Monthly Archives: February 2017

Forbes

How Travel Bans Can Impede America's Progress Forbes As a practicing emergency medicine physician, I work on the front lines, the proverbial front door of access for the majority of patients who need emergent medical care. Yet, while I am trained to take the pulse of a patient, I also have awareness of ... and more »

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How Travel Bans Can Impede America's Progress - Forbes

New York Times

North Korea Claims Progress on Long-Range Goal With Missile Test New York Times SEOUL, South Korea North Korea said on Monday that it had successfully tested a new nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile, claiming important progress in being able to strike its enemies with long-range missiles tipped with nuclear ... North Korea trumpets missile tech progressNikkei Asian Review all 1,339 news articles »

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North Korea Claims Progress on Long-Range Goal With Missile Test - New York Times

For all the talk and disclosures regarding inclusion and diversity, a new report shows that tech companies are making little headway in building racially balanced workforces.

Open MIC, a nonprofit that focuses on issues of diversity, released a study this month that showsAfrican-Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans remain dramatically underrepresented in the tech economycompared to their overall presence in the U.S. workforce. The organization is hoping to get investors to pressure tech companies to be more aggressive with their diversity efforts by making the case that this is a big loss in terms of productivity and profitability, both for the companies and the broader economy.

In a country with a population growing more diverse each day, the U.S. tech community remains a bastion of white, male privilege that has largely excluded people of color, said Michael Connor, executive director of Open MIC, in a statement. Given the growing social, political and economic influence of tech companies, the lack of diversity in the sector has implications that extend far beyond the industry itself.

According to the report called Breaking the Mold: Investing in Racial Diversity in Tech African-Americans and Latinos each represent about 5.3 percent of the tech workforce, at least 16 percentage points below their overall numbers in the general workforce.

Making this challenge even steeper: People of color working in tech report feeling isolated and discriminated against, which results in their leaving the tech workforce at a rate 3.5 times greater than that of white men.

The paper cites another study by Intel that found over the past five years, various tech companies and organizations have pledged to spend $1.2 billion on diversity programs.

Despite that spending, the Open MIC report found that over the past 15 years, racial and ethnic minorities have only seen their numbers increase by less than 2 percent in the tech sector. And in the upper ranks, the study found that only 2 percent of executives are African-American and 3 percent are Latino.

The organization called on investors to play a more active role in pressuring companies to change, citing several studies that indicate more racially diverse companies on average reported better revenue gains and profitability.

There is substantial evidence that diversity leads to stronger economic gains for companies, no matter the industry, the report says. Given the digital worlds burgeoning social and economic influence, the current lack of racial diversity in the tech industry poses serious risks for investors, the tech sector and society at large.

Finally, the report included a table of workforce diversity numbers and top tech companies, based on their own public disclosures and data from theU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:

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Tech industry shows little progress on racial diversity - VentureBeat

RICHMOND, Va. (NEWSPLEX) -- Last week's "Crossover Day" marked the halfway point for this year's Virginia General Assembly, and lawmakers say they are making great progress despite the shorter session.

Several pieces of legislation on mental health passed in both chambers before the crossover, which has been a big forefront for Del. Rob Bell (D, 58th), and Sen. Creigh Deeds (D, 25th).

A proposed amendment by Del. Steve Landes (R, 25th) that would have ended the revenue sharing agreement between the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, as well as similar localities across the commonwealth was pulled just a few days later.

Del. Bell also got his "Tebow" bill passed through the House of Delegates again, which would allow home-schooled children to participate in public schools sports.

The bill also passed the Senate last year, but was later vetoed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Lawmakers say patience makes all of the difference in shorter sessions like these.

"You don't get everything you want every time you want it," said Sen. Deeds. "It's kind of an education process [because] not everyone knows the same thing as everyone else, or feels the same way so you have to be patient and plan your work and work your plan."

Lawmakers still face the challenge of bridge the $1.5 billion budget shortfall, where they will talking about the possibilities of big cuts.

This year's session is set to close on Feb. 25.

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Virginia lawmakers making big progress despite shorter session - The Charlottesville Newsplex

BLUEFIELD The City of Bluefields economic development director is urging business owners and those wanting to see the city progress to take an online survey related to an upcoming program.

Called Cool & Connected, the city recently received a grant to look at broadband service and how it can create growth in the city.

There will be community meetings in March and the city is in the process of gathering information for those meetings.

Spencer said the meetings will be held on March 21 and 22 and a conference call is set for Feb. 15 on the Cool & Connected program.

Thats why its important for more people to take the survey today and Tuesday, he added, to add input for the conference call.

You only need to take one survey, he said, adding that a community stakeholder is defined as a resident of the city with a vested interest in the success of the city.

The survey data will be vital to the success of the project, he said.

Business owners can access the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/DMDSS6L.

Government, public sector and community stakeholders can access the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/DT6DLN2.

The more people who take the survey, the more data he will have for the program, he said.

According to the online information about the program, Cool & Connected is a planning assistance program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service, EPAs Office of Sustainable Communities, and the Appalachian Regional Commission,and helps small townsuse broadband service to revitalize main streets.

Communities can combine broadband service with other local assets such as cultural and recreational amenities to attract investment and people, including young people, and diversify local economies.

Through Cool & Connected, a team of experts helps community members develop strategies and an action plan for using broadband to create walkable, connected, economically vibrant main streets and small-town neighborhoods that improve human health and the environment.

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

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Bluefield officials urge those that want to see city progress to take online survey - Bluefield Daily Telegraph