and great differentiating factor. Our company motto is to address client requirements in the best possible way and want to be a part of our client success. We have a large pool of industry experts and consultants served a wide array of clients across different verticals. Relentless quest and continuous endeavor enable us to make new strides in market research and business consulting arena.

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Cloud Management Market by Trends, Dynamic Innovation in Technology and 2025 Forecasts - Market Research Posts

Innovation, technology, and evidence-based treatment for spinal cord injury – Health Europa

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Injuries to the spinal cord, whether they are caused by an acute trauma such as a car crash or disease or degeneration, can be both physically and psychologically debilitating. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world will incur some type of spinal cord injury every year; with the majority of these injuries occurring as a result of preventable causes, including traffic collisions, accidental falls, or violence: of the 40 to 80 cases of spinal cord injury per million population estimated by the WHO, around 90% are attributed to traumatic causes.

The risk of mortality associated with spinal cord injury is correlated with the severity of the injury itself, as well as the availability of prompt treatment, with the methods used to transport an injured patient and the time which elapses between the onset of the injury and treatment also cited as factors. Overall, while the mortality risk of spinal injury drops after the first year, it remains higher than the average; with spinal cord injury patients between two and five times more likely to die prematurely than the general, uninjured population.

In addition to the aftereffects of the injury itself, patients may face heightened risk of secondary conditions, including:

These conditions may further incapacitate the patient and some may even increase the risk of premature death. In particular, as the global pandemic continues, the respiratory issues which may arise from spinal cord injury could render the patient vulnerable to the more severe effects of COVID-19.

Many patients who experience an injury to the spinal cord find their physical range of mobility becomes limited to a greater or lesser degree, with more severe injuries necessitating the adoption of assistive technology, changes to a patients home layout and lifestyle, and potentially the need to employ a caregiver.

These limitations and, depending on the range of external support available in the patients home country, the extensive costs they may incur can exacerbate the psychological distress which frequently accompanies any life-altering injury. Between 20% and 30% of spinal cord injury patients exhibit clinically significant symptoms of depression; and this in turn can inhibit the rate at which a patients health improves. The mental health of patients may be further affected by a relatively high rate of social and economic exclusion: young children who suffer a spinal cord injury are less likely to start school than their peers, and those who do attend school are less likely to advance academically; while more than 60% of adults worldwide with a spinal cord injury are unemployed.

As the role of digital and technological innovation in healthcare becomes more and more prominent, researchers are investigating the potential of an array of solutions which may aid the support and care of spinal cord injury patients. The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust in Sussex, UK, is trialling new protocols for the transport of spinal cord injury patients, in response to a growing body of evidence which appears to indicate that the traditional use of neck braces or collars may be more likely to cause additional harm to injured patients than previously thought. In addition to adopting manual in-line stabilisation and scoop stretcher transport for standard patients and a distinct comfort approach for non-standard patients that is, those who may be otherwise vulnerable, such as young children, pregnant women and the elderly paramedics will also equip non-standard patients with a lanyard designed to inform the hospital of their status.

Researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) have developed a software program based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, which can be integrated into existing prosthetic limbs and which deploys computer vision and AI to respond to changes in terrain. The program is capable of recognising six key terrain types which may necessitate adjustment of the prosthetics movement protocols:

Associate Professor of electrical and computer engineering at NCSU Edgar Lobaton, a co-author on the study, said: Lower-limb robotic prosthetics need to execute different behaviours based on the terrain users are walking on. The framework weve created allows the AI in robotic prostheses to predict the type of terrain users will be stepping on, quantify the uncertainties associated with that prediction, and then incorporate that uncertainty into its decision making. We came up with a better way to teach deep learning systems how to evaluate and quantify uncertainty in a way that allows the system to incorporate uncertainty into its decision making: this is certainly relevant for robotic prosthetics, but our work here could be applied to any type of deep learning system.

An ongoing study based at the cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne in Switzerland has shown promising results in the use of AI and machine learning to identify the neurons which play a key role in the process of gait reacquisition. By singling out the specific neurons which are significant to recovery from spinal cord injury, the researchers have been able to prioritise these neurons for additional stimulation, enhancing the effectiveness of mobility treatments. Early stages of the trial, which saw paralysed mice subjected to spinal cord stimulation, were successful in restoring mobility to the rodents; while later tests on human patients at Lausanne University Hospital were similarly effective in accelerating the recovery process.

Up to 50% of patients with paraplegia may still have functional nerve fibres capable of sending faint sensation messages from the lower body to the brain, recent research from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) revealed. Associate Professor Sylvia Gustin, who led the study, has launched a new project which aims to deploy virtual reality (VR) technology to enhance and amplify those neural signals, in order to restore lower limb sensation. The programme, titled RESTORE, has received an AUS$2.5m grant from the New South Wales Ministry of Health; and seeks to combine physical lower extremity stimulus with virtual reality simulations, with the aim of retraining the brain to recognise the corresponding signals from the nerve fibres.

