Ethereum Above $325 Could Trigger A Fresh Rally Towards $350 – newsBTC

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Ethereum is currently consolidating gains above the $307 and $310 support levels against the US Dollar. ETH price must surpass the $325 resistance zone to trigger a fresh rally.

In the past few sessions, Ethereum traded in a broad range above the $310 support against the US Dollar. ETH price made a couple of attempts to clear the $325 resistance, but it failed.

The last swing high was formed near the $325 level before the price started a downside correction. It traded below the $320 level, but it is still well above the 100 hourly simple moving average. Ether is currently testing the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $307 swing low to $325 high.

On the downside, there is a major support forming near the $312 level and the 100 hourly simple moving average. It is close to the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $307 swing low to $325 high.

It seems like there is a key contracting triangle forming with resistance near $321 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. If ether price breaks the triangle resistance, it could even attempt to clear the $325 resistance. A successful close above the $325 resistance may perhaps open the doors for a sharp rally in the coming sessions. The next target for the bulls might be $350.

There are many key supports forming near $312, $310 and $307. If the price breaks the $312 support, it might extend its decline towards the $307 support.

The next major support is near the $300 level (the breakout zone), below which the price is likely to continue lower towards the $290 level in the near term.

Technical Indicators

Hourly MACD The MACD for ETH/USD is about to move back into the bullish zone.

Hourly RSI The RSI for ETH/USD is currently rising towards the 50 level.

Major Support Level $307

Major Resistance Level $325

Take advantage of the trading opportunities with Plus500

Risk disclaimer: 76.4% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

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Ethereum Above $325 Could Trigger A Fresh Rally Towards $350 - newsBTC

Ethereum lead large-cap assets, while the small-cap slips lower – AMBCrypto English

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The low volatility streak of cryptocurrencies has finally concluded and the bulls have rushed back into the market. Bitcoin, the largest crypto witnessed a surge in its price on 27 July, and the altcoins also felt its impact. The BTC price had witnessed a surge of 18% within a day, which pushed the digital assets price above $11k. While the second-largest asset, Ethereum reported an 11% growth at the same time.

Ethereum registered over 30% in returns over the past week and was followed by other large-cap assets like Cardano [ADA] with 20%, and Litecoin [LTC] with 13%. According to CoinMetrics Ethereum Bletchley Index, it was the best performer in the week, followed by the CMBI Bitcoin index that returned close to 8%.

As per the chart above, the large-cap assets and the mid-cap assets performed best through the week, returning 9.8% and 7.4% respectively. As mentioned above the performances of large-cap assets like Cardano, Litecoin, and Ethereum have led to the growth of these categories.

According to Arcane, the large and the mid-cap asset were reporting a monthly growth of 25.3% and 31% respectively. This was larger than BTC, which noted a monthly spike of 11.77%, however, the small-cap assets that were outperforming the remaining market, have seen a minimal profit of 7.80% in July.

The small-cap assets index [a weighted index of the top 30-70 cryptocurrencies] had been surging in the middle of July but has since been struggling to maintain its momentum. As Bitcoin remained dormant, the traders had a risk-on approach as they sought returns in more volatile assets. However, with great movement in the Bitcoin and Ethereum market, the small-caps have fallen as the traders attention moved back to large-cap assets.

Similarly, the Bletchley 40 [small-cap] did not reflect growth but experienced a fall of nearly 2% during the week. As the focus of the crypto world moved back to major cryptocurrencies, the sentiment in the market has moved away from fear to extreme greed which was last witnessed in July 2019. However, this boost did not confirm the bull run, as the BTC price will have to sustain in the $11k range, but a correction might once again push the price lower.

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Ethereum lead large-cap assets, while the small-cap slips lower - AMBCrypto English

I had the privilege of witnessing Michael Jordan – Northern Star Online

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For five Sunday nights in April and May, much of the nation was captivated by the Michael Jordan-produced documentary The Last Dance.

In case you missed it, the documentary focused on the Bulls 1997-98 season, the final year of the teams run of six NBA titles in eight years. While chronicling that season, the documentary also documented much of the previous five titles, Michael Jordans foray into professional baseball, and gave a backstory as to how that final team had been constructed.

For many, it was a true introduction into the NBA of the 1980s and 1990s, and it told the story of how Jordan and the Bulls became global icons.

How global? In November 2018, I was in Dubai, and my wife and I went on a desert tour. Sharing our car with us was a young couple from Japan. When we shared where we were from, the first thing they wanted to talk about was the Bulls, and the husband spoke of how he played pickup games wearing Scottie Pippen Nike shoes.

Ive had that same conversation with people in places like Monaco, Milan, Rome and Singapore. The Bulls and the NBA are bigger outside of the U.S. than we give them credit for. Jordan, of course, is one of the most recognizable people on the planet.

For me, watching The Last Dance was just reliving a great time in my life. During that time, I was a huge Bulls fan. I watched as many games as I could, and Jordans poster hung in my bedroom during middle and high school, as well as my room in college. Of course, it didnt hurt that I was close, personal friends with the man himself.

Not really, but I did meet him once. In June 1984, my dad was attending a business seminar at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and I spent most of my days playing Finley Golf Course, the university track.

One day, MJ himself was there, and I rushed over to him in the parking lot for an autograph. As this was a couple of weeks prior to the Bulls selecting MJ in the 1984 draft, he was driving what looked to be about a 1978 Buick LeSabre, and offered to give me an autograph if I took his cart back to the clubhouse.

Dang, I wish I still had that autograph.

While I was a Jordan fan before that, meeting him took my fandom into overdrive. Thats why The Last Dance had so many great memories.

But the greatest Jordan memory I have? Seeing him play in person.

That happened on Jan. 10, 1990. I was living in Indianapolis at the time, and we got tickets to see the Bulls play the Indiana Pacers at Market Square Arena. I forget how we got the tickets, but given where we were sitting, they were probably in the $10-$15 range. Fifteen dollars in 1990 is worth about $28 today, meaning Id have enough money to park but wouldnt have enough left to get me in the front door or even a beer for that matter.

Living in Indy at that time in NBA history was awesome. The Pacers hadnt become perennial playoff contenders yet, so tickets were always available, with the cheapest ones costing $8.

Thats right, I saw people like Jordan, Pippen, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Clyde Drexler, Shaquille ONeal, Penny Hardaway and David Robinson for less than $15 a pop. Did I mention I kind of miss those days?

One thing I quickly noticed that night is that the buzz was different. MJ was in town, and the crowd was a mix of die-hard Pacers fans, Jordan fans and people making their way from Chicago, because tickets at Chicago Stadium were near impossible to get.

There is always a buzz before any big game, but when Jordan is on the floor, it never ends. You could feel a collective move-to-the-edge-of-your-seat every time he touched the ball. The oohhs and ahhhs for Jordan are different than anything else, because when the ball was in his hands, you were always seconds away from something youve never seen in your life and you may not ever see again.

This night, though, belonged to the Pacers. Indiana ran out to an 11-point halftime lead and eventually went on to win by a score of 120-113 to drop the Bulls season record to 21-12.

By his own admission, Jordan didnt play well. Sure, he finished with 35 points, but he shot just 13-for-30 from the field and his point total was the result of a flurry of buckets down the stretch as he tried to bring the Bulls back.

Pippen finished the game with 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, while John Paxson hit nine of his 13 shots to add 19. None of it mattered, though, because the Bulls had no answer for Pacers guard Reggie Miller.

