Man charged over cryptocurrency investment fraud – The Star Online

KOTA KINABALU (Bernama): A man has pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates Court here to two counts of illegal deposit taking activities related to cryptocurrency investments amounting to RM425,710.

On the first count, the accused, Mohd Wannor Ramdan Awang, 25, was charged with deceiving a victim at a restaurant here, between July to September last year, to invest RM392,860, without a valid licence, as stipulated under Section 10 of the Financial Services Act 2013.

The accused was charged with committing the offence by deceiving the victim into depositing the sum into his bank account.

He was charged under Section 137 (1) of the Financial Services Act 2013 and punishable under Section 137 (2) of the same law, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years or a fine of up to RM50mil or both if convicted.

Magistrate Jessica Ombou Kakayun on Wednesday (May 13) allowed RM12,000 bail in four sureties and set June 11 for mention.

In a separate court, Wannor also claimed trial to another charge of deceiving another victim at a bank in Damai Plaza in July last year around 4pm.

He was alleged to have lured the victim into depositing RM32,850 into his bank account for the purpose of investment.

He was charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and whipping and also liable to a fine upon conviction.

Magistrate Afiq Agoes set bail at RM8,800 in two sureties and fixed June 18 for mention. Bernama

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Man charged over cryptocurrency investment fraud - The Star Online

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Software Market Projected to Witness Vigorous Expansion by 2020-2027: Intel Corporation, Microsoft…

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Software Market research report growth rate, prices, market size, trading, and key vendors of the industrys information with forecast from 2020 to 2027. This research report also combines industry-wide statistically relevant quantitative data and relevant and insightful qualitative analysis. This report has published stating that the global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Software Market is anticipated to expand significantly at Million US$ in 2020 and is projected to reach Million US$ by 2027, at a CAGR of during the forecast period.

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Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Software Market Projected to Witness Vigorous Expansion by 2020-2027: Intel Corporation, Microsoft...

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency markets: Where next? – FXStreet

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Bitcoin and cryptocurrency markets: Where next? - FXStreet

Cryptocurrency Market Research Report 2020 By Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast to 2026 – Cole of Duty

Intel Corporation

Cryptocurrency Market Competitive Analysis:

In addition, the projections offered in this report were derived using proven research assumptions and methods. In this way, the Cryptocurrency research study offers a collection of information and analysis for every facet of the Cryptocurrency market such as technology, regional markets, applications and types. The Cryptocurrency market report also offers some market presentations and illustrations that include pie charts, diagrams and charts that show the percentage of different strategies implemented by service providers in the Cryptocurrency market. In addition, the report was created using complete surveys, primary research interviews, observations and secondary research.

In addition, the Cryptocurrency market report introduced the market through various factors such as classifications, definitions, market overview, product specifications, cost structures, manufacturing processes, raw materials and applications. This report also provides key data on SWOT analysis, return data for investments and feasibility analysis for investments. The Cryptocurrency market study also highlights the extremely lucrative market opportunities that are influencing the growth of the global market. In addition, the study offers a complete analysis of market size, segmentation and market share. In addition, the Cryptocurrency report contains market dynamics such as market restrictions, growth drivers, opportunities, service providers, stakeholders, investors, important market participants, profile assessment and challenges of the global market.

Cryptocurrency Market Segments:

The report also underscores their strategics planning including mergers, acquisitions, ventures, partnerships, product launches, and brand developments. Additionally, the report renders the exhaustive analysis of crucial market segments, which includes Cryptocurrency types, applications, and regions. The segmentation sections cover analytical and forecast details of each segment based on their profitability, global demand, current revue, and development prospects. The report further scrutinizes diverse regions including North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and South America. The report eventually helps clients in driving their Cryptocurrency business wisely and building superior strategies for their Cryptocurrency businesses.

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Table of Content

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1.1 Overview of the Market1.2 Scope of Report1.3 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Data Mining3.2 Validation3.3 Primary Interviews3.4 List of Data Sources

4 Cryptocurrency Market Outlook

4.1 Overview4.2 Market Dynamics4.2.1 Drivers4.2.2 Restraints4.2.3 Opportunities4.3 Porters Five Force Model4.4 Value Chain Analysis

5 Cryptocurrency Market, By Deployment Model

5.1 Overview

6 Cryptocurrency Market, By Solution

6.1 Overview

7 Cryptocurrency Market, By Vertical

7.1 Overview

8 Cryptocurrency Market, By Geography

8.1 Overview8.2 North America8.2.1 U.S.8.2.2 Canada8.2.3 Mexico8.3 Europe8.3.1 Germany8.3.2 U.K.8.3.3 France8.3.4 Rest of Europe8.4 Asia Pacific8.4.1 China8.4.2 Japan8.4.3 India8.4.4 Rest of Asia Pacific8.5 Rest of the World8.5.1 Latin America8.5.2 Middle East

9 Cryptocurrency Market Competitive Landscape

9.1 Overview9.2 Company Market Ranking9.3 Key Development Strategies

10 Company Profiles

10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financial Performance10.1.3 Product Outlook10.1.4 Key Developments

11 Appendix

11.1 Related Research

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Cryptocurrency Market Research Report 2020 By Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast to 2026 - Cole of Duty

Cryptocurrency Market News: Bitcoin fails to hit 10K but could make another push – FXStreet

Bitcoin stopped just shy of the 10K mark.

Bitcoin has been trading higher as the sentiment continues to be strong following the recent halving event. The price hit a high of 9943.93 and currently trades 2.31% lower at 9713.04. There is lots of technical resistance at the 10K level and this includes the 50% Fibonacci resistance zone.

Above the current price level, if the 10K resistance breaks, there is another resistance zone to keep an eye on at 10522.51. This level has been used more than threetimes and is the mean value area of the previous consolidation between 9K and 13868.44.

Users are holding $220 million more Bitcoin since the halving

In an article written by the Cointelegraph team, it was highlighted that there area large amount of traders/investors holding Bitcoin. In the article, it was pointed out:"Almost 24,000 Bitcoin (BTC) have been withdrawn from exchanges since Bitcoins halving on May 11, according to Bitcoin Exchange Net-Flow data from on-chain marketanalysisplatform The trend of Bitcoin flowing out of exchanges started in mid-April and has continued with only a short reprieve in the hours before and after the halving."

This trend could signify two new developments that current users are taking more responsibility for their own funds rather than trusting exchanges, or that a large portion of new users are looking at Bitcoin as a store of value rather than as a trading asset.

BitGo is to provide custody services to Indian Crypto Exchange CoinDCX.

Cryptocurrency custodian BitGo has announced itwill provide their services to Indian exchange CoinDCX. They will beoffering secure storage and partial insurance for assets traded on the BitGo platform. The company isa United States-based firm that claims to process over 20% of all Bitcoin (BTC) transactions. The company alsoprovides an insurance policy covering up to USD 100 million in value through a syndicate of Insurers in the Lloyds of London and European Marketplace.

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Cryptocurrency Market News: Bitcoin fails to hit 10K but could make another push - FXStreet

Supreme Court: Clarence Thomas calls for shrinking the First Amendment – Vox.com

Last Thursday, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that a major First Amendment doctrine should be abandoned, and that the right to free speech be significantly shrunk in the process. Its the second time hes done so in a little over a year, and at least the third time Thomas has called for a major slice of Americans free speech rights to be cut away.

His latest call to reduce free speech rights came in United States v. Sineneng-Smith, a case involving an immigration lawyer who fraudulently charged her clients a total of $3.3 million to file for a change in their immigration status that she knew they were ineligible to receive. The Court ruled unanimously, and on narrow procedural grounds, to toss out a ruling benefiting this immigration lawyer.

Though Thomas joined Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs unanimous opinion, he also wrote a separate opinion joined by no other justice. In it, he calls for the Court to reconsider its overbreadth doctrine, a First Amendment doctrine that allows courts to cast an especially skeptical eye on laws that restrict free speech. In doing so, Thomas admitted that he is now calling for the Court to reconsider a doctrine that hes supported in the past.

As a general rule, courts are reluctant to accept facial challenges to an allegedly unconstitutional law challenges that seek to invalidate the law in all of its applications rather than simply holding that the court will not apply that particular law to a particular plaintiff. The overbreadth doctrine makes it easier to bring a facial challenge under the First Amendment, and thus provides heightened protection against laws that burden free speech. Thomass opinion would permit many laws that burden free speech to remain on the books, even after a court determines that they would chill a significant amount of free expression.

Its not the first time Thomas has articulated a narrow vision of the First Amendment. In 2019, he attacked his Courts decision in New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), one of the Supreme Courts foundational First Amendment decisions, which protects journalists against malicious libel suits that could stifle a free press.

Likewise, in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011), Thomas suggested that children and teenagers have no First Amendment rights whatsoever. The practices and beliefs of the founding generation establish that the freedom of speech, he wrote in his Brown dissent, does not include a right to speak to minors (or a right of minors to access speech) without going through the minors parents or guardians. No other justice joined Thomass opinion in Brown.

These are serious attacks on the right to free speech. Thomass Brown opinion alone, if it were embraced by a majority of his Court, would strip free speech rights from nearly 74 million individuals.

