Monthly Archives: April 2020

By Murcel Rahimi

GRAND RAPIDS, MI- With the coronavirus pandemic expanding, many prisons across the nation are working to release eligible incarcerated individuals to prevent the further spread of the virus.

A Michigan clothing brand, Forgive Everyone Co., is releasing a collection and will be donating a portion of its profits to bail out pre-trial detainees.

The spread of COVID-19 has caused many local and state governments to adhere to social distancing measures and shelter-in-place mandates in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. However, social distancing is impossible in prisons due to overcrowding and poor hygienic standards. Jails are the perfect environment for a massive spread of COVID-19.

If were saying no, that those people deserve to stay in there and face this with no resources, no healthcare and complete lack of ability to do any measures of protection, then youre saying that potentially every single person going into jails right now potentially deserves that death penalty, said Skyler Rich, Owner and Founder of Forgive Everyone Co.

Rich, a senior at Calvin University, started the company in 2018 to raise awareness and empathy for those who have been incarcerated. On Friday he debuted the shops Decarceration collection, in which 20 percent of all profits will be donated to the National Bail Fund Network.

The National Bail Fund Network works with bail funds in all 50 states to counter mass incarceration and reduce harm in the communities in which they operate. The remaining proceeds will go to fund Forgive Everyone Co.s advocacy efforts, which include criminal justice reform events, storytelling initiatives, and the development of advocacy materials.

Although he has never been incarcerated, Rich says his heart goes out to those behind bars, saying that through his work with former incarcerated people, he knows the dangers they face amid the pandemic.

Its incredibly overcrowded, sometimes over 100 beds in one room in some of these mass areas in California, and so its really impossible for people to social isolate, social distance or quarantine if it does get in, Rich said. Staff is going in and out and so its really a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. Weve already seen it take over Rikers.

Their new Decarcerate collection features three pieces that are designed to promote forgiveness, decarceration, and humanity. It can be found on their website.

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Fashion Line Profits to Go to National Cash Bail Network Fund in Response to COVID-19 - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

It was a highly anticipated move by the California Judicial Council and while we captured some reaction from across the state but interestingly enough, other than Jackie Lacey, a DA facing a runoff in November, the DA leaders in California including the California District Attorneys Association along with individual DAs like Sacramentos Anne Marie Schubert and Yolo Countys Jeff Reisig were silent on the ruling.

Here are some reactions we did capture.

Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson:

Two people are charged with the exact same crime. One is rich. One is poor. One pays money in order to go home. The other stays in jail. Thats our current bail system and one of the causes of mass incarceration.

It took a worldwide health crisis to lower bail to amounts that public defender clients can afford, which is $0 in most misdemeanor and low-level felony cases.

The new bail schedule is designed to alleviate the problem of high bail in cases that have been delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, the new bail schedule is considered temporary and is set to terminate once the crisis is over. This means, once again, that people will be stuck in jail simply because theyre too poor to buy their way out.

San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju:

This decision will reduce the flow and the churn of people into the jails coming into the front end of system which will hopefully reduce impact of the delay that the lack of arraignments and preliminary hearings create in releases on the back end.

I think its also important that they recognized the huge importance of individuals personal appearance at hearings and made it clear that they have to personally waive their appearance in order to conduct hearings via video because the purpose of these hearings is to present a fuller picture of individuals and the fact, our ability to do that is severely diminished if these hearings are conducted remotely.

Jessica Bartholow, policy advocate at Western Center:

Ending money bail has been a long-time advocacy position of Western Center and we are grateful for this temporary pause of the unconstitutional practice of denying people freedom while they await trial unless they can afford to pay bail.

We are hopeful that the Judicial Council will ensure that bail data collected during this time, which is required by Senate Bill 36 and is intended to prevent and document racial bias in pre-trial jail detention decisions, will still be pursued and reported to the Legislature during the pandemic, and that the Council will work to permanently end money bail beyond the pandemic.

Michael Mendoza, National Director at #cut50, a program of the Dream Corps:

The Judicial Counsels decision to set an emergency bail schedule to $0, for most offenses, will save lives.

We at #cut50 welcome this temporary solution during this pandemic and look forward to ending the practice of money bail as we move past the immediate risk of COVID-19s rapid spread and toward a justice system that prioritizes healing and restoration over punishment. More needs to be done beyond this temporary measure to keep people in jails and prisons safe and to reduce the number of people behind bars. We urge all local, state and federal lawmakers to continue taking urgent steps now, before more lives are needlessly lost.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey:

I applaud the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council for adopting a statewide zero bail for people charged with most misdemeanors and low-level felonies.