Miller, then in his third year in the NBA, was en route to scoring 24.6 points per game for the season and making the all-star team for the first time. Throughout his career, Miller loved going head-to-head with Jordan, and on this night he dropped a career-high 44 points, all the while letting the Bulls know exactly what he was doing to them.

Miller had a special relationship with Market Square Arena and the Pacers fans. When he got it going in that building and got the fans behind him, it became a crazy place. Miller started dropping in 3-pointers, the energy level of the building went into overdrive, and, as happened to the Bulls many times in that building over the next several years, they had no answer.

That night, I was disappointed that the Bulls lost, but as the years go on, the more I become grateful to have seen that game. It stunk to lose, but we all knew even then what was in store for the Bulls in the years to come. What sticks with me is knowing that I saw an incredible basketball game played by two of the best teams of the decade that featured three players in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jordan hasnt played an NBA game in close to 20 years, but he is still my all-time favorite player. It turned out that being able to see him play in person was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Im sure there are lots of people out there who saw Jordan play dozens of times, but there are also millions of people who only saw him play one time.

Im in that group, and Im so glad that I am part of it.

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I had the privilege of witnessing Michael Jordan - Northern Star Online

Where To Buy The Jordan Zoom 92 Summit White – Sneaker News

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Likely more interesting to longtime sneakerheads, the Jordan Zoom 92 delivers what is effectively one of the most unique nods to the past. Made up of three iconic 90s silhouettes namely the Air Jordan 7, the Air Max 180, and the Air Force 5 the model is bringing retro to the new generation by way of a sleek, low profile basketball staple. Hued in many a colorway since its first leak, the pair is readied to hit stores with its vibrant Summit White arrangement very soon. Hits of a saturated green shades dress the heel of the tooling as well as part of the wrap just above, while louder prints of vintage leaning accent behind the AJ7s iconic triangular emblems. Elsewhere white mesh and leathers seat the toe primarily, an understated backdrop on which the red, green, and dark black details can stand out. Grab yet another look at these right here and expect to see them in the EU on August 1st at select retailers; a stateside release is sure to follow on Nike.com not too long thereafter.

In other news, a Tie-Dye Jordan 5 Golf was just revealed.

Jordan Zoom 92 Summit WhiteRelease Date: August 1st, 2020$150Color: Summit White/Black/Lucky Green/Track RedStyle Code: CK9183-103

Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.

Where to Buy

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Where To Buy The Jordan Zoom 92 Summit White - Sneaker News

Bob Gwizdz: Mouse-eating monsters in the cold, fast Jordan – Traverse City Record Eagle

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EAST JORDAN We were on the river well before dark and well upstream from where we planned to fish because Bill Bellinger (wildbillsguideservice.com) was giving me a tour. He pointed out the good steelhead holes, the salmon stretches, some of the old fish camp sites from years back, and places where a guy can walk in. Then we settled back in Bellingers 12-foot inflatable and waited for darkness.

At around 10 p.m. it was dark enough to get started, said Bellinger, who handed me a seven-eight fly rod with a huge, bushy mouse on it. It didnt take long; within a half dozen casts I heard what sounded like a bowling ball had been dropped into the river from the treetops. A quick strip set later I had hold of a heavy fish.

It ran upstream and a couple of times I thought it was going to beat me as it headed for a deadfall and there are a ton of them on the Jordan River but I leaned into it and kept it out of the trash and I finally stripped in enough line that Bellinger could slide the net under it.

It was a dandy; I guessed it at 23 inches.

Par for the course, said Bellinger, 50, who has been guiding on the river his whole adult life and fishing it since he was a lad.

This is a trophy fishery, Bellinger said. You come here to hunt big fish. Thats the part I like about it. On most rivers you can have multiple encounters but on the Jordan, the encounters you have are incredible.

At one point the Jordan was actually quite famous, but it went sleepy for a long time. Subsequently, because of what it is cold water and good cover it grew fish quickly. It has big fish for a reason.

It was my second night on the river with Bellinger; a couple of weeks earlier, during the Hex hatch, I hooked a giant, but it broke me off. It was a bright, full-moon night and it was the only take I had. Bellinger told me Id have to come back and do some mousin and, obviously, I did.

Fishing mouse patterns at night is one of few dependable trout excursions on the Jordan, Bellinger said.

The only thing that are predictable are the Hexes, mousing, and streamer fishing, he said, adding that most of the other hatches are undependable, something he attributes to the lampricide treatments every four years.

We have good years and bad years, he said. Weve caught those big fish on Hendricksons and weve caught them on stone flies, but its not anything that happens with any regularity.

The Hexes hatch out in big numbers from Lake Charlevoix, he said, which he likens to Lake Erie; the hatch lasts for weeks and produces big numbers of bugs. But thats the only time theres much traffic on the river.

Theres not a lot fishing pressure, Bellinger said. If its anytime other than Hex hatch, its super rare to see anybody. Its the coldest river in Michigan, so its good fishing in the heat of the summer. The water never gets hot, the fish are not affected like they are other rivers. August is not any different than May or June. Its just another month.

Its a challenging river, he continued. Its fast and tight. Its probably got more wood than the PM; its in a cedar swamp and theres not very many people, besides me and the canoe livery, who trim it out.

Indeed, there was a canopy across the river in many places it has the feeling of being in a canyon, Bellinger said so it isnt easy to make a presentation.

But Bellinger maneuvers his boat as though its an extension of his body, so he put me in position to roll cast or simply flip my mouse around and put it in front of fish. Unfortunately, I never hooked another fish, though I had several blow up on it. I handled one well there was an audible sploosh, I gave it a quick two-inch strip set and didnt feel anything, but never connected and it didnt come back. Another time when I heard one feed I jerked like I was bass fishing and pulled the mouse out of the strike zone. On the last strike, I gave it a short strip set, felt weight, but when I shot the rod tip skyward it wasnt there. Oh, well, you dont catch them all.

Bellinger says the river fishes well year-round, never freezing up in the winter.

Its a real quick river with enough current to keep the water open, he said. If its a real cold winter down on the lower end youll get some shelf ice, but the upper river is very protected. The steelhead fishing is phenomenal, theres a coho run, theres a king salmon run and you can even catch lake trout well upriver.

Bellinger said I should come back in the fall and see what else the Jordan has to offer.

The Jordan River is alive and well, he said. Its a beautiful place to fish. Its world-class. If you come here, keep your expectations as high as possible so when it does happen, youre ready.

Im already ready to come back.

You can reach Bellinger at 231-675-2228.

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Bob Gwizdz: Mouse-eating monsters in the cold, fast Jordan - Traverse City Record Eagle

Eight crashes in 10 years. Is the regional airport in West Jordan safe? – Salt Lake Tribune

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At least eight times in the past 10 years, aircraft crashed near the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan. They went down in soccer fields, a few feet from an elementary school, on the New Bingham Highway and, last Saturday, into houses.

I dont see any sign that suggests theres something wrong about the airport, other than the fact that development has occurred around it, said Bill Wyatt, executive director of the Salt Lake City Department of Airports, which operates the South Valley, Tooele and Salt Lake City International airports.

That puts it in the company of hundreds, if not thousands, of other general aviation airports around the United States, Wyatt told The Salt Lake Tribune. They were sited in undeveloped areas to avoid conflicts of any kind, but development eventually surrounded them.

