Daily Archives: February 22, 2021

In recent decades, however, booms have become less common. Growth never took off after the mild recession that hit in 2001, and while the unemployment rate hit a half-century low after the last recession, it took a decade to get there.

There are reasons to think this recovery could be different. For one thing, the economy was fundamentally healthy when the recession began. There was no housing bubble; household debt was low; banks werent sitting on a tower of dubious loans that could collapse at any moment. That means there is no reason, at least in theory, that the economy cant pick up more or less where it left off.

Policymakers have also responded much more aggressively to this crisis than to past ones. The Fed moved quickly to prevent the pandemic from setting off a financial crisis. Congress spent trillions of dollars to make sure unemployed workers could keep their homes and feed their families, and to help small businesses.

Those efforts were far from a total success. The unemployment system buckled under the crush of applicants, and millions had to wait weeks or months to get benefits, if they got them at all. Government aid was inadequate, or came too late, to save thousands of businesses. State and local governments have slashed jobs. Hunger rates have risen.

But government aid appears to have been largely effective at preventing deep structural damage that could prevent a strong rebound. There has been no wave of foreclosures or corporate bankruptcies. Rates of entrepreneurship have soared, signaling that Americans are optimistic and have access to the capital necessary to act on that optimism.

Even if there is a strong rebound, however, economists warn that not everyone will benefit.

Kara Gray and her husband, Christopher DeSure, spent years building their small Ohio construction company into a successful business. Then the pandemic shut them down, and, having a daughter at home with a compromised immune system, they havent felt comfortable returning to in-person work.

With the housing market strong, Ms. Gray is confident they will be able to get back to work once the pandemic is over. But she worries they wont be able to take full advantage of the boom. She and her husband were forced to spend the money they had set aside to buy a house, and have fallen behind on bills and run up credit card debt. That could make it hard for them to qualify for a mortgage or for a business loan to expand their company.

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On the Post-Pandemic Horizon, Could That Be an Economic Boom? - The New York Times

On todays episode of The Jabot, Im joined by Leigh Vickery.Shes the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer atLevel Legal, as well as an entrepreneur shes thefounder of a queso company, Queso Mama. We talk about her turn from a cheese dip maven to legal technology, the kinds of changes the legal industry should be making to make greater diversity strides, the ways the legal industry is changing as a result of COVID-19, and how this is a moment for innovation in the industry.

The Jabot podcast is an offshoot of the Above the Law brand focused on the challenges women, people of color, LGBTQIA, and other diverse populations face in the legal industry. Our name comes from none other than the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the jabot (decorative collar) she wore when delivering dissents from the bench. Its a reminder that even when we arent winning, were still a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Happy listening!

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email herwith any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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Making The Legal Industry More Human In a Post-COVID World - Above the Law

Federal investigators are looking into what caused an uncontained, catastrophic engine failure on a United Airlines flight bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, that left Denver a half-hour late on Saturday and proceeded to drop large chunks of debris on a northern suburb and park before landing safely back at Denver International Airport.

Provided by Ashly McGarity

No injuries were reported as of Sunday morning neither among the 231 passengers or 10 crew members, nor anyone in Broomfield, about 25 miles northwest of the airport.

The right engine failure, which authorities have not provided any details for the cause of the malfunction, was described as an explosion both on the ground and from passengers.

My wife and I were sitting in the living room, reading the paper, when we heard a loud bang, Broomfield homeowner Kirby Klements said Saturday, standing in front of the engine ring, which was taller than him and destroyed the cab of his truck. First, I thought it was debris from a trampoline from my neighbors yard. Came out and looked at it and knew right away that it was the front of an engine of an airplane.

Broomfield police said debris landed in Commons Park where soccer practice was going on and in at least two neighborhoods. Police spokeswoman Rachel Welte said that the department was securing the scene and all the debris for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the major malfunction and aftermath.

Heather Solar and the girls team she coaches were among a half-dozen teams practicing at Commons Park on Saturday afternoon when she heard the noise. A large piece from the plane fell 10 feet from where she was standing. She and the other coaches told their players to grab their bags, cover their heads and run either to their cars or to the nearby park shelters.