In Los Angeles County, we implemented a zero-bail measure last week that allows us to further reduce the number of people in county jails and courthouses.I appreciate the collaboration among criminal justice leaders in Los Angeles County that has resulted in the rapid deployment of new and innovative approaches as we work to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

George Gascon Candidate for LA DA:

California continues to solidify its role as the national leader in adopting aggressive, life-saving initiatives during this crisis, said former District Attorney and Assistant Chief of the LAPD, George Gascn. The novel coronavirus has forced our system of justice to confront a not-so-novel question, one thatlargely defined the criminal justice reform movement even prior to the pandemic: Does keeping huge numbers of people in-custody on small-time offenses pose a greater threat to us allthan letting them out?

Prior to Covid-19 the answer was well-studied andabundantlyclear, but the pandemic has made the implications of mass-incarceration far more tangible andlethal than ever. This virus does not care if youre a prosecutor, victim, or a defendant. Innocent or guilty, this viruscanstill kill you.

While New Yorks leaders aretaking us backwards, Californias leaders are demonstrating that they are up to the task of protecting the health and wellfare of our community. The samecannot be saidof LAs criminal justice leaders whomust make an urgent, life-savingcourse change to protect the public from the threat posed by this pandemic.To sign up for our new newsletter Everyday Injustice https://tinyurl.com/yyultcf9

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Reaction to the Judicial Council Reducing Bail to Zero - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

What would the World look like after coronavirus, economically, politically and socially?Armageddon looms if no cure comes by August

Mir Muhammad Ali Khan (MAK) is a Pakistani investment banker and capital advisor in Wall StreetJournal. He is an author and world known capital and investment expert. His latest very comprehensive well researched article on post Coronavirus Economic and its Social Implications was sent to Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum (Retd). The same is as under:- USA may pull other countries down with it.

By Mir Mohammad Ali Khan(MAK)

Paris is not so romantic anymore. Is it? Manhattan sleeps very early now. Doesnt it? Giving hugs and kisses is considered a sign of ignorance now. Isnt it? Sitting near your grandparents is looked upon as a risk towards them. Right?

Well I read this somewhere today or something similar to it and it imprinted in my mind forever.The world has run out of gas, it feels like, and even that on a deserted highway millions of miles away from a gas station. Coronavirus has gripped our lives. We woke up in 2020 like we are still sleeping through a nightmare. Some say that the world is going to end and others say that it a wrath of God. Well, I would refrain from commenting on the world ending or the wrath part because that would involve an emotional statement and at a time like this, as an investment banker, my duty becomes to guide the people as to what I foresee. And my expertise lies in finance and by default the field of investment banking on Wall Street is very intertwined with watching political economy and its volatilities unfold, globally.

So many questions come to mind at once. Will this affect the globalization of the past 25 years? Will it tilt the balance of economic power away from one region to another? Will America weaken and China or Russia strengthen? Will it create a new trading or cooperation block/s in the World? Will the World see new currency dominate instead of the Dollar? Will the education system shift from the brick and mortar to an online distance learning based platform, albeit slowly? Will the democracies that will or have failed to protect their people lose value in the eyes of the voters? Will the selfish countries be isolated by the world communities based on their memories from the time of Coronavirus and non-cooperation?Well the questions are endless and most of the answers will be nothing more than speculations. So let us stick to facts. Facts that can be calculated 12 months forward based on numbers in light of 50 years backwards.

WORLD ECONOMY

Will the world economy collapse soon? No. But if this ordeal continues for another 6 months then we are looking at some very grave consequences. Consequences that this world is not prepared for. Before I go on with my topic, let me shed some light on the facts where people compare this to the events of 2008 world financial crisis. 2008 was a car crash. This could be a train wreck. 2008 was a sudden event built up over a period of a few years based on just one financial product and that product was high risk mortgage securities. It was not an Armageddon. It did not affect the logistics. World tourism. Petrol prices. Airline industries. Textiles around the world. So on and so forth. This affects 193 countries. And all of them at once and in every aspect possible not just financial.

The world GDP as we stand right now is approximately $88,081 billion dollars or $90 trillion. The 1st 3 months since including February and March, we have lost $3.2 trillion in global GDP. World capital markets have lost double that amount. Corporations that declared their earnings or will do so will do it including the month of January when it was not so bad and February when it started to get bad and March where it has become a pandemic. These figures will not look as bad as for the next quarter which includes April, May and June. Apple alone is facing a revenue loss of $1 billion a day because of its stores closure around the world. Airlines in Asia alone have swallowed a loss of $129 billion dollars. This loss can never be made back because airlines are already a high debt low profit margin business. Tens of airlines will go bankrupt within the next few months.