New West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton grew up in Kearns, just north of the airport that was built by the military during World War II and given to Salt Lake City on the condition that it always remain as an airport. He remembers that not much was near it in the 1960s and 70s of his youth.

I remember as a kid riding my bicycle over to that airport, he said. Back then, it was a [bumpy] dirt road. I tried to decide if it was easier to ride on the dirt road or on the railroad tracks to get there.

Nearby development came years ago. The homes where the plane crashed [Saturday, about a mile south of the airport], Burton said, have been there for over 30 years.

He believes that development was kept at what officials considered a fairly safe distance from the riskiest areas north and south of the runway. We have soccer fields to the south. To the north, theres nothing there until you pass 6200 South, about three-quarters of a mile from the runway.

Still, several planes from the airport have crashed near people around the airport. Wyatt said that may be, in part, because small-plane general aviation is not as safe as the big commercial jets that fly into Salt Lake City International.

Im always concerned about safety at general aviation airports. Pilots are not as well trained. The equipment is not up to the same standards as large commercial airplanes, he said. So the level of risk is going to be a little higher.

He added that safety near smaller airports has more to do with the airplane and pilot than the airport. Wyatt doubts that South Valley has any specific problems endangering residents like a misaligned runway or technology that isnt functioning correctly.

Still, Wyatt and Burton say they are eager to see the results from investigations into the latest crash by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to see if they recommend any changes to the airport and its operations.

Wyatt said the reports may help show if there is anything that we can do to make [crashes] less likely or not likely at all. You have to keep an open mind and follow the facts.

He added, Airplanes are very unforgiving when they fall out of the sky. So safety is the only thing that trumps everything else.

Burton, who is a member of the Salt Lake City Airport Advisory Board, said, I want to work with Salt Lake City and make sure all the safety protocols are in place, and anything we can do to decrease the risk is taken into account.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake City and West Jordan are in talks exploring whether to allow even more development near the airport to the east of it, parallel to the runway.

That would be fairly safe there, Burton said, because thats not where the runways go.

But Wyatt said allowing more development near an airport is not a simple matter. Thats why it requires the kind of time and attention that well put into it.

Meanwhile, Wyatt said that closing the airport is not a realistic option to reduce risk, although he acknowledged some people may support such a move.

Financial issues would likely prevent closure. The military deeded the land to the city on the condition that it perpetually be used as an airport. The FAA has given millions through the years to improve it. Shuttering the airport could not happen without FAA permission, Wyatt said, and the agency likely would require repayment of its investment through the years.

I dont think we even have the capacity to do that from airport funds, he said.

The airport director noted that even more general aviation traffic may be coming to South Valley. While that sounds like it may increase risks, it may also bring improvements such as attracting repair and maintenance businesses that will improve the safety of aircraft using the facility.

One of three runways at Salt Lake City International Airport is now used for general aviation, but about 20% of the traffic on it is from commercial jets. That commercial traffic will only increase over time, Wyatt said. So the airport is exploring trying to move small propeller planes elsewhere, while keeping private jets at the big airport, to improve operations and handle expansion needs.

As more air traffic moves to South Valley, Wyatt said that may create a business opportunity to attract a fixed base operator to move in and offer more services such as repairs and maintenance which South Valley currently lacks. Salt Lake City itself currently is the fixed base operator there and offers little more than selling fuel, Wyatt said.

Following is a list of all crashes during the past 10 years as identified through newspaper archives and an NTSB database:

July 25, 2020. Four people died including Maria Mary Quintana, 72, whose house was hit after a single-engine airplane crashed shortly after takeoff. Also killed were pilot, Lee Wyckoff, 43; his 9-month-old daughter, Coral; and passenger, Milda Shibonis, 36. Rebecca Wyckoff, 36, and 2-year-old Cody Mitchell remained in critical condition Monday. Veda Shibonis, 12, was treated at a hospital and released.

Aug. 24, 2017. A small plane crashed and hit power lines, leaving hundreds of people without electricity and sparking a grass fire. The pilot suffered injuries that were not life threatening. The plane went down near 8600 South and 4000 West.

Oct. 4, 2011. A pilot and passenger were killed when a small plane crashed at the West Jordan Soccer Complex, near 7900 South and 4340 West, just after takeoff from the airport. No one was hurt on the ground.

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Eight crashes in 10 years. Is the regional airport in West Jordan safe? - Salt Lake Tribune

Jordan Spieth shoots 2-under 68 in round one of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational – pgatour.com

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Jordan Spieth hit 8 of 18 greens in regulation during his first round at the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, finishing at 2 under for the tournament. Spieth finished his day tied for 15th at 2 under; Brooks Koepka is in 1st at 8 under; Brendon Todd and Rickie Fowler are tied for 2nd at 6 under; and Sung Kang is in 4th at 5 under.

After a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 472-yard par-4 13th hole, Spieth had a 150 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This moved Spieth to 1 under for the round.

After a tee shot at the green on the 239-yard par-3 14th, Spieth missed a birdie attempt from 6-feet taking a par. This left Spieth to 1 under for the round.

On the 530-yard par-5 16th hole, Spieth reached the green in 3 and sunk a 4-foot putt for birdie. This moved Spieth to 2 under for the round.

After a 281 yard drive on the 505-yard par-4 17th, Spieth chipped his third shot to 8 feet, which he rolled for two-putt bogey on the hole. This moved Spieth to 1 under for the round.

On the par-4 second, Spieth's 115 yard approach to 14 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This moved Spieth to 2 under for the round.

Spieth missed the green on his first shot on the 196-yard par-3 13th but had a chip in from 4 yards for birdie. This moved Spieth to 1 under for the round.

On the 445-yard par-4 sixth hole, Spieth reached the green in 2 and sunk a 22-foot putt for birdie. This moved Spieth to 2 under for the round.

On the 171-yard par-3 eighth, Spieth's tee shot went 145 yards to the right side of the fairway and his chip went 16 yards to the green where he rolled a two-putt for bogey. This moved him to 1 under for the round.

After a drive to the left intermediate rough on the 457-yard par-4 ninth hole, Spieth had a 137 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This moved Spieth to 2 under for the round.

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Jordan Spieth shoots 2-under 68 in round one of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational - pgatour.com

Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington has a new look for 2020 – Longhorns Wire

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Jordan Whittington is making a couple of changes for the upcoming 2020 football season. He will battle along with sophomore slot receiver Jake Smith for the starting job. Whittington was recruited to play running back but an injury forced Roschon Johnson into the position and the addition of Bijan Robinson has filled the void. The losses of Devin Duvernay and Colin Johnson left a hole at receiver. Whittington will now look to make his mark at the position once he is healthy again.

He did announce on Twitter another change for the upcoming year, a new number.

Jordan will make the switch from 21 to the number four. Jersey numbers in college football are less traditional than those of the NFL. However, 21 feels like a number worn by running backs and defensive backs, not receivers. There have been several notable Longhorn receivers that wore the number during their time in Austin.

Roy Williams is the first to come to mind, the Longhorns all-time leading receiver wore it for his four seasons with Texas. He snagged 241 passes for 3,866 yards and 36 touchdowns over that span. Another name is Limas Sweed.

He also wore the number during his four year run at the University of Texas. Sweed hauled in 124 passes for 1,915 yards and 20 touchdowns. Can Whittington make a similar level of an impact? Possibly but the first thing he needs to do is stay healthy so he has the opportunity to compete for snaps at wide receiver.

