GOP is roadblock to real progress in D.C. and more letters to the editors – Chattanooga Times Free Press

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I keep seeing comments from local conservatives that Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have been too busy impeaching Donald Trump to pass any bills or take care of any government business.

In fact, the House has passed more than 400 bills this year, dealing with pressing issues such as health care needs, our decaying infrastructure, immigration policy, and even updating the longstanding Violence Against Women Act. It is the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell, which has failed to debate or pass bills on these key issues.

And on Tuesday, the House approved President Trump's new North American trade deal and worked to meet a budget deadline. So members of the House are doing exactly what they need to do: take care of business, and impeach a president who has openly sought the help of foreign countries to help his own election campaigns.

Trump's actions have violated Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, and any honest senator, whether Republican or Democrat, would vote to convict him and remove him from office.

Allen Chesney

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Lee's stinginess hurts Tennesseans

Gov. Bill Lee withholding money from the poor is like those who solicit money for disaster relief, but only give out a portion of that money. Their excuses are that they are saving back for future disasters. Lee said there has been a reduction in the number of people needing assistance. He plans to use the money for other projects.

In a United Way report published recently, [TFP reporter] Joan McClane wrote that the number of Hamilton County families facing financial hardship has increased in recent years.

Gov. Lee didn't see that report apparently. He has lost my vote.

Janette Roberts

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Drug companies' ad spending out of whack

I am tired of listening to conservative media commentators justifying the exorbitant prices of pharmaceuticals on the claim that otherwise money would not be available for research for new breakthrough drugs.

How much money from these high prices goes to the rampant television commercials and other advertisements for prescription products now available?

Harry Geller

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More solar panel use needed in city

The energy from the sun is one of the most important characteristics needed for life as we know it on earth. Solar energy also has the power to be incorporated into modern technology by us in the form of solar panels. These solar panels take energy from the sun, and it is then converted into electricity.

This electricity we use every day to power our homes and businesses does not have to come from fossil fuels all the time. Incorporating more solar panels in downtown Chattanooga will allow for fewer of these nonrenewable resources to be used. These panels would be cost effective in a few years as a more natural source of power is generated.

Already the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is powered 100% by solar energy. Why can't more places in the Chattanooga area incorporate solar power?

Miranda Phillips

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GOP is roadblock to real progress in D.C. and more letters to the editors - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Work in Progress Review: The Queerest Show on TV Is About a Suicidal Butch With OCD – IndieWire

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Following the premiere of The L Word: Generation Q, queer audiences who lined up outside viewing parties for the nostalgia-TV event of the year would be wise to leave the TV on for another half-hour. If they do, they will be delightfully surprised by Work in Progress, the most radical queer show to ever make its way to television.

Showtimes new half-hour comedy stars co-writer Abby McEnany, a Chicago improv mainstay who created the show with director Tim Mason (Lilly Wachowski is also an EP and writer). The semi-autobiographical series follows Abby a suicidal, funny, heavyset butch with OCD as she embarks on a relationship with a much younger trans man. In the four half-hour episodes provided to critics, Work in Progress sensitively mines comedy from body shame, mental illness, trans literacy, consent, and gender policing all through Abbys hilariously neurotic point of view.

Playing a fictionalized version of herself, McEnany is able to navigate such otherwise heavy topics with lightness and humor because she is driving the narrative, both behind the scenes and on camera. She can be self-deprecating, exploring the various shades of self-loathing that come with having a body that doesnt fit into societys impossible standards, because she surrounds her character with loving friends and a hot young love interest. Behind the anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, the audience can rest easy knowing there is a writer who actually loves herself at least enough to make a hilarious TV show about her life. Abby the character may not see herself as desirable, but her show does.

Work in Progress opens with Abby telling her therapist of her plan to end it all, which involves throwing away an almond for every day of her life. The almonds provide a catchy structure to the episodes, their ritualistic plunk into the trash creating a pithy reminder of the stakes whenever things get too silly. And silly they get right away; after explaining her elaborate suicide plan, Abby realizes her therapist has died in session.

At lunch with her straight sister, Abby meets a cute waiter named Chris (The Politician star Theo Germaine), a trans man whom she initially mistakes for a baby dyke. The ensuing romance is unlike anything seen on TV before, and it unfurls with such a cute neuroticism its impossible not to root for these two. By putting an older butch dyke and a young trans man together, the show can explore more than one side to the experience of gender non-conforming people, an experience as varied and textured as humanity itself.

In the second episode, Abby schools her brother-in-law that, It is not the job of the queer community to educate the cis straight community on something they could easily learn from a public library. When she then allows his question, he has the right response: Yeah, Im good. But it doesnt feel like an after school special; Abby delivers this very important trans etiquette lesson in a flippant squawking tenor while sipping a Capri Sun that she needed help opening.

One of the shows most brilliant turns comes from an interaction with Julia Sweeney, the former Saturday Night Live cast member most famous for the gender-confusing character Pat. As Abby explains to Sweeney, who plays herself as well, Pats jokes stemmed from the fact that no one could tell if Pat was a man or a woman. With Chriss help, Abby confronts Sweeney over the character she says ruined her life, and Sweeney invites them over for dinner with her husband, played by a delightfully weird surprise guest star.

Surprisingly, one club scene in Work in Progress contains more diversity of bodies, gender expressions, and races than the entirety of The L Word: Generation Q. In yet another scene, Chriss crew of polyamorous Chicago queers feel authentic and real, but they arent presented with any glaring arrow announcing them as such. The show doesnt have to overly perform its queerness; its baked into its very existence. Every queer person knows someone like McEnany, (though maybe not as funny), but we almost never see people like her on TV. The title could just as well refer to Hollywoods slow-but-steady embrace of queer characters that look and behave like actual queer people. It is a work in progress, and it just took it a giant leap forward.

Grade: A-

Work in Progress premiered on Showtime on December 8.

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Work in Progress Review: The Queerest Show on TV Is About a Suicidal Butch With OCD - IndieWire

State of the marijuana industry: Progress in Congress, red tape mark national cannabis landscape – The Nevada Independent

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Its been a big year for the cannabis industry, with progress on measures to remove marijuana from its highly stigmatized federal status, open up banking for hemp and bring legalized marijuana to new states.

But thats not to say there isnt still agonizing regulation as a main roadblock to the growth of businesses and investing in the industry, observers said Wednesday at the opening sessions of the Marijuana Business Conference & Expo (MJBizCon). The comments came during a state of the industry presentation that touched on marijuana-related achievements, setbacks and what industry participants should look out for in the years to come.

As we enter the 2020s, resolutions to those business issues that have plagued this industry, in some ways, feel closer than ever. And dare I say, they feel inevitable, said Marijuana Business Daily CEO Cassandra Farrington during the conference, which is taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Top of mind for marijuana-related businesses are the policy twists and turns in the White House and legislative chambers.

Under President Trump there were fears for crackdown, [but] it didnt really materialize it in any fashion. He basically ignored the issue, said Marijuana Business Daily President Chris Walsh.

The ongoing presidential campaign brings its own uncertainties.

On the Democratic side, we dont know. Joe Biden has not really been friendly to the idea of legalization, Walsh added.

The conference, put on by the publication Marijuana Business Daily, received a warm welcome from Clark County and the City of Las Vegas, who proclaimed the entire week MJBizConWeek. Since Nevada legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, the market has had its share of growing pains.

Upon learning of foreign interests who allegedly made illegal campaign donations to try to obtain a marijuana license, Gov. Steve Sisolaks office issued an indefinite moratorium on the transfer of licenses in October. The governor also called for the creation of a cannabis task force to root out potential corruption or criminal influences, and aid in creating a stronger vetting process for issuing licenses.

In Washington, D.C., there are signs of forward motion for policies that have long struggled to gain political traction.

Walsh said that the 2018 Farm Bill a bill signed by Trump that loosens restrictions on the production of hemp, a non psychoactive variety of the cannabis plant could shift politicians view of marijuana toward seeing it as just another plant, and open the gates wider to legalization as perceptions change. Last week, federal regulators gave the OK for banks to extend full financial services to hemp cultivators.

Walshs state of the industry presentation also highlighted the SAFE Banking Act, which passed in September with approval from 229 Democrats and 91 Republicans in the House of Representatives, and has moved on to a Senate committee. The bill would make it legal for financial institutions to provide services to licensed marijuana businesses, without fear of federal penalties that come with aiding and abetting the sale of federally controlled substances.

In November, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which is considered the first marijuana legalization bill to be approved by a congressional committee. The Act includes removing marijuana from the Schedule 1 list, requiring federal courts to expunge records for certain past convictions, and lays guidelines for an equity initiative to reinvest in communities that have been negatively affected by convictions for marijuana-related crimes.

Walsh said the SAFE Banking and MORE Acts werent groundbreaking in themselves, in that they arent going to change the industry immediately, but that they were a step in the right direction. Currently, 11 states have legalized a recreational market and 33 have legalized medical marijuana.

Illinois, which became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana through legislative action (rather than a ballot initiative) this year, was deemed an absolute highlight of the year. Walsh said that capping the number of retail stores at 500 will limit the initial growth of the industry in Illinois.

While limiting growth might sound counterintuitive for those eager to see the legal marijuana industry grow, Walsh said it might be key to preventing the game of survival, playing out in California since the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2018. Business license applicants rushing into the market might not be ready for the rapidly changing regulations and investing landscape of the young industry.

Whos hurting the most? It is companies that overestimated the market and scaled too aggressively They cant even launch their business because of some ridiculous regulation or ban, Walsh said. A lot of the companies are victims of circumstances playing out in California again with the bans and the regulatory affairs.

Regulatory chaos, licensing issues, a lack of support from regional governments opting out of the recreational market, and tax hikes were some reasons Walsh listed to explain why current and prospective business owners, as well as investors, have become discouraged in the California market. A recent tax hike on marijuana businesses has been criticized for pushing businesses out of the legal market and consumers into the illegal market.

New York and New Jersey seemed to be on the verge of legalizing recreational marijuana in 2019, but fell short of expectations, because of disagreement over regulations, taxes [and] social equity, according to Walsh. He encouraged an optimistic outlook to these early developments, and is confident the push will come to fruition.

The bottom line is, [New York and New Jersey] will legalize [recreational marijuana] once they come to an agreement on some important issues, he said.