America being the biggest economy will pull so many other countries down with it but before it pulls others down, IF this pandemic continues for the next 3 to 4 months, America will see damage to its economy that will be absolutely irreversible.

70 million people are working from home right now. Working from home very soon is going to change into staying at home without work. The highest unemployment claims came in last week in America, 3.2 million jobless claims. This can increase to a number anywhere between 8 to 12 million within the next 6 months. 12 million jobless claims or even 6 million, half of it, which can be filed next month, spells disaster for America. Why? Because out of work America means mortgage default on homes.

America has approximately $15.8 trillion in mortgage debt. $11.1 trillion or the highest portion of the debt is in home loans. $3 trillion is in commercial properties. $1.6 trillion is in multifamily units or what you may call apartment buildings. And $254.1 billion approximately in farm loans.

Add to it the national American debt which rose by another $3 trillion in 60 days to above $23 trillion because of the $2 trillion relief package announced by Trump. $2 trillion cannot and will not help America more than a few months, not even 2. It will require a package of $6 to $10 trillion. Which will take the American national debt to its highest level ever. Money that America does not have or maybe has spent on wars, $14.8 trillion, instead of domestic spending or savings.

Back to the mortgages. Out of work Americans means no mortgage payments. No mortgage payments on top of a sinking economy due to deserted roads, no retail, no food, no travelling, no tourism and no money, will create a snow ball of foreclosures. Foreclosures unlike the 2008 bad loans. Here, it will be the people with the best credit history and decades of great payment history will be declaring bankruptcies. Corporate earnings for the next 2 quarters dwindling will force companies to lay off people. That will be an icing on the cake.

American capital markets may have a few Dead Cat Bounces (quick upward rallies) but the future of it is dependent upon the corporate earnings not Trumps plans to inject funds. No corporate

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US will pull others down with it - Vanguard

Frederick County Public Schools announces the five teachers advancing as finalists for the 2020-2021 FCPS Teacher of the Year Award, the countys most prestigious award for teachers. Every school in FCPS is asked to nominate at least one outstanding teacher every year to be selected as the countys Teacher of the Year. This year, after several stages of review that included interviews and submitting essays and other materials, FCPS has narrowed the field to five finalists. They are: Philip Arnold, Erica French, Ashley Lillard, Jill McWilliams and Joseph Tom Mitchell.

FCPS Career and Technology Center (CTC) instructor Philip Arnold was initially a systems engineer by profession but a teacher at heart. Arnold, who teaches Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Architecture and Engineering classes, is best known for helping students gain skills to solve real-world problems. His students have won awards at national SkillsUSA, and some even traveled to Africa to install their invention to provide clean water for a school. Arnold has earned the Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teacher Award, two Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Excite awards, ProJet Aviation Teacher of the Year recognition, and was named the FCPS Career and Technology Education Teacher of the Year.

Brunswick Middle math teacher Erica French is a former Brunswick Middle student. Having taught honors classes for Highly Able Learners, Honors Algebra I and Algebra II, she is touted as one of the nicest, coolest teachers and one who knows how to connect with students. In addition to teaching math, French implemented a tutoring program to help struggling students stay on top of their grades. She has supported her colleagues as a mentor for new teachers, sixth-grade team leader and professional development facilitator for Google Classroom. She is also an FCPS Vanguard Teacher Leader and curriculum writer.

Thurmont Primary first-grade teacher Ashley Lillard is a passionate educator and advocate for science, technology, mathematics and social-emotional learning. Last year, she secured a Battelle National Biodefense Institute grant to fund a robotics lab project at her school. She is working with colleagues to plan a joint STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) night with Thurmont Elementary to foster enthusiasm for coding and programming for students at both schools. Lillard has taught elementary students since 2007. She was the Lions Club Teacher of the Year for Thurmont Primary in 2014-2015.

At Walkersville Elementary, Jill McWilliams teaches a multi-grade kindergarten/first-grade class. She is a teacher leader whose engaging instruction results in her students making significant progress and leads her colleagues to look to her for guidance and support. McWilliams served as the kindergarten team leader and then volunteered to serve as the substitute team leader when a colleague went on leave. She has taught at several elementary schools in Frederick County, including Glade, Thurmont and Walkersville, and she was an FCPS Teacher of the Year nominee in 2016.