On a related note, Michigan transfer Tarik Black will also have a new number and it is more on the odd side. Black wore the number seven for the Wolverines but will have the number zero on his jersey for Texas.

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Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington has a new look for 2020 - Longhorns Wire

Chef Jordan Andino On Cooking Inspiration, Filipino Heritage And SPAM – Forbes

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In the U.S. SPAM tends to have a bad reputation, though ironically many share a love for Filipino and Hawaiian cuisine, both of which utilize SPAM in many of their dishes. Chef Jordan Andino, Filipino cuisine expert and host of Late Nite Eats on the Cooking Channel, is someone who grew up cooking with and enjoying SPAM with his family. Hes the Executive Chef at Flip Sigi, a Filipino taqueria, where he brings flavors from his upbringing and heritage and marries them with popular Mexican cuisine. Dishes include: adobo chicken tacos, adobo-rito and sinigang flip bowl.

Chef Jordan Andino

Hes recently partnered with the SPAM brand with the hope of popularizing it in the states through his inventive fusion cuisine and zeal for Mexican food. With his expertise in Filipino cuisine, he merges the bold flavors that this type of food is known for, think garlic and vinegar, with the complimentary dishes everyone loves from Mexican cuisine. The result? Unique recipes like the Cheesy SPAM Pastor Tacos, which we will get to later!

We chatted with Chef Andino on his heritage, cooking inspiration, Filipino and Hawaiian cuisine, the stigma of SPAM and more. Heres what he had to say.

How has your Filipino heritage influenced the food you cook and your recipe creations?

My heritage is what drives me to be innovative each day in the kitchen. I've taken my classical French and Italian training and used that to modify the best elementsof Filipino dishes to create the recipesthat are predominantlyseen on my menus for both my restaurant, Flip Sigi, events and personal chef dinners!

For someone who doesnt know anything about Filipino food, how would you describe it? The flavors? Types of dishes?

Filipino food is an amalgamation of three majorcuisinesthat speak to many parts of the world: Spain, U.S. and China.

You can find garlic, vinegar, sugars, rice and pork in pretty much ALL regions of the countryand especiallyin the countrys more popular dishes: chicken and pork adobo, sinigang, turon, halo halo, pancit, tapsilog, sisig, and Jollibee!

Lets talk about the SPAM brand. Its pretty clear the U.S. loves Hawaiian and Filipino cuisines (most at least know about lumpia!) and SPAM often is incorporated in both cuisines rice-based dishes. That said, SPAM has somewhat of a stigma here. Why would you say that is and why are you trying to change that?

The SPAM brand has a stigma in the U.S. because most people aren't aware of the flavor profile and the countless ways you can utilize SPAM varieties in everyday recipes.SPAM products arrived in Hawaii and the Philippines during WWII and were quickly adopted into local culture. Today, the love of the SPAM brand is still strong as its incorporated into a ton of popular dishes.

I'm trying to change the stigma of the SPAM brand in the U.S. because it's a product me and my family grew up eating, and I'm proud to partner with a brand that gave me fuel to grow up and become the person I am today!It's delicious, easy to cook, and has so many uses it's nearly impossible to not love once you give it a try!

Cheesy SPAM Pastor Tacos

Youve created some new dishes featuring SPAM. What are they and whats your inspiration for creating them?

I recently made Cheesy SPAM Pastor Tacos which are inspired by my Filipino taqueria, Flip Sigi, along with my love for Mexican cuisine!The dish consists of diced SPAM Classic, pineapple, cheese melted directly onto the tortilla, and a classic onion and cilantro garnish which brightens up the whole dish. (See below for the recipe!)

What are your tips for the at-home-chef looking to incorporate Hawaiian and Philippine flavors into their dishes? What easy dishes would you suggest they try out?

If you want to start incorporating Hawaiian and Philippine flavors into your daily meals, begin use pineapple in your sauces, macerated as a marinade for pork/beef with some soy sauce, and ensure that things like garlic, soy sauce and rice are in your daily meal plans! Easy dishes I recommend trying out: chicken adobo, beef tapsilog, turon, and BBQ pork skewers.

Has your cooking style changed since COVID-19 at all?

Since COVID-19 started, I've been able to develop some techniques and test flavor/ingredient combinations that I've always been curious about. It hasn't changed dramatically, but it's been great to cook so much again!

CheesySPAM Pastor Tacos

Ingredients

Directions

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Chef Jordan Andino On Cooking Inspiration, Filipino Heritage And SPAM - Forbes

FOX 13 Investigates: Explosives found in South Jordan home identified as ‘Mother of Satan’ – fox13now.com

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SOUTH JORDAN, Utah A FOX 13 investigation has revealed that the deadly explosives found inside of a mans home in South Jordan last week are the same types of materials that have been used by terrorist organizations for years.

Police say 42-year-old Ryan McManigal shot at officers last week and had so many explosives in his home, the FBI had to evacuate a large blast zone for controlled detonations.

Multiple law enforcement sources have confirmed with FOX 13 that the explosives were identified as triacetone triperoxide, also known as TATP or Mother of Satan.

Greg Rogers, a retired special agent with the FBI, said he used to handle TATP frequently as an undercover agent who infiltrated local militia groups.

The last 20 years I was working, I was undercover, Rogers said. It was very common in the militia movement. TATP was it was just was a favorite.

TATP is very volatile, which is likely why the explosives had to be detonated inside the suspects home.

Rogers said he learned it can be especially dangerous in the hands of an amateur.

One of my favorite bomb technicians told me. He said, You know, Greg, uh, building bombs with a bunch of idiots is a bad idea! Rogers laughed. So yeah, it makes you nervous. Its part of the job, and thats what you do.

Officers who responded to McManigals home said they were already on edge when the suspect started firing at them with a rifle. Police said McManigal told them he surrendered once his gun jammed.

Nobody was injured.

The suspect seemed to be upset at Culvers, a fast-food restaurant across the street from his home.

Ryan claims that Culvers is harassing him and harassment is the reason mass shootings occur, police wrote in their report. Ryan asked the business owner in the text messages how he would feel if Ryan entered the business and mowed down customers and staff.

Police said they also determined McManigal had shot out a $1,500 street light in his neighborhood.

Ryan admitted to shooting at Police so that the Police would not kill him, officers wrote. Ryan also admitted to shooting out the Street light as a way of sending a message to leave him alone Ryan admitted to known about the Protective Orders (against him) and knowing he was not to be in possession of firearms. Ryan admitted to having a hunting rifle, a sporty hunting rifle, a 9mm handgun and a shotgun.

McManigal sometimes posted disturbing messages on his Facebook page, seeming to be very concerned about being the subject of surveillance.

Its looking like I might get into a confrontation tonight because Id rather die then live my life on my knees, McManigal wrote on July 17. July, if they succeed in silencing me, I dont have a Will written but I named you as my beneficiary.

Officers with the South Jordan Police Department confirmed they made various preparations before serving McManigal with a search warrant due to the potential for violence.

There are some issues, probably mental illness issues, Rogers said.

Crews later realized after the shooting that the dangerous situation was not over for them or the rest of the neighborhood when they discovered the TATP.

More than 150 homes were evacuated while the FBI performed controlled detonations.

Everyone was supposed to be celebrating Pioneer Day, and then just hearing that your house could explode? Thats kind of weird, said Grayson Woodward, who lives nearby.