So its striking that there is one other case where Thomas took a very expansive view of the First Amendment. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court held that the right to free speech includes the right of corporations to spend unlimited money on influencing elections. In a partial dissenting opinion, Thomas complained that Citizens United does not go far enough.

Justice Thomas, in other words, envisions a much weaker First Amendment for children, journalists, and, indeed, for much of the country. But when wealthy donors seek relief from campaign finance restrictions, Thomas takes a maximalist view of their First Amendment rights.

Thomass opinion in Sineneng-Smith involves a fairly technical doctrine, but its worth taking a moment to understand that doctrine, and Thomass critique of it, because that critique is at odds with the view Thomas takes in Citizens United.

As a general rule, federal courts hear two types of constitutional challenges claiming that a federal or state law violates the Constitution. Facial challenges seek to invalidate a specific legal provision in its entirety. If a plaintiff prevails in such a challenge, then the legal provision they challenged ceases to operate altogether.

By contrast, when a court declares that a law is invalid as applied to a particular plaintiff, that means the law cannot be applied in the specific circumstances that arose in that particular case. But there may still be other circumstances where the law can constitutionally be applied to other individuals.

Ordinarily, courts are reluctant to declare a law invalid on its face. As the Supreme Court explained in United States v. Salerno (1987), a facial challenge to a legislative Act is ... the most difficult challenge to mount successfully, since the challenger must establish that no set of circumstances exists under which the Act would be valid.

Think of it this way. Suppose a state passes a law providing that bail for all persons charged with theft shall be at least $100,000. Now suppose that two different criminal defendants challenge this law under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits excessive bail.

The first defendant is a teenager charged with shoplifting a pack of gum from a convenience store. The second is a notorious art thief, with multiple aliases and connections across the globe, who is charged with stealing tens of millions of dollars worth of famous paintings. In these circumstances, a $100,000 bail would clearly be excessive for the first defendant. But, if anything, its probably too low for the second defendant.

Because there are at least some sets of circumstances where a $100,000 bail would be appropriate for a criminal defendant charged with theft, no one could bring a facial challenge to the state law setting this minimum bail amount. But the shoplifiting defendant could bring an as-applied challenge claiming that, as applied to their rather insignificant offense, a bail of $100,000 is excessive.

And that brings us to the overbreadth doctrine. That doctrine provides that Salernos high bar for facial challenges does not apply to First Amendment lawsuits. Rather, as the Supreme Court explained in United States v. Stevens (2010), a law that burdens free speech may sometimes be facially invalidated if a substantial number of its applications are unconstitutional.

The reason for this overbreadth doctrine is that the Court believes free speech rights to be particularly fragile. If courts allow statutes that ban some forms of speech to stand, the mere existence of those laws could frighten individuals away from exercising their First Amendment rights. As the Court explained in Broadrick v. Oklahoma (1973), the possible harm to society in permitting some unprotected speech to go unpunished is outweighed by the possibility that protected speech of others may be muted and perceived grievances left to fester because of the possible inhibitory effects of overly broad statutes.

Nevertheless, Thomas raises a number of objections to this overbreadth doctrine in his Sineneng-Smith opinion. He claims it is untethered from the text and history of the First Amendment, and that, rather than being rooted in the way the First Amendment was originally understood, the overbreath doctrine first emerged in the mid-20th century.

One of Thomass primary objections to the doctrine is that he believes the Salerno standard should apply universally indeed, Thomas criticizes the very idea that anyone could bring a facial challenge against any law. Our modern practice of strik[ing] down legislation as facially unconstitutional bears little resemblance to the practices of 18th and 19th century courts, according to Thomas.

Fair enough. Read in isolation, the new viewpoint that Thomas announced in Sineneng-Smith could be seen as a call for judicial restraint an assertion that courts should be more cautious before they toss out an act of a legislature altogether.

But in Citizens United, Thomas sang a very different tune.

The thrust of Thomass opinion in Citizens United, the landmark Supreme Court decision that gutted much of Americas campaign finance laws, is that as-applied challenges are insufficient to protect donors whose political spending is disclosed to the public, and that the Supreme Court should have declared a federal campaign finance disclosure law facially invalid.

The bulk of Thomass partial dissent in Citizens United tells horror stories about conservative donors whose donations became public, and who then suffered social or financial consequences. Thomas alleges that a handful of donors to a campaign opposing marriage equality received threats, and he claims that the director of a musical theater company who donated to this campaign was forced to resign after artists complained to his employer. Thomas also claims that a restaurant manager who donated to this anti-LGBTQ campaign was forced to resign after protesters targeted the restaurant.

A majority of the Court concluded that these incidents were insufficient reason to strike down disclosure laws on their face although the Citizens United majority added that as-applied challenges would be available if a group could show a reasonable probability that disclosure of its contributors names will subject them to threats, harassment, or reprisals from either Government officials or private parties.

Thomas, however, rejected this conclusion. The Courts promise that as-applied challenges will adequately protect speech is a hollow assurance, he wrote, adding that the advent of the Internet enables prompt disclosure of expenditures, which provide[s] political opponents with the information needed to intimidate and retaliate against their foes.

In Thomass view, disclosure laws must be struck down on their face, in order to prevent campaign donors from facing harassment.

Whatever the merits of this position which was rejected by all eight of Thomass colleagues in Citizens United it is difficult to reconcile the position Thomas took on disclosure laws in Citizens United with the broad concerns with our modern practice of strik[ing] down legislation as facially unconstitutional that he announced in Sineneng-Smith.

In fairness, Thomas does concede in his Sineneng-Smith opinion that he has previously joined the Court in applying the overbreadth doctrine. So his current opposition to First Amendment facial challenges appears to be a recent development. Perhaps, when Thomas hears another campaign finance case, he will rebuke his own analysis in Citizens United and admit that it is inconsistent with the views he expressed in Sineneng-Smith.

But, at the very least, it is enough to point out that Thomas took a maximalist approach to the First Amendment in Citizens United, and then took such a radically different approach in a more recent opinion.

A common thread running through Thomass First Amendment decisions indeed, a thread that runs through Thomass decisions on many topics is his belief that the Court has departed from the way the Constitution was understood by the generation that framed it. His primary complaint in Sineneng-Smith is that the overbreadth doctrine is untethered from the text and history of the First Amendment. Similarly, in McKee v. Cosby (2019), Thomas argues that a venerable Supreme Court decision protecting journalists from malicious libel suits was wrong because it did not apply the First Amendment as it was understood by the people who ratified it.

One overarching problem with Thomass project of trying to interpret that First Amendment as it was originally understood by the framing generation is that it is far from clear that such a thing is possible. And, if it is possible, there is considerable evidence that the framers understanding of the amendment was so narrow that modern-day Americans would find it unacceptable.

Under the English common law, which informed much of the founding generations understanding of early American law, the freedom of speech and of the press was largely understood as a right not to have the government stop an individual from publishing a particular statement. But once that statement became public, the individual who made it could still face legal consequences for their speech.

Early Supreme Court decisions interpreting the First Amendment accepted this limited view of free speech. As the Supreme Court concluded in Patterson v. Colorado (1907), the main purpose of the First Amendments guarantee of free speech and a free press is to prevent all such previous restraints upon publications as had been practiced by other governments, and they do not prevent the subsequent punishment of such as may be deemed contrary to the public welfare.

Of course, modern Supreme Court decisions reject this narrow view of the First Amendment, but they did not do so because modern-day justices developed a better understanding of how the framers understood the freedom of speech. Many First Amendment scholars have concluded that the task of figuring out that amendments original meaning is impossible. As Judge Robert Bork, the failed Supreme Court nominee and godfather of the conservative originalist movement, wrote in 1971, the framers seem to have had no coherent theory of free speech and appear not to have been overly concerned with the subject.

Yet while there is little clarity regarding the original understanding of the First Amendment, the framing generation does appear to have had very robust ideas about the legal rights of corporations. And these ideas are hard to square with the expansive vision of corporate rights that the Supreme Court, with Thomass enthusiastic support, embraced in Citizens United.

In a 2016 law review article, former Delaware Chief Justice Leo Strine and his former law clerk Nicholas Walter explain that there were no business corporations operating under so called general corporation statutes in the early United States. Rather, corporations were created by the government, and given detailed charters that their managers were obligated to follow with fidelity.

As the Supreme Court held in Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819), a corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of law. Being the mere creature of law, it possesses only those properties which the charter of its creation confers upon it either expressly or as incidental to its very existence.

For this reason, Strine and Walter conclude, Citizens United is out of step with the original understanding of the First Amendment, not because it reads the amendment itself too expansively, but because the framers would not have understood the modern Supreme Courts conclusion that a corporation possesses constitutional rights.

Thomas claims to root his opinions in the original understanding of the First Amendment, but its far from clear that the framing generation had a coherent understanding of that amendment. And in the one area where Thomas takes an unusually expansive approach to the First Amendment campaign finance there is considerable evidence that early Americans rejected Thomass understanding of corporate rights.