Honestly, what I thought it was first I thought we were being bombed, Solar said. There was so much debris in the sky.

David Delucia, who is from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and his wife were on the Boeing 777-200 wide-body airliner, and said the plane began to lose altitude right after the sound of the engine exploding.

Everything started shaking, like the worst turbulence you can imagine, he told The Post on Saturday. When we started to descend, we started going down through the clouds. People were saying that they were dumping fuel while it was going on. We were getting information (from passengers) on the right side that it was on fire all the way til we landed.

Ashly McGarity was seated with her boyfriend on the right side of the plane. She said she was a little worried before takeoff because she saw a dark discoloration on a flap of the wing it looked burned. She took photos of it.

Within minutes after takeoff, McGarity and her boyfriend, Skyler Jones, saw sparks flying outside, and Jones saw the explosion. He said the couple held each other and prayed for the best.

The plane made an emergency landing at 1:35 p.m. Saturday, Denver Fire Department spokesman Capt. Greg Pixley said.

Former NTSB Chairman Jim Hall called the incident another example of cracks in our culture in aviation safety (that) need to be addressed.

Hall, who was on the board from 1994 to 2001, has criticized the FAA over the past decade as drifting toward letting the manufacturers provide the aviation oversight that the public was paying for. That goes especially for Boeing, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Investigators trying to figure out what caused United Airlines planes engine to explode, scatter debris across Broomfield - The Denver Post

Boeing has recommended that airlines ground all 777s with the type of engine that blew apart after takeoff from Denver this weekend, and most carriers that fly those planes said they would temporarily pull them from service.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered United Airlines to step up inspections of the aircraft after one of its flights made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Saturday as pieces of the casing of the engine, a Pratt & Whitney PW4000, rained down on suburban neighborhoods. None of the 231 passengers or 10 crew were hurt, and the flight landed safely, authorities said. United is among the carriers that has grounded the planes.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement Sunday that based on an initial review of safety data, inspectors concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.

Dickson said that would likely mean some planes would be grounded and Boeing said they should be until the FAA sets up an inspection regime. Japan ordered the planes out of service, according to the financial newspaper Nikkei, while noting that an engine in the same family suffered trouble in December.

Boeing said there were 69 777s with the Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines in service and another 59 in storage.

United had 24 of the planes in service; it is the only U.S. airline with the engine in its fleet, according to the FAA. Two Japanese airlines have another 32 that are being pulled while Asiana Airlines grounded nine, seven of which were in service, until Boeing establishes a plan to fix the problems. Korean Air said it was discussing whether to ground 16 aircraft, six of which are in service.

We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt & Whitney, Boeing said in a statement issued Sunday, referring to American and Japanese regulators.

The engine maker said it was sending a team to work with investigators.

The emergency landing this past weekend is the latest trouble for Boeing, which saw its 737 Max planes grounded for more than a year after two deadly crashes in 2019 and is suffering amid the huge reduction in air travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Max planes began returning to the skies late last year a huge boost for the aircraft maker, which lost billions during the grounding because it has been unable to deliver new planes to customers.

Video posted on Twitter from Saturdays emergency showed the engine fully engulfed in flames as the plane flew through the air. Freeze frames from different video taken by a passenger sitting slightly in front of the engine and also posted on Twitter appeared to show a broken fan blade in the engine.

Passengers, who were headed to Honolulu, said they feared the plane would crash after an explosion and flash of light, while people on the ground saw huge chunks of the aircraft pour down, just missing one home and crushing a truck. The explosion, visible from the ground, left a trail of black smoke in the sky.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said that two of the engines fan blades were fractured and the remainder of the fan blades exhibited damage. But it cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions about what happened.

United says it will work closely with the FAA and the NTSB to determine any additional steps that are needed to ensure these aircraft meet our rigorous safety standards and can return to service.

The NTSB said the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were transported to its lab in Washington so the data can be analyzed. NTSB investigations can take up to a year or longer, although in major cases the agency generally releases some investigative material midway through the process.