Gustin said: Its very exciting that we can explore how virtual reality can be used to help people regain feeling in their limbs. The outcomes of our research could lead to a cultural and scientific shift in terms of how we treat people with spinal cord injuries; and what they can expect from life after experiencing such a devastating injury.

This article is from issue 14 of Health Europa. Clickhere to get your free subscription today.

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Innovation, technology, and evidence-based treatment for spinal cord injury - Health Europa

Unilever and Algenuity discuss the potential of microalgae: ‘Algenuity’s technology unlocks a wealth of food applications’ – FoodNavigator.com

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Unilever and Algenuity have announced a partnership that will enable Unilevers Food and Refreshment R&D team to leverage the biotech start-ups unique algae processing technology and ingredients to bring food made with microalgae to the mass market.

Algenuity, which specialises in developing microalgae for use in consumer products, will work with the R&D team within Unilevers Foods and Refreshment (F&R) division.

By 2050, the global population is set to reach 9.8bn people according to the UN. To feed this growing population, the world will need to produce 70% more food. However, this must be achieved within planetary boundaries for land and water use as well as food-related emissions.

Unilever has prioritised developing alternative protein sources like microalgae, which it says represents a significant step forwards in the critical shift needed to build an equitable and resilient food system.

Microalgae like Chlorella vulgaris the species cultivated by Algenuity are highly efficient sources of plant protein that can be produced year-round, at scale, and with a low land, water and carbon footprint.

In sustainability terms, the resource utilisation is highly favourable and cropping cycles are unlimited across the year. Chlorella grow very fast and reach high numbers when cultivated under controlled conditions in closed vessels. The use of these so-called fermentation systems allows for sustainable and safe production at large scale, as well as the efficient use of resources such as energy, fertilisers and water. Part of the partnership will involve a full life cycle assessment process and identification of further areas where sustainability measures can be further improved upon, Manfred Aben, Unilever VP Science & Technology for F&R, told FoodNavigator.

Microalgae also offers nutritional benefits, including a higher protein yield than many other plant-based protein sources. Microalgaes protein yield is reported at 415tons/Ha/year compared to 0.61.2tons/Ha/year for wheat, pulse legumes and soybean, according to data from Wageningen University.

Additionally, the presence of various bio-active components in microalgae provide an added health benefit. Microalgae contains healthy lipids, antioxidants and various micronutrients. Microalgae is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E and minerals such as potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium and iodine.

Microalgae like Chlorella vulgaris are a good source of essential macronutrients and micronutrients, including antioxidants and minerals such as iron. Microalgae also contain fibre, vitamins and essential amino acids. Our bodies cannot produce these critical nutrients, therefore its important we obtain them from our diet, and microalgae offers a sustainable way to do that, Dr Andrew Spicer, CEO of Algenuity, explained.

Dr Spicer told us that Algenuity was founded with the goal to focus on food-grade and scalable technology development.

The company decided to focus on Chlorella vulgaris a variety of microalgae known for its robustness and high protein content because of its potential to scale production through fermentation. And, as Chlorella vulgaris was already on the market in Europe ahead of 15 May 1997, the ingredient is not subject to Novel Food laws.

The decision to focus on Chlorella vulgaris was clear from day one: this type of algae has been safely consumed for years and has been commercially available as a food product in the EU since 1997, which brings advantages with respect to regulatory approval, Dr Spicer explained.

Very few microalgae are both approved as novel foods and fermentable and capable of being produced at sufficient scale to make an impact within the broader food and beverage industry, especially where displacement of animal sources of protein or less sustainable plant-based sources is a priority.

The nutritional and sustainability credentials of microalgae have made it a mainstay in the nutraceutical space.

However, food innovators face organoleptic challenges that can hinder the inclusion of microalgae in food formulations. Algaes high chlorophyll content, which gives plants their green colour and a bitter taste and smell, has proven a barrier to inclusion in mainstream diets.

So, how does Algenuity overcome the taste and smell issues associated with Chlorella vulgaris and other microalgae ingredients?

The varieties of Chlorella vulgaris are developed using non-GM plant breeding methodologies with screening for varieties that are deficient in chlorophyll. Just like autumn when chlorophyll is lost from the leaves of deciduous trees, when the chlorophyll is no longer made by Chlorella, Algenuity can identify variants that are yellow, lime, white and even red, Dr Spicer revealed.

This results in variants with different colours that are neutral in taste. These variants are stable and natural, and have the potential to unlock a wealth of opportunities in algae-based food applications. As such, as well as the plant-based protein, they also deliver natural pigments, which are almost always antioxidants.

The result is Algenuitys Chlorella Colours, whole algal-cell ingredients that provide a source of neutral-tasting, functional plant-based protein. The trademark protected Chlorella Colours platform offers natural, non-GM, allergen-free and clean label solutions.