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Supreme Court: Clarence Thomas calls for shrinking the First Amendment - Vox.com

Frontline Reports From Healthcare Employees On COVID-19 Challenges May Constitute Protected Activity – Lexology

Social and traditional media has been buzzing with reports that healthcare providers from nurses to physicians are being discharged because they have publicly shared negative frontline experiences treating COVID-19 patients. After her sixth consecutive shift, one nurse spoke to the media about the inadequacy of the personal protective equipment (PPE) her employer issued her. An employed physicians off-the-clock Facebook post blasting her employers unsafe working environment went viral. Both were purportedly discharged as a result of their speech.

Whether these reports are #fakenews, we do not know. But, one thing is true -- employees who discuss the terms and conditions of their workplace may very well be protected under either the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). What does this mean for your healthcare organization?

Hey, Its A Free Country!

Everyone is familiar with the First Amendment, but many incorrectly believe that it applies to the everyday private workplace. To be sure, the First Amendments free speech protections are not triggered unless the government attempts to interfere with the right to speech. As a result, the First Amendment only affords employees with employment-related free speech rights where they work for a public employer.

For an employees speech to be protected in the employment context, it must involve a matter of public concern, and the employees interest in commenting on it must outweigh the employers interest in promoting efficiency in the workplace. To determine whether the speech addresses a matter of public concern, you need to analyze the content, form, and context of the statement. Courts have regularly held that, in order to be afforded First Amendment protection, employees must be speaking as a citizen (i.e., on their own time), rather than as an employee. Thus, when an employee speaks in an employment capacity, the speech typically falls outside the protection of the First Amendment.

The employees interest in communicating a matter of public concern must then be balanced against the employers desire to have a working environment free of unnecessary disruption. The more important the employees interest, the more disruption the employer would have to demonstrate. Even though First Amendment rights are integral to our democracy, courts have held that employers have significant latitude when making decisions that relate to efficiency.

What about the nurse and physician at the top of this article? Since both spoke out on their own time, and on a matter of public concern the quality of care in the midst of a pandemic that is overwhelming countless hospitals their speech is likely protected. Unless, of course, their employers can demonstrate that the speech was unnecessarily disruptive, which may be a difficult showing given the current state of affairs. If the employers cannot make that showing, then terminating those employees as a result of their speech could result in significant liability under 42 U.S.C. 1983.

Ill Say What I Want!

What about employees working for private employers? They have protections, too just not via the First Amendment. Typically, employees who appeal to the media or members of the public (e.g., Facebook posts) concerning their wages, hours, or the terms and conditions of employment are engaged in protected activity under the NLRA, regardless if they are members of a union. If employers make adverse employment decisions based on that protected activity, the employee (or a union representative, if the company is unionized) can file an unfair labor practice charge against them.

Although this is not a one-size-fits-all legal issue, and each case requires an individual analysis), if employees publicly voice concerns about the challenges faced when treating COVID-19 patients such as being instructed to reuse certain PPE and unsafe working conditions they are likely engaged in protected activity. Thus, their conduct would be protected under the NLRA, so long as their statements do not purport to speak on behalf of the employer or make maliciously false statements about the employer.

Think Before You Speak (About Termination)

The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across all industries, but, at least arguably, no industry has felt it as acutely as healthcare. As the number of confirmed cases continues to increase, so do tensions. And, understandably so. Healthcare employers should be mindful, however, that employees public discussions about the challenges they are experiencing could be protected under the First Amendment or NLRA. Not to mention, even when employees have no First Amendment or NLRA rights, they may nevertheless be protected as whistleblowers or relators, or under another federal law (e.g., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).

These protections do not mean employers should do nothing in the face of such conduct. Instead, you should consider communicating with your employees concerning operations and efforts to keep them safe during the ongoing national crisis. You should also consider implementing a strategy in place to respond to media inquiries or stories that may circulate on social media. At a minimum, you should exercise caution when making adverse employment decisions that are the direct result of an employees speech, and make sure to get in touch with your legal counsel.

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Frontline Reports From Healthcare Employees On COVID-19 Challenges May Constitute Protected Activity - Lexology

HT takes home 10 awards, ‘Service to the First’ honor in statewide competition – Rio Blanco Herald Times

This photo entry by Caitlin Walker won Best Feature Photograph in the Better Newspaper Contest for 2019, sponsored by the Colorado Newspaper Association. Listen to this

The Rio Blanco Herald Times has earned 10 awards in the Colorado Press Associations annual Better Newspaper Contest for 2019. The contest includes entries from news organizations statewide and is judged by members of a different states press association. Entries are divided into classes based on circulation. The HT is in Class 2.

Co-owner Caitlin Walker earned first place awards forBest Feature Photograph, Best Automotive Ad, Best News Media/House Ad Promotion, and second-place awards for Best News Media/House Ad Promotion, Best Small Space Ad, Best Informational Graphic.

Walker and her brother Lucas Turner, news director at KDNK radio in Carbondale, won first place for Best Editorial Multimedia for their piece on Henry and Kris Arcolesse of Ma Famiglias, and Walker and co-owner and editor Niki Turner took second place in the same category for a feature on Claude and Peg Woods Mountain Honey operation.

Tiffany Jehorek earned the second-place award for Best Sports Photograph.

Niki Turner also took second place in Best Serious Column Writing.

The Northwest Colorado Hunting Guide received first place for Best Editorial Special Section Glossy, and the Adventure Colorado magazine earned second place in the same category.

In addition, the HT is the recipient of the 2019 Service to the First award, considered one of the most prestigious journalism awards in the state.

Turners collaborative work with Colorado Independent editor Susan Greene covering the story of the December 2018 officer-involved shooting of Daniel Pierce prompted the judge to comment, What amazing coverage. Investigating and telling the story of the officer-involved shooting is exactly the type of work that other media outlets do not do, but local newspapers do which means so much to the community.

The Service to the First award is intended to honor a news organizations or persons service to the First Amendments guarantee of a free press, including, but not limited to, fighting the threat of censorship in America, overcoming uneasiness with regard to press credibility, combating government secrecy at all levels, and instilling in the public an appreciation of its need as well as its right to know, according to the Colorado Press Association.

Greene received the award in 2018 for a First Amendment fight to unseal documents that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This years convention was supposed to be held in Glenwood Springs, for the first time in the organizations 100-plus year history, but was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

By HT Staff

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HT takes home 10 awards, 'Service to the First' honor in statewide competition - Rio Blanco Herald Times

Utah governor says it’s the role of the county not the state to enforce COVID-19 orders – Salt Lake Tribune

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is punting to Davis County the question of what enforcement action, if any, should be taken against Republican Kaysville Mayor Katie Witt who is also a congressional candidate in the 1st District for openly defying his COVID-19 orders.

She is allowing a protest group to hold an outdoor concert by country music star Collin Raye on May 30 in a city park. She acknowledges it would violate new orders that limit gatherings there to 50 people but says it protects First Amendment rights and would help the state return to normal. Her opponents have called it political grandstanding that may threaten lives.

On Friday, Herbert spokeswoman Anna Lehnardt said it is not the role of the governor nor the state to take any action against the Kaysville concert.

Enforcement of state health orders is carried out by local health departments, she said. In this instance, the Davis County Health Department has the responsibility to ensure this event and similar public gatherings hosted in the county are conducted in accordance with state orders.

Brian Hatch, director of the Davis County Health Department, said officials in his department have not yet discussed what to do about the planned concert.

Enforcement is a tricky thing to even talk about at the moment, he said.

This is just a concerning and somewhat of a difficult situation of balancing policy with how far we enforce policy when primarily what weve always tried to do is educate, Hatch said.

He added that most communities across the state have done fabulous at doing the right thing. Theres always been these individual little things that just kind of pop up and they are small enough in the bigger picture not to make a huge issue of it because the majority of our citizens, our communities are doing the right thing anyway.

Hatch said violating the governors orders could bring criminal and/or civil penalties, but may not be that big for a one-time event.

Witt on Thursday defended her action, saying, We have to start making steps toward normalcy. Yes, it violates the directive of the governor. Its a protest, and we are allowing them the space to do that. Im willing to be uncomfortable to stand up for our First Amendment rights.

She also said organizers are asking people who attend to wear masks and use social distancing, so she believes it will be safe and plans to attend.

Witt is in a four-way race for the GOP nomination in the race to replace retiring nine-term Rep. Rob Bishop. Others are Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson, businessman Blake Moore and former state commissioner of agriculture and food and ex-Weber County Commissioner Kerry Gibson.

They all criticized her move earlier as likely political grandstanding. Stevenson, for example, said, it is a political maneuver. I think thats sad. This COVID-19 situation is not a political situation that we play games with. Peoples lives, peoples families could be impacted.

The group sponsoring the concert at Barnes Park, Utah Business Revival, earlier issued a news release saying it will be one of the first in America amid COVID-19 restrictions.

It quoted Raye who has 16 No. 1 country hits saying, I would be honored to come to Kaysville for the first live concert in America. Music is an extremely powerful tool to help heal our souls, especially in times of uncertainty.