Japans Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said an engine in the PW4000 family suffered trouble on a Japan Airlines 777 flying to Tokyo from Naha on Dec. 4. The airline has said the plane had engine trouble after takeoff and returned to Naha. An inspection showed damage to the engine case and missing fan blades, according to the airline. Stricter inspections were ordered in response.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will stop operating a combined 32 planes with that engine, Nikkei reported. ___

This story has been updated to correct the name of one of the Japanese airlines mentioned. It is Japan Airlines, not Japan Airways.

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Boeing: 777s with engine that blew apart should be grounded - The Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Biden did not do anything this weekend.

Well, lets rephrase: President Biden did not do anything alarming this weekend.

There were exactly eight tweets, each one rooted in what can best be described as reality. There was a visit to spend time with an ailing friend, Bob Dole, a former Republican senator. And there was a stop at church with the grandchildren.

Since Mr. Biden assumed office, the weekends have been portraits of domesticity MarioKart with the kids at Camp David, bagels in Georgetown and football in Delaware. A Peloton devotee, he hasnt even played golf. Mr. Bidens demonstrable uninterest in generating audacious headlines only emphasizes how much the Trump-size hole in Washington has created a sense of free time in all realms of the capital. Psychically, if not literally.

Though the workload remains (this is still Washington, after all) people are grabbing a few more hours of sleep in the span of time formerly known as the weekend.

It was going from working 24/7 to sort of not working at all in a snap, Representative Ted Lieu, Democrat of California and one of the House managers who prosecuted Donald J. Trump in his second impeachment, said of his first post-trial hours. And it did take a while sort of for my body and mind to calm down.

Mr. Lieu says he is already back to work full speed. Among other things, he is pushing legislation that he says will be written to close loopholes that Mr. Trump has exploited, including a bill that would create penalties for failing to respond to congressional subpoenas.

But first, binge-watching: The Sunday after the trial ended, Mr. Lieu spent his first Trump-free hours watching episodes of Snowpiercer.

Mr. Biden, who is focusing on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, has said that he, too, wants to move on from discussing Mr. Trump. I dont want to talk about him anymore, the president said last week during a CNN town hall in Wisconsin. The reality is a bit different. Mr. Biden has repeatedly brought up what he said are failings of the Trump administration as he sought to win patience from the public during the rollout of coronavirus vaccines.

There is a parallel in the news industry, where reporters covering this new-old version of Washington say they are ready to get back to the type of journalism that does not involve deciphering a human mood ring. CNN and MSNBC, whose journalists and personalities have spent years challenging Mr. Trumps policies, have quietly reduced the number of Trump-focused journalists working on contract in recent months.

Mr. Trump has, of course, predicted that the political news complex will crumble without him. Members of that complex say they have some room to breathe and, crucially, to plan.

As the host of a weekly show, the glaring absence of presidential Twitter scandals means I can plan ahead with the expectation that our plan will actually be implemented, said Brian Stelter, a former New York Times reporter who hosts Reliable Sources on CNN. Informally, we used to leave a five-minute-size hole in my Sunday show, expecting some sort of big news to break on Saturday night. Now we dont assume thats going to happen anymore.

Other journalists say they welcome the renewed attention on policy.

A linear policymaking process, its still interesting, Jake Sherman, a veteran of Politico and a founder of Punchbowl News, said of the relative return to normalcy brought by the Biden era. When youre confident that a rotating cast of characters is not going to change the course of American government, thats a comforting thought.

Olivia Nuzzi, a Washington correspondent for New York magazine, said she was reconfiguring her relationship with the White House specifically, the idea that the current president has little interest in undermining his own press officers and policy experts.

The New Washington

Feb. 22, 2021, 12:38 p.m. ET

This weekend, Ms. Nuzzi said, she was also surprised to learn that Mr. Biden had quietly gone to church. She realized how much she had been keeping tabs on Mr. Trumps every move, just in case he upended the news cycle on impulse.

Its becoming clear, each day, how much that happened during that one term had to do with how he was feeling, Ms. Nuzzi said, and how much our daily lives focused on trying to get a sense of how he was feeling.