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State of the marijuana industry: Progress in Congress, red tape mark national cannabis landscape - The Nevada Independent

Covering the opioid epidemic: Despair and bravery, helplessness, iron will and way too much death – The Cincinnati Enquirer

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They were hiding.

Even when they were in recovery from addiction, they were afraid to tell their stories.

It was a struggle seven years ago, as more people started to dieduringtheheroin and prescription-painkiller epidemic, to get anyone who'd been through it to talk about it. Often,their parents were hiding, too.

Then it became evident to many moms of addicted children that they had to speak out,bluntly. There seemed to be no other way to stop this massive public health crisis.

This was the precursor to my current heroin beat, in 2012 and 2013. Yes, the opioid epidemic had been snaking through our communities for about a dozen years, but this waswhen accidental overdose deaths started outnumberingtraffic fatalities.

Heroin had driven into the scene and it seemed that every idyllic suburb of Northern Kentucky was afflicted. (I was in our Kentucky office back then.) We were at Ground Zero.

Noel Stegner of Fort Thomas walks in Evergreen Cemetery in Southgate where his grandson, Nicholas Specht, was buried after he died from an overdose in 2013. This was Stegner's first trip back to the cemetery.Enquirer file

Many simply could not believe it was happening here. A young man overdosed in his girlfriend's bedroom in a lavish home in Boone County and when paramedics rang the doorbell, the adults there were dumbfounded. Overdose here? No.

This, it seemed, was the beginning of a tumult of deaths of our neighbors.

The beginning is what it felt like, even though one dead young man's mom in Northern Kentucky had been crying out for help for more than a decade already. First, for her son. Then, for others' sons and daughters.

Charlotte Wethington, of Morning View, Kentucky, an advocate for people with substance-use disorder since 2002, when her son, Matthew "Casey" Wethington, died from an overdose.Enquirer file

Charlotte Wethington, of Morning View,tried repeatedly to get health care for son Casey, who was drowning in a heroinaddiction that no one could figure out. She was told that she'd have to wait for him to "hit rock bottom" before he could recover.

Without addiction treatment, Casey died in 2002, at 23.

The tears I watched spill from Charlotte's eyes were just the first. From then on, I'd listen to anguished mothers who could not protect their children. I'd get calls from worried moms whose kids were calling them because they were sick from withdrawalin a jail cell. From frightened parents whose sons or daughters had relapsedand disappeared with the family car or a credit card.

It was Charlotte who started collecting the mothers of addicted children to offer them hope, promoting a law the Matthew "Casey" WethingtonAct for Substance Abuse Intervention that she'd gotten the Kentucky General Assembly to pass. Now known simply at "Casey's Law," the legislation lets family or friendsseek treatment for loved ones with addiction who refuse help.

I also remember when most of these families depended on trial and error for help. Go to a doctor? Why? Most doctorshad no clue how to treat their disease.

I remember talking to the cops, because this was before health departments were involved in what was clearly a public health disaster. The cops threw up their hands.

People would puzzle and argue over this thing called "harm reduction." (They still do, but more are on board now.) It was a new idea for our region and questioned by even the most well-meaning.Should we work to keep people alive as they inject themselves with an illicit drug? Should we keep them safe and give them help and hold their hand loosely instead of locking them up or letting them march to their deaths?

There was no needle exchange here then.

Christi Woodruff died in April 2011 from a blood infection that started in her arm from a contaminated needle and wound up in her heart. She was 30. Her mother, Jenni Woodruff of Alexandria, was helpless to protect her.

Jenni Woodruff (left), weeps as she clutches a poster with her daughter Christi's photograph. This was in Frankfort, Kentucky, where she was trying to convince legislators to approve needle exchange.Enquirer file

Kentucky legislatorschanged the law in 2015, after Jenni testified at a hearing. She carried with her ahand-made poster emblazoned with a photo of her daughter. But the rigmarole to put the law into action, wow. Campbell and Kenton counties' exchanges, with conditions, were finally established in mid-2018. Boone County still doesn't have one.

In Greater Cincinnati, a mighty, mostly volunteer needle-exchange efforton a shoestring budget started in 2014. Four years later,Hamilton County Public Health, with others, started paying for needle exchange siteswith a vow to sustain them.

Nicholas Specht stopped breathing at 30 years old in August 2013 behind a bathroom door at his parents' Fort Thomas home. He'd overdosed. And when the police arrived, they couldn't help. They had nothingto revive him. Neither did his parents.

"I didn't know what naloxone was," said his father, Eric Specht.

I remember that, too. How does this opioid overdose antidote work? How do you pronounce that? How do you even spell it?

The family created the nonprofit NKY Hates Heroin, which advocates for, and raises funds for, treatment and recovery help.

Holly and Eric Specht attend hearings in Frankfort to advocate for comprehensive heroin legislation in 2015.Enquirer file

I remember the talk, early on, of a "Lazarus drug." It'd been approved for use among emergency medical caregivers in 1971, but if you were at risk of overdose you could forget about your family or a friend carrying it. You could not get it,even though it's a non-narcotic that, if given to someone who's not overdosing will only hurt for a second, as if a squirt of water is beingshot up their nose.

I watched as busloads of people in recovery were taken to a cold, Falmouth storefront where there was no running water, where a grass-roots group including a doctor, some moms, a couple of nurses and a few activists trained people to use naloxone. It was a rogue endeavor. Naloxone hadn't been approved yet to be handed out this way.

When it was,NKY Hates Heroin helped to disseminate naloxone.

We've gotten better. We need to do more. It's what I think about every day.

Twice a year, (birthday and death day) and more randomly in between, I see Facebook posts from a mother I met in 2015, sobbing and shaking seven months after her 22-year-old son died from a heroin overdose.

The irony here is that Coty's mom, Rhonda Dupuy, had made an appointment for him to get medication-assisted treatment, which shows the most promise in keeping opioid users alive and stable enough to respond to therapy. Then, she said, "there was a holdup with insurance."

The appointment was delayed until May 27. Coty used one more time and died May 25.

Rhonda Dupuy of Dry Ridge (right) accepts a hug from Pennie Tacket of Taylor Mill just months after Coty Glass, Rhonda's son (in photograph she holds) died from an overdose.Enquirer file

These parents are just a smattering of the bewildered and heartbroken I've met since I started covering this nationwide crisis that has dug in and hunkered down in our communities.

I am privileged to do it.

I got to talk, early on, to experts from New York City who'd been using harm-reduction tactics since 1994 to help protect those vulnerable to HIV. We still talk. We are on a first-name basis. (Oh and HIV? Yes, that's another symptom of the epidemic that hit here, as predicted.)

I was lucky enough in 2016, thanks to The Enquirer's then-Editor Peter Bhatia, to be giventime and space to develop an expertise in addiction and, particularly, opioid addiction. I've met and routinely conversed with some of the world's leading researchers and specialists in addiction and with those fighting it on the ground.

I wrote about Baltimore's kitchen-sink approach to overdoses. Thatcity had been lauded for making sweeping attempts to keep people alive after a devastating year of deaths, so our editors agreed to let me go there to witness it.

Baltimore overdose response prevention trainers Nathan Fields, center, and Miriam Alvarez, show residents how to use naloxone, in 2016.Enquirer file

My partner, photographer Carrie Cochran, and I went with public health agents to some of the grittiest Baltimore streets. About a quarter-block from a corner store where the addicted stood and waited for a black SUV to pull up with drugs they needed, the harm-reductionists set up a table and went to work.

Then-health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen had blanketed the prescription of naloxone to all 620,000 Baltimore residents.

Health department agents went to the streets with folding tables and displays of naloxone andtold curious passersby that they could be first-responders and save lives. People stopped and listened, learned and left with this life-saving medication.

After that story published, I heard from someone from Hamilton County Public Health who thought the comparison of cities was unfair. Yet, here we are, three years later, and similar programs, plus others, have been established in Greater Cincinnati.

From September 2017 to September 2019, the Hamilton County Narcan Distribution Collaborativedistributed 37,750 kits.

So sometimes, you have to stop and look at how far we've come. You just have to.

In southwest Ohio, we used to have weeks-long waiting lists at treatment centers to be seenfor a health condition that could kill someone any minute.

Now the average wait time is 48 hours or less. Not perfect, but better.

Some hospitals (Mercy Health, for one) are offering medication-assisted treatment to those who've overdosed to help them wait out the time before they get into treatment. And St. Elizabeth in Northern Kentuckyis getting some patients from the emergency room to Journey Recovery Center outpatient services within just eighthours.

Some police departments (Alexandria was first here) even have Angel programs, where people can come in, turn in drugs and get help without being arrested.

The terrible still happens.

I remember reporting about a mother who arranged for her daughter to get heroin in the Kenton County jail. How could a mother do that? People were shocked. The mother suffered from addiction, too. Could she have been trying to spare her daughter the pain of withdrawal? It was a question I had to ask, though no answer came.

The daughter died. The mother was convicted of trafficking to her daughter. There is no sadder story.

Jamie Green of Northern Kentucky, pictured here with her daughter, Brooklyn, died from a heroin and fentanyl overdose in the Kenton County jail.Provided

That jail has evidence-based treatment now for inmates.

And what about fentanyl?Remember when that turned up? It's been on the streets about half as long as I've had this beat.

This is the drug that had officials dropping their jaws because of its strength. At first, itwas being sold mixed with heroin to unwitting buyers.

Remember when more than 170 people overdosed in Hamilton County in a week? I do. That wasfentanyl unleashedon the unsuspecting.

Part of that catastrophe came from another synthetic opiate that was new to the streets, carfentanil. I remember an expert telling me this was a "large-animal opioid."

"Horse?" I asked.

"Elephant," he said.

And that's why I dubbed it "the elephant opioid" in my stories for a while. That phrase got picked up by all kinds of national and international media.

About a year later, I was hearing about even moredeath and fruitless attempts at help. It was:Sure, we can revive you, but get you into treatment afterward? No.

Paramedics and family services workers were exhausted from it all.One paramedic told me in 2017 that he remembered thehair on the back of his neck would stand on end as he headed out on an overdose call. Not anymore, he said. Too common.

Cops and medics were taking care of little children whose parents were not waking up when the children found them. One child in our region called a relative to say his parents seemed frozen at the dinner table. They were dead from an overdose.