Urbana Middle music teacher Joseph Tom Mitchell is in his 31st year of teaching. At Urbana Middle since it opened in 2007, he has taught 21 years in Frederick County. Mitchell is described as sincere, compassionate, caring, humble and student-centered. He teaches choir and orchestra. He also he plays cello in the Frederick Symphony Orchestra, teaches private cello and bass students, and is a guest conductor for various local ensembles. Mitchell has initiated and organized a variety of music programs including the after-school GLEE! Club. He also earned the status of National Board Certified Teacher in 2018.

FCPS will announce the winner of the 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year award later this spring. FCPSs current Teacher of the Year is Mike Franklin, who teaches physical education at Catoctin High School.

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FCPS names Teacher of the Year finalists - Frederick News Post

Secrecy, denial, and incompetence have condemned thousands of Iranians to their deaths amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Even if Iranian leaders now adopt best-practices, it is likely too late to meaningfully control the viruss continued spread in Tehran. Traffic jams show that the citywhich has grown seven-fold since the 1979 Islamic Revolutionhas not practiced social isolation and will likely suffer far more casualties.

While Iranian reporting is opaque, it is likely that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and their families have suffered disproportionately within Iranian society. When Iranian authorities first acknowledged that the coronavirus was out-of-control, they put the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in charge of the domestic response. Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC-Ground Forces for the past decade, told an Iranian audience that his forces were playing a pivotal role in all aspects of the Iranian public health fight, from securing the supply chain to sending forces into the infected zones to spray disinfectant or set up field hospitals.

In almost all countries, first responders have suffered because of their proximity to the ill, and it is unlikely that Iran would be immune from such a phenomenon. The living quarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps likely compound the problem. One of the reasons why the 1917-1918 Spanish flu struck down so many in the prime of life was that it tore through military barracks. If the Revolutionary Guards are at the forefront of the Iranian fight against COVID-19, it is unlikely they will retain pre-COVID-19 readiness.

Any outbreak among the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will likely have ramifications beyond immediate military readiness. Among the Islamic Republics military veterans, there are long-standing grievances with regard to health care. The government largely abandoned those injured during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. The most dysfunctional Veterans Administrations hospitals in the United States outperform by far the best medical centers available to Iranian veterans. Those who served Iran to fight the pandemic and suffer long-term health complications due to their troubles will breed resentment toward the government. The Iranian governments financial woes and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps prioritization of support for foreign interventions over pensions will breed resentment among the families of those who succumb to COVID-19. And while the Guards top commanders are millionaires several times over and live posh lifestyles, most Guardsmen live a more impoverished existence in the apartment blocs of western Tehran or in the slums to the citys south. This means that they are more likely to spread the disease through their own communities than those in more affluent northern neighborhoods.

The Revolutionary Guards will also likely suffer future recruitment woes. While the organization depicts itself as the ideological vanguard, it is as faction-ridden as Iranian politics. There are many ideological hardlinersthe late Qassem Soleimani or his successor Esmail Ghaani, for examplebut there are also those who join the Revolutionary Guards for more cynical reasons. Iran is still a conscript society and so, if military service is a necessity, better to join a Guards unit which will pay more and provide better connections and opportunities in the future. Future generations may think twice, however, about volunteering for the Guards if its missions expose them to greater harm. Indeed, the Guards and the paramilitary Basij were also suffering a manpower shortage due to resistance among many ordinary Iranians to deployments into Syria, leading the Guards leadership to rely increasingly on Lebanese Hezbollah or Iraqi, Afghan, or Pakistani Shiite militia groups.

Beyond eroding Irans military readiness, the impact of the virus on public perception will be huge. Even the Islamic Republics most ardent apologists recognize that there is a growing trust deficit between the Iranian public and the regime. The problem is not just at home. Tehran must often temper its strategic partnerships in response to public distrust of its international partners. Take Russia, for example: While Iranian authorities have pursued an unprecedented rapprochement with Russia, the Iranian public has neither forgiven nor forgotten centuries of Russian imperial exploitation and so Iranian authorities must at times put brakes on the partnership or at least keep some aspects of it secret.

This historic distrust of Russia is one reason why Iranian authorities sought to hedge their bets. Jomhuri-e Eslami, one of the Islamic Republics flagship newspapers, published an article (no longer available online) on July 21, 2018 arguing that Revolutionary Leader Ruhollah Khomeinis slogan Neither East nor West but Islamic Republic should not prevent Tehran from outreach to Beijing. Yayha Rahim-Safavi, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a top military advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, drove home the point in a January 2019 speech.