Eric Moutsos of Utah Business Revival said his group also recently organized an open-air market in Vineyard. He said, If we can all stand in line waiting for toilet paper, we can certainly all shop safely in an open-air market and enjoy a country music legend, Collin Raye.

The event will also have booths from nonessential businesses to interact with the public and sell goods.

These businesses were previously considered nonessential, insofar as some were not on the list of those the government approved to be open during COVID-19, Moutsos said. At UBR, we believe all business is essential. It is a fundamental right all American citizens share to gather, work and safely interact, even in times of crisis.

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Utah governor says it's the role of the county not the state to enforce COVID-19 orders - Salt Lake Tribune

NEARI holds car rally, lauches website in defense of fired NEA Tiverton President – Uprise RI

For 20 years, shes been standing up for you. For 20 years, shes been fighting for you Recently, somethings changed. The one thing thats changed is your superintendent. Over the last year and a half hes bullied her and hes bullied you.

Larry Purtill, President of the the National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI) was standing in the bed of a pickup truck with a megaphone, his Boston Red Sox mask pulled down. He was addressing the drivers of the over 100 cars that had gathered in the parking lot of the Portsmouth Middle School to begin a car rally in support of NEA Tiverton President Amy Mullen, who the union claims was recently and illegally fired from her job as a special education teacher, a job shes had for 25 years The union claims Mullen was fired due to her union advocacy, not because of any deficiencies in her teaching.

Were doing it in Portsmouth today because were doing this for Amy, your local president! said Purtill. For 20 years, shes been standing up for you. For 20 years, shes been fighting for you Recently, somethings changed. The one thing thats changed is your superintendent. Over the last year and a half hes bullied her and hes bullied you.

Superintendent Peter Sanchioni, through Stephen Robinson, a lawyer for the Tiverton School District, says that Mullen was terminated from her job, due solely to the latest in a series of incidents where she has engaged in unprofessional and disruptive behavior. Rather than collaborate as a role model and problem solver during a time of pandemic she has chosen to continue her pattern of being divisive and obstructive.

Purtill ascribes darker motives to Sanchioni, claiming that teachers were bullied by the Superintendent when he served in a similar capacity in Natick, Connecticut. He likes to bully people who stand up to him, said Purtill. And he likes to say, Hey, change your view, change your opinion, or well fire you The other thing [about the people Sanchioni allegedly bullied] is they all seem to be women! He seems to have a problem with strong women who stand up to him.

In a press statement, NEARI writes, in part:

Funding for our reporting relies entirely on the generosity of readers like you. Our independence is how we are able to write stories that hold RI state and local government officials accountable. All of our stories are free and available to everyone right here at UpriseRI.com. But your support is essential to keeping Steve on the beat, covering the costs of reporting many stories in a single day. If you are able to, please support Uprise RI. Every contribution, big or small is so valuable to us. You provide the motivation and financial support to keep doing what we do. Thank you.

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when [Mullen] learned Superintendent Sanchioni was moving forward with a distance-learning plan without input from teachers, she asked if they could discuss the plan.

Amy offered no hardline union negotiations. No hold up of distance learning. She asked a question. And she was terminated for it.

Instead of working collaboratively within the framework of the collective bargaining agreement which the Superintendent has failed to do on multiple occasions Sanchioni and the Tiverton School Committee chose to silence Amy and prohibit her from speaking to her members, parents and students. In so doing, they violated her First Amendment rights and opened themselves up to personal liability in addition to their official capacity.

Peter Sanchioni, aided and abetted by the Tiverton School Committee, is a bully and long ago proved himself a union obstructionist in his negotiation tactics and refusal to bargain or allow Amy to attend to her duties. They have demonstrated a clear disdain for the union and union activities and have set out repeatedly and with animus to diminish a local union president just dig through the grievances and unfair labor practices that have piled up since Sanchioni has been in town.

In fact, First Amendment violations are nothing new for Peter Sanchioni they cost the Town of Natick, MA $70,000.

Amy was not fired for any reason having to do with her job performance as a teacher. I have no doubt Amy will prevail in her suit and she has the full support of the entire labor movement across the State of Rhode Island.

The cars left the Portsmouth Middle School and drove by Mullens home in Portsmouth as a gesture of support. More information can be found at BringBackAmy.org.

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Large dwellings main topic of discussion at Kill Devil Hills meeting – The Coastland Times – The Coastland Times

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners met on May 11 via Zoom to discuss four zoning amendments and a modification to the approval process for commercial uses.

Due to the nature of electronic meetings, the board was unable to take action on any of the items presented in public hearing. The public was able to partake in the hearings through a chat box and email; comments sent in within 24 hours after the meeting were included in the record.

Meredith Guns and Cameron Ray with the planning department were present during the meeting to run through the highlights of each amendment/modification.

Guns addressed the first amendment, which would require properties that have 11 bedrooms or more to have a parking setback of 7 feet from the property line. Larger homes that have 11 bedrooms or more that choose to have a clearly marked access aisle stating no parking (following design requirements) will be permitted to have a parking setback of 5 feet.

Ray took the lead in detailing the other three amendments.

One would require an additional two feet of side yard setback for single family/duplex dwellings that exceed 6,000 sq. ft. For such dwellings that have a fire suppression system installed and inspected annually by the fire chief, Ray said they shall be exempt from this provision.

Another amendment modifies landscaping requirements for single-family/duplex dwellings greater than 6,000 sq. ft. Such homes would need a vegetative buffer or fence with ornamental landscaping on property lines and adjoining rights-of-way when abutting non-compatible uses, such as single-family homes less than 6,000 sq. ft.

As for cottage courts and cluster homes, the proposed amendment modifies the minimum lot width of these properties from 100 ft. to 75 ft. for those abutting NC 12. Ray said the goal was to incentivize that type of development as opposed to larger structures.

Guns made note that the aforementioned amendments would only apply to new and substantial development submitted after board approval of the items. If they have submitted for approval already, they will not be subject to these new rules, she reported.

The last modification up for debate was a change to the approval process for commercial uses. Guns explained that staff has proposed that commercial site plan reviews be done on an administrative level, assuming that all aspects of the plans meet zoning ordinances.

For plans that are either seeking opinions of the board or are not in compliance will all ordinances, they will be subject to both Planning Board and commissioner approval.

Guns said this method would cut the approval process from about four months to as little as six weeks. Submittals will be cut in half, saving time and money. Were streamlining the process tremendously, she explained.

After little discussion from the commissioners regarding each item, the floor was opened to public comment. Beth OLeary and Martha Vaughn had submitted a letter to be read into the record.

They commented on the positive steps the town had begun to take with large dwellings, but felt the items do little to address the larger issue at hand.

Maybe the future of redevelopment should be more affordable rentals with less of a carbon footprint, their letter read.

With no other takers for commentary, the board closed the discussion and agreed to revisit each item for action at their next meeting.

The board then approved a rate increase on residential curbside recycling, which is now $12.75 per cart per month.

Mayor Ben Sproul had a few items on his agenda, but one in particular dealt with the struggles that restaurants have and are going to be facing.

Sproul publicly spoke on discussions he has been having to allow restaurants to use up to 25% of their designated parking for outdoor dining. He addressed the ordinance restrictions on outdoor dining and said to expect to see more on that in the following days.

This is one of few things we can do as a town to help in a tough situation, Sproul added.

For more information on agendas, meeting schedules and more, visit the town website at http://www.kdhnc.com.

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Onslow Sheriffs department will not interfere with indoor church services – Jacksonville Daily News

By Trevor Dunnell, For The Daily News

ThursdayMay14,2020at2:28PM

As law enforcement agencies around the state express their stance of not interfering with the church services, the Onslow County Sheriffs Office reminded their residents they will do the same.

Sheriff Hans Miller held a press conference on Tuesday explaining the departments stand on first amendment rights for residents in Onslow. It has not changed since the beginning of the stay-at-home order.

We have received calls from local church pastors about worship services and our answer was very clear from the beginning, we support the first amendment right to worship, said Miller. We support people's right to worship.

Miller added Gov. Roy Coopers guidance for church services during Phase One of reopening the state is that church services should take place outside unless it is impossible to do so.

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On Monday, Cooper clarified the Phase One order does not prohibit multiple events from happening, in order to meet social distancing requirements of 10 or less people gathering inside.

According to Miller, deputies will not interfere with churches or limit how many people are allowed inside for worship.

What we suggest is as long as you maintain social distancing, it is perfectly fine to do so whether it is inside or outside, added Miller. If you are a family that lives together, then thats okay for you to to sit together.

Miller explained the main objective during reopening is to ensure everyone is being safe.

If you have people that want to congregate to worship or shop, as one human being to another I would say continue social distancing and advise people to wear any type of mask that can cover up how the virus can spread, added Miller.

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Onslow Sheriffs department will not interfere with indoor church services - Jacksonville Daily News

Lawsuit blaming Fox News for coronavirus is a threat to press freedom – Washington Examiner

A judge on a Washington state court has a chance May 21 to quash a dangerous, outlandish lawsuit against Fox News that would eviscerate First Amendment media freedoms. He should indeed quash it.