I was seeing evidence of our crisison the streets (sometimes in the weary faces of young women trafficked and addicted), hearing it in phone calls and from families and former users in the region, seeing it in coroner reports and posts on Facebook. And more.

I'm still asking why. I'm still reporting on an evolving system of help and prevention and hope.

But there is progress.

More people are recognizing the threat of addiction and how it can happen to anyone and that there is no place for discrimination and bias against these victims of a chronic health condition.

Theres a nodnowto the need for more recovery support. We have certified peer mentors who help guide people in recovery. We have more programs that try to keep families together by providing in-home care. We are focusing more on caring for the children of those with addiction.

The overdose deaths, for the first time in years, dropped in Ohio and Kentucky in 2018.

The outcry for help from the opioid-epidemic warriors the people living the nightmare has been heard.

We have fierce, loud, determined and educated voices and stories with names and faces attached.

Theres a lot less hiding, now.

What's next in this crisis?

I plan to find out.

Heroin: Reclaiming livesThe Enquirer

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Covering the opioid epidemic: Despair and bravery, helplessness, iron will and way too much death - The Cincinnati Enquirer

Park in honor of Indianapolis icon still in progress over four years later – WRTV Indianapolis

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INDIANAPOLIS There are questions about the future of a park in honor of an Indy icon.

Charles Williams was an iconic leader of the Indiana Black Expo and the Indianapolis community.

The Rev. Charles R. Williams Park sits across the street from the home of Lois Love Hill, on the near north side. Hill has lived in the neighborhood for more than six decades.

"Charles was helping out here," Hill said. "Charles was in the churches preaching about how they had to help us; to come together."

In 2002, Williams would face his biggest enemy cancer.

Following his death in 2004, a piece of property near Fall Creek Parkway was named in his honor as a park in 2015.

At a recent Black Expo planning meeting for its 50th year, a man raised concerns about the park, demanding answers.

RTV6/Jason Strong

"I don't see any point in having his name stuck in the ground over there, and doing nothing with the property that they say is Charles Williams park," Hill said.

The creation of the park did come with a blueprint calling for a playground, parking lot, performance shelter, and a trail connected to the Monon and Fall Creek greenways.

At the time, developing the park was priced at $1.7 million. The progress is on hold as an advisory group, which oversees the property, has been meeting for about six months about the park's future.

"I want a park. I want a safe park," Hill said.

At this time, the advisory group that oversees the property is waiting for a $1.5 million grant, according to the group's president Robert Caldwell.

Caldwell just happens to be the fiance of Reverend Williams' daughter and he says they're on a personal quest to make sure the park gets built, and built the right way.

The original cost was $1.7 million. Once the group gets the money, they will update their design to reflect the budget.

Indy Parks submitted a statement to RTV6 about the Charles Williams Park, saying:

"In 2015, Indy Parks was honored to lead efforts for the Rev. Charles R. Williams Park master plan, which brought residents, community leaders, and other groups together to create a blueprint for future park amenities. The plan highlighted the addition of a playground, parking lot, spray ground, performance shelter, bocce ball courts, horseshoe pits, and trail connecting to the Monon and Fall Creek Greenways. Until funding and resources are identified and secured, our team will continue to be an advocate for this park through discussions with groups and with potential funders on the value of enhancing the existing space and through our partnership with the newly formed Rev. Charles R. Williams Park advisory group. As with any major park redevelopment project, it will take a strong community effort and support to truly transform and enhance Rev. Charles R. Williams Park."

Rev. Charles Williams Park3200 Block of Sutherland Ave.

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Park in honor of Indianapolis icon still in progress over four years later - WRTV Indianapolis

Chart: Two decades of progress in the world’s poorest countries – World Bank Group

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The last two decades have seen significant progress in many of the world's poorest countries.The extreme poverty rate fell from more than 50% to about 30%. Child mortality declined from nearly 14% to 7%. Access to electricity increased by 57% and the share of people using at least basic drinking water and sanitation services increased by 22% and 41%, respectively, among other results. The International Development Association (IDA) is one of the largest sources of funding for fighting extreme poverty in the worlds poorest countries. IDA provides zero- or low-interest loans and grants to countries for projects and programs that boost economic growth, build resilience, and improve the lives of poor people around the world. Since 1960, IDA has provided more than $391 billion for investments in 113 countries. As an institution of the World Bank Group, IDA combines global expertise with an exclusive focus on reducing poverty and boosting prosperity in the worlds poorest countries.

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Chart: Two decades of progress in the world's poorest countries - World Bank Group

Salarius Pharmaceuticals to Present Trial-in-Progress Poster at Epigenetics Symposium: 15 Years of Lysine Demethylases: From Discovery to the Clinic -…

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Presentation Will Provide Overview of Ongoing Clinical Trial of Salarius Lead Drug Candidate, Seclidemstat, in Ewing Sarcoma

HOUSTON, Dec. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SLRX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company targeting the epigenetic causes of cancer, announced today the acceptance of an abstract at the Epigenetics Symposium: 15 Years of Lysine Demethylases: From Discovery to the Clinic taking place Monday, December 16, 2019 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. The trial-in-progress poster presentation will include an overview of the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Salarius lead drug candidate, Seclidemstat, a potent reversible LSD1 inhibitor being developed as a treatment for Ewing sarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer.

Details of the symposium and poster presentation are as follows:

Abstract Title: Trials in progress: A phase I/II clinical trial of the reversible LSD1 inhibitor, seclidemstat, in patients with relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcomaWhere: The Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street, PhiladelphiaWhen: Monday, December 16, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. EST to 7 p.m. ESTSymposium Website: Epigenetics Symposium: 15 Years of Lysine Demethylases: From Discovery to the Clinic

The Epigenetics Symposium is an ideal event to showcase our progress bringing our lead drug candidate, Seclidemstat, into the clinic and the impact it could have on Ewing sarcoma, a rare and deadly bone cancer that most often strikes children and young adults and for which there are no targeted therapies approved, stated David Arthur, Chief Executive Officer of Salarius Pharmaceuticals. Lysine demethylase enzymes are a well-known target for epigenetic-based drug development. We have developed Seclidemstat to be a differentiated LSD1 inhibitor, and we are excited that it has reached the clinical trial setting where its safety and therapeutic activity can be assessed. Research shows that LSD1 expression is elevated in 60% of Ewing sarcoma patients and correlates with poor patient prognosis and decreased overall survival. Given the potential of Seclidemstat to address this great unmet need, we look forward to releasing early cohort data next year from our Ewing sarcoma study and a Phase 1 study in advanced solid tumors.

About Salarius PharmaceuticalsSalarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage oncology company targeting the epigenetic causes of cancers and is developing treatments for patients that need them the most. Epigenetics refers to the regulatory system that affects gene expression. In some cancers, epigenetic regulators often become dysregulated and incorrectly turn genes on or off leading to cancer progression. Drugs that can safely modify the activity of these epigenetic regulators may correct the gene changes that are driving the disease. The companys lead candidate, Seclidemstat, is currently in clinical development for treating Ewing sarcoma, for which it has Orphan Drug designation and Rare Pediatric Disease designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Salarius believes that Seclidemstat is one of only two reversible inhibitors of the epigenetic modulator LSD1 currently in human trials, and that it could have potential for improved safety and efficacy compared to other LSD1-targeted therapies. Salarius is also developing Seclidemstat for several cancers with high unmet medical need, with a second Phase 1 clinical study in advanced solid tumors, including prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Salarius receives financial support from the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to advance the Ewing sarcoma clinical program and is also the recipient of an $18.7 million Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). For more information, please visit salariuspharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as will, can, could, believe, plan, allow, expect, provide, able to, position, anticipate, progress, potential, and similar terms or expressions or the negative thereof. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the progress in bringing Seclidemstat into the clinic and the impact it could have on Ewing sarcoma; the development of Seclidemstat to be a differentiated LSD1 inhibitor; the potential of Seclidemstat; anticipated timing of release of early cohort data from the companys Ewing sarcoma study and a Phase 1 study in advanced solid tumors; the companys belief that Seclidemstat is one of only two reversible inhibitors of LSD1 currently in human trials and that it could have potential for improved safety and efficacy compared to other LSD1-targeted therapies; and the companys development of Seclidemstat for several cancers with high unmet medical need, including prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Salarius may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or objectives disclosed in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the ability of the company to raise additional capital to meet the companys business operational needs and to achieve its business objectives and strategy; the companys ability to project future capital needs and cash utilization; available sources of cash, including from CPRIT and its equity line; future clinical trial results; that the results of studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results; the sufficiency of Salarius intellectual property protection; risks related to the drug development and the regulatory approval process; the competitive landscape and other industry-related risks; market conditions which may impact the ability of Salarius to access capital under its equity line; the possibility of unexpected expenses or other uses of Salarius cash resources; and other risks described in Salarius filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those under the heading Risk Factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on managements assumptions and estimates as of such date. Salarius disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

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Contacts Investor Relations LifeSci Advisors, LLCJeremy FefferManaging Director(212) 915-2568 jeremy@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Relations: Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.Johanna BennettSenior Vice President (212) 375-2686 jbennett@tiberend.com

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Salarius Pharmaceuticals to Present Trial-in-Progress Poster at Epigenetics Symposium: 15 Years of Lysine Demethylases: From Discovery to the Clinic -...

Man shares how he saved 570k and retired at the age of 24 – Metro.co.uk

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Mike, who retired at the age of 24, and his wife Alyse (Picture: Mike Rosehart / SWNS)

Mike Rosehart is just 27 years old but hes already been retired for three years, having quit work at the grand old age of 24 once he had saved up 578,132.

Yep, get ready to feel like a financial failure.

Mike is another proponent of the FIRE Financial Independence Retire Early movement, which has previously helped a mum and dad to save millions in the space of eight years.

The former IT business analyst says that theres no big secret: he just saved aggressively, lived frugally, and bought his first home at the age of 19 instead of renting.

Mike also believes that anyone and everyone can achieve financial independence and stop needing to work with a little financial wizardry hes even taken in three mentees to teach them his saving skills.

Mike said: The secret to retiring early is: spend less, earn more and maximize the returns on the difference.

The hard part is executing it. Most of us cant resist the Starbucks, the trip abroad or the new cellphone. Delayed gratification is the secret to FIRE.