The World Health Organization may condemn linking COVID-19 to its origins in Wuhan, China, but most Iranians will not be so politically correct. They recognize that it was their governments trade with China and its air links coupled with a diplomatic decision not to antagonize Chinese authorities that first introduced the disease into Iran and facilitated its rapid spread. Whereas just a few months ago, most Iranians were indifferent to their governments outreach to China and the growing Chinese presence in Iran, that too will likely change as suspicion of China and the Chinese will likely taint government outreach. Russia will always have a greater stigma within Iranian society than China, but no longer will Tehran be able to sell its turn toward Beijing as cost-free. That will not mean that Iranian leaders would abandon their eastern strategy, but even ardent regime Islamists recognize the potency of grassroots Iranian nationalism and will think twice about openly crossing it.

Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). You can follow him on Twitter:@mrubin1971.

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Iran's Military Likely Can't Fight Thanks to Coronavirus - The National Interest

It was the class of warships that was never built, the Montana-class authorized under the "Two Ocean Navy" building program and funded in Fiscal Year 1941 and it would be the last of the kind ever ordered by the U.S. Navy. The ships were nearly a third larger than the preceding Iowa-class, and at 920 feet in length and with a beam of 121 feet, and a displacement of 60,500 tons 71,000 tons with war load would have been even larger than the HMS Vanguard, the last battleship to be built.

A total of five of the ships were ordered, with the lead in her class (BB-67) to be built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard along withOhio (BB-68); while Maine (BB-69) and New Hampshire (BB-70) were to be constructed at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn; withLouisiana (BB-71) built at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia.

The vessels would have required a crew of at least 2,355 personnel and perhaps as many as 2,780 if fielded as a flagship of the fleet.

Each of the six ships was to carry a dozen 16-inch guns, three more than the Iowa-class, but its massive size, increased armor and added firepower came at some notable costs.

First, the Montana-class was slower not fast enough to escort carriers, but still fast enough to operate in the battle line. Given the threat of enemy aircraft, especially in how the Royal Navy's HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk off the coast of Singapore in December 1941 less than a year after she was commissioned by torpedo aircraft, the slower speed was an issue.

Then there is the argument that this class was really meant to be a "Yamato killer," capable of taking on the Imperial Japanese Navy's powerful battleship. The truth is that the United States Navy didn't actually know about the Yamato's 18-inch guns until 1944, so clearly the Montana-class, which was on the drawing board farearlier, wasn't simply meant to take on the Japanese behemoth.

However, before construction began the changing tide of war, and the impact that the aircraft carrier had in pushing back the Japanese made it clear that the Montana-class was not the right ship for the job. The Navy's need for more aircraft carriers, amphibious and anti-submarine vessels resulted in a suspension of the program in May 1942 before a single keel had been laid.

Just over a year later, when it was clear that the Age of the Battleship was at an end, on July 21, 1943, the program was formally canceled. Yet, had even a single Montana-class battleship been constructed, she would have been the most powerful U.S. Navy vessel of her time.

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com.

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Montana-Class Battleships Would Have Answered the Question Can a Warship be Too Big - The National Interest

VSN(admin) PublishedFriday, April 10, 2020 - 08:30 AM

Lexington, KY The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced Grand View'sFelix Chapman(SR/San Jose De Las Lajas, Cuba) as the 2020 TeamSnap/AVCA NAIA Men's National Player of the Year. This is Chapman's second-consecutive year to earn this honor. The senior outside hitter is the first player in program history to win multiple national player of the year honors.

Over the 2020 season, Chapman has accumulated incredible averages including 5.24 kills per set, a 0.363 hitting efficiency, 1.21 digs per set, 0.8 blocks per set, and 0.55 service aces per set. Registering double-digit kill totals in every match that he played, Chapman was an offensive threat. On four occasions, the senior smashed 20-plus kills including nine performances hitting at least .400. In February, Chapman also went on a four-match run where he totaled 17 aces reaching a high of 1.42 service aces per set.

Chapman also received Heart of America First-Team All-Conference honors while also snagging the Player and Attacker of the Year accolades. This was his second-consecutive year being named player of the year for the conference.

Nationally, the Viking outside hitter was ranked No. 1 in total kills (351), No. 1 in kills per game (5.240), No. 7 in total service aces (37), No. 8 in service aces per game (0.550), No. 23 in hitting percentage (0.363), and No. 35 in total blocks (51). The senior tallied 1,056 kills in his three-season career with the Vikings.

*Denotes number of years named an AVCA NAIA Men's All-American

TeamSnap/AVCA NAIA Men's National Player of the Year:Announcedon Thursday, April 9.

AVCA NAIA Newcomer of the Year:Kyle Anema, Vanguard, OH

Kyle Anema, Vanguard, OH, RS-Fr.Stats: 5.11 K/S, .296 Hitting %, 1.64 D/S, 0.5 B/SFirst AVCA All-American in program history in their first year in existence.