Investigators are trying to confirm whether McManigal acted alone. Its unclear what he planned to do with the TATP.

They had to be careful, Rogers said. They dont know this guy. You dont know how talented he is.

McManigal was booked on more than 20 charges related to the officer-involved shooting, but he has not yet been charged for the explosives.

Its unclear whether the United States Department of Justice or Salt Lake County District Attorney will file the pending explosives charges.

Other cases involving TATP

Rogers told FOX 13 one of the groups he took down in his time as an undercover agent planned to use TATP to explode government buildings in preparation for a doomsday prophecy in 2012.

Most of the militia groups I were in were very devout (fundamentalist) Christians, so they wouldnt want to admit they were making something called Mother of Satan, Rogers said. Its very very popular in Al Qaeda. It was used a lot in roadside bombs.

Rogers said he first learned of TATP from a case in 2001 known as the shoe bomb attempt.

Richard Reid, an Islamic fundamentalist, stuffed TATP into his shoes and boarded a plane. He was able to make it past metal detectors, which were not as advanced at the time. The explosives did not go off as planned.

He walked right onto a plane, walked through scanners, did everything else with his shoes full of It. You couldnt do that now, but you could then, Rogers said. Thats why TATP was so popular for a while. Thats not true anymore.

The Director of National Intelligence keeps track of TATP explosions.

Click here to view the full document pictured above.

In 2015, terrorists used TATP as part of the Paris bombings, the deadliest attack in Frances capitol since World War II.

In 2018, an apartment full of TATP exploded in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, killing the man in charge of his own homemade lab. Investigators found white supremacist materials inside the suspects home, but were unable to determine an official motive.

We have found out about a number of manufacturers because theyve harmed themselves, blown themselves up, Rogers said. It makes a nasty, nasty bomb.

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FOX 13 Investigates: Explosives found in South Jordan home identified as 'Mother of Satan' - fox13now.com

Facial Recognition Market 2020, Industry Overview by Current-Status, Advancements, Top Trends, Challenges, Investment, Strong Development and Forecast…

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The Facial Recognition market research encompasses an exhaustive analysis of the market outlook, framework, and socio-economic impacts. The report covers the accurate investigation of the market size, share, product footprint, revenue, and progress rate. Driven by primary and secondary researches, the Facial Recognition market study offers reliable and authentic projections regarding the technical jargon. All the players running in the global Facial Recognition market are elaborated thoroughly in the Facial Recognition industry report on the basis of proprietary technologies, distribution channels, industrial penetration, manufacturing processes, and revenue. In addition, the report examines R&D developments, legal policies, and strategies defining the competitiveness of the Facial Recognition market players. The report on the Facial Recognition market provides a birds eye view of the current proceeding within the Facial Recognition market. Further, the report also takes into account the impact of the novel COVID-19 pandemic on the Facial Recognition market and offers a clear assessment of the projected market fluctuations during the forecast period.

Leading Companies Reviewed in the Report are:

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by Technology (2D facial recognition, 3D facial recognition, facial analytics recognition), Application, End User (BFSI, media & entertainment, telecom & IT, Government & Defense, Healthcare, Retail & E-commerce)

Based on application, the market has been segmented into:

By Application, End User (BFSI, media & entertainment, telecom & IT, Government & Defense, Healthcare, Retail & E-commerce)

Objectives of the Facial Recognition Market Study: To define, describe, and analyze the global Facial Recognition market based on oil type, product type, ship type, and region To forecast and analyze the Facial Recognition market size (in terms of value and volume) and submarkets in 5 regions, namely, APAC, Europe, North America, Central & South America, and the Middle East & Africa To forecast and analyze the Facial Recognition market at country-level for each region To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trends and their contribution to the global Facial Recognition market To analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying high growth segments of the global Facial Recognition market To identify trends and factors driving or inhibiting the growth of the market and submarkets To analyze competitive developments, such as expansions and new product launches, in the global Facial Recognition market To strategically profile key market players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies The Facial Recognition market research focuses on the market structure and various factors (positive and negative) affecting the growth of the market. The study encloses a precise evaluation of the Facial Recognition market, including growth rate, current scenario, and volume inflation prospects, on the basis of DROT and Porters Five Forces analyses. In addition, the Facial Recognition market study provides reliable and authentic projections regarding the technical jargon.

After reading the Facial Recognition market report, readers can: Identify the factors affecting the Facial Recognition market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends. Examine the Y-o-Y growth of the global Facial Recognition market. Analyze trends impacting the demand prospect for the Facial Recognition in various regions. Recognize different tactics leveraged by players of the global Facial Recognition market. Identify the Facial Recognition market impact on various industries.

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Adroit Market Research is an India-based business analytics and consulting company. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps.

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Facial Recognition Market 2020, Industry Overview by Current-Status, Advancements, Top Trends, Challenges, Investment, Strong Development and Forecast...

Artificial Intelligence Will Be Vastly Smarter Than Humans Within Five Years, Says Tech Billionaire Elon Musk – Swarajya

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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has claimed that Artificial Intelligence will be 'vastly smarter' than any human and would overtake us by 2025.

"We are headed toward a situation where AI is vastly smarter than humans. I think that time frame is less than five years from now. But that doesn't mean that everything goes to hell in five years. It just means that things get unstable or weird," Musk said in an interview with New York Times over the weekend.

This is not the first time that Musk has shown concern related to AI. Back in 2016, Musk said that humans risk being treated like house pets by AI unless technology is developed that can connect brains to computers.

He even described AI as an 'existential threat' to humanity.

"I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I were to guess like what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably that,'' he said.

However, Musk helped found the artificial intelligence research lab OpenAI in 2015 with the goal of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) that can learn and master several disciplines.

Recently, OpenAI released its first commercial product, a programme to make use of a text-generation tool that it once called too dangerous.

It has the potential to spare people from writing long texts. Once an application is developed on the basis of the programme, all they need to give is a prompt.

OpenAI earlier desisted from revealing more about the software fearing bad actors might misuse it for producing misleading articles, impersonate others or even automate phishing content.

Musk has also co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology company, which is developing ultra high bandwidth brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers.

According to Musk, Neuralink will allow humans to compete with AI as well as help cure brain diseases, control mood and even let people "listen to music directly from our chips".

(With inputs from IANS)

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Artificial Intelligence Will Be Vastly Smarter Than Humans Within Five Years, Says Tech Billionaire Elon Musk - Swarajya

Progress Synonyms, Progress Antonyms | Thesaurus.com

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If one were not a scientist one might be tempted to say there is no progress.

Prehistoric man, as I just told you, was on a fair way to progress.

From this point the progress will be best narrated by extracts from my Diary.

We talked of progress; but progress, like the philosopher's stone, could not be easily attained.

From this strength we have contributed to the recovery and progress of the world.

Progress may be slowmeasured in inches and feet, not milesbut we will progress.

In no nation are the institutions of progress more advanced.

It was characterized as "a policy of which peace, progress and retrenchment were the watchwords."

We do not dread, rather do we welcome, their progress in education and industry.

Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

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Progress Synonyms, Progress Antonyms | Thesaurus.com

Boeing layoffs hit amid progress on unemployment backlog – KUOW News and Information

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Friday is layoff day for 6,000 Boeing employees. They will join 1.3 million Washingtonians who have already filed for unemployment.

KUOWs Carolyn Adolph is here with more.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

These are Covid-19 layoffs, too, but Boeing workers have some assets other unemployed people are not getting. These were won for them by their unions, who made the case that the feds should use an assistance program for workers displaced by trade agreements.