Okay. Delayed gratification. Write that on your hand and look at it the next time you fancy a sweet treat or a jazzy jumper on the way home from work.

Mike hit upon the idea of retiring early when he was studying at the Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada, in 2010.

He came across Early Retirement Extreme, a book about becoming financially independent on a median salary by Danish astrophysicist Jacob Lund Fisker.

He said: I was in my first year at university and I was working on a project about the psychology of happiness.

I went deep into a wormhole on the internet and I came across Jacob Lund Fisker. He started the spark for me. His thesis was that anyone can retire in five years.

I thought: Hey, Im 17, Im young and eager. I realised that what makes you happy is freedom and the ability to do what you want in your life.

Mikes then-girlfriend, now wife, Alyse, found this new approach to spending tough at first, as many of us would.

But Mike kept reminding her that those little spends could add up and prevent the pair from fulfilling their long-term goals.

Alyse and I have been together since we were 16. I wouldnt say shes a crazy spender but she likes her Starbucks, Mike said.

She wanted to have kids young so I explained that if we were able to retire early we could be there for our kids. I told her we just had to cut our spending in half. It took me over a year to get her on board.

Every time she bought Starbucks, I said: That cost us two more days away from our kids.

Before you go thinking well, its easy to save a load of money if you have rich parents and dont have to rent, Mike is quick to say that he didnt grow up with wealth.

He was raised by a single mother on the poverty line and received scholarships to go to university. When he embarked on the FIRE plan he was working at coffee and doughnut shop Tim Hortons, earning slightly above minimum wage.

That meant making sacrifices and living below his means to save for the future.

He explains: I saved aggressively. In my second year of university, I rented a bedroom for 200 when the market rent would have been 315.

It was 7ft by 8.5ft but it was perfect for me. I just needed a place to sleep. Then I got a tiny apartment with my girlfriend for just 346 a month.

We even shared the internet with the neighbours and gave them 3-a-month. I cycled everywhere instead of getting a vehicle.

I found a bike that someone was giving away on the Craigslist of Canada.

Scrimping on rent allowed Mike to buy a home at the age of 19, putting down a deposit on a 115,626 cottage in London, Ontario (the one in Canada, not Englands capital).

Once the home was his, it was time to rent part of it out.

It was a tiny little cottage, the cheapest house I could find in London [Ontario], he said. We put down 22,515 half of that was money we had saved and half of it was our student line of credit.

We rented every room in it and so it was earning money for us. We had four other roommates.

The guy in our basement apartment was paying our mortgage. We graduated debt-free and with money in the bank.

When it came to getting married, Mike and Alyse made sure to keep costs down, spending around 2,890 on the wedding and using points they had gained on credit cards to go to Brazil for the honeymoon, staying with a friend so they didnt have to spend more on accommodation.

After graduating, Mike took on a job in consulting that paid 31,950, while Alyse worked as a graphic designer, making 20,157 a year. Thats not a load of money, but the couple were determined to make the most of it.

They began to use nearly all of Mikes salary to buy up properties and start renting them out, living on slightly less than half of Alyses saving then putting anything left over straight in savings.

Over the course of three years, they were able to buy 10 properties.

In 2016 the couple welcomed their first child, Emma, and one year later, in February 2017, Mike handed in his notice, having sold 11 properties and saved 578,132 the 25 times his yearly living expenses that FIRE recommends saving.

Mike said: I knew I needed 368,925 to retire and I had, in equity of my property, just under 578,132.

I went into my bosss office and he told me that my job would be there when I came back in six months time.

He thought I was having a quarter-life crisis.

In 2019 the couple had a second child, Arielle.

Mike admits that despite being a dad-of-two, he still had to find ways to fill the time left behind by retiring by 24. He started gaming at first, then decided to create a group in the area for other people who want to follow the FIRE system. They now do a monthly meetup.

While hes no longer in employment, Mike does still make money. He describes property as a passion and so buys houses, redesigns and redecorates them, then sells them on.

Thats what generates income by accident, he explains. I made 34,610 this year without even trying. If you chase your hobbies, youll probably make more money.

He also spreads the message of FIRE on his YouTube channel and has made his own mentorship program with four men who live in his rental properties.

The family still live a good life and their monthly outgoings are around 1,750 a month.

Theyre going to Florida in January and plan to go to Disney World after that but will make sure to hunt for deals when it comes to travel.

Are you an expert saver who fancies sharing their wisdom with the world? Or do you have any budgeting tips and tricks we should know? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Man shares how he saved 570k and retired at the age of 24 - Metro.co.uk

What this man regrets about going from $2.26 to $1 million in five years – MarketWatch

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In five years, Grant Sabatier went from having just a few bucks in his bank account to more than $1 million and he did it through side hustles, sacrifice and investing. But if he had to do it all over again, he said he probably wouldnt have done it quite the same way.

He made many trade-offs, and a few mistakes, like making money my God and chasing the next thing, no matter what, he admitted.

See: This FIRE couple wants to help create more black millionaires

The young millionaire, who blogs at MillennialMoney.com and is the author of Financial Freedom, accomplished financial independence by making small goals for himself first, shooting to save $1,000, then $2,000, then $4,000. As he reached his goals, hed double them. We usually focus on the million-dollar goal or retiring early, and while it is important to set goals, dont let those goals distract you from taking the next step, he said. Starting small and consistently doubling his figures made the goal accessible, mentally and physically. If you are completely in debt and you dont have anything saved, just save your first $1,000, and see how it makes you feel, he said. Youll feel better than you thought you would.

But there needs to be balance, something he did not account for on his path to $1 million. That means enjoying life, and that looks differently for everyone. Stripping yourself of experiences and items that are meaningful can backfire. Sabatier said he had to detox after five years of working 100-hour weeks and traveling, for example.

Hitting a financial goal should be less about quantitative reasons, like having $1 million in an investment portfolio, and more about qualitative reasons, like leaving a job you hate or paying for an annual family trip. Its about looking at your life. Do you feel like youre growing? Do you feel like youre in a place you like and you have friends you like? Do you like your life? Sabatier said. If the answer to that question is no, then the first place you need to look is your money.

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What this man regrets about going from $2.26 to $1 million in five years - MarketWatch

17 habits of self-made millionaires who retired early – Business Insider

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It takes a lot of diligence and dedication to retire early as a self-made millionaire.

Some have done it as young as 28, while others achieve financial independence in their 50s. Either way, early retirement isn't a feat everyone can manage.

As the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement has grown, Business Insider has spoken with many early retirees. They tend to share some common habits that helped them get to where they are today and maintain their financial independence.

Early retirees typically begin on the same path: assessing their financial state, cutting back on expenses, and diligently tracking their progress and spending habits. Once retired, they tend to spend even less and often move to areas with a lower cost of living, focusing on experiences and living a life they love filled with hobbies and travel.

Here are 17 habits of self-made millionaires who retired early.

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17 habits of self-made millionaires who retired early - Business Insider

Heres how community lending could help refugees find their feet – The European Sting

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This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration ofThe European Stingwith theWorld Economic Forum.

Author: Rya G. Kuewor, Executive Director, RIO

Entrepreneurship is often proposed as the ideal way for refugees to achieve financial independence; while others say savings and lending services is the key. The ideal solution may, in fact, be a blend of those two approaches working in tandem.

Apart from political and policy complications from certain refugee host nations, geographical restrictions, or the lack of adequate infrastructure, one major roadblock to helping refugees become economically independent is the dependency on aid, especially in the form of refugee camps, which incorporate services that meet refugee needs and are usually funded by large organizations and governments.

Aid and the refugee camp structure is not a sustainable method of financial inclusion or integration. It was meant as a short-term solution until refugees could return to their countries of origin. Refugee and displacement issues are not getting better; they are on the rise, and more innovative ways will be needed to cater for many of them as the process of receiving aid from donor organizations and governments is not the most suitable method.

Imagine a setting where aid that would originally have been spread across a refugee camp would be dedicated solely to the refugees who are children, elderly people, or those in need of medical attention in short, refugees who are unable to work for tangible reasons. It would mean saving funds to be used to help such refugees in other settings.

The question now would be, how do we create a refugee community beyond aid one that uses the remaining population of refugees who are well and willing to work?

In several situations, when we hear about refugees, the assumption is that they are naturally dependent because they have no skills. It is important to recall that refugees are people who had lives, jobs, and responsibilities before they became displaced. Thus, creating a refugee community beyond aid is not a reinvention of the wheel, as the solution has been implemented either in independent situations, in non-refugee settings, or on a much smaller scale.

To arrive at a place where this method is successful on a wider scale, simple assessments are necessary. We know from history and statistics that only a small percentage of refugees will return to their countries.

Kivas success with no-interest funds for refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP).

Image: Kiva

As a rule, not everyone who is able to work wants to do so. Not everyone will become an entrepreneur, and not everyone will work well with money on the condition of starting a business. In light of this, pre-programme assessments are important for successful applications. The assessments may include:

Orientations to enable the creation of proper familiarity between supervisors, the host community, and projects.

Grouping, which involves helping participants to settle into peer groups in which they feel comfortable. This is important because certain communities within refugee settings do not work well together.

Idea-networking within the separate groups (taking market analysis of needs into account).

Direct discussions on implementation with the refugees to ensure that ownership by the participants is installed and reiterated where necessary.

And self-reflection exercises to ground the participants into their individual or group decisions. The grouping is important for accountability amongst each other.

The Windmill Refugee Loan Program, a character-based community lending programme that requires no collateral, is one such programme that has already had some success.

In countries where refugees are permanent or long-term residents, and where they have the right to work and own properties, for example, the blend of enterprise and access to low or no-interest funds would be appropriate as a more sustainable way to achieve financial independence.

Refugees who, by default, have come to be financially dependent, are feasible and tested candidates for this sort of trust and character-based funding because they seldom have collateral to submit for funding.

Mohammed Yunus and the crisis in Venezuela

Professor Mohammed Yunus and his Grameen Bank have a process to help people out of (extreme) poverty, which is also more effective than individual entrepreneurship or business training and self-funding.

Recently, due to the crash of the Venezuelan economy, 2.3 million Venezuelans 7% of the population according to UN estimates, have fled the country; most of them to neighbouring Colombia. What would the economic independence solutions be for these migrants who very well need to be fed, housed, and otherwise cared for, especially considering an estimated 4 million Venezuelans may live in Colombia by 2021?