Outside the insulated worlds of politics and the news media, there is no normal to return to. Washingtonians who dont have to hang on the presidents every word are still struggling to adjust to life in a city where the Capitol and the White House have essentially been militarized, and where daily life has been upended by both the coronavirus and civil unrest.

Amy Brandwein, a chef and the owner of Centrolina, has watched brunchgoers return to downtown on the weekends, but she and other restaurateurs have struggled for nearly a year to regain the business lost because of the pandemic.

She is also afraid that the political turmoil will continue. Ms. Brandwein said her plans to install outdoor bubblelike structures to provide a socially distant dining option were delayed because of the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6. She estimates she has lost about $100,000 in business on days she had to close because of protests that drew the Proud Boys and other extremist groups.

Mr. Trump may be gone from the capital, but she worries his supporters will still endanger her employees and her business. I wonder about the security in the future of downtown or generally in D.C., she said, because the Trump movement is still going on.

As Washington staggers to its feet, it is clear that Mr. Trump is happy to visit the dreams of anyone suddenly getting more sleep.

He has issued news releases through his post-presidency office whose targets have included not only the entire Democratic Party, but also Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. He has sat for interviews on Fox News, repeating disputed or untrue theories about his election loss that allies like Sean Hannity have refused to challenge.

And at Mar-a-Lago, his fortress by the sea, Mr. Trump still expects a full crowd on the dinner patio to stand and applaud, just as it did when he was in office.

Other Republicans have filled the void left by Mr. Trumps diminished profile. A nice chunk of the past week was dedicated to the Washington chattering class gathering around an old-fashioned political scandal like it was a warm campfire: Senator Ted Cruz of Texas absconded to Cancn Cancn! while his constituents suffered during a snowstorm and a blackout. The Cruz caper was perhaps the starkest sign yet of a new political era: Mr. Trump was not around to give Mr. Cruz cover by instinctively turning the spotlight on himself.

But the former presidents supporters are expecting him to end his relative silence perhaps with his scheduled address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday.

Wayne Allyn Root, a radio host and frequent Mar-a-Lago visitor, said Mr. Trump was beholden to Republican expectations that he become a kingmaker for the party in 2022, if he doesnt become a 2024 candidate himself.

He needs time to heal, Mr. Root said, and I think that time is just about coming to an end.

In the meantime, a battered and bruised capital has adjusted to life at a calmer pace, with quieter activities and words replacing the obscenities, characters and gibberish that used to shape how the days were spent. Bagels over Bannon. Grandchildren over golf. Church over covfefe.

The historian Michael Beschloss said it would take some time to readjust to the idea that presidents do not typically rate their hour-by-hour existence on how many headlines they can generate.

Its human nature that in order to defend themselves, people locked in a careening car with a reckless driver will have their eyes wide open and hearts racing, with lots of adrenaline flowing, Mr. Beschloss said. I hope that for most Americans, that car ride has now stopped, and we can stagger out and catch our breath.

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Did Washington Just Have an Actual Weekend? - The New York Times

This weeks episode of WandaVision is a modern take on the family sitcom. In keeping up with more contemporary media traditions, episode 7, Breaking the Fourth Wall features a post-credits scene, similar to the ones you see in Marvel Studios movies. This is the first time the streaming series has done this.

While the revelation in the post-credits scene isnt as groundbreaking or revealing as the one that appeared in the 2008 film Iron Man, its still worth sticking around for.

[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for WandaVision episode seven.]

After Wanda descends into Agness basement in search for her missing boys, she discovers that her neighbors basement is probably not up to code and is definitely more like a witchs den. Thats because her friendly neighbor is actually the witch Agatha Harkness, the self-proclaimed other magic girl living in Westview.

The episode ends with Agatha using some of her purple magic on Wanda as she takes over the show weve been watching. We are then treated to a catchy intro to another show, Agatha All Along. In the musical opening, we see that Agatha has been pulling the strings behind most of the events in Westview, including controlling Pietro.

