Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping said the cooperation agreements worth more than USD 64 billion were signed at a CEO conference during the 2nd Belt and Road Forum which concluded here on Saturday.A total of 283 items of practical outcomes were achieved during the preparatory process and the holding of the forum, Xi said in a statement before the media on Saturday after his roundtable meeting with 37 heads of state and governments who took part in the meeting. Also Read – Commercial vehicle sales to remain subdued in current fiscal: IcraEarlier in the day, Xi called for joint efforts of all parties to promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road (BRI) initiative at the leaders’ roundtable meeting of the forum. In his address at the roundtable meet, Xi said his trillion-dollar BRI initiative should benefit all around the world and deliver common development by following established international rules and norms. He again stressed that the BRI would focus on common development of all the participating countries and their people. Also Read – Ashok Leyland stock tanks over 5 pc as co plans to suspend production for up to 15 days”We must implement the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to see that all voices are heard, all reached their full potential and all stand to benefit,” the Chinese President said. The BRI must be open, clean and green and follow high standards, people centred sustainable approach, he said, adding that it should be aligned to the United Nations’ sustainable development agenda. “Align our cooperation with universally accepted rules, standards and best practices and pursue social and economic progress and environmental protection in a balanced way. The BRI should be beneficial to all and deliver common development,” Xi said. Those who attended the BRF meeting included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and heads of several Asian, African and Latin American countries besides heads of the UN and the IMF. India and the US skipped the meeting. India, which boycotted the first BRF meeting held in 2017 over its objections to the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, skipped its second edition for the same reasons. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of the BRI. India has also been airing its concerns over the BRI financing, saying that connectivity initiatives must follow principles of financial responsibility to avoid projects that would create unsustainable debt burden for communities. This time the US has emerged as a fierce critic of the BRI, asserting that its predatory financing is leaving the smaller countries in heavy debt. The concerns grew louder after China acquired Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port for a 99-year lease as a debt swap. The heavy Chinese financing of the CPEC also raised concerns over Pakistan’s ability to pay back. China has clarified that less than 20 per cent of the CPEC projects are based on loans provided by it and the rest of the 80 per cent ventures are either directly invested by Beijing or used Chinese grants. The BRI was launched by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link southeast Asia, central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. China is doling out huge sums of money for infrastructure projects in countries from Asia to Africa and Europe, enhancing its global influence. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the 2nd BRF on Friday, Xi allayed fears that China is using the BRI as a geopolitical tool to attain superpower status. He said the BRI was “not an exclusive club”. “Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption,” he said.
Australia has already lost market share to international competitors in the race to meet the strongest global growth in demand for minerals and energy in a generation and could lose more if capacity constraints are not addressed, new research has found. The research by Access Economics, which was commissioned by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), showed that if Australia had maintained its global market share between 2002 and 2007, the minerals industry would have earned another A$17 billion in today’s prices – the equivalent of 1.6% of nominal national income in 2007. The benefits of successfully addressing capacity constraints are massive. The research shows if capacity constraints are overcome and market share expanded, Australia could be A$129 billion – or 8.5% of today’s national income – better off by the year 2020. In order to maintain Australia’s present global market share by the year 2020, Access Economics found that massive increases in minerals production will be required, specifically:Nickel production will have to grow by more than 120%Iron ore by more than 100%Zinc and copper by more than 80%Coal and lead by more than 40%Aluminium by more than 20%Gold by around 15%.The research was commissioned by the MCA as part of a new flagship 2020 Vision Project outlined during the Minerals Industry Seminar by Ian Smith, MCA Chairman and the Managing Director & CEO of Newcrest Mining. The project was commissioned to provide a framework for the future development of the minerals industry and to identify appropriate policies and strategies to build capacity enabling Australia to maintain its position as a premium global supplier of minerals products well into the future.Smith said the research findings: “indicate the current expansion in global demand for minerals is set to continue well into the future. This is great news for the industry and great news for Australia. The challenge will be to ensure that the present capacity constraints limiting supply are addressed – this is the economic policy issue of the moment.