The suit is brought by a 3-year-old group of leftist provocateurs called WASHLITE, which stands for the Washington League for Increased Transparency and Ethics. They are suing Fox News for alleged violations of the states Consumer Protection Act, which outlaws deceptive practices in the course of commerce. WASHLITE says Fox should be punished because some of its on-air personnel, like many other members of the media, spent weeks downplaying the danger of the international proliferation of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19. The result, says the group, was that its members health and livelihoods were put at risk, and indeed, it says one of its members contracted COVID-19.

The obvious rejoinder is that Fox is a news organization protected by the First Amendment's freedom of the press. Its reporters, guests, and hosts have every right to speculate about the effects of this and every other major news topic.

This is so obvious that the case should never see the light of day. Nobody is alleging libel or defamation, nor is anyone claiming a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the statements on Fox and the WASHLITE members contraction of COVID-19. Aside from such limited circumstances, media outlets and their employees have a right to be wrong. Supreme Court precedent (Snyder v. Phelps, 2011) rightly holds that media outlets cannot be liable for such, even if their reporting directly causes emotional distress. This is basic Civics 101.

Nonetheless, WASHLITE claims broadcasters have narrower First Amendment protections than print outlets and that programmers for broadcasters or cable operators (which is how it characterizes Fox News) enjoy almost no press protections at all. That first claim is technically true on matters such as putting obscenity on public airwaves, but even then, only mildly narrower. The second claim, for the issue here, is nonsense.

One need not read far into WASHLITEs court filings to find the first huge flaw in their bizarrely concocted theory.

They write that the Supreme Court has long recognized that cable programmers do not have First Amendment rights on the cable medium. This is poppycock. To support this claim, they cite a supposedly supporting opinion by Justices Clarence Thomas, William Rehnquist, and Antonin Scalia in the 1996 case of Denver Area Ed. Telecommunications Consortium v. FCC. Denver Area was a fractured decision, with partial concurrences and partial dissents filed by multiple justices. The part of Thomass decision they cite is the losing position, in which Thomas and his two colleagues dissented from the majority opinion.

And even there, the three conservative justices were not saying anything close to the blanket statement that programmers do not have First Amendment rights. Instead, the justices argued that the First Amendment rights of networks such as Fox do not allow them to force cable companies such as Comcast to carry all their programming. At issue wasnt whether Fox is a media outlet whose expression is protected, but instead a technical matter in communications law known as a must carry provision.

In sum, WASHLITEs filing is off-target right from the start.

Brian McDonald, a judge in the Washington state Superior Court for King County, should dismiss WASHLITEs suit as a vile piece of nuisance, nakedly at odds with the First Amendment that is so essential to American constitutionalism. The group isnt pushing something light as in sunshine, but rather light as in featherweight, easily and deservedly puffed away.

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Lawsuit blaming Fox News for coronavirus is a threat to press freedom - Washington Examiner

Satanists support $4,700 cleaning bill sent to embattled Washington state Rep. Matt Shea – KING5.com

Washington state Rep. Matt Shea is accused of damaging the Capitol steps in Olympia with olive oil during a counter-protest in March.

Washington state has issued a $4,761 cleaning bill to embattled state Rep. Matt Shea (R-Spokane Valley) for an incident in March.

During a Satanist demonstration on the state Capitol steps in Olympia, surveillance cameras captured Shea with a bottle of olive oil during an apparent counter-protest.

Investigators say Shea spilled oil down the steps, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Officials say the oil was spilled on historic pieces of marble and sandstone and required extensive cleaning and repairs.

On Wednesday, Shea was sent a $4,761.34 bill for the damage and clean-up costs.

Justin Harvey-John Ashby, a self-described Satanist, who attended the March event, said he saw Shea pouring out the oil.

"He was mumbling a prayer and then I saw him dump out the oil on the steps," said Ashby, who considered it a risk to public safety.

He said he remembered thinking, "'What is wrong with you?'"

Ashby was glad the state gave Shea the cleaning bill.

"Hell yeah," said Ashby "I believe that he should be punished for disregarding the public safety and destroying public property."

Tarkus Claypool, media liaison for the The Satanic Temple of Washington, shared the following statement on Thursday:

"The fine people at DES(Department of Enterprise Services) are actually very protective of those granite steps. They asked us to change to our ritual to ensure that our invocation didn't damage them. We showed respect for public property as all responsible citizens should, especially elected officials.

It's going to take a lot more than Matt Shea and his bottle of salad dressing to stop us from exercising our first amendment rights. So he and the rest of the WA State legislature can count on us asking to give an invocation next year."

Gov. Jay Inslee and House and Senate leaders called for Shea to resign from the House of Representatives after an investigation determined he organized and participated in events considered "domestic terrorism" by investigators.

He has not responded to requests for comment.

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Satanists support $4,700 cleaning bill sent to embattled Washington state Rep. Matt Shea - KING5.com

Lawsuit seeks to reopen all NJ businesses, allow in-person graduations – New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio

TOMS RIVER The owner of several businesses and three high school seniors have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Phil Murphy claiming the 38 executive orders issued in connection with the COVID-19 pandemicare unconstitutional and illegal.

Murphy's orders have been been with a growing grumbling of criticism from Republican lawmakers in recent weeks but until now they have faced few legal challenges.

Gun shops and gun ranges have sued to ask the federal courts to consider their businesses "essential" under the Second Amendment, while an Essex County priest and an Ocean County rabbi have sued in federal court claiming First Amendment protections for in-person religious gatherings, which are not allowed during the emergency.

In the latest lawsuit filed Thursday in SuperiorCourt in Toms River,the owner of Car Wash and Beyond, Razberri Hair & Nail Design and Perfect Swing Golf all non-essential businesses that were ordered to close in March andToms River High School East students Gina DiPasquale, Isabella Ghanbary and Arianna Wilenta who want to have an in-person graduation ceremony argue that the executive orders discriminate against non-essential businesses and violate the right to assembly.

The lawsuit, which names as defendants Murphy,State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan, Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet and his assistant Adbulsaleem Hasan, also outlines steps that school districts could take to safely hold a graduation ceremony.

Murphy's sweeping pandemic ordershave ranged from prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people, to prohibiting evictions, to closing golf courses and state and county parks in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 10,000 residents in two months.

More recent orders have loosened some restrictions to allow, for example, non-essential businesses to conduct curbside transactions. Murphy also said that all Jersey Shore beaches should open by Memorial Day and on Friday announced that elective surgeries would begin May 26.

Murphy has said that the restrictions would be lifted as soon as public health officials say it is safe to do so. Hospitalizations have been declining since April 15.

"Gosh, golly, why can't you flip the switch and open the whole place up?" he asked rhetorically on Friday, then pointing to the 285 people who had been admitted to state hospitals the day before with COVID-19. At the same time, however, hospitals on Thursday discharged 357 patients that had battled COVID-19. More than 3,800 patients remain hospitalized for serious complications from the virus.

Executive Order 102, issued on Feb. 3, established the administration's coronavirus task force. The next orderdeclared a state of emergency and a public health emergency, which Murphy has renewed twice.

Michael J. Deem, attorney with the Toms River firm R.C. Shea & Associates, said the Legislature has given the governor the ability to declare a public health emergency only after conferring with both the state health commissioner and the state director of emergency management.

The lawsuit argues that the first executive order does not state that Murphy consulted with the director of emergency management.

"It's our contention that from the very beginning executive order 103 all the way to the present order are all void," Deem said.

Both Callahan and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli have attended every news briefing with Murphy for the past two months. But Deem said the emergency declaration was still improper.

"Look at it like an infection. If one order is infected it will spread to others that rely upon the first infected order," he said. "We contend that by way of Executive Order 103, the governor improperly declared a public health emergency, thereby effacing the remaining orders that rely upon 103 for its existence."

The lawsuit also notes the Wisconsin Supreme Court's 4-3 vote decision on Wednesday striking down Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home restrictions, ruling that his administration overstepped its authority when it extended them for another month without consulting legislators.

The lawsuit contends that the executive orders discriminate against non-essential businesses.

"You look at the car wash plaintiff. He has an independent establishment here in Toms River. He can't operate. But down the road the Exxon that happens to have a car wash on the premises, he can wash cars but my client can't. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why that is," Deem said.

If a court were to void the order, the high school seniors could have a "proper ceremony" with social distancing protocol in place, according to Deem.

The lawsuit includes a diagram of the football field at Toms River High School set up for social distancing prepared by an engineering firm.

"You could graduate 1,140 students on any football field in the state all socially distanced apart 7.5 feet," Deem said. "And we know that the Air Force Academy recently graduated 800 or 900 people at once all socially distanced. Toms River East has 350 student graduating. If you did the math and put them on the field at a minimum those students could be socially distanced by 23 feet. That's assuming we did this in one fell swoop with all 350 students."

Deem said the school could limit the number of relatives allowed to the ceremony and have room for them on the sidelines and the stands.

"We can all go to Lowe's or Home Depot and stand on line and be crowded with all these people and that seems to be fine if we're wearing a mask. Why can't these kids graduate if the school systems can come up with a plan to do so in a social responsible manner?" he said.