These Boeing workers are getting unemployment benefits for up to two years, which is about twice as long as other people who are unemployed but they need to be in training for new work. They will be guided toward that training. There will also be help to pay for it.

Boeing CEO David Calhoun didn't have a lot of specifics, but he talked on Wednesday about what the next cuts are going to look like. They're going to start to get into the bone of the commercial airplanes business: Reducing production rates for wide-body jets like the 787 and the 777, and possibly stopping production of the 787 at Everett all together while they transfer that to South Carolina. Now, that is not at all clear, but that's among the options.

We don't know how many workers are next. Boeing says in two years, it could be back up to full strength. But right now, after the Max crisis, which began in March 2019, it's got drained cash flow. And then the Covid crisis crashed global aviation, and now airlines are backing away from orders. Only cargo freighters, the Boeing 767, are in high demand right now.

Just to show you how serious it is, I was startled yesterday to hear Greg Smith, Boeing's Chief Financial Officer, thanking the federal government for stabilizing credit markets so Boeing could go out and borrow $25 billion to keep the operation running. Boeing also gave thanks for stable government contracts.

Boeing workers say it's a very scary time to be there. People who survived the first round don't know how long their luck is going to last, or what they would do if they couldn't stay. This said, Boeing workers can be okay because of that federal package. Right now, the bigger worry is for people already in the unemployment system, who are losing some key support right now.

Losing the $600 a week means that the average amount that Washingtonians will now receive per week is $374, according to Employment Security. That works out to be about $1,600 worth of income a month. Of course, there's a federal stimulus package coming with another $1,200 per person, but now we can see that it's going to be several weeks, maybe longer, before the political fight over the fate of the $600 a week is going to be resolved. Seattle's Mayor Jenny Durkan is saying this is going to be devastating.

So, there is more insecurity at a time when reopening has stalled in our state. However, there is some good news. I've been hearing from people who are getting paid after months of receiving no money from Employment Security for a bunch of reasons.

There's been this long backlog of people filing for unemployment and we're going to know more pretty soon. The Employment Security Department has a goal of resolving stale cases by Friday. This said, it does look like up to 11,000 people still haven't been paid as of a few days ago.

People I've spoken to who have solved their problems say contact your state representative. State reps have a back channel they use, a separate staff in every department that handles requests from them. If people get trapped in a situation where they can't verify their identity, because the website already thinks they're fraudsters this is just one example of the kinds of jams people are getting into contact the state representative. That can be a very hard nut to crack on your own.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.

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Boeing layoffs hit amid progress on unemployment backlog - KUOW News and Information

Congress fails to agree on the next coronavirus stimulus deal as $600-a-week unemployment benefits expire – CNBC

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A coronavirus relief agreement in Congress appeared in doubt early Friday after new economic data showed a U.S. economy buckling under the pandemic's weight.

On Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., tried to unanimously pass an extension of the weekly enhanced federal unemployment insurance that would slash the benefit from $600 to $200 per week.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., rejected it. The current $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit expires today.

Schumer then attempted to unanimously approve the $3 trillion rescue package House Democrats passed in May. That legislation also failed, leaving Congress no closer to breaking an impasse over how best to boost a health-care system and economy ravaged by the pandemic.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. held late-night talks with Schumer, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, NBC News reported.

The talks apparently were unsuccessful. Late Thursday, Meadows tweeted: "Tonight, once again, the White House offered a temporary extension of needed unemployment assistancewhich expires tomorrow. And again, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi said no."

Democratic leaders and Trump administration officials left a meeting Wednesday saying they had not come close to bridging a gulf in their priorities for an aid package.

Congress is struggling to find common ground on coronavirus relief as statistics show an economy still experiencing damage from an outbreak spreading throughout the country. Initial jobless claims climbed to 1.43 million last week, rising for the second straight week. U.S. GDP also fell by a record 32.9% in the second quarter during the peak of pandemic-related shutdowns an expected but still devastating plunge.

Congressional leaders are now tossing blame for the inevitable expiration of the $600 per week enhanced federal unemployment insurance. The policy ends after Friday, though states stopped paying out the extra benefit last week leaving millions of Americans facing a sudden and sharp drop in income.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of refusing to "engage" with the GOP after it released its coronavirus relief proposal on Monday. Republicans unveiled the plan more than two months after the House passed a rescue package, which Democrats considered their opening offer in the next round of aid discussions.

"Either our Democratic colleagues come to the table, or the American people won't get the help they need," McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said on the Senate floor.

The sides will have to resolve differences on a range of issues, most notably the unemployment insurance extension. Democrats want to maintain the $600 per week jobless benefit, on top of what recipients get from states, into next year. Republicans want to cut it to $200 per week through September, then set it at 70% wage replacement.

Democrats have also criticized the lack of several other provisions in the GOP plan, including direct aid for state and local governments and funds for rent, mortgage and food assistance. They also oppose liability protections for businesses, doctors and schools, which McConnell has said will have to be in any bill he brings to the Senate floor.

Schumer said the lack of a Republican consensus on pandemic aid has hindered progress toward a deal. Multiple GOP senators have said a large share of the caucus does not support the legislation Republicans released this week.

"Our friends on the other side now are scrambling," he said on the Senate floor Thursday.

As they moved closer to Friday's deadline without a comprehensive deal, both President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin floated the possibility of passing a short-term deal to extend the unemployment insurance and a federal eviction moratorium on Wednesday.

Schumer and Pelosi have both shot down a temporary fix.

Even as the progress of talks looked bleak Thursday, Schumer said he believes the parties can still reach a deal.

"It's never easy, it's never painless, but it can be done," he said.

CNBC's Terri Cullen contributed to this report.

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Congress fails to agree on the next coronavirus stimulus deal as $600-a-week unemployment benefits expire - CNBC

Compass Group report slow progress in COVID-19 recovery for Q3 – Vending Times

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Compass Group PLC, the U.K. foodservice provider whose holdings include Compass Group USA and Canteen Vending, reported some progress against the COVID-19 losses in the third quarter as customer locations began to reopen. The company's revenues in the quarter ending June 30 fell 44%, with losses in Europe heaviest at 54% while North America was down 45% and the rest of the world was down 20%.

The company noted that compared to an earlier stated recovery scenario of being down 50%, the current scenario indicates some improvement over prior expectations.

"What we've seen typically is faster reopening of the industry sector, and higher volumes," Dominic Blakemore, group chief executive, said in an investors call. "And I think those are for the obvious reasons that typically need people need to be onsite to produce and manufacture, and that has been our sort of consistent experience around the globe."

As for the 60% of the critical B&I sector that is business, he said, "Clients across all sectors are being, I think, very cautious and careful about the pace at which they bring staff back, especially with regard to their obligations around health and safety for those individuals, and especially with the uncertainty that we see around further spikes more generally."

"We're starting to see a small number of sites reopening, and we're also working with our clients to pass through higher operating costs," he said. "However, a greater weighting towards business and industry, stricter containment measures and a less flexible workforce mean that while we are vigorously managing the situation, progress in the region will inevitably be slower."

Accounts in the business and industry sector, which accounts for 38% of the company's business, were mostly closed in April and May, and started to reopen in June.

By the end of June, about 60% of the company's business accounts were open, compared to 55% by the end of May.