“The speed and extent to which we address supply constraints is increasingly the key determinant of a country’s and an enterprise’s competitiveness. It presents Australian policy makers and the industry with an enormous challenge but also the prospect of great rewards.” Access Economics found that mining was one of the few industries where Australia is a global productivity leader.“Mining is a rich field of comparative advantage for the Australian economy relative to the rest of the world – in part due to the quality and quantity of the natural resources on the continent, but also reflecting the high levels of productivity in the industry”, the research found. But Access Economics warns that once global market share is lost, it may be difficult to win back.“If Australia fails to expand its production base at optimal pace, then we are foregoing that income to another region or country. And if that happens, the production gap, once opened will not be easily closed”.A key issue identified by Access was the importance of getting the management of the supply chain right, including resolving issues around infrastructure development, regulation and ongoing management to allow the minerals industry to expand and export as quickly as possible. The capacity constraints include: chronic skills shortages, congested and poorly functioning export corridors, inadequate social and physical infrastructure in remote and regional communities, emerging shortages of energy and water and duplicative and excessive regulations.Employment in the already buoyant minerals sector is set for even stronger growth with a 70% increase forecast by the year 2020. Professor Sue Richardson, Director of the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University reported that the minerals industry in the year 2020 will need to employ an additional 90,000 people – a 70% increase on current employment levels.This report forecasts 6% annual employment growth in the minerals sector to 2012 – double the Federal Government’s estimate of 3% and far higher than previous industry forecasts. The greatest demand will be in skilled trades with an additional 31,000 people required. Demand for semi-skilled operators will increase by 30,000 and demand for mining professionals will grow by 9,000 or 70% on current numbers.MCA Chief Executive Mitchell H Hooke said the report’s findings showed the strength and longevity of the current minerals sector expansion was defying a whole range of predictions and underscored the view that the strong global growth was due to a profound underlying structural adjustment in the economy rather than a traditional commodity boom.“Australia is expected to largely weather the current uncertainty in global financial markets resulting from the sub prime mortgage problems in the US and this is because of the strength in global demand for minerals and energy from especially developing countries such as China and India. We are confident we are three years into a ‘super cycle’ of global demand for our products – a decade and more of sustained demand – which some consider could even last 20 years.“This super cycle of demand is driven by an underlying structural adjustment in the global economy and the global industry, more so than the traditional drivers of the commodity cycles and is like nothing like we’ve experienced in a generation.“The strong growth in employment to the year 2020 has the potential to benefit local communities and Indigenous communities in remote and regional areas, where many of our new minerals projects are planned.”The report found that more than half the growth in jobs will occur in Western Australia, Queensland’s minerals industry labour force will grow by 50% and South Australia’s demand for minerals workers will more than double.The minerals industry already employs 128,000 people directly, with more than 200,000 people employed indirectly in related industries.The latest ABARE figures show that the industry is set for further expansion with a record A$70.5 billion committed to 97 projects either under construction or in an advanced stage of planning and a further 244 projects planned.While welcoming the report’s findings, Hooke sounded a note of caution. “The report’s findings will place added pressure on an already tight labour market, particularly in the skilled and professional areas of employment. The labour market is already running at capacity and this extra demand will mean it is even more critical that Australia’s chronic skills shortages are addressed. While the Minerals Council welcomes recent Federal Government initiatives to increase the number of skilled training places and streamline temporary visa applications for skilled immigration, more must be done to expand and reform the vocational education and training system, lift funding for earth science courses in the higher education sector and further increase skilled migration. We must make sure that we are able to fully capitalize on the opportunities for all Australians presented by the enormous growth in global demand for minerals and energy.”