Deem said that while people are right to be concerned about COVID-19, they can also carry on their normal lives responsibly by wearing masks in public.

"There's no reason these businesses can't open up. The state's on the verge of going bankrupt and we've got small mom-and-pop stores that are at a point where they can't afford to feed themselves anymore. I see no reason why we can't open up the economy if we do it responsibly," Deem said.

The governor's office has not yet been served the lawsuit as of Friday morning.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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Opinion: To kick-start Alberta’s return to the global economy, we need to think local first – The Globe and Mail

A lone person stands in pedestrian overpass in downtown Calgary on March 18, 2020.

Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

Bruce Graham is a senior adviser with Osborne Interim Management and the founding president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating and has left Canadians feeling desperate. Albertans, especially, have been shaken by the continued plunge of the price of oil. But now, as we look at how we can safely reopen our economies, we should start seeking inspiration in the many opportunities that will present themselves.

Thats more of an uphill climb when it comes to major energy projects, which have had trouble getting built in this country. Even before the pandemic, resource-based projects were either being abandoned or languishing under bureaucratic and legal delays. As a result, Canada has been developing a worrying reputation among foreign corporations as a place where major projects cant happen.

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The challenges dont exist solely at the national level. They transcend to more routine projects that often require myriad municipal and provincial approvals. It is often local communities that wind up being branded as business-friendly or hard to deal with."

All businesses that contemplate making a major capital investment evaluate risks as they relate to regulator approvals that is, how much time it will take before work can get under way and how much it will ultimately cost. Similarly, decision-making authorities in the development-approval process need to find the right balance between supporting community benefits and the impact on the feasibility of new development projects.

It can be expected that in periods of strong economic growth, the demands for increased community benefits tend to occur through the development approval process. While in periods of slower economic growth, it can be expected that municipalities would be more accommodating for improved economic development outcomes.

When it comes to the global recession we are now experiencing, virtually all jurisdictions will be rolling out the red carpet and hanging up their open for business signs. However, when we begin the process of rebuilding Albertas economy, we will need to be far more aggressive and creative to attract business growth and reduce the risks for investors, while acknowledging the structural changes that have taken place. These changes have been amplified by controversial oil-and-gas divestment campaigns, exemplified by this weeks decision by Norways sovereign wealth fund the largest in the world to exclude four of Canadas largest oil-sands producers from its portfolio.

Jurisdictions that can safely emerge from physical-distancing measures to rebuild their economies earlier will have an advantage. The economies of Singapore, Taiwan and Germany have been touted at different times as being able to ramp up capacity; other economies, including Canadas, are still emerging from the pandemic. That doesnt mean Canadian jurisdictions cant compete globally, but surmounting the obstacles will require a more nimble regulatory environment to make up for that lost ground.

While businesses may see local expansion as lower-risk due to familiarity and the potential for closer management oversight, investing globally may still be necessary to address speed-to-market and cost-competitiveness issues in an increasingly protectionist world. What is even more important to local jurisdictions coming out of the pandemic is the fact that foreign investors will likely validate their investment decisions by the activity that has been initiated by local businesses and community-infrastructure projects. In other words, Canada cant hope to attract foreign investment if local businesses are still sitting on the sidelines.

Jurisdictions with superior customer service and a reputation as being business-friendly, cost-sensitive and tax-competitive will be rewarded with increased business investment, along with the jobs that go with it. For municipal economic developers, targeted industry-sector development strategies will need to take a back seat, at least in the short term, to focus efforts on supporting the growth of any local businesses that have the ambition and the financial wherewithal to invest if we hope to generate the momentum needed to kick-start the economy.

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There will be many lessons coming out of this pandemic, and one is that where you live, where you work and where you need to be to do business will be less relevant. This will put increased stress on those communities that generate a disproportionate amount of their property-tax revenue from their commercial-assessment base, particularly office and retail properties that may see reduced demand after the crisis.

Work forces of the future that are not location-sensitive will be increasingly mobile and dispersed, with cost-sensitive warehouse and distribution location choices driven by market access. For those jobs that are location-sensitive, people and migration will increasingly follow businesses not the other way around. Vibrant communities will follow the jobs and the opportunities created by growing businesses.

The vibrancy of the communities we live in and the opportunity to prosper after COVID-19 will initially have to come from within, generated through robust business-retention rates and the expansion of communities of all sizes. Jurisdictions that have efficient, streamlined development processes that businesses can bank on and that effectively foster business growth will be better positioned to attract new jobs and investment. And the pandemic has put these facts into stark relief its now or never to rebalance Albertas economic priorities.

Most of Alberta was given the green light to open stores, salons and restaurants Thursday. But those in Calgary and Brooks were told they must wait until May 25 because of their high number of coronavirus cases. The Canadian Press

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Working to find more opportunities to diversify economy | Opinions – Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

First, I would like to thank all the folks who have offered their prayers and support due to a severe injury to my spinal cord, surrounding nerves and vertebrae. I am the type of guy who gets up and goes to work no matter how much it hurts. If I can walk, Im working. Just another hard-working Alaskan with worn body parts. I knew that it would come back to haunt me, but I have responsibilities to my family and employer, the people of my district.

Over the last two years I have worked with Governor Dunleavy and his administration to find more opportunities to diversify our economy as we continue to struggle with funding our state budget. It appears that most legislators can only depend on folks pockets for more government, well folks pockets arent that deep. I feel the best way to solve our financial problems is to follow the plan that Governor Dunleavey has laid out based upon developing the vast array of natural resources and turning our resources into jobs. By turning our resources into jobs companies make a profit when there is a favorable business environment and pay corporate taxes to the state and a royalty share to the state. It is what we promised Congress we would do to fund our government when we became a state.

I have been working with Governor Dunleavy and his commissioners to create an economic development plan for short, mid, and long-term financing for our state based upon developing our resources, not taking needed cash out of our economy.

Currently, there is more than $16 billion available in an earnings reserve account which has averaged 10.74% since it was created in 1981. Mostly from the money that current legislators took from Alaskans permanent fund that was supposed to go to the people in dividend checks. I support Governor Dunleaveys permanent fund dividend plan to fully fund dividend checks and back-owed dividends to get desperately needed cash to our residents and into our economy as soon as possible.

Infrastructure projects like the Kink Arm Crossing, which is a state DOT project, is ready to go and would only require $5 million in state funds and put a $750 million project out for construction and thousands of jobs into our community. And most importantly, reduce accidents on Alaskas deadliest road. All stopped because of politics.

I have been working with the folks at the Department of Natural Resources and our legislative legal department to get the necessary information that could lower cost by over an estimated 25% for state projects like the Amber Road project, which connects to a new port in Northwestern Alaska, the Gateway to the Arctic, or hydroelectric dams in Southeast, and a railroad to through Canada. I presented this information to Governor Dunleavy and he has asked me to continue working with his team of commissioners.

I have also worked to develop a plan to reduce the number of prisoners committing re-offenses, while at the same time grow our agriculture industry using the Point Mackenzie prison farm. Prisoners could learn a trade by processing every bit of food that our farmers can grow to be used in our state facilities, such as schools and the pioneer homes, as well as feed the 6000 prisoners across the state. Commissioner Dahlstrom continues to fully support this project. We should never throw away perfectly good food.

Any well thought out business plan needs to look at least 20 years out. With that in mind, I feel that Alaska should be positioning itself to be the next Panama Canal, the Northern Canal of the arctic. This would require building and retrofitting vessels to use clean high-grade synthetic fuel and lubricant made from Alaskas natural gas. Engineered and operated by Alaskans. Our university would never be for want again. Trying to build a natural gas pipeline so we can try to be competitive in a world awash with natural gas is not feasible. We should be converting it to environmentally safe synthetic motor fuels and lubricants that is so clean it is considered benign, meaning that if there is a fuel spill and arctic there would be no environmental impact. Made by Alaskans from Alaskas natural gas. The world continues to spend billions of dollars trying to remove carbon. We have a natural gas resource with minimal carbons to start with. We also have the technology. This is another project I continue to work on.

It will take vision to get out of the huge financial problems we face. More politics as usual, lies and falsifications need to be gone.

I would love to talk to anyone who would like to learn more about how we could solve our financial problems by turning our jobs into resources and diversifying our economy. By creating a good working environment for industry to thrive and infrastructure to support them.

I would be welcome to share my ideas and as usual just call my office at 376-2679 and let us know that you would like to visit. I would be glad to talk and share my thoughts.

Mark Neuman is a State Representative for District 8: Meadow Lakes, Big Lake, Knik, and Point MacKenzie.

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Working to find more opportunities to diversify economy | Opinions - Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

Assam CM asks Numaligarh Refinery to play proactive role in promoting agro-based economy – Economic Times

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal urged the management of Assam based Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to play a proactive role in promoting agro based economy in the state and take steps for skill development of youth of the neighbouring areas.

The Chief Minister made this call during a review of the Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project (NREP) and Bio Refinery Plant at the NRL Head Quarter in Numaligarh. Chief Minister Sonowal also visited the construction sites of both the projects and took stock physical progress of the projects.