Unilever believes Algenuitys technology opens up a variety of potential applications in the food and beverage sector.

Ensuring our products taste great is always a top priority. We want our consumers to enjoy our brands and products and to continue to choose them, Unilevers Aben explained.

The R&D collaboration will harness Algenuitys technology to neutralise the taste and smell of the microalgae, so we can provide consumers with healthy Unilever food products that still contain all the nutritional benefits of the protein. Chlorella is low fat, low sugar, high fibre, has very high-quality plant-based protein and an attractive combination of micronutrients. We believe that this process will unlock exciting possibilities and help facilitate the transition of microalgae into mainstream diets.

Microalgae innovation in the everyday food and beverage market is almost a blue-sky opportunity for Unilevers brands. Aben flags the potential across various established categories to deliver added nutritional benefits.

Microalgae offer huge potential to bring a nutritional benefit to foods we already know and love. For example, this may include baked goods, pasta, soups and sauces to name a few. Algenuitys Chlorella Colours technology allows the inclusion of microalgae as a food ingredient with a neutral taste and smell but with all the nutritional advantages... as well as emulsifying properties.

The partnership between Unilever and Algenuity will explore this further: Algenuity will provide the Chlorella ingredients for formulation and product development by the R&D team in Unilevers F&R division.

The partnership agreement will mean certain aspects of Algenuitys tech are exclusive to Unilever, Aben added.

Plant-based innovation is an important priority for Unilever. Plant-based products now make up around a third of the companys portfolio, including dairy-free and vegan options such as Hellmanns Vegan, Magnum Vegan and Vegetarian Butcher brand.

Unilever believes microalgae can help drive further plant-based product development thanks to its amino acid profile, something many plant-based formulations currently struggle with. Algae are a potential source of high-quality plant-based protein, which can be used in plant-based products to replace animal protein. These products will appeal to a variety of consumers; for vegans and vegetarians but also for flexitarians and meat-eaters looking to reduce their consumption of animal products.

Microalgae accumulate large amounts of high-quality proteins that are rich in essential amino acids. Like vitamins, essential amino acids are important building blocks that are needed for good health. However, the body cannot produce these on its own, making it essential for us to obtain them from our diet. In addition, microalgae are a good source of essential macronutrients, and micronutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like iron.

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Unilever and Algenuity discuss the potential of microalgae: 'Algenuity's technology unlocks a wealth of food applications' - FoodNavigator.com

In the wake of overnight digital transformation, demand for technology skills training surges – ZDNet

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Are we doing enough to get everyone -- IT and business professional alike -- geared up for the data analytics-driven economy ahead of us? No way. However, the Covid-19 crisis, with its massive pressure on organizations to digitally transform overnight, has caused business leaders to step up their training in critical technology areas.

That's the key takeaway from asurveyof 937 professionals, released by Netwrix, which tracked changes in IT priorities as a result of the crisis. The study, conducted in June 2020, showed that the IT skills shortage requires organizations to prioritize investment in IT staff education. The share of CIOs and IT directors that plan to invest in IT education has almost doubled since the onset of the crisis, from 20% in late 2019 to 38% now. In addition, with hiring freezes in place at many organizations, 31% of respondents see educating their current IT pros as a great option for addressing the skills shortage.

Still, we're a long way off from investing in or supporting the development of AI skills employers need for the years ahead. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a research arm of the U.S. Congress, just issued a report that stresses the need for greater AI education and training so public and private-sector organizations can stay ahead in the global economy. "Closing the AI talent gap requires a targeted approach to training, recruiting, and retaining skilled workers. This AI talent should ideally have a multidisciplinary skill set that includes ethics."

Competition for AI-skilled professionals is not limited to just technology companies, the report adds. It's "spanning almost all industries as businesses seek to leverage the strengths of AI. For instance, in the race to manufacture self-driving cars, the auto industry competes with Silicon Valley for the same experts."

The good news is that those professionals seeking to build up their AI resumes need not wait for corporate and government actions. There are many free or low-cost resources available from the world's leading universities that cover many key aspects of AI, machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing.

Lukas Spranger, a data scientist and software engineer, has been compiling a growing list of online courses over at the KDNuggets site. These include the following:

Interestingly, along with the courses mentioned above, there is also a no-code way to deploy an AI model -- that is, without writing a single line of code by employing open-source and cloud-based resources. In a recent post, Francesco Palma walks through a process for classifying pictures of flowers, using Giotto, a no-code AI platform.

The bottom line is that demand for advanced technology skills will keep growing as organizations increasingly rely on technology and digital resources to compete in an incredibly fierce global economy. Bachelors and masters degrees earned in one's twenties will only go so far -- what is happening is people will be assembling their own skillsets through ongoing learning, available through an abundance of online courses and skills refreshes.

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In the wake of overnight digital transformation, demand for technology skills training surges - ZDNet