SteelSeries Arctis 1 Is World’s First USB-C Wireless Gaming HeadsetGeek Pick: Shure MV88+ Is An Excellent, On the Go Microphone Kit Going to the gym, especially when it’s crappy weather outside, might require too much effort. However, Plankk, a wellness startup, just introduced a new app that will let you take classes with your favorite fitness influencers — without leaving home.This week, Plankk debuted Plankk Studio, an app that makes it easy to workout in your bedroom, living room, or other preferred living space. The app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play for $14.99 per month, lets you access live classes hosted by popular fitness stars. From cardio-heavy HIIT to chill yoga flows, Plankk Studio gives you access to many exercise activities whenever you need them.Unlike other health apps, Plankk Studio takes a more personalized fitness approach. With over 1,000 on-demand classes and multiple skill levels, you can customize your own exercise routine. All you have to do is open the app, tap the class you would like to join, and start working out. You’ll find classes led by TV host and athlete Lauren Abraham, motivational trailer James Ellis, and other global health celebrities.Photo Credit: Plankk Studio/YouTube)Accountability is key though, too: Plankk Studio’s calendar tracks your fitness progress each week, so you’ll see your physical activity log in a digital format. There’s also an in-app community too, which could be helpful if you need extra motivation to get up and move.If forking over $14.99 a month isn’t for you, Plankk Studio does offer two other subscription plans: You can pay a fee of $32.99 ($10.99 per month) on a quarterly basis, or pay $89.99 annually ($7.50 per month). For the convenience of working out at home and no additional fees, it’s not a bad deal.But, if you’re still on a budget, there are always free fitness apps, like Asics’ Runkeeper or Down Dog, that can help you get in shape without an expensive gym or studio membership.More on Geek.com:Best Fitness Trackers for Tech LoversNew App Warns LA Users of Impending Earthquake‘Find My iPhone’ App Helps Catch Hit-and-Run Suspect Stay on target
New Rangers Football Club signing Kyle Lafferty hopes his return to the club will give him the opportunity to mend his broken heart whilst making peace with the club’s supporters.The Northern Ireland international is back at the Ibrox, six years after his departure to Swiss side FC Sion after the club went into financial turmoil.Lafferty is hopeful his second coming to Rangers is a fruitful one whilst hoping he can replicate his form with Hearts with the Gers.The 30-year-old could make his debut as early as Thursday when Rangers face FC Ufa in the UEFA Europa League playoffs.Lafferty said, as quoted by Express: “I have supported the club since I was a kid and have played here before, but the way I left I was disappointed. Walking out those doors six years ago broke my heart, but to be given a second chance to redeem myself… I jumped at the chance. I am happy to be home.”“I always wanted to come back and put things right and show the fans what I am all about.”
Rangers is still behind Celtic: John Hartson Manuel R. Medina – September 3, 2019 According to the former Celtic player, there’s still a massive gap between his ex-club and Rangers in the Scottish Premier League.“Did I think I would get another chance? Not really. I went to Hearts last season and had a good season and now I have been given a second chance, which I am lucky to have.”Lafferty added: “It has been a long time since we have seen a Rangers team like this, so it is exciting times ahead.”“I wanted to be part of this because they are heading in the right direction and I want to be involved in winning trophies with Rangers.”“I want to be here for success and with the squad of players that we have here we will do that.”Lafferty bagged three titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups during his first spell at Rangers.
Vancouver firefighters responded to two fires within a half-hour Wednesday night, one that ruined a motor home and a pickup truck.At 8:21 p.m., firefighters went to Northeast 33rd Circle and 62nd Avenue, north of Fourth Plain Boulevard and near state Highway 500. They found an older and unlicensed motor home, a truck and a large fir tree in flames.Eighteen firefighters put out the fire, and a fire marshal was on the scene at The Columbian’s press time. No one was reported injured, Capt. Kevin Murray said.At 8:46 p.m., firefighters responded to a second-story fire in a condo at Hampton Downs, 5301 Plomondon St. Murray said a bedroom was on fire. He said no one was injured and was not certain if anyone was in the condo when the fire broke out.More details were expected to be released Thursday morning and will be available on online.Fire destroyed two motor homes earlier Wednesday at Sam’s Good RV Park.
Darjeeling: The minimum wage amount calculated by the state government will be announced from Uttar Kanya by Labour minister Malay Ghatak on July 30. This assurance led to the deferring of agitation programmes, including tea estate shutdowns and a general strike by the Joint Forum of tea unions earlier slated for July 23, 24 and 25.Tripartite talks were held between the state government, Joint Forum and associations representing the management at Uttar Kanya, the mini secretariat in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday. Also Read – Rain batters Kolkata, cripples normal life”We communicated the progress in implementation of minimum wages and the details on how it is being calculated. On July 30, Labour minister Malay Ghatak will make an official announcement on the amount that has been fixed as minimum wage. As we have made much progress, we would request the Joint Forum to lift their agitation programmes, thereby maintaining peace and tranquility in the gardens,” stated Jawaid Akhtar, labour commissioner.The Joint Forum (a conglomeration of 26 operating tea unions), demanding the implementation of minimum wages in tea gardens, had called for a closure of all tea gardens in North Bengal on July 23, 24 and 25, along with a general strike in the tea belt on July 24. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Mercedes car in Kolkata, 2 pedestrians killedThough the unions operational in the Hills had decided not to enforce the bandh, they had called for stopping tea dispatch from the Hill gardens.Following the tripartite talks, the Joint Forum went into a huddle to decide on the fate of the agitation programme. “As the state government initiative is positive, we have decided to defer the 3-day strike. This will be announced in all the tea gardens on July 20, before the workers go to work. We will attend the meeting on July 30 at Uttar Kanya. However, if the announcement on that day is anti-worker, we will draw up our future course of action which will include a more severe agitation after July 30,” stated Zia Ur Alam, convenor of the forum. Alam stated that though the government was positive, the attitude of the management is clearly anti-worker.Towing the Chief Minister’s line, Dola Sen, president, INTTUC, stated: “Bandh will not resolve anything. It is the workers who suffer in a bandh. Our government is pro-worker. After coming to power, the daily wage of workers that stood at Rs 66 in 2011, has been incremented to Rs 159 at present.”The minimum wage is being calculated taking into consideration various components including cost of food, clothing, housing and the 1:3 composition (3 dependents per worker). Disbursement of PF, gratuity and filling up of vacancies in the gardens were also discussed in the tripartite meeting.