Sonowal said that in the industrial landscape of Assam, NRL is playing an important role and has generated much hope for the states economy especially in view of its expansion project and the bio fuel plant. However, it is time that NRL should come out of its conventional area of expertise and focus on promotion of agro economic fundamentals in the state, he said adding that the bamboo based ethanol plant is a big opportunity for NRL to venture into the field of agro economy by engaging maximum number of local people in bamboo production which is now an agricultural product. He further observed that the new bamboo and cane policy of the state government would significantly help the NRL and local farmers in this regard.

The Chief Minister said that the NRL with its wide resources should also give a thought to strengthen the local economy including setting up of cold storages and providing succour to the horticulturists who suffered huge loss during the coronavirus induced lockdown.

He said that establishing cold storages would not only help the farmers but also go a long way in boosting rural economy. Sonowal further said that concentrating on developing skilled men power that could also be a strong force to catapult industrial growth in the state should also constitute a core area of importance of the NRL and urged the management to take up skill development initiatives of the youth of neighbouring areas.

NRL MD S. K. Baruah informed the Chief Minister that the expansion project which involves capacity enhancement of the refinery from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA with project cost of Rs. 22,594 crore is being carried out with completion time of 48 months. Moreover, consultancy job has already been awarded and 200 acres land has been taken on lease at Paradeep Port for laying crude pipe line connecting Numaligarh.

The NRL MD further informed that the bio refinery plant which is being executed with a project cost of Rs. 1750 crore will use 5 lakh MT bamboo per annum as raw material and produce 49000 MT ethanol per annum as main product. Other major bio products from this plant will include acetic acid and furfural besides production of biodegradable plastic out of furfural in collaboration with IIT Guwahati.

The plant is scheduled to be commissioned by December 2021, he informed. For successful implementation of the project, the MD made several requests to the Chief Minister and sought his help on issues related to Forest, PWD and security related matters. The Chief Minister assured to look into all the requests positively, so that NRL continues to be a leading force in the industrial landscape of the state.

Sonowal inspected the construction work of embankment by Water Resource Department from Morihula to Agoratoli range as a protection measure for Kaziranga National Park (KNP). While surveying the work, he directed the department to complete the embankment project within May 30.

The embankment project, funded by Asian Development Bank, would cover a total length of 23.38 kms and with a width of 7.5 m would protect the KNP from floods and erosion.

Chief Minister informed that even though embankment work could not be started on time due to COVID-19 lockdown, State Government had started the construction work of embankments so that all these projects could be completed by May 30. In view of the impending floods from the month of June, the State Government was taking all steps to complete the embankment construction works within this month so that the people and property could be protected from the annual onslaughts of floods in the state. He opined that if the projects were completed on time, a lot of people and their farming lands would be saved from the devastation caused by major rivers.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package for reenergizing Indias economy in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic and said that State Government would continue to strive for Assams economic development in parallel to the fight against coronavirus.

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Assam CM asks Numaligarh Refinery to play proactive role in promoting agro-based economy - Economic Times

In a Post-COVID-19 World, the Only One Way Ahead for India Is Economic Federalism – The Wire

A couple of years ago, I had expressed strong reservations about the governments flagship project for transforming India with industrial corridors and clusters of smart cities. Animated by as passionate a concern for the future of our country that those promoting the flagship project claimed to be driven by, I had opposed it on the grounds that there was no surplus water in the country for it.

A lot has changed since then. Post-COVID, India will have to deal with a situation where the global umpires sound real and false alarms about catastrophes around the corner. For instance, the UN World Food Programme executive director, David Beasley, has stated that he fears multiple famines of biblical proportions after the pandemic.

As we approach the limits to growth in a new global era, we are clearly not sure of whats coming. This was demonstrated recently in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Witness how we have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of us, scared, not knowing what we are up against, locked up in our personal coops, eyes closed and our heads in the sand, waiting for the danger to go away, our gaze averted from the unprecedented crisis being faced by migrant workers during the lockdown.

As things stand, we have no way of dealing with the uncertainties of the new global era that is upon us be it pandemics, epidemics, global drought, crop failures, storm floods and civil strife caused by crises of mass hunger. Further, being on the perimeter of the global order, without a seat at the high table, India needs to be prepared for any such eventuality in a scenario where dozens of countries are in distress, not much help can be expected from international quarters.

So far we have been busy scooping up the past and shovelling it in front of us as our future while, out there, the global system is reconfiguring itself into a world where we face the risk of becoming increasingly irrelevant. If we want to pull ourselves back from the edge, we will have to radically alter our socio-economic geography during the next decade.

The government is familiar with this concept since its grand project for industrial corridors also intended to transform that geography. What I am proposing, however, is radically different from the grandiose plan shown by international consultants for industrial corridors and smart cities, which they based on the mantra of debt funding and industrialisation, peopled by massive population migrations.

We have not changed our socio-economic geography since the British left; the predatory settlement pattern still drains resources from the hinterland for the elite in and around the metro cities going back to the colonial era. Indias rural base continues to be ignored.

Also read: Centre, State Govts and Pvt Sector Owe Over Rs 5 Lakh Crore in Unpaid Dues to MSME Sector: Gadkari

Our macro-economy needs to be reassembled into a federal cluster of 28 independent and steady state economies. The continuing stranglehold of almost two centuries of colonial governance, which is incapable of addressing the issues of a veritable continent of 28 densely populated states, has to be prised open to make way for income redistribution, universal social welfare and local self- governance.

Post-pandemic, universal welfare is a must

The first big change has to be initiated by the government of India. It has to redefine its responsibilities towards its citizens, extending its role to include universal social welfare for all citizens.

This means reconstituting ourselves into a mandatory welfare state by amending Article 37 concerning the Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Part IV of the Indian constitution, to state that the provisions contained in this part shall be enforceable by the courts.

A worker cleans a platform at the Howrah Junction railway station after India announced a limited re-opening of its giant rail network beginning on Tuesday, after a nearly seven-week lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the outskirts of Kolkata India, May 11, 2020. Photo: Reuters/Rupak De Chowdhuri

The callousness shown by the state towards its poor since the time of independence, right down to its indifference to the plight of migrant labour in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, runs contrary to the aspirations of our constitution, which is the widest possible social instrument to overcome deeply embedded inequalities.

Going by current statistics, the number of potential beneficiaries for universal social welfare services would begin with 400 million Indians, the very poor, and be completed when universal welfare coverage has been extended to 1350 million.

Moving towards economic federalism: learning from the EU model

The second big change will come when the current Centre-state relationship gets redefined in a way that enables the 28 states to become federal in the true sense as self-sustaining economic territories in matters of energy, water, food production and waste recycling. Our economic geography of production, transport and communication has to change it has to become distributive rather than being focused towards the Centre.

What is needed is not a diffused national labour market, but state-level labour markets based on district data that register the unemployed. Such data will not only enable an understanding of the hidden force of migration but also help put in place curative measures.

The changes with regard to re-assembling our macroeconomy can be operationalised in many ways. One way is to learn from the European Union (EU). The EU, like India, has component regions with varying levels of governance capabilities, social equity and resource availability.

This task requires issuing new federal instruments that would direct each state to adhere to common standards of decentralised governance and fiscal discipline at much higher levels than is being done now. These proposed instruments would be similar to the ones issued by the EU to candidate states for equal access to facilities, sharing inter-country objectives including migration, transport, energy supply and micro-enterprises, and a commitment to the goal of making state economies into steady-state territories.

Also read: Life After COVID-19: Decommodify Work, Democratise the Workplace

The investments made by Brussels to enable the process of re-federalisation and pre-accession to be put in place during the period of 20072013 amounted to 11.5 billion euros. This was in the form of financial and technical help to build the capacities of the countries throughout the accession period in areas such as public administration reform, rule of law and agriculture.

Similarly, in India, the Centre would have to invest in the process of enabling decentralisation and raising standards of governance and fiscal discipline and preparing the necessary instruments.

By using such instruments, the central government would assist in the overdue reforms of governance through financial and technical help. The funds dispersed under these instruments would build up the capacities of each state throughout the re-federalising process. The instruments are the means by which the central government will support reforms that will enable districts to essay a larger contributory role in the macro national economy.

Centrally distributed funds will need to be directed specifically to build the capacities of each state. The instruments will enable them to embark on a sustainable economic recovery whose base is widely distributed across the various panchayats and districts of each state. Driving distributive recovery will be energy, transport, supply chains, public administration, rule of law, agriculture and rural development.

These instruments will define new shared rules for financial, productive and administrative engagements with the Centre by reversing the centralisation trend and disbursing initiatives and resources deep into the corners of each district.

Looking at the territorial expanse of India and comparing it to various countries through the population lens, it becomes clear that however heroic our rulers imagine themselves to be, they cannot govern the country as if it were their private fiefdom. They may be able to fill stadiums with cheering fans , but they certainly cannot govern it democratically. Hence the significance of re-federalisation.

Informal sector and agriculture hold the key to recovery

Our economy is powered by the 65 million enterprises that employ over 90% of the labour force. Only four million among them are registered and include the so-called organised sector. In the aftermath of the current crisis, it would be a mistake to assume that the organised sector will be able to pull us out. There is ample evidence to state that India has been de-industrialising for some years.