The show weve been watching then cuts to its usual credits. However, unlike every other episode of WandaVision, theres a cut to a post-credits scene. In it, Monica Rambeau is sneaking around Agness house trying to reconnect with Wanda after Agnes takes her away in an earlier encounter. Monicas snooping leads her to the entrance to the villains witchy basement. Before she can make sense of her discovery, she is interrupted by Pietro.

As he sneaks up behind Monica, he surprises her by telling that, snoopers gonna snoop. Its unclear if Pietro is still under Agathas control or not. Either way, Monica reacts with shock and the scene ends on a cliffhanger.

The rest of episode 7 has plenty of other payoffs that fans have been curious about, such as exploring what happens if Monica Rambeau enters the hex a third time, more hexagons, and plenty of Billy and Tommy.

Each new episode of WandaVision brings unexpected changes. Most of the ideas are ripped from what weve come to expect from each era of television the show pulls inspiration from. The shows seventh episode is the first time the series has pulled from the modern cinematic tradition, often credited to Marvel, of the post-credits scene. Where the show gathers its ideas from next is anyones guess.

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WandaVision episode 7 has a post-credit scene that you cant miss - Polygon

Tributes have been paid to an "inspirational" PE teacher and coach who died of a brain tumour.

Tim Harding, former head of PE at Eirias High School in Colwyn Bay died peacefully at St David's Hospice on Thursday.

Eirias High School took to social media to announce the sad news.

They posted: "It is with the heaviest of hearts we have to let you know of the passing of our dear friend, former head of PE and Eirias legend Tim Harding.

"Tim was such an inspiration to his colleagues, pupils and the wider community.

"Our thoughts are with Sally, Tom and Matt."

Eirias Hockey Club posted: "The club are deeply saddened to hear of Tim Hardings passing. A former player and a keen supporter who will be missed by all at the club. Our thoughts are with Sally, Tom and Matt. "

Colwyn Bay school, Rydal Penrhos announced on its website: "It is with great sadness that we wish to announce the passing of Mr Tim Harding, beloved husband of Mrs Sally Harding (Head of Senior School) and father of Matt and Tom (former pupils).

"After many years of fighting with a brain tumour, Tim passed away peacefully in St Davids Hospice on Thursday, 18 February 2021.

"Tim has been a much-loved and highly regarded member of the Rydal Penrhos community. He has always been an absolute inspiration to everyone who knows him with his motivation and positivity.

"The school offers our condolences to Sally and the Harding family."

Haus Coffee Shop in Colwyn Bay wrote on Facebook: "We are very saddened by the news to have lost our customer, Tim Harding. We are very grateful to have met him.

"Tim's smile and kindness will be dearly missed by all the staff from Haus.

"Our thoughts are with his family and dear friends at this most difficult time."

Former students also paid tribute.

One said: "I have so much to thank Mr Harding for - amazing teacher and even better mentor to me in school.

"Rest in Peace."

Another added: "Rest in peace sir, best teacher ever."

One said: "What sad news. Tim was a great teacher and person. I was lucky enough to be taught by him from Yr 7 through to Yr 13. My thoughts are with Tims family and his colleagues at the sad time."

Another said: "Very sad news.

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"Tim was a huge influence on me growing up through Eirias, as Im sure he was to the thousands of other kids fortunate to have been taught by him. Sending all my love to his family. One of lifes great human beings who will be missed by lots."

While one said: "Such sad news - Tim was always so supportive of my son (who wasnt the best behaved) - I will always be thankful for how he treated him - Nothing but respect for such an amazing person and truly inspirational teacher - my thoughts are with Tims family."

Have your say on this story using the comments section below.

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Tributes to former teacher and 'one of life's great human beings' who died of brain tumour - North Wales Live

This is the most under-served category, anchored neither by the corporates nor by the Government.

Credit and Finance for MSMEs: As India focuses on post-Covid-19 recovery, the revival of MSMEs is clearly understood to be key in wider employment generation and for distribution of the benefits to the economy. The lack of working capital so far has constrained many of the shuttered, marginally functioning, and surviving MSMEs from returning to their full economic potential. Therefore, when the Reserve Bank of India called out for financial institutions to adopt cash-flow-based lending, the industry applauded the dynamism that the government wants to bring in addressing capital requirements of MSMEs, which incidentally comprise 95 per cent of all businesses in India. It would not be wrong to say that ever since cash flow-based lending has literally been trending when it comes to any discussion on MSME.