Dell may expand its XPS line of laptops sometime next year with a 17-inch model and a mysterious “XPS Dual Screen Maximus.” Those rumors come from a leaked product roadmap, published by Dutch tech site Tweekers, that supposedly shows the release schedule for XPS laptops until 2022. If the leak is legit, Dell will also refresh the XPS 13 in early 2020 and release a new XPS 15 a few months after. Those who have been waiting for Dell to finally refresh the XPS 13 2-in-1 are also in luck. Based on the leak, a new convertible will launch between July and August of this year with Intel Ice Lake-U CPUs. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: Which 13-inch MacBook Is Right For You?Apple’s entry-level MacBook Air and Pro look pretty similar, but our testing proved they differ in crucial ways.Your Recommended PlaylistVolume 0%Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcutsKeyboard Shortcutsplay/pauseincrease volumedecrease volumeseek forwardsseek backwardstoggle captionstoggle fullscreenmute/unmuteseek to %SPACE↑↓→←cfm0-9接下来播放Which Cheap Tablet Is Best? Amazon Fire 7 vs Walmart Onn02:45关闭选项Automated Captions – en-USAutomated Captions – en-USAutomated Captions – en-US facebook twitter 发邮件 reddit 链接https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/dell-xps-17-dual-screen-rumor?jwsource=cl已复制直播00:0003:4603:46 MORE: Dell Reveals Key Features Coming to the New XPS 15Most of the upcoming XPS laptops feature in the leak are your typical refreshes, but two entries appear to be entirely new models: The XPS 17 7700 (codename: Stradale) and the XPS Dual Screen Maximus. The XPS 17 7700 will supposedly come with a Comet Lake-H CPU and Nvidia’s newest GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q graphics. Of course, the model number all but confirms a 17-inch display, though screen size is not explicitly described in the leak. The roadmap doesn’t provide any specific information about the “Dual Screen Maximus,” but the name hints at a device similar to the bizarre Lenovo Yoga Book C930, which has a secondary E Ink display on the deck along with a standard 10.8-inch IPS display. There’s also a chance that this mysterious device has a foldable design that’s more akin to the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Credit: USPTOThat wouldn’t be a huge surprise. After all, Gregory Bryant, the senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group, told PCWorld last year that the company is experimenting with “bendables and foldables.” And as Digital Trends points out, Dell has already filed a patent illustrating a device that lets you attach multiple displays to its base, effectively creating a multi-screen workstation in a portable form. Dell has not confirmed the roadmap, so you should take the timeline with a grain of salt. But if it is correct, then Dell has some seriously mouthwatering XPS laptop in the pipeline. Best Dell and Alienware Laptops Phillip Tracy, Phillip Tracy is a senior writer at Tom’s Guide and Laptop Mag, where he reviews laptops and covers the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News and NewBay Media. When he’s not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, listening to indie music or watching soccer. Author Bio by Taboolaby TaboolaSponsored LinksSponsored LinksPromoted LinksPromoted LinksYou May LikeKelley Blue Book5 Mid-engine Corvettes That Weren’tKelley Blue BookUndoVerizon WirelessThis new phone will blow your mind.Verizon WirelessUndoTODAYPolice Identify Girl Licking Ice Cream Tub In Viral VideoTODAYUndoMy Food and FamilyHealthy, Homemade Drunken Thai Noodles In Just 20 MinutesMy Food and FamilyUndo247 SportsRanking The Highest-Paid NBA Players In 2019247 SportsUndoCIO for DOMOBrandPost: Does Your Leadership Style Support Diversity?CIO for DOMOUndoAdvertisement Phillip Tracy,
The United States’ leadership in the deployment of 5G is critical and must be done right. Localities have a central role to play; the technical expertise possessed by industry should be utilized; and cybersecurity must be a core consideration. A network built by the federal government, I fear, does not leverage the best approach needed for our nation to win the 5G race.Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) joined the chorus, adding a little dig of his own:While I’m glad that the Trump Administration recognizes that maintaining American leadership in the information age requires a significant investment commitment, I’m concerned that constructing a nationalized 5G network would be both expensive and duplicative, particularly at a time when the Administration is proposing to slash critical federal investments in R&D and broadband support for unserved areas.The Trump administration itself told Recode that the document Axios saw was dated, and that it wasn’t a seriously considered proposition. The National Security Council doesn’t oversee broadband deployment, and there’s no way this would get past the FCC, which as you can see above would likely be united in opposition to such a strategy.And although the NSC clearly