Francisco Arredondo, Grand View, S, Fr.Stats: 11.21 A/S, .339 Team Hitting %, 1.31 D/S, 0.4 B/SJoins teammate Raffy Polanco to become the seventh and eighth different All-American for the VikingsThe eight are the fourth-most in the NAIA.

Luciano Bucci, Park, S, Jr.Stats: 11.1 A/S, .299 Hitting %, 1.5 D/SParks nine All-American players are tied with Lourdes for second-most in the NAIA (Missouri Baptist leads with 10).

Luka Cajic, Missouri Baptist, OH, Sr.Stats: 4.10 K/S, .363 Hitting %, 0.69 SA/S, 1.74 D/SThird consecutive AVCA All-American honor...Becomes the fourth Spartan to garner the award at least three times.

Felix Chapman, Grand View, OH, Sr.Stats: 5.24 K/S, .363 Hitting %, 0.55 SA, 1.21 D/S, 0.8 B/SThree-time AVCA All-American (2018-2020)Joins Pedro Cardoso as the only players in program history to take home All-American honors on no fewer than three occasions.

Hiago Crins, Park, RS, Jr.Stats: 3.5 K/S, .339 Hitting %, 1.4 D/S, 1.3 B/SPark ties Grand View for the most All-American awards in this years class (three).

Felipe Guirau, Park, OH, Jr.Stats: 3.2 K/S, .319 Hitting %, 1.1 B/S, 1.1 D/SParks 14 AVCA All-American certificates are third-most in NAIA historyOne of only three programs with double-digit certificates.

Robert Henige, Benedictine Mesa, MB, Jr.Stats: 2.5 K/S, .338 Hitting %, 1.15 B/SSecond consecutive AVCA All-American awardFirst player in program history to garner All-American status more than once.

Edin Ibrahimovic, Menlo, OH, So.Stats: 5.2 K/S, .374 Hitting %, 1.6 D/S, 0.57 B/STwo-time AVCA All-American (2019, 2020)Remains the only Menlo player to be named an AVCA All-American.

Miljan Kastratovic, Missouri Baptist, OH/RS, So.Stats: 3.76 K/S, .290 Hitting %, 0.51 SA/S, 1.36 D/S, 0.4 B/SSecond AVCA All-American award (2019, 2020)Missouri Baptists 21 All-American certificates are most in the NAIA.

John Montalvo, Campbellsville, L, RS-Jr.Stats: 2.66 D/S, 0.81 Opponent Hitting %First AVCA All-American in program historyCampbellsville joins Vanguard to become the 20th and 21st programs to have an All-American.

Raffy Polanco, Grand View, RS, Sr.Stats: 3.62 K/S, .289 Hitting %, 0.44 SA/S, 1.37 D/S, 0.4 B/SThirteen of Grand Views 17 AVCA All-American certificates have come since 2016.

Grand View University Men's Volleyball Heart of America Athletic Conference Awards & Achievements

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Grand View's Chapman Named AVCA National Player Of The Year For Second-Consecutive Year - Victory Sports Network

Amid the coronavirus bear market, target date funds generally performed in line with expectations, but not all TDFs are created equal and outcomes have varied, according to new research by Morningstar.

In a sign of industry progress, TDFs so far have held up better than they did during the 2008 global financial crisis, though outcome have diverged for near-retirees, the firm notes in How Target-Date Funds Fared Amidst the Coronavirus Sell-Off.

Despite diversified portfolios, investors expecting to retire this year (2020 funds) lost more than 17% on average. Individuals expected to retire in 40 years (2060 funds) lost 31%which is a minor improvement versus U.S. equities, which fell 33%, and global equities, which declined 32%, according to the firms data. In general, the report looks at the period Feb. 20 through March 20.

Investors should be especially cognizant of their target-date funds risk profile as they approach and enter retirement, when their nest eggs have likely peaked and they begin to rely on those savings to support their lifestyle, notes Leo Acheson, Associate Director, Multiasset & Alternative Strategies at Morningstar and author of the post.

And while their diversification benefits dissipated, he notes that thats not abnormal during extreme selloffs. As such, TDFs have captured more of the equity markets downside than would be anticipated from their strategic equity weighting which, while counterintuitive, aligns with expectations.

During more-modest equity sell-offs, bonds typically provide ballast, rising in value as equities fall. But during severe drawdowns, like the ones experienced this year and during the global financial crisis, correlations across asset classes rise, and even investment-grade bonds are susceptible to losses, Acheson explains. Indeed, he notes that TDF bond portfolios declined alongside their stock portfolios, exacerbating losses in the recent meltdown.