In the post-COVID 19 era that is beginning, our economic recovery will primarily come from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that are situated across the country. So every state needs to register each and every farm and enterprise first and then ensure that they begin to receive funds to re-start their farms and the businesses that virtually shut down after the lockdown was imposed.

Also read: Centre Opts for Long-Term Agricultural Reforms, Leaving Farmers Atmanirbhar in Crisis

The recovery will come from the farms registered at the panchayat level and the clusters of MSMEs which are located around district and mandi towns across the states. Collectively, these clusters of local-level enterprises would form a network of distributive hubs of the state-level, self-sufficient economy.

The infusion of funds at the district, municipal and panchayat levels in agriculture and micro and small-scale enterprises would not only enable this network of farms and enterprises to grow; it would also engage diverse ethnic and religious communities as productive communities and help them move away from relying on the dwindling sectors of the economy to generate cash incomes.

The distribution of central resources would fan out to agricultural and production enterprises through the third level of local self-governance. The fledgeling micro-level local economies of mandi and district towns are potential hubs for a new distributive network interlinked through customised digital platforms which can service micro-enterprises and farms at the panchayat level.

New tehsil and panchayat-level markets would have to be set up with public funding to enable local producers to market and exchange their produce. Currently, small-scale farmers are not able to sell their marginal surplus produce for cash since buying agents are interested in bulk quantities of grain, vegetables and fruit which they take directly to the district mandis and metro mandis.

People wait in queue to collect food from volunteers during the nationwide lockdown in Kolkata, April 30, 2020. Photo: PTI/Swapan Mahapatra

The role of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would be to take the fiscal deficit to the level necessary to stimulate grassroots demand by pumping liquidity into the small farmer and micro, small and medium enterprise units.

In the beginning, small sector units would be identified as those already paying tax as a way to verify their credentials. The next step would be to initiate liquidity distribution through a cluster of financing institutions to reach out to the small district, tehsil and panchayat-based units by involving insurance companies, banks such as SIDBI and even the corporate sector.

This entire initiative to re-vitalise over 730 districts in the country would need to be co-ordinated by as many new state project offices, each located in the district and holding the list of newly registered farm and productive enterprises in need of funds and technical support.

For instance, the corporate sector can invest in its own supply chains micro and medium-sized who are tied to them for component supply.

The responsibilities of corporations would then change owing to a more direct financial involvement between the corporates sector and their supply chain enterprises that are upstream and downstream of their manufacturing activity.

Apart from the enterprises, over 60% of the workforce remains in the agriculture sector, contributing just 17% to the GDP. Over 90% of our workforce works in the informal sector, in agricultural and product processing activities whose output value is not all included in GDP calculations. Thus the growth data that is computed from personal spending, business investment, government spending and exports, leaves out the substantial contributions made by the unorganised sector.

The image illustrates the differences between a centralised colonial economy and a distributive one. The coloured image represents a typical cluster of district-centred economies interacting with each other on shared platforms.

Activating local self-governance

It is essential to activate the local self-government framework if this architecture of reassembling economic federalism is to work. As part of the new federal instruments issued to the states, the Centre would require all states to activate the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments that were passed in 1992, providing a constitutional framework of local self-government, namely gram panchayats in villages and municipalities in urban areas.

By activating these amendments in a real sense, through funds, the operational base for the new redistributive economy will be established. The third and lowest level of local governance which has been written into the constitution would no longer remain stillborn.

The structure of local self-governance is already in place, but it has been hollowed out. It needs to be activated to ensure that funds are routed to them and the Centres instruments for decentralisation, fiscal discipline and governance come into force in each district. That will, in turn, regulate the municipal and panchayat targets for fund disbursement through the existing banking system.

There can be no better time to embark on this project of decentralised economic governance than the present juncture, considering that in this dire period of tackling the crisis unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essentially the states which are at the frontline.

Romi Khosla was a principal consultant for pre-accession measures to the EU and UNDP in the former Soviet bloc Balkan countries and Cyprus and for urban revitalisation and tourism planning in Central Asia and Tibet.

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In a Post-COVID-19 World, the Only One Way Ahead for India Is Economic Federalism - The Wire

Jitters, optimism with Gov. Bakers plan to reopen economy during the coronavirus pandemic – Milford Daily News

There are a range of opinions. But all agree that it's a tough balance between restarting the economy and keeping the public safe.

Business leaders, public health experts, and your average person on the street have opinions on whether now is the right time to start reopening the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to announce details of the initial phase of a gradual reopening of non-essential businesses.

Social worker Michael Santiago of Boston, who dropped by the Framingham post office on Rte. 30 on Friday to mail a package, said now is not the right time to take that step.

We dont know enough about the virus. People are provoking the governor, Santiago said, referring to what he feels are business interests pressuring the governor to get the economy moving again.

Barbara Gray of Framingham, who picked up a cup of coffee at a local Panera Bread restaurant, said, As long as its done in a responsible way and people respect the guidelines, its OK to reopen businesses in phases.

Some local public health officials said they need to see the details of Bakers plan before deciding if its the right move.

Framingham Public Health Director Sam Wong worries that reopening the economy too soon could create a spike of COVID-19 cases.

Wong believes the city is finally on the other side of the COVID-19 surge that has taken 69 lives and resulted in a total of 1,374 residents who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

However, a double whammy could be on the horizon, because Wong said the COVID-19 decline could drag on for months and coincide with this fall and winters flu season.

Worrisome is the word Wong used to describe a possible public health nightmare - another coronavirus surge that comes simultaneously with flu season.

Wong noted that many lives have been devastated economically by the pandemic, and it's important to find way to address the hardship as soon as possible.

Preview

Friday, Baker gave a preview of Mondays announcement, noting the reopening plan will encourage businesses to allow employees to work at home whenever possible. Some of the states largest employers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Raytheon, Wayfair, Takeda and MassMutual are committed to work-from-home polices for the foreseeable future, Baker said.

The governor also extended his order that has kept non-essential businesses shut down for two months. The order now expires at midnight Monday, instead of midnight Sunday.

Milford reports 525 confirmed COVID-19 cases through Wednesday.

Jacquelyn Murphy, the towns public health officer, said shes encouraged by daily case counts in Milford that are falling and what appears to be fewer cases at Milford Regional Medical Center. The hospital reported 29 suspected and confirmed cases on Friday.

Murphy isnt completely sold that now is the right time to start reopening the economy.

I guess Im a little skeptical, Murphy said.

She hopes representatives from local boards of health have had a seat at the table on Bakers task force that drafted plans for reopening the economy. Murphy feels that way because cities and towns will be enforcing the measures.

If Bakers plan is based on evidence that now is the right time to start reopening the economy, then Murphy said shes all for trying it, especially if it calls for reverting back to a stay-at-home order if COVID-19 numbers start climbing again.

Business reaction

The topic of reopening the economy is an important one for the roughly 450 businesses that are members of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce, the vast majority being small- and medium-sized businesses and non-profits.

Chamber President Jim Giammarinaro worries that many small businesses dont have the financial resources that some of the membership's larger businesses have to continue weathering the economic storm.

Giammarinaro described several potential economic landmines for small businesses.

One is the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal government emergency loan program that some small businesses didnt fully understand when they accepted the funds. The loans call for a portion that must be paid back, and Giammarinaro worries how these businesses are going to get the cash to start making initial payments on July 1.

Another concern is $600 weekly unemployment checks that are expected to stop coming by the end of July. Giammarinaro is concerned that such a scenario could become a crisis for some workers that can't find a job to fill the income gap.

Some will be in dire straits if they cant get back to work, Giammarinaro said.

Getting back to work is just one piece of the recovery puzzle.

Cities and towns need to put business licensing and permit applications on the fast track, Giammarinaro said.

And, any public health guidelines in Bakers reopening plan will likely be a challenge for resource strapped local public health departments to implement and enforce, according to Giammarinaro.

The result is small businesses that dont know if theyre meeting public health standards that could make them susceptible to costly liabilities.

Everyone is a little gun shy, Giammarinaro said to describe the feelings of small-business owners. They dont want to close because of a public health liability if theyre not doing business in a healthy way.

Good job

Nancy Salvaggi of Natick said Baker has done a good job managing the pandemic as she put some items in her car after shopping in Framingham. She understands its a balancing act to keep people safe while gradually reopening the economy.

Weve come this far. I would rather not go back to the way we were. We need a safe and gradual reopening for sure, Salvaggi said.

As he stood next to his parked car in the parking lot at the Framingham post office, Santiago said even if the economy starts reopening, some will be too scared to go out and spend money.

Santiago acknowledged he falls in that boat because he smokes and has high blood pressure.

We have a state of emergency. Just deal with it, Santiago said. Eventually, the economy will come back.

Henry Schwan is the health reporter for the Daily News. Follow Henry on Twitter @henrymetrowest. He can be reached at hschwan@wickedlocal.com or 508-626-3964.

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Jitters, optimism with Gov. Bakers plan to reopen economy during the coronavirus pandemic - Milford Daily News