has national security in mind when it suggests this path, I frankly would not trust the government to build a secure network of any kind, let alone one this big. There would also be considerable irony in a government attempting to secure its internet infrastructure while simultaneously attempting to undermine effective encryption.The U.S. government may very well use part of the 5G network being built for its own purposes, and it of course subsidizes the rollout of the tech so it can use it itself — first responder networks, military stuff, that kind of thing. But the idea that it would, or could, build a competitive 5G network in the manner suggested has no basis in reality.Featured Image: Prasit photo/Getty Images A report this weekend by Axios cited documents from within the National Security Council describing the possibility — nay, inevitability — of a 5G network built and operated by the U.S. government. Officials have since poured cold water on this idea, and really, it was never feasible.In brief, the report cited by Axios suggested that the only way to truly secure the next generation of wireless networks, on which critical infrastructure like self-driving cars will rely, against snooping by China and others, would be for the government to build that network itself.There are several things wrong with this idea. You probably thought of a couple before you even got to this sentence.Perhaps the most obvious problem is that the government would probably have to contract or at least work closely alongside the very companies it would effectively replace, such as AT&T and Verizon, in order to build a new 5G network. They are, of course, the ones who know how to do it. (Disclosure: Verizon owns Oath, which owns TechCrunch.)That would be awkward, since those companies, along with others around the world, are well into the process of testing and deploying 5G networks. The idea of a government network operating separately but in concert with the commercial networks doesn’t hold water (we’ve considered it before).Even if it was attempted, there’s just no way that the U.S. government, even at its best and most efficient, and if it started bipartisan work on this tomorrow, could be in any way competitive in the timing and scale of such a deployment. It takes billions of dollars and years of work to lay the foundation for something like this, and others have a huge head start. And let us not forget that we are experiencing one of an endless series of budget crises, which would not be alleviated by the proposal of this kind of massive undertaking.FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was unsparing in his spite for this proposal, which is as expected from someone who favors free market forces over government involvement:I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network. The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades—including American leadership in 4G—is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment. What government can and should do is to push spectrum into the commercial marketplace and set rules that encourage the private sector to develop and deploy next-generation infrastructure. Any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future.Commissioner Clyburn was similarly unfriendly to the idea:
Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… GAYSTARNEWS- eTN Chatroom for Readers (join us) A promising sign: Two lesbians of color won big elections in the USHey, American people: You need to vote to change the countryGay US veteran announces he’s running for office in AlabamaRead the full article on Gaystarnews: :https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/lgbtq-candidates-running-office/ This year is critical for Democrats looking to take back at least a portion of the government.After their major victories last year — including Danica Roem, Doug Jones in Alabama, and others — energy is higher than normal in a midterm election year.More women, people of color, and LGBTQ candidates are running than ever before. Here are 15 LGBTQ candidates to keep an eye on.Nelson Araujo seeing RENT. | Photo: Twitter @NelsonAraujoNVNelson Araujo (Nevada)Born to El Salvadorian immigrant parents, Araujo is currently serving as a Democrat in the state House of Representatives. He’s now seeking the position go Secretary of State.If he wins, he’ll be the first openly LGBTQ person elected statewide in Nevada. He’ll also be the second openly LGBTQ Secretary of State in the US.Previously, he got several bills signed into law, including Assembly Bill 99. This bill increased protections for LGBTQ kids in foster care.Lauren Baer (Florida)An attorney and foreign policy expert, Baer is hoping to be the first lesbian elected to Congress from Florida. She’s seeking a position in the House. She would also be one of the first LGBTQ mothers in Congress.Elsewhere in Florida, David Richardson is hoping to be the first gay man elected to Congress from the state — also in the House.Angie Craig (Minnesota)Craig is running for Minnesota’s House of Representatives. She