Comparing Results

Acheson takes a deeper dive in looking at the variation in outcomes for near-retirees by comparing outcomes based on TDF asset-allocation approaches, including those focused on longevity risk versus market risk. One observation is that strategies focused on longevity risk has led to long-term gain but near-term pain.

For example, T. Rowe Price minimizes longevity risk via a heavy equity weighting in its Retirement series by targeting 55% in equities at retirement, versus 43% for the norm. The firms bond portfolio also courted more risk than most in the recent sell-off, contributing an estimated 3% loss in the 2020 fund. According to Acheson, that led to one of the industrys worst outcomes for near-retirees during the drawdown, when its 2020 fund declined nearly 23%, lagging other target-date indexes by about 4 to 5 percentage points.

As of March 20,that largely wiped out the funds excess returns it had earned over the past five years, but the funds higher risk profile has paid off over the long term, he notes. Since the market bottomed on March 9, 2009, through March 20, 2020, it gained 192%, outpacing all its competitors, Acheson observes.

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Fidelitys Freedom Funds also emphasizes longevity risk, but to a lesser degree. Its above-average targeted equity stake of 52% at retirement contributed to its 2020 funds below-average 19.2% loss during the coronavirus sell-off. Investors in its 2020 fund have reaped the benefits of an overweight stake in equities during the past five years, but when stocks neared their trough this year, the 2020 funds one- and three-year returns came up short, Acheson observes. He notes, however, that the series remains a strong option.

Meanwhile, balanced approaches to risk management appears to have contained losses. Vanguards 2020 fund targets a 50% weighting in stocks at retirement, which largely drove its 18.6% decline in the drawdown. However, its conservative bond portfolio, which lost about 1% in the sell-off, lessens its risk profile, he notes.

JPMorgans SmartRetirement series takes less equity risk than the average peer for near retirees, targeting 33% in stocks at retirement. Its bond portfolio, which includes high-yield bonds, emerging-markets debt and bank loans, courts more risk than most, leading to an overall moderate risk profile. Acheson notes that the 2020 funds bond sleeve lost about 4% in the drawdown. Still, he notes that with a 17% loss, the 2020 fund held up modestly better than peers and target-date indexes.

BlackRock LifePath Index has the industrys most aggressive equity glide path for young investors, but the series de-risks at a faster pace than most, ending with a below-average equity weighting of 40% at retirement, Acheson explains. As such, investors retiring in 2020 lost 15.3% during that period, meaningfully outpacing relevant target-date indexes and landing in the peer groups top quintile.

American Funds 2020 fund, meanwhile, pulled off an impressive feat, according to Acheson. Despite an above-average 46% equity weighting, it lost 16.4% amidst the sell-offwhile thats still painful, he notes that its better than about 70% of peers. The series bias toward giant caps with strong fundamentals, safe bond portfolios, and large cash balances held by its underlying funds offset its overweighting in stocks, he observes.

Finally, John Hancocks Multi-Index Preservation has the most conservative glide path among series that Morningstar covers. Acheson notes that that positioning helped this series 2020 fund outperform about 90% of rivals and both target-date indexes amidst the sell-off, when it declined 13.4%. He further observes, however, that the series overly conservative stance has weighed on returns over time.

Originally posted here:

Here's How TDFs Have Fared During the Coronavirus Pandemic - National Association of Plan Advisors

By Shellsea Lomeli

In response to the health and economic crisis presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, a collection of national, regional, and state organizations have called for an immediate nationwide moratorium of juvenile fines, fees, and paying negative consequences for nonpayment.

COVID-19 continues to negatively affect the economic circumstances of several families across the nation. The statement acknowledged the response of state and local governments to ensure people stay housed and financially stable during the crisis, such as suspending evictions and foreclosures. Advocate organizations asked these government officials to take the same accommodating approach toward juvenile fees and fines.

According to the Juvenile Law Center, almost every state imposes costs on children in the juvenile justice system. These fees and fines can extend to thousands of dollars and are a regressive and radical discriminatory tax on low-income communities and communities of color, stated the organizations. They also included that these communities were more likely to endure significant economic and financial hardships during the COVID-19 crisis which could be potentially catastrophic.

The signatories of this statement range from human rights to criminal justice organizations, including groups such as ACLU, NAACP, and the University of California, Berkeley Law School Policy Advocacy Clinic. The statement provided comprehensive lists of both general policy recommendations and specific action steps for eight different groups of decision makers such as governors, juvenile public defenders, and law enforcement.