However, the uncertainty of lending in an already muted business segment has already replaced the earlier cheer as financial institutions, be it banks or NBFCs, get to action the policy push.Several operational and technological constraints come in the way. For starters, MSMEs tend to be treated as one generic pool based on their turnover, which is not appropriate to determine access to working capital. Their risk profiles and who they get funds from can be better understood by decoding who MSMEs buy from and who they sell to:

Category 1: MSMEs who are vendors or suppliers to larger Corporates or Government

This is a safer category for banks to lend since there is regulatory support to force their buyers to pay back the MSMEs. Banks and NBFCs can easily lend through platforms like Trade Receivable Discounting System or TReDS. The risk of non-payment is minimal, and the approach relieves banks from the heavy lifting task of Origination, KYC, and Invoice aggregation. And, their risk is not on the MSMEs, instead of on the corporates and the Government. In reality, this is another form of Account Payable financing for the buyers which is not to say that MSMEs do not benefit from optional early payment at a discount.

Category 2: MSMEs who buy from larger Corporates and sell to retailers or end-customers

There are lakhs of dealers and distributors of sectors such as FMCGs and other CPGs, who presently use the traditional Channel or Trade finance provided by banks via corporates to get credit periods. However, dealers hardly benefit from it; in fact, the corporates partly use early payments to pay to lenders. Given corporates have hard and soft backstops to ensure payments keep coming in Banks and NBFCs prefer this route to lend. Also, with difficulties in determining qualified origination of potential borrowers, the paucity of data, KYC/documentation challenges, and repayment risks, banks limit this to collateral-based finance within branch radius and have long decision cycles.

The recent generation of technology and algorithm-driven lenders have attempted to use eKYC and data from ITR, bank statements, etc. for quick approval of direct working capital loans to this segment. However, their own limited book size and First Loan Default Guarantee (FLDG) on leverage (when they borrow from banks) makes this a risky proposition where even a small percentage of NPAs can sink the business as we have witnessed in many cases.

Also read:Small business lender U GRO Capital expands to unorganised micro businesses; to lend up to Rs 15lakh

Category 3: MSMEs who directly sell their goods or services to end-customers

This is the most under-served category, anchored neither by the corporates nor by the Government. They form the lowest rung in access to finance and this is where fintechs and new-age tech NBFCs in India have already actioned or are fast developing lending programmes that are attuned with cash flows determined through digital acceptance and payments.

The opportunity

The vast opportunity for Banks and NBFCs to scale access to working capital lies in the second category where trade finance is playing a muted role, currently. And here, financial technology can do the trick.For example, technology can offer real-time cash flow data instead of collaterals to determine credit. Pre-validation by corporates of their approved dealers to minimize KYC requirements and use payment behavior analytics as an adjunct to credit scores makes decision making more realistic. Integration of payments rails and open banking APIs from banks to ease payments. Inbuilt soft and/or hard backstops from corporates to help mitigate lenders risk, and automating collections as an integral part of the eco-system can boost the confidence of lenders.

This has advantages for corporates too with early cash flows and lower Daily Sales Outstanding (DSO), and for MSMEs with faster access to capital.An example of this is the Government of Indias success in tax collection and adherence through e-invoicing. Simple end-to-end automation of the invoice lifecycle presentment, payment, collection and reconciliation itself can provide for real-time, transparent, and integrated sources of cash flow-based data. This will definitely empower banks and NBFCs to differentiate between actual risks and perceived risks of lending to MSMEs.

To conclude, I would say just as humanity did not shy away from technology in getting on with their lives despite COVID-19, financial institutions too must not shy from using technology to get to the task at hand. For any unfounded fears still, this quote from the great Albert Einstein can be encouraging A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it is built for.

Mohan Krishnan is the Founder of Global PayEX. Views expressed are the authors own.