Due to the different containment measures at the state level in the U.S., the company's operations in North America were slightly more open than in Europe, the company noted.

As the sites reopen, the company has held conversations with clients to recover the higher costs of operating with enhanced health and safety protocols and lower participation rates. This, combined with more flexible labor laws, has allowed Compass to adjust its cost structure and start to rebuild the operating margin.

Accounts were also mostly closed in the education sector, which accounts for 20% of the company's business.

September will be an important month, said Karen Witts, chief financial officer.

"We will need to see what happens when the schools and the higher education institutions go back and, indeed, what the student behaviors are like once they go back to their schools and universities," Witts said during the call. "And then we also need to see the pace of returning to work in the B&I sector."

The healthcare sector, which accounts for 24% of the company's business, was good.

Sports and leisure, 11% of the business, remained fully shut.

In Europe, the lockdown measures have been deeper and more widespread than in other regions. Stricter containment measures and a less flexible work force mean progress in the region will be slower.

In rest of the world, most of the business was open at the end of June.

The pace at which volumes will recover remains unclear, however, especially given a possible increase in local lockdowns, the company noted.

In the third quarter, the company spent 42 million ($54.76 million) in resizing costs, mainly in North and South America, Blakemore said.

He cited the company's 95% account retention rate as a key win in the quarter, as it is slightly above its long-term retention rate.

In North America, he said he expects the company will have its best year ever for new business.

Blakemore also mentioned the possibility of Compass becoming active in the food delivery space, a rapidly growing segment of the foodservice industry. He noted the company has kitchens that can be used to prepare delivery orders.

"There's no reason they can't be used for batch production of high-quality meal offerings," Blakemore said. "So I think we have the assets, and I think we're also figuring out that, in the new world post COVID, you know, the assets that we share with our clients can be more fully used and utilized when they're not being utilized with our clients."

For an update on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting convenience services, click here.

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Compass Group report slow progress in COVID-19 recovery for Q3 - Vending Times

The state has made progress on unemployment claims, but tens of thousands still waiting – Salem Reporter

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The acting director of the Oregon Employment Department, said in a press call that the backlog of claims has been reduced. But many require further processing that could take months.

The number of initial unemployment claims have risen sharply and are now declining after the outbreak of COVID-19. (Courtesy/Oregon Employment Department).

The Oregon Employment Department has made progress in processing the record backlog of unemployment claims caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, tens of thousands of unemployed people will still have to wait months for benefits, David Gerstenfeld, the acting director of the Oregon Employment Department, said in a media call on Wednesday.

He said that between March 15 and July 18, the department received 533,000, a record number of claims for unemployment insurance. Of those, fewer than 1,200 have not been processed yet. Those remaining were all filed this month and are being processed quickly he said.

We've gone from the lowest unemployment rate in the state's history to the highest unemployment rate in the state's history, he said. And that happened not over the course of a year, like most traditional recessions, but almost overnight. And that's been incredibly stressful on so many people who rapidly saw their income just disappear.

But Gerstenfeld said that many of those claims that have been processed are stuck in adjudication. The adjudication is a fact-finding process to determine if someone is eligible for benefits after quitting a job, being fired or not accepting work.

Gerstenfeld didnt have a precise number of how many claims are in adjudication but its in the tens of thousands and the timeline for clearing them is 12 to 14 weeks.

He said that the department had 80 adjudicators before the pandemic began and there are now more than 210. There are plans to hire at least 100 more, he said.

The department has made progress on processing the claims filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, he said. The program was created by the federal relief package passed by Congress this spring and extends unemployment to self-employed and gig workers who wouldnt normally qualify for traditional unemployment benefits.

Earlier this month, the department contracted with Google to set up a new form for the program. Gerstenfeld said that the department has had 115,000 weekly claims handled by the new system. Several weeks ago the department had 70,000 applications for the new program with a goal to process them by Aug. 8.

As of last week, the department has processed about 70% or 50,000 of those claims, paying out $65 million in benefits, he said.

As part of the federal pandemic relief package, people receiving unemployment get an additional $600. The additional benefit ended last week, but Gerstenfeld said it will be applied retroactively to claims that havent been paid.

Congress is considering another relief package and is debating extending the benefit or reducing it.

Gerstenfeld has paid out $2.2 billion in the additional pandemic benefit, which he said has had a big impact on the state economy.

Patrick OConnor, a regional economist with the department, said that numbers on how many people in the Salem area have received the additional $600 benefit were not yet available.

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The state has made progress on unemployment claims, but tens of thousands still waiting - Salem Reporter

Johns Hopkins makes meaningful progress toward equity and inclusion goals – The Hub at Johns Hopkins

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ByHub staff report

The latest editions of Johns Hopkins University's reports on the composition of its graduate students, faculty, and staff show that the critical commitments to advancing equity and creating a more inclusive Johns Hopkins outlined in the Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion are showing positive results: There has been growth over several years in the number of female affiliates and those that identify as a member of underrepresented racial minority groups.

The reports are a key part of the Roadmap's promise of transparency so the community can see where the university has achieved greater diversity and where work remains to be done.

"This kind of reporting is a critical part of the effort we established five years ago with the creation of the Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion," JHU President Ronald J. Daniels says. "Our commitment to rigorous reporting of data, down in many cases to the departmental level, makes us stand apart and allows the entire community to regularly track progress."

Ronald J. Daniels

President, Johns Hopkins University

He added: "This fuels the oversight of leadership, including the board of trustees, around our collective objectives articulated in the Roadmap. We have much to do to ensure that this moment motivates us to do more, but we are able to build on a firm foundation of data generation and collection, reporting, and transparency that is the wellspring of progress."

Efforts to increase the number of affiliates from groups that are underrepresented in higher education (URM)including Black or African American, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanderhave led to steady progress. URM individuals were 16% of the total graduate student population in 2019, up from 13% in 2011. The percentage went from 8% to 10% of full-time professorial faculty between 2015 and 2019 (the same percentages as among all full-time faculty).

An increase in female graduate student representation, from 51% in 2011 to 53% in 2019, was driven by the enrollment of more women in master's programs and doctoral programs other than PhDs; the percentage of women in PhD programs decreased. Female representation among full-time professorial faculty increased from 37% to 41% between 2015 and 2019.

Because recruitment and retention depend upon efforts within schools, departments, and programs, the reports disaggregate the data to assess progress at a number of levels. The university community is encouraged to review all three reports online:

The reports note that the use of male and female as the only gender categories reflect federal reporting guidelines and not the full scope of gender identities represented and supported in the Johns Hopkins community, an issue leaders hope to address in future reports. In addition, they add, the documents are not intended to examine how university students, staff, and faculty view the institutional climatethere are other tools and programs accomplish that goal, including the annual Gallup employee engagement survey, exit interviews, and the COACHE survey of faculty.

The university plans to continue to share composition data as its diversity efforts progress. In early July, Daniels announced several new diversity efforts that will begin this year, including a task force to assess the Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion and recommend next steps. The JHU community will be invited to listening sessions and a virtual town hall focused on the Roadmap 2020 Task Force launch. The discussions will be guided by the data and lessons learned from the latest composition reports.

The president also announced a scholarly initiative focused on discrimination in Johns Hopkins University's history, and a committee to create the criteria for reexamining the names of buildings and programs. Members of the university community can share their ideas and feedback on all of the diversity projects on the on the university's Diversity and Inclusion website.