In a general assessment, the participating organizations recommended that states, counties, and juvenile courts immediately take action on a variety of levels, including suspend[ing] and withdraw[ing] all referrals of unpaid juvenile fee and fine accounts to state taxing and collection authorities and private collection agencies.

The signatories intended to acknowledge that all rules and regulations must apply to private agencies. For example, state legislatures were urged to suspend the authority of private agencies from collecting unpaid juvenile fees and fines. In addition, the statement called for government officials to notify and educate youth and families on the described new policies and procedures.

The policy and action recommendations on suspending juvenile fees and fines should be carried out for at least the duration of this health and economic crisis, the participants stated. Doing so would allow for the reduction of harm toward youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system during this crisis.

However, the numerous signatories also used the statement to urge government officials to work toward making these law and policy changes permanent, even after the effects of COVID-19 are condensed. Many jurisdictions are beginning to realize [that] charging fees and fines to youth in the juvenile system and their families is counterproductive, the organizations expressed.

According to the statement, juvenile fees and fines threaten youth rehabilitation and increase the likelihood of recidivism among youth. It was also argued that issuing such a charge nets little or no government revenue, meaning that suspending or possibly ending juvenile fees and fines nationwide would greatly assist American families financial situations without having a significant impact on the governments monetary gain.

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Over 100 Advocate Groups across the United States Call for the Suspension of Juvenile Fees and Fines - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

Chief Nnia Nwodo, President-General, Ohanaeze NdigboByChinemerem Eke

ONCE more we have provided the cannon fodder for those who hold the view that Ndigbo cannot agree on anything.

The issue of the moment is the creation of anotherState for the South East. Unknown to many, this issue has made considerable progress, as the series of media exchanges that have taken place in the past few weeks have shown. The issue remains a family matter that should be resolved in the interest of the family.

Comrade Paul Ikechukwu Njoku fired the first salvo when he asked why Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo had stalled the moves that would have actualised the creation of a sixth State in the South East. Heasserted that his positionwas based on verifiable facts, though they had not been made available to the public.

A timeline of recent activities for the creation of another State in the South East is as follows

November 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari promised an extra State in the South East to an Ohanaeze Ndigbo delegation that included all South East Governors, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, DIG Hillary Opara (rtd), Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Prof Barth Nnaji, former Senate President Adolf Wabara, former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, National Woman Leader of Ohanaeze, Dame Nne Nwafor, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Igbo Caucus of the National Assembly, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, and others.

February 2018, the South East Governors Forum after a meeting at Lion House, Enugu,authorised the National Executive Committee, NEC, of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to select from among the State Movements in the South East thedemand that best satisfies the constitutional provisions on creation of States.

11 September 2018, Nwodo, inaugurated a Committee of the whole house headed by the Vice President (Ebonyi), Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, a former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, and Vice Chancellor, Ebonyi State University. Barrister Uche Okwukwu was Secretary of the Committee.

27 September 2018, the Committee met with the leaders of the State Creation Movements at the national headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu where each group made presentations and submitted documents to support their demands.

10 October 2018, Ohanaeze Ndigbo NEC Committee on State Creation met in Enugu. It completed its assignment and submitted itsreport to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President.It received presentations from Aba, Adada, Anim, Equity, Etiti and Orimili.

Comrade Njoku, whose publication chronicled the activities of the committee, noted the cessation of activities since the report was submitted to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President almost 18 months ago. Njoku was a member of the Committee. All Committee members signed the report which included the votes taken on the submissions and presentations the State Creation Movements made to the Committee.

It was after Comrade Njokus publication that Chief James Ugwu, the Director of Media of Adada State Movement raised issues with the work of the Committee. He said the Committee should have worked with documents that preceded the 2017 meeting with President Buhari that re-ignited movements for the creation of an additional State in the South East. Chief Ugwu said those documents placed Adada ahead of the other movements.

Could this be the reason for the silence of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President on the report? How does Ohanaeze Ndigbo intend to proceed in the quest for an extra State in the South East?

Time is ticking away. A way of resolving this matter that would lend itself to equity and justice is for Ohanaeze Ndigbo to work with the report of its Committee of 18 September 2018.For how long would Ohanaeze keep its silence on the report of a Committee it set up? Where does Ohanaeze stand on the creation of another State in the South East? Should it not tell the public?

It is time Chief Nnia Nwodo broke his silence. He would also need to explain his ebbing enthusiasm in a move he began so well.

Vanguard

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Creation of another state for South East Where does Ohanaeze stand? - Vanguard