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Originally posted here:
Small businesses post-Covid recovery: Why banks alone cannot empower MSMEs to survive and thrive - The Financial Express

A report published by the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir has found that 18 months after the abrogation of the states special status, human rights violations are still prevalent in the state. Public and civilian safety continues to be compromised to combat counterinsurgency through illegal detention, arbitrary arrests and denial of freedom of expression. A report byMANYA SAINI.

THEForum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, an independent body recently published a report noting the violation of rights in the state between August 2020 to January 2021. It found that people in the Union Territory continue to suffer from abductions by militants, assassinations, and custodial killings and inadequate remedial measures.

The forum, co-chaired by former Supreme Court judge, Madan B. Lokur and former J&K interlocutor Radha Kumar found that statutory bodies established to redress grievance related to humans rights, women and child rights, as well as the right to information have not been reinstated yet.

The second report observed that almost every violation that it had found flagged in its first report, between August 2019-July 2020, continues in Kashmir. This includes denial of the right to a fair and free trial alongside vitiation of protections such as habeas corpus and prevention of illegal detention. Further, it alleges grievous misuse of the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to throttle dissent.

The report in its findings alleges that there is a near-total alienation of the people in Kashmir from the central government and other states of the country. The same also exists in Jammu but not to the same extent, due to comparatively less civilian cost of insurgency, as well as economic and educational losses. As per the report,counterinsurgency concernsare prioritised by the government over the welfare of the people.

In Kashmir, it notes a marked increase in fatalities of both civilians as well the armed forces in the last year. Instances of IED blasts, cross-border shelling and grenade attacks have also risen steadily. Several local political leaders remain detained or arrested, the latest being thePeoples Democratic Partys (PDP) youth president Waheed ur Rehman Para.

The report has also taken objection to the recent pellet-firing, lathi charge and the use of tear gas on civilians during Muharram processions, calling them entirely avoidable. It has cited negligence saying, Adequate planning by the administration in cooperation with Shia leaders could have ensured sanitary measures were taken without banning the processions. It alleges that in any circumstance, the decision of the authorities to arrest 50 people participating was excessive.

Public assembly continues to be banned under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 (CrPC). It also claims that the Jammu and Kashmir administration during the district development polls has added a new category of protective detention.

Citing these reasons as contributing factors, the report concluded that therates of militant recruitment, which had fallen, have started to rise again, rendering 2020 as the year with the second-highest militant recruitment in a decade.

As per the report, Kashmir suffers from rampant unemployment, at 16.6 percent, it is nearly twice in comparison with the rest of the country. The already limited healthcare facilities have gotten steadily worse amid the COVID-19 pandemic.A childs right to a trauma-free environment is regularly ignored in the region.

Even as local and regional media functioned with little independence, they have been further eroded with the implementation of the much-criticised new media policy which has led to the disempanelment of about 20 media outlets.

This includes Rising Kashmir, whose editor, Shujaat Bukhari was assassinated in 2018 by a terror outfit. It has demanded criminal and civil action against armed forces, police personnel and paramilitary forces guilty of attacking journalists with an intent to intimidate and hamper free press.Media houses over the period have struggled with several economic, administrative and logistical problems amid targeting and assault.

The 18-month ban on 4G internet services by the government in Kashmir has added to the suffering of the people, causing trauma and stress, and impacting public health. It states that the restrictions were in violation of the rights to health and medical care under the Indian, and Jammu and Kashmir, constitutions.

The recommendations made by the Forum in the report include the release of people who were put in preventive detention after August 4, 2019. Further, it has asked that PSA be repealed alongside all legislation that allows preventive arrests. The report has urged that the Armys additional directorate for human rights be given the freedom to investigate alleged human rights violations, such as the Hokersar deaths. It has also asked for the removal of all restrictions on the freedom of representation and expression, including, the withdrawal of unsubstantiated charges against local leaders, journalists and activists.

(Manya Saini is a student at the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and an intern with The Leaflet.)

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Report Flags Human Rights Violations in Post-Lockdown Kashmir, Alleges Severe Restrictions on Civil Liberties - TheLeaflet - The Leaflet