The need for innovation and a different sort of thinking in this field of integration and economic development has become jarringly apparent. The interrelation between the 6.3 million Syrian refugees, the 2.4 million South Sudanese refugees, and the 2.3 million Venezuelan migrants, for example, is the fact that they are people who possess useful skills and need to be economically integrated.

As of 2017, the Global Trends Report from the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, recorded an estimated 70.8 million forcibly displaced people, telling us that our solutions need to be able to reach more people faster. The graph below sheds more light on the number of displaced people from 2009 to 2018.

UNHCR Global Trends Report, 2018

Image: UNHCR

Implementing the fusion of micro-credit and business in applicable refugee and migrant settings would remove the burden of funding from refugee and migrant-focused organizations like the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, as well as governments.

The present go-to methods of camps, skills training, and small-scale donor funding for small numbers of refugees, or migrant initiatives for long-term or permanent residents, are no longer the most effective because of the terrible increase in displaced people around the world.

This new approach has already been piloted by the likes of the Grameen Bank, RIO (Refugee Integration Organisation), Kiva, and the Windmill Micro-Lending company. By exponentially implementing this, we would not be reinventing the wheel we would simply be scaling up an already successful solution.

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Heres how community lending could help refugees find their feet - The European Sting

These 5 Factors Will Tell You How Much You Really Need to Retire – The Motley Fool

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If you search the internet looking for how much cash you need to retire, you'll find estimates ranging from $1 millionto $10 million. That's about as helpful as a mechanical pencil with no lead, particularly if your retirement savings are currently well short of seven figures.

A definitive, realistic savings target for retirement is the cornerstone of your long-term savings plan. Without it, you're flying blind. So grab some lead for that pencil and let's figure out what your magic number is.

Image source: Getty Images.

As a first step, you should understand a concept called the 4% rule. Financial experts say that in retirement you can safely withdraw about 4% of your savings each year. If you have $1 million in your retirement plans,you can live off $40,000 annually. At that rate, your risk of running dry is very low. In later years, you can adjust that figure up for inflation.

The 4% rule is not an exact science. It doesn't account for volatility in the market or your unique financial situation. But it is useful to make ballpark estimates. Know that the numbers will be starting points for retirement planning, and will require adjustment as your finances evolve.

Before you pull out your calculator, think about the lifestyle that you want in retirement. There is an early retirement movement called FIRE, or Financial Independence Retire Early. Proponents of FIRE save high percentages of their incomes so they can retire before reaching 50. There is a caveat, though, and it involves lifestyle. Successful FIRE households live very frugally, which allows them to stretch $1 million in savings out for 40 or 50 years.

If that's your retirement outlook, awesome. You might consider moving to a city with a low cost of living, such as El Paso, Texas. According to a Move.org study, monthly living expenses in El Paso are just under $1,200. That means you could get by on less than $20,000 a year in income, assuming you have no debt. Using the 4% rule -- $20,000 divided by 4% -- you can translate that into total retirement savings of $500,000.And if you qualify for Social Security benefits, you'd need to save up even less.

But maybe you don't want to live out your days in El Paso, eating a brown bag lunchand walking around the park for fun. In that case, use your current lifestyle as a benchmark. Add up your living expenses for a year, and then make some adjustments based on your ideal retirement lifestyle. Will you drive less because you're not going to work? Gas expenses go down. Will you travel more? Vacation expenses go up. Don't forget to include income taxesplus any costs currently covered by your employer. Healthcare costs deserve their own discussion, so we'll talk about those below.

Once you have your annual expense total, divide it by 4% to find your ballpark retirement savings target. If your annual number is $75,000, for example, you'd need roughly $1.875 million to support your lifestyle for 30 years. That assumes no Social Security income.

You can account for Social Security by estimating your annual benefit by making a my Social Security account and subtracting your estimated benefit amount from $75,000. Then divide the result by 4% again to get your savings number. Say your Social Security benefit will be $12,000 annually. Your savings then need to support annual living expenses of $63,000, which brings your target savings goal down to $1.575 million.

Want to take a guess at what you might spend on healthcare costs in retirement? Here's a hint: It will be way more than what you spend on healthcare today. Fidelity estimated that a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2019 will spend $285,000 on medical costs in retirement. And consulting firmMilliman expects those expenses to be $369,000.

Before you disregard those figures as ridiculous, consider that a private room in a nursing home sets you back about $8,500 a month. And the cost of a full-time home health aide can be upwards of $4,000 monthly. One health setback can quickly turn into a pretty major financial setback.

Plan for healthcare costs by adding $250,000 to $350,000 to your target retirement number.

Debt repayments can skew your retirement planning because they're temporary. When we used the 4% rule above, we assumed the $75,000 in expenses would be necessary for the rest of your life. But that's not the case if $6,000 of that $75,000 is for debt payments. Once you pay off those debts, that expense goes away.

If you do have credit card balances, car payments, or personal loans, pay those off before you're done working. Same goes for the mortgage if you can swing it. Then recalculate your living expenses again, and the picture will look much brighter.

Your number crunching may reveal that you can live exactly until age 87. But consider your family and what you'd like to leave for them. At a minimum, plan on covering your own funeral expenses. But you could also think about things like college funds for the grandkids or ongoing care for a relative with special needs.

You could bequeath your home or other property to your loved ones for those purposes. Life insurance might be an option, too, if the costs aren't prohibitive. Or you could simply work an extra few years and save more. If you like the last option, increase your target retirement savings number accordingly.

Knowing roughly how much savings you need to retire is the first and most important step of retirement planning. Your next move is to ratchet up your savings, which may feel like you're running a marathon. But just keeping putting one foot in front of the other, and you'll be amazed how much distance you can cover.

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These 5 Factors Will Tell You How Much You Really Need to Retire - The Motley Fool

Handling the Finances for a Senior with Dementia – i Advance Senior Care

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In fact, the inability to handle finances is often one of the first signs that a someone has the disease. He or she might have trouble balancing a check book or might pay bills more than once or not at all. Someone with dementia might give away money or start hoarding it at the other extreme. Dementia leaves individuals open to financial risk and abuse, so it is important to recognize these signs.

For people with dementia, money can lose its meaning, so they may become careless with it, lose it, or give it away. Financial transactions can prove problematic, to say the least. Adults with dementia may not be able to identify coins correctly, remember pin numbers at an ATM, use checks, understand how credit cards work, or pay bills and loan payments on time.

Caregivers need to think about these kinds of issues as soon as they are recognizable. In some cases, the caregiver is able to help directly; in others, it may be advisable to seek outside help.

Having these difficult conversations with the patient and family members while the patient still has his or her faculties is very important. People in the early stages of the disease may be defensive about losing their financial independence. Taking over financial management for a senior with dementia represents a level of deterioration and a role change or reversal.

If possible, caregivers and adult patients can create joint accounts or power of attorney for financial decisions. The sooner these options come available, the better, when the patient has capacity to engage in these decisions. People in the early stages of the disease may still be able to understand financial matters but may be defensive about having their power taken away. Caregivers and families of patients can also keep an account with the patients name on it and leave manageable amounts of money so he or she will retain some financial independence and dignity.

Advance directives for financial and estate management need to be created while the person with Alzheimers is still able to make these decisions. A newly diagnosed person with Alzheimers and his or her family should move quickly to create or update a will or living trust to secure the estate. These documents state how a persons assets are to be distributed upon death as well as arranging for the care of minors and including funeral and/or burial wishes.

Families and caregivers can reach out to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the American Bar Association to find a qualified attorney to create the advance directives. If families cannot afford these options, or do not know where to turn, other sources of legal assistance may be available through local non-profit agencies, government web sites, state legal aid offices, and social service agencies.

Daniel E. Ansel is founder and president of Active Daily Living,apopulation health platform that provides interactive tools, personalized content, resources, and advice for seniors, caregivers, and people with functional limitations. You can reach him at dansel@privatehealthnews.com or (513) 731-6700, ext. 17

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Handling the Finances for a Senior with Dementia - i Advance Senior Care

Stressed over Finals? There Is Light at the End of the Tunnel | Dan Sanchez – Foundation for Economic Education

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Winter is coming, and with it: finals season. If youre dreading that notoriously stressful period, things may seem bleak. Theres an old saying: Life sucks, and then you die. Along the same lines, you might be thinking: School sucks, and then you graduate and have to get a full-time job, which is even worse.

Well, not necessarily.

In some ways, work can be more fulfilling and less stressful than school. So take heart: there is light at the end of the tunnel.

First of all, a full-time job is a great leap toward financial independence from your parents. Independence is stressful, but it can also be fulfilling. Self-reliance can make you feel more empowered, secure, and proud.

You learn discipline, initiative, follow-through, reliability, accountability, and other key habits for workplace success.

Letting your parents take care of things for you may sound less stressful on paper. But in practice, dependence can be even more anxiety-inducing than independence. As evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray discusses in his book Free to Learn, human beings, like all animals, are hardwired to strive for independence. The longer that childlike dependence extends into biological adulthood, the more that instinct becomes frustrated. And its no fun to feel like a burden.

Secondly, work is in many ways a better learning experience than school. In a market-economy job, youre learning for the sake of contributing to something someone actually values.

For this kind of learning, there are clear criteria for success, because its either satisfactory to the boss, client, or customer, or it isnt.

And the knowledge or skills that you gain are by definition marketable (someone was already willing to pay for it), which means it is likely to continue to be marketable in the future.

Even if the technical knowledge and skills are not directly relevant to the field you hope to pursue in the long-term, such experience is invaluable for developing essential soft skills. You learn discipline, initiative, follow-through, reliability, accountability, and other key habits for workplace success.

In school, on the other hand, the value of what youre learning is much harder to discern. Some of your studies may have intrinsic value to you. But, as economist Bryan Caplan has discussed, the main objective people have for going into massive debt for college is to increase their career potential. And, as Caplan elaborates, the career return-on-investment of what people learn in college is often dubious.

No matter how stressful it gets, this too shall pass.

Its stressful to feel like youre spinning your wheels in life. Effective learning is key to feel like youre gaining traction and making progress. And teaching to the task can be much more effective than teaching to the test.