The faculty composition report specifically helps the university track gains made through its Faculty Diversity Initiative, which was launched in 2015 with a $25 million funding commitment and a goal of developing a multifaceted approach to faculty recruitment and retention.

The Johns Hopkins University Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion, released in November 2016, lays out specific actions to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity across the Hopkins community

The report says, "It is clear that, through the life of the initiative, important gains have been made. During a period of faculty growth14% growth in professorial faculty and 11% growth overall since fall 2015female and underrepresented minority faculty representation grew faster, reducing historical imbalances in those two areas of faculty diversity." The proportions of female, Black, Hispanic, minority, and URM faculty at the university have all increased over that time period.

"Reporting on the composition of our faculty, students, and staff offers a regular opportunity to deliver on our promise of transparency and make sure our community can easily find the data that drives our efforts," says Sunil Kumar, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "The increases we see in the numbers reflect substantial efforts in every division to improve recruitment and hiring practices and support individuals from a variety of backgrounds."

Kumar adds that with the leadership of Katrina Caldwell as JHU's new chief diversity officer, the university will develop the next phase of the faculty diversity initiative. Areas that call for additional focus include increasing opportunities for advancement, improving the climate around diversity and inclusion, and creating more effective work-life balance, he says.

The university uses the data compiled in the Report on Staff Composition to evaluate whether its recruitment, development, and compensation practices are resulting in gender equity and a broad representation of individuals who identify as a minority. The most recent report reflects statistics from 2015, 2017, and 2019; examines each school and several administrative divisions; and divides the data by employee groups.

Minority staff composition grew from 37% in 2015 to 41% in 2019. URM is not a category used in the staff composition report. The term minority encompasses all of the groups in the definition of URM (which aligns with the one used by the National Center for Educational Statistics) plus individuals who self-identify as Asian. Female representation remained steady among staff at 71% across those same years.

The employee groups with the highest minority composition in 2019 were Service (85%), Administrative Support (51%), and Tech/Paraprofessional (51%). The employee groups with the lowest minority composition in 2019 were Executive/Administrative (19%) and Managerial (27%).

"A number of strategic initiatives are underway to attract and retain a diverse workforce and promote a workplace climate where all employees feel included and engaged in our success," says Heidi Conway, vice president for human resources.

Recently, in conversations with the Hopkins Diaspora and Black Faculty and Staff Association, university leaders discussed plans for JHU to offer mandatory unconscious bias and anti-racist training to all managers, and said the university will look to sustain its internal review of salary equity as well as seek outside consultation on that topic.

Also, a universitywide advisory committee, led by the talent acquisition team in Human Resources, has developed recommendations to improve the process for promoting qualified internal candidates. The plan includes ways to increase transparency and address gaps that employees experience as they navigate their career growth.

"I am truly grateful to our colleagues in the BFSA, the Hopkins Diaspora, and the Diversity Leadership Council, our students in the Black Student Union and the Multicultural Leadership Council, and to all across Johns Hopkins who have worked to advance these priorities and embed transparency and accountability into the structures of our university," Daniels says. "At a watershed moment in our country, we are bringing new energy and urgency to this essential work."

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Johns Hopkins makes meaningful progress toward equity and inclusion goals - The Hub at Johns Hopkins

Superintendent says progress is being made on the Grumman Navy plume – The Mid Island Times

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The so called Grumman Navy plume has been a decades long work in progress to clean up what is considered to be Long Islands largest underground mass of water pollution. There have been many different parties involved in the multi-million dollar remediation project, and years of government red tape has frustrated local water districts and residents alike.

In a recent telephone interview, Bethpage Water District Superintendent, Mike Boufis, explained to me the current state and timetable of the ongoing remediation project.

Currently things are moving in the right direction, said Boufis. Three wells have already been drilled in Bethpage, as part of the remediation work on the eastern side of the plume and the design and building phases are underway on the pipes to centralize the water treatment system.

He added that the remediation work was, decades late but Im glad to see everything moving in the right direction.

Boufis said that ongoing negotiations between parties have caused multiple delays on the installation of easements around the plume.

Its taken over four years of negotiations to work on these easements in particular areas around the plume site. I know that Grumman and the Navy and political officials like Congressman, Tom Suozzi andTown of Oyster Bay Superintendent, Joseph Saladino, have been involved in the process to try and speed things along.

The proposed installation site of the easements are located on the former King Kullen property off of the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway and near the old Motor Parkway, off of Stewart and Arthur Avenue in Bethpage.

Im not sure if its the MTA or LIRR property near the site of the old Motor Parkway, but they are looking at that corridor to install a carrier pipe to move the water in a East west direction towards the recharge basins, said Boufis. It is currently a cordoned off area, where a water main needs to be laid down under the covering thats in place.

Some of the ongoing remediation work that should be completed by 2021 includes the installation of water main in an east-west direction off of Central Avenue and Hickey Blvd and road restoration and a newly installed well behind St Martin of Tours Church.

I am glad they prioritized that well because in my opinion that area had some of the worst contamination from the plume, said Boufis.

Boufis said that despite the constant delays in repairs and the political red tape, he believes the remediation project will be completed by 2030.

Four or five years ago, they were talking about having everything completed by 2022, but at this point that is unrealistic. I think it will be a decade by the time all of the pieces of puzzle are in place.

Boufis said that the local water districts have been actively corresponding and working with Grumman and local politicians to push the remediation project forward.

Ive been in constant contact with County Executive, Laura Curran and other officials like Joe Saladino, legislators Laura Schaefer and Rose Walker on this remediation project. Our relationship with Grumman has never been as good as it is now.

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Superintendent says progress is being made on the Grumman Navy plume - The Mid Island Times

Marion plaza project making progress during pandemic – The Gazette

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In January, Marion was awarded a $155,000 from the Iowa Great Places Program for the citys Uptown Plaza project.

The idea of the project has been in the works for a decade and has been tied with the Uptown Streetscape project. The plan is to use the parking lot near City Square Park that was 11th Street as a plaza area and to improve the park overall.

Many ideas are still up in the air for what will be included in the project, including an ice-skating rink, water features, a community garden, a space for performances, new lighting and pavilions and game areas.

Jill Ackerman, president of the Marion Chamber of Commerce said a steering committee is working on the details, including how to best use the depot pavilion in the park. She said the design team is in the process of digging into the details and the process has not been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its almost been propelled by COVID, Ackerman said. Its really picked up a lot of steam, and there is a lot of interest to get these plans going.

Ackerman said the plans incorporate new landscaping and public art. She said plans for the ice rink, water features and a community garden are still on the table.

The committee is continually bringing back images to the group and trying to hone in on exactly what we want, Ackerman said. We are probably getting pretty close to having some initial renderings.

She added that the Iowa Great Places grant deadline is coming up again in November and said the committee would need renderings by that time to make their application stronger.

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Tom Treharne, Marions community development director, said the Uptown Plaza project is still estimated to cost between $2 million and $3 million, which will also come down to what areas of Uptown Marion will be considered plaza.

Treharne said he thinks there will be specific public information on whats going to be included in the plaza and renderings sometime in September.

Thats where we are at right now is trying to put that design together and then take it to the public for review and consideration, Treharne said. I just think its one of the most exciting projects. Its been talked about for long periods of time and were really excited to get graph representation on a plan thats been in the works for over 10 years in what were trying to create for the community.

Comments: gage.miskimen@thegazette.com

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Marion plaza project making progress during pandemic - The Gazette