wants to be the first openly LGBTQ person in the body. Like Baer, she would also be an LGBTQ mother in Congress.First, however, she has to win the Democratic primary on 14 August.If she wins, she won’t be Minnesota’s only victory. Last year, Andrea Jenkins was the first trans woman of color elected to public office.Pat Davis (New Mexico)Davis currently serves on the Albuquerque City Council but is now setting his sights on Congress. If he wins the primary on 5 June, and then the general election in November, he’ll be the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from New Mexico.Gray at a campaign event. | Photo: Twitter @JimGrayCongressJim Gray (Kentucky)Alabama isn’t the only Southern state looking to blue, rather than red.Gray, who’s currently the mayor of Lexington, wants to be the first openly LGBTQ Congressman from Kentucky. His primary is on 22 May.Steven Kirkland (Texas)Kirkland is a judge, currently serving Texas’ Harris County as a District Court Judge. Now, running as a Democrat, he’s hoping to make it to the state’s Supreme Court. If he does, he’ll be the first openly LGBTQ statewide official in Texas.His primary is one of the earliest — it’s on 6 March.Richard Madaleno (Maryland)In 2012, Maryland became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage by ballot. Madaleno, as a Senator, led that victory. Now, he’s seeking to become the first LGBTQ governor of the state. He would also be the first openly gay man to server as governor — but perhaps not the only one this year. His primary is on 26 June.Running for office. | Photo: Twitter @ElectTippiTippi McCullough (Arkansas)McCullough is a teacher in Arkansas. Higher-ups fired her in 2013 after she married her partner. Now, running as a Democrat alongside everyone else on this list, she’s seeking a spot in Arkansas’ House of Representatives.If she wins her primary on 22 May and goes on to win the general, she’ll be the only openly LGBTQ woman in the Arkansas State Legislature.Josh Mers (Kentucky)Going back to Kentucky, Mers is fighting to join the state’s House of Reps. He’ll be the only openly LGBTQ member of the state legislature.He’s currently a Commissioner of Human Rights for the City of Lexington and his primary is on 22 May.Jeremy Moss (Michigan)Moss is in his second term in Michigan’s House of Representatives. This year, he’s hoping to transition into the Senate and be the only openly LGBTQ member of the Michigan State Senate. His primary is on 8 August.Jones is hoping to add to the wave of Democratic wins. | Photo: Twitter @ginaortizjonesGina Ortiz Jones (Texas)Jones announced her candidacy earlier this year. She’s an Iraq War veteran and has a 14-year career in national security under her belt.With a primary on 6 March, she’s running to join Texas’ House. If she wins, she’ll be the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Texas and the second LGBTQ woman of color in Congress.Chris Pappas (New Hampshire)Currently on New Hampshire’s Executive Council, Pappas wants to be the state’s first openly LGBTQ Congressman. His primary is on 11 September.Jared Polis (Colorado)Polis, like Madaleno, is seeking to be the first openly gay man elected as a state governor (or perhaps in tandem with Madaleno). He’s currently serving the House of Representatives. He also serves on several Committees and his primary is on 26 June.Sinema in a campaign video. | Photo: Twitter @KyrstenSinemaKyrsten Sinema (Arizona)Sinema is aiming for several significant firsts. Currently serving in the House, she’s switching lanes to run for Senate in Arizona.If she wins, she’ll be the first openly bisexual Senator and the first female Senator from Arizona. Her primary is on 28 August.Fran Watson (Texas)Last but not least, Watson is a Democratic candidate running for the Texas State Senate in District 17. If she wins, she’ll become the first openly LGBTQ and the third black woman elected to the Texas Senate. Her primary is on 6 March.More information on all these candidates can be found at Victory Fund.Got a news tip? Want to share your story? Email us . The midterm elections in the United States occur this year on 6 November — and several LGBTQ candidates are running.Midterms are general elections that take place the two years after a presidential election. They focus on seats in Congress (both House and Senate), governor races, and other various state and local offices.
MIAMI — Silversea Cruises’ winter 2019/2020 lineup includes 89 sailings to Australasia, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and more, all available now for agents to book.The new itineraries bring the total number of visited destinations for the cruise line to some 900 for 2019/2020.The winter 2019/2020 itineraries include a full program in Australia and New Zealand, a circumnavigation of South America, and increased capacity in Asia. A total of 10 inaugural calls will be made in destinations including Fiji’s volcanic Dravuni Island, Cayman Brac in the Cayman Islands and the picturesque city of Timaru in New Zealand.Highlights of the winter 2019