Finally, it can be fulfilling to feel like youre adding something to the world: to contribute to a product that people enjoy, to please a client, to make a customer smile. This is especially the case when you understand economics and how every participant in a market economy helps to improve the lives of others.

So dont despair. Stepping out of the ivory tower does not necessarily mean jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. With the right understanding and philosophy, it can mean launching an adult life full of growth, learning, and meaning.

Keep that in mind as you study for finals. No matter how stressful it gets, this too shall pass. And what comes next can be awesome if you make it so.

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Stressed over Finals? There Is Light at the End of the Tunnel | Dan Sanchez - Foundation for Economic Education

How to retire young: Canadian 24-year-old who amassed fortune of more than $1 million shares secrets – 7NEWS.com.au

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Mike Rosehart, 27, enjoys a life of leisure. Having amassed a fortune of more than AU$1 million, he has been retired since the tender age of 24.

The former IT business analyst saved aggressively, lived frugally, and bought his first home when he was just 19 years old.

Watch the video above

Now a dad of two and married to wife, Alyse, 28, the money-maker is convinced anyone can achieve financial independence and retire early - otherwise known as FIRE - with a little financial wizardry.

'Most of us cant resist the Starbucks, the trip abroad or the new cellphone.'

The secret to retiring early is: spend less, earn more and maximize the returns on the difference," Mike, who is Canadian, says.

The hard part is executing it. Most of us cant resist the Starbucks, the trip abroad or the new cellphone.

Delayed gratification is the secret to FIRE.

Mike hit upon the idea of retiring early when he was studying at the Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada, in 2010.

He came across Early Retirement Extreme, a book about becoming financially independent on a median salary by Danish astrophysicist Jacob Lund Fisker.

I was in my first year at university and I was working on a project about the psychology of happiness," he explains. "I went deep into a wormhole on the internet and I came across Jacob Lund Fisker. He started the spark for me.

'I realised that what makes you happy is freedom and the ability to do what you want in your life'

His thesis was that anyone can retire in five years. I thought: Hey, Im 17, Im young and eager.

I realised that what makes you happy is freedom and the ability to do what you want in your life.

Mike had a hard time persuading his girlfriend and future wife, Alyse, to share his early retirement ambition.

I wouldnt say shes a crazy spender but she likes her Starbucks," he says. She wanted to have kids young so I explained that if we were able to retire early we could be there for our kids. I told her we just had to cut our spending in half.

It took me over a year to get her on board. Every time she bought Starbucks, I said: That cost us two more days away from our kids.

Throughout university, Mike worked full time while also studying full time.

He said: I grew up really poor with a single mother on the poverty line so I didnt have family money to rely on. I got scholarships to go to college.

When I first started going after FIRE, I was working at Tim Hortons, earning slightly above minimum wage. I got a better job the following summer at border services. I saved aggressively.

In my second year of university, I rented a bedroom for AU$330 [299 CAD] when the market rent would have been AU$607 [550 CAD].

It was 7ft by 8.5ft but it was perfect for me. I just needed a place to sleep. Then I got a tiny apartment with my girlfriend for just AU$663 [600 CAD] a month.

We even shared the internet with the neighbors and gave them AU$5.50 [5 CAD] a month. I cycled everywhere instead of getting a vehicle. I found a bike that someone was giving away on the Craigslist of Canada.

'We graduated debt-free and with money in the bank'

At 19, Mike bought a AU$221,000 [200,000 CAD] cottage with Alyse.

It was a tiny little cottage, the cheapest house I could find in London. We put down AU$43,000 [39,000 CAD] - half of that was money we had saved and half of it was our student line of credit. We rented every room in it and so it was earning money for us. We had four other roommates. The guy in our basement apartment was paying our mortgage.

We graduated debt-free and with money in the bank.

The couple married in 2014 and were keen to keep wedding costs down, with the big day setting them back AU$5500 [5,000 CAD].

We found a venue that were offering a deal where you could have the wedding for free as long as you invited enough guests," Mike explains. Initially we wanted 150 guests but to keep costs down we whittled our guest list to just 80 people.

People give a gift when they come to a wedding and so we actually made a profit on our wedding if you think about it like that.

For our honeymoon, I used the points on my credit card to go to Brazil so it didnt cost anything. We had a friend who hosted us in Brazil so our accommodation was free.

'I got off work at 6pm and Id bike over to my property and Id do it up until midnight'

After college, Mike took a AU$60k-a-year [55,000 CAD] job in consulting. Alyse, who had graduated a year before, in 2013, took a graphic designer job, making AU$39,000-a-year [35,000 CAD].

Mike adds: My salary was not exorbitantly high but I took the proceeds from that salary and bought rental properties and reinvested the rent. I was able to convince the bank to lend me 80 per cent of a house price.

I got off work at 6pm and Id bike over to my property and Id do it up until midnight. We lived on slightly less than half of Alyses salary.

We were saving 100 per cent of my salary, every single dollar. I kept reinvesting every profit from rental property. It kept snowballing."

The frugal approach allowed the pair to buy ten properties in three years. In 2017, Mike was able to hand in his notice and Alyse also retired later that year.

More on 7NEWS.com.au

Mike sold 11 properties and he knew that he had hit his FIRE number - 25 times his yearly living expenses.

I went into my bosss office and he told me that my job would be there when I came back in six months time," Mike explains.

He thought I was having a quarter-life crisis.

Mike admitted that retirement, at 24, did take some getting used to.

Its a bit jarring at first. You find a way to cope by filling time with hobbies, and at first for me, it was gaming. But then I started a group here in London called London on Fire, for people who are also pursuing FIRE.

We do a monthly meet up. One of my passions is looking up properties. I love going and looking at houses and thinking about how we can redesign this. Thats what generates income by accident.

I made AU$66,000 [60,000 CAD] this year without even trying."

Mike teaches others how to achieve FIRE on his Youtube channel, named Mike Rosehart, and he has also established his own mentorship program.

"Its free and some coaches charge 50 grand a year for something like this," he says.

But its not about the money for me."

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How to retire young: Canadian 24-year-old who amassed fortune of more than $1 million shares secrets - 7NEWS.com.au

10 Things You Might’ve Missed on Morningstar.com in 2019 – Morningstar.com

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As the end of the year approaches, you can count on a few things. Those with use-it-or-lose-it flexible spending accounts will be stocking up on bandages, contact-lens-cleaning solution, and sunscreen. Parents with school-age children will be planning how to fill the two-week break. And publishers and media outlets will be subjecting us to a barrage of year-end top 10 lists.

This year, Morningstar will contribute to the barrage. Over the coming week, some of our columnists and researchers--including Russ Kinnel, Ben Johnson, Christine Benz, and Jon Hale--will share their top 10 lists for the year. We'll also share the most popular content for the year, as well as funds, exchange-traded funds, and stocks.

We kick things off with todays list: 10 things you mightve missed on Morningstar.com this year. While wed like to think youre visiting us daily, we know life can get in the way of that goal. So here are some noteworthy ratings, reports, research, and trends for the year.

New Ratings and Methodology Changes 2019 was a busy year for methodology sticklers.

In April, we made some changes to our Morningstar Categories--most notably, retiring the once-giant intermediate-term bond category and introducing two new categories: intermediate core bond and intermediate core-plus bond. Both types of funds invest primarily in U.S. investment-grade bonds, but those of the plus ilk have more freedom: They can invest a greater portion of assets in junk bonds and nondollar debt. Those who revel in detail can learn more about the changes here.

We also revamped the methodology behind our Morningstar Analyst Ratings--that qualitative, forward-looking rating that can help you find mutual funds and ETFs best positioned to outperform over a full market cycle. The rating still follows a Gold, Silver, Bronze, Neutral, and Negative scale. But weve collapsed the number of pillars on which we evaluate funds from five to three--People, Process, and Parent. Weve also put more weight on fees, tailoring ratings by share class. Well continue to roll out the enhanced approach over the coming year; you can find more details here.

Weve made some changes to the Morningstar Sustainability Rating, too. The rating continues to use company environmental, social, and governance assessments from Sustainalytics and rate funds on a 5-globe scale. However, the new Sustainability Rating scores the overall ESG risk in a fund portfolio--the degree to which the holdings of a particular fund may face risks from ESG issues--regardless of industry. We think this will be more useful for users who seek to understand and manage the ESG implications of their investments. Dig into the change here.

And as in years past, weve updated our annual ratings for 529 plans; four plans earn our top rating of Gold. We've also updated our annual HSA rankings; interestingly, this years best HSA for saving is the best HSA for investing, too.

The Long View Podcast Morningstar director of personal finance Christine Benz and global head of manager research Jeff Ptak joined forces this year on a new weekly podcast, The Long View. The duo has interviewed financial pioneers (Bill Bernstein, Sheryl Garrett), advice gurus (Michael Kitces, Harold Evensky), respected financial writers (Jonathan Clements, Mark Miller), retirement specialists (David Blanchett, Maria Bruno and Joel Dickson), and investment managers (Bill Nygren, Dan Ivascyn), to name just a few. Peruse The Long View podcast page to see all of the insightful conversations Christine and Jeff have had so far, and be sure to subscribe so you dont miss an episode. The podcast is available in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. (And while youre at it, subscribe to our weekly Investing Insights podcast, too!)

Christines Latest Batches of New Portfolios Evidently launching a new weekly podcast wasnt enough new for Christine in 2019. She also launched two new series of portfolios this year.

The first collection focuses on portfolios for minimalists. The retirement bucket portfolios for minimalists, the tax-efficient retirement bucket portfolios for minimalists, the retirement saver portfolios for minimalists, and the tax-efficient retirement saver portfolios for minimalists all share a common thread: taking a streamlined approach to the investments you choose so that you can focus on the big picture, such as your asset mix, savings rate, and progress against your goals.

With fewer accounts and holdings, you can better focus on the really big determinants of your financial success: your asset allocation, your savings or spending rate, and your proximity to reaching your goals, Christine says. You won't risk getting bogged down in small-bore jobs like assessing your portfolio's value/growth exposure or paying attention to earnings reports related to stocks that you own.

The second new collection of portfolios--launched just this week--is ESG-focused. Christines ESG portfolio series includes portfolios focused on mutual funds for retirees, ETFs for retirees, mutual funds for savers, and ETFs for savers. The time is certainly right for these new entrants: ESG-related funds are on track to have their best year in terms of asset growth.

New Columnists Morningstar.com welcomed several columnists to the fold in 2019.

Sarah Newcomb is a behavioral economist with Morningstar. In her column, Sarah focuses on what she calls smart shortcuts: those rules of thumb that get us where we need to go without bogging us down in too many details. But some shortcuts arent smart; instead, theyre mental booby traps. Armed with that Ph.D. in behavioral economics--and an accessible, conversational writing style--Sarah has outlined a simple plan for financial independence and explains why the market isnt due for a downturn. Her work is available on her author page.

Two portfolio specialists joined the columnist ranks this past year. Josh Charlson is a director with Morningstar Research Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar. With many years under my belt working in Morningstar's manager research group and on our workplace retirement products, I intend to raise dilemmas and distill concepts that we wrestle with on a daily basis, in ways that I hope will be beneficial to a wide range of investors and readers," Josh explains. So far, Josh has tackled the question of how many funds you really need, pitfalls to avoid when putting together a portfolio, and when to sell a fund. Tap into Joshsinsights.

Amy Arnott is a portfolio strategist at Morningstar who began writing a portfolio-focused column for us in November. Amy has revisited the case for international investing and examined the industrys inability to crack the retirement-income code. Bookmark Amysarchive.

Morningstar.com Special Reports As in years past, we developed a series of special reports this year, covering retirement, college savings, and bonds and ETFs, among other topics. Heres a sampling (and be sure to watch for our 2020 Portfolio Tuneup in late January 2020).

Morningstars 2019 Portfolio Tuneup Well coach you on the steps to take to ensure that your portfolio is in fighting shape for the years ahead.

2019 Morningstar Investment Conference Follow our annual investment conference with Morningstar.com's reports and one-on-one interviews with some of the industry's best investing minds.

Weekend Money Projects With Christine Benz Use this summer series to cross some financial tasks off your list before fall.

Morningstars Guide to 401(k)s We share our strategies for making the most of your company's retirement plan.

Morningstars Guide to Fixed-Income Investing Tips, strategies, and picks for better bond investing. Morningstars Guide to College Savings What you need to know about college savings options, from 529 plans to Roth IRAs.

Morningstars Guide to ETFs Heres what you need to know about these popular funds that trade like stocks.

Portfolio Makeover Week Christine Benz helps investors check their progress, assess allocations, target holes and overlap, and upgrade their holdings. Morningstars Guide to Charitable Giving 'Tis the season for giving. Here are some smart charitable-giving strategies.

Updates to Morningstar Research Classics Just like that favorite restaurant you keep going back to, Morningstar frequently revisits and updates some of its most-embraced research.

We kicked off the year with an update to our annual Buy the Unloved strategy, our contrarian tactical approach that suggests buying funds from categories that are in outflows at the fringes of your portfolio.

Director of manager research Russ Kinnel updated his terrific funds series and annual Mind the Gap research, which examines what impact mistimed investments has on investor returns.

And director of global exchange-traded fund research Ben Johnson reported on Morningstars latest Active/Passive Barometer, which measures the performance of active fund managers against their passive peers.

Commentary on Investing Trends No single investing trend grabbed all the headlines this year. The ongoing dominance of U.S. growth stocks is of course notable, as is the continued migration away from actively managed funds to passive choices.

One investing trend that we covered in depth during the year: the interest in and potential opportunity with cannabis stocks. We expect the cannabis industry to grow by 9 times through 2030 amid widening legalization and increased participation for the U.S., Canadian, and international markets, says director Kris Inton.

For the United States, recreational cannabis and medicinal cannabis have penetrated just 8% and 21% of their estimated markets, leading to our expectation for 25% and 15% compound annual growth rates through 2030, respectively, he adds.

Our work on the topic included: Covering Cannabis We see some values, although we dont think any of the companies have moats.

2 Top Picks in the Cannabis Industry With cannabis' popularity already growing, widening legalization will further catalyze demand.

Canopy Has Global Potential Amid Foggy U.S. Market The cannabis company took a hit on second-quarter earnings, but consumer demand is expected to increase.

Cannabis Faces Significant ESG Risks Industry would be wise to adopt sustainable practices from the beginning.

Another investing topic we cornered: the growing interest in environmental, social and governance issues. Morningstars head of sustainability research Jon Hale addressed the topic from a variety of angles, including gauging the popularity of funds focused on ESG strategies, discussing intriguing new funds, addressing myths, and revealing how funds cast their proxy votes on key ESG issues. Access Jons archive here.

Moreover, our equity analysts have begun to examine their industries through the lens of ESG issues. For instance, theyve examined which utilities stand to benefit from the greening of the U.S. and will be producing more research along these lines in 2020. Stay tuned!

Guidance During Market Volatility Barring catastrophe during the last few weeks of the year, 2019 will go down as a banner year for U.S. stocks: As of this writing, the S&P 500 is up more than 27% for the year.

That said, the market wasn't on a straight upward march all year; volatility was ever-present. Christine Benz addressed that volatility over the course of the year--and offered some ideas for what to do in its wake. Bookmark her insights--they're great sanity checks when volatility comes around.

Simple, Effective Ways to De-Risk a Portfolio What is it, who should do it, and why?

Retirees: Avoid These Traps in Turbulent Markets Recent volatility provides a good reason for retirees to check up on their portfolios--but don't overdo it.

A Down-Market Survival Guide for Your 20s, 30s, and 40s When you have many years until retirement, market volatility should be easy to shrug off, but it isn't always. A step-by-step guide to taking control.

A Down-Market Survival Guide for Pre-Retirees If you're within 10 years of retirement, this eight-step review can help you improve your situation--and your peace of mind.

A Down-Market Survival Guide for Retirees These six steps can help you take back control in uncertain times.

When Market Volatility Meets Your Retirement Portfolio How to make sure your portfolio and plan can ride out the storm.

Our Take on Top Stories in Our Industry Two stories took center stage in the financial-services industry in 2019: the passing of Regulation Best Interest and the ongoing fee wars.

Director of policy research Aron Szapiro addressed the long-awaited regulation in"What Should We Make of Regulation Best Interest?" Our take: The SEC has taken some important steps to provide better investor protections--though it hasnt gone far enough for some.

Investors still cannot assume that the advice they get is conflict-free," concludes Szapiro. But they will have protection from the most indefensible conflicts of interest and disclosures to help them understand how their advisor makes money. Its not a radical shift, but its a real change.

On the fee front, asset managers of some of the largest index funds and ETFs reduced their expense ratios early in the year, while financial-services upstart SoFi filed for the first zero-fee ETF. Later in the year, the largest online brokerages reduced their online trading fees to zero. No-commission trades are of course good news for investors--but "free is never free, reminds Ben Johnson.

As more and more of the real cost of doing business with these platforms begins to seep into different dark corners, it's important that these firms be transparent about how they're monetizing your business, how they're taking your assets and turning that into revenue for their organization," he argues.

Jack Bogles Death This top-10 list wouldnt be complete without a mention of Vanguard founder Jack Bogle death in January 2019. Inventor of the first retail index fund, advocate for investors, and relentless promoter of simple and low-cost investing, Bogle changed the fund industry. As Morningstars Dan Culloton and Alec Lucas noted in their commentary shortly after Bogles death, There was nothing passive about the father of passive investing.

Remembrances poured out after Bogles passing, including those from Morningstars Russ Kinnel, John Rekenthaler,and Jeff Ptak--as well as other Morningstar researchers included in this video. We also assembled more than a decades worth of video interviews that weve done with Jack.

Jack is certainly missed; the investing world is a better place because of him.

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10 Things You Might've Missed on Morningstar.com in 2019 - Morningstar.com

Invest in your family and community – Fallbrook / Bonsall Villlage News

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FALLBROOK Why do you invest? For many people, here's the answer: "I invest because I want to enjoy a comfortable retirement." And that's certainly a great reason, because all of us should regularly put money away for when we're retired. But you can also benefit by investing in your family and your community.

Let's start with your family members, particularly the younger ones. How can you invest in their future? One of the best ways is to help send them to college. A college degree is still a pretty good investment: The average lifetime earnings of a college graduate are nearly $1 million higher than those of someone with a high school degree, according to a study by the U.S. Census Bureau.

To help your children or grandchildren pay for any college, university, vocational school or other postsecondary education, you may want to open a 529 savings plan. With this account, withdrawals are federally tax free, as long as the money is used for qualified higher education expenses, including those from trade and vocational schools.

(However, if you withdraw some of the earnings on your account, and you don't use the money for qualified expenses, it will be taxable and can also incur a 10% federal tax penalty.) Plus, you retain control of the funds until it's time for them to be used for school, so if your original beneficiary chooses not to pursue some type of higher education, you can name a different eligible beneficiary.

Another way to invest in your family is to help your adult children avoid feeling obligated to provide financial assistance to you. For example, if you ever require some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home, could you afford it? The average cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $100,000 per year, according to a study by Genworth, an insurance company.

And Medicare typically pays very few of these expenses. So, to avoid burdening your adult children while also preserving your own financial independence you may want to consider some type of long-term care insurance. A financial advisor can help you determine what coverage may be appropriate.

Moving beyond your family, you may want to invest in the social fabric of your community by contributing to local charitable, civic, educational or cultural groups. Of course, now that we're in the holiday season, it's the perfect time for such gifts. Furthermore, your gift will be more appreciated than in years past because one of the chief incentives for charitable giving a tax deduction was lost for many people due to tax law changes, which raised the standard deduction so significantly that far fewer people chose to itemize deductions.

Brian Schrock is a local financial advisor with Edward Jones.

However, you might still be able to gain some tax benefits from your charitable gifts. To name one possibility, you could donate financial assets, such as stocks that have risen in value, freeing you of potential capital gains taxes. In any case, contact your tax advisor if you're considering sizable charitable gifts.

Saving for your retirement will always be important. But don't forget about investing in your family and your community because these investments can provide satisfying returns.

Edward Jones financial adviser Brian Schrock is located at 1434 S. Mission Road, Suite B, in Fallbrook. For more information, call (760) 731-3234.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

Original post:

Invest in your family and community - Fallbrook / Bonsall Villlage News

Dad-of-two retires at 24 after banning his wife from Starbucks and making a profit from their WEDDING – The Sun

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A DAD has revealed how he retired at the age of 24 - after banning his wife from Starbucks and cutting their overall spending in half.

Mike Rosehart, now 27, enjoys a life of leisure with his wife Alyse, 28, and their two children after working for just seven years.

5

The former IT business analyst amassed an impressive $760,000 (578,000) after saving aggressively and making a profit from their own wedding.

Mike, from Ontario, Canada, initially had a hard time persuading Alyse to share his early retirement ambition.

I wouldnt say shes a crazy spender but she likes her Starbucks, he told SunOnline.

She wanted to have kids young so I explained that if we were able to retire early we could be there for our kids.

I told her we just had to cut our spending in half.

5

It took me over a year to get her on board.

Everytime she bought Starbucks, I said: That cost us two more days away from our kids.

The couple married in 2014 and were keen to keep wedding costs down.

They pulled off the celebration for $3,800, which is well below the cost of an average wedding.

We found a venue that were offering a deal where you could have the wedding for free as long as you invited enough guests, he said.

Initially we wanted 150 guests but to keep costs down we whittled our guestlist to just 80 people.

People give a gift when they come to a wedding and so we actually made a profit on our wedding if you think about it like that.

For our honeymoon, I used the points on my credit card to go to Brazil so it didnt cost anything.

We had a friend who hosted us in Brazil so our accommodation was free.

5

5

The dad-of-two is convinced that anyone can achieve financial independence and retire early, known as FIRE, with a little financial wizardry.

He has even taken in three mentees to teach them his money-making and saving ways.

Mike said: The secret to retiring early is: spend less, earn more and maximise the returns on the difference.

The hard part is executing it.

Most of us cant resist the Starbucks, the trip abroad or the new cellphone.

Delayed gratification is the secret to FIRE.

Mike hit upon the idea of retiring early when he was studying at the Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada, in 2010.

He came across Early Retirement Extreme, a book about becoming financially independent on a median salary by Danish astrophysicist Jacob Lund Fisker.

He said: I was in my first year at university and I was working on a project about the psychology of happiness.

I went deep into a wormhole on the internet and I came across Jacob Lund Fisker.

He started the spark for me.

Throughout university, Mike worked full time while also studying full time.

He said: I grew up really poor with a single mother on the poverty line so I didnt have family money to rely on.

I got scholarships to go to college.

In his second year of university, he rented a bedroom for $262-a-month which was just 7ft by 8.5ft.

He later lived in a tiny apartment with Alyse for $455 a month - and saved money by cycling everywhere.

At 19, Mike bought a $152,000 cottage with Alyse.

It was a tiny little cottage, the cheapest house I could find, he said.

They put down $29,600 - half of that was money they had saved and half of it was their student line of credit.

The couple rented every room and made money off the property.

We graduated debt-free and with money in the bank, he said.

After college, Mike took a $42k-a-year job in consulting.

Alyse, who had graduated a year before, in 2013, took a graphic designer job, making $26,500-a-year.

Mike took the proceeds from the salary and bought rental properties - then reinvested the rent.

They lived on slightly less than half of Alyses salary and were saving 100 per cent of Mikes.

I kept reinvesting every profit from rental property. It kept snowballing.

We bought 10 properties in three years.

In February 2017, Mike handed in his notice at his job and Alyse also retired later that year.

He sold 11 properties and he knew that he had hit his FIRE number - 25 times his yearly living expenses.

He said: I knew I needed $485,000 to retire and I had, in equity of my property, just under $760,000.

I went into my bosss office and he told me that my job would be there when I came back in six months time.

He thought I was having a quarter-life crisis.

Mike admitted that retirement, at 24, did take some getting used to.

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Its a bit jarring at first. You find a way to cope by filling time with hobbies, and at first for me, it was gaming.

Mike teaches others how to achieve FIRE on his Youtube channel, named Mike Rosehart and he has also established his own mentorship programme.

He coaches four men, who live in his rental properties, how to achieve their own financial independence.

5

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Dad-of-two retires at 24 after banning his wife from Starbucks and making a profit from their WEDDING - The Sun

People affected in cyclone Fani to get 150 houses – Deccan Herald

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A private engineering services company will build 150 disaster-resilient houses for people affected by cyclone Fani in Odisha's Puri district and will also provide skill development training to them, officials said on Friday.

Puri District Collector Balwant Singh along with CEO & Managing Director of L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) Keshab Panda laid the foundation stone for construction of the dwelling units under project Neelachala on Thursday, they said.

As a part of the Project Neelachala, LTTS will also provide skill development programmes for residents in various construction activities. The training provided by LTTS will ensure the affected people have an additional means of livelihood in the longer run, Panda said.

"The people of Odisha have shown immense strength and resilience in recovering from the after-effects of cyclone Fani. This initiative undertaken by L&T Technology Services is a welcome step since rebounding from such a massive natural calamity requires a contribution from all including the business community," said the Puri collector.

Panda said: "As a leading engineering enterprise, contribution to the betterment of the society is in our DNA. What makes Project Neelachala a unique CSR initiative is that in addition to providing shelters to those in need, the training that L&T Technology Services imparts as a part of this program enables the beneficiaries to attain financial independence."

Habitat for Humanity India is L&T Technology Services construction partner for the Project Neelachala.

Cyclone Fani made landfall near Puri in Odisha on May 3 as an extremely severe cyclonic storm. At least 64 people died and 5,56,000 houses and huts were damaged and 148,663 hectare of cropland affected by the storm.

Photo by PTI

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People affected in cyclone Fani to get 150 houses - Deccan Herald

Sustainable partnerships through bottom-up projects? – University World News

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ETHIOPIA-GERMANY

Some of the key questions it raised included: How are partners selected? Which partnership models are preferred? What are the strategies partner countries and institutions often refer to?

In this article, we focus on German transnational education (TNE) and draw from an Ethiopian example to showcase achievements, perspectives and challenges typical of such cooperation. The alignment with existing policy frameworks will also be discussed briefly.

Top-down or bottom-up?

It goes without saying that in Germany, as well as in many other countries, the political agenda can play a decisive role in shaping partnerships in higher education and research largely manifestations of what is generally referred to as knowledge diplomacy. In most cases, this implies a top-down approach which defines partner countries and articulates overall strategies.

The traditional and predominant approach though is different, especially in TNE where activities, such as the design and implementation of a joint study programme, are usually based on existing cooperation in teaching and research which have already proven their success.

This bottom-up approach allows a balance of interest between the foreign and the German higher education institution and is likely to build up a sustainable partnership due to shared visions and objectives. Mutual benefits lie, for instance, in the internationalisation of the partnering higher education institutions, the support for young scientists, as well as other forms of joint capacity building.

Long-time partners beyond HE

The TNE project we are focusing on is built on an already existing town-twinning relationship between the cities of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Leipzig (Germany) as well as between the two universities. This long-term relationship has been instrumental in promoting mutual trust, which paves the way for a deeper cooperation.

The collaboration between Addis Ababa University and the University of Leipzig began as a medical partnership. Subsequently, this university cooperation enabled the implementation of two social science study courses in Addis Ababa, as discussed later. Based on this successful experience, both universities are currently developing interdisciplinary programmes collaboratively.

Addis Ababa University and the University of Leipzig offer a joint masters and doctoral programme in global and area studies in Addis Ababa, with a special emphasis on peace and security in Africa. The programmes are based on independently implemented courses of study at the respective universities.

In comparison with the regular programme, the cooperative programmes are substantially supported by blended learning, a semester stay at the University of Leipzig, and the special focus on issues of peace and conflict on the African continent.

The study programme combines social, cultural and historical perspectives on current globalisation processes and includes comparisons of different world regions in order to investigate causes of conflict at different levels. Besides the international orientation of the topics and the transnational orientation of the teaching, the programme has a strong local anchoring.

With the introduction of a pre-doctoral phase and a post-doctoral programme, the extent of this university cooperation is currently being scaled up. The regional orientation, the international character, the local embedding and networking, and the connection to Germany create a broad spectrum of job opportunities for the graduates. Its appeal is proven by the constant demand from students, the vast majority of whom come from the East African region.

Major challenges: equal access and focus on STEM

Regardless of the projects undeniable success, one aspect raises concern: the tuition fees are based on comparable international offshore study programmes in Eastern Africa, but are significantly higher than national programmes in this field of study.

The requisite high tuition fees, to ensure financial independence and to maintain the high quality of teaching, often result in discrimination of students of a certain social class. The balancing act between equal access and the establishment of excellent educational opportunities for high-performing students remains one of the main challenges of such a project.

A second challenge, more general, lies in the disciplinary scope of TNE projects. Even if university cooperation across all academic disciplines can engage in transnational education, there is a relatively strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in German TNE. This tendency is perfectly understandable with regard to questions of employability, innovation and economic growth, but bears the risk of marginalising other disciplines.

The example of the Addis-Leipzig cooperation, however, clearly shows the potential and importance of cooperation in social science and humanities in African countries. A strategic focus on specific local or regional subjects need not exclude international contexts, but rather opens up fruitful synergies.

Policy frameworks as a guideline

Ideally, continental or national policy frameworks such as the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25) or the Ethiopian Education Development Roadmap serve as guidelines to help (re-)define the thematic orientation and the general objectives of co-operation. Moreover, they help create the sense of ownership for the partnering countries in the Global South.

For instance, in the case of CESAs Strategic Objective 9 which stipulates Revitalise and expand tertiary education, research and innovation to address continental challenges and promote global competitiveness, the specific context and implications for Ethiopia, which is home to a large number of international organisations such as the African Union and different UN agencies, are evident.

This local anchorage does not only provide interesting job opportunities for graduates, but also allows a practice-oriented exchange in relevant research fields between the university and local stakeholders. The aim of enhancing community services of higher education, as defined in Ethiopias Education Development Roadmap, could hence be supported in the field of peace and security, taking the Leipzig-Addis research partnership as a nucleus.

The long-term success of such an endeavour remains to be seen, but it can at least be considered as a first step towards a more integrated vision of research, society and global challenges.

Benjamin Schmling is head of German transnational education projects in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). E-mail: schmaeling@daad.de. Hanna Odenbach is programme officer for German transnational education projects in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America at DAAD. E-mail: odenbach@daad.de.

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Sustainable partnerships through bottom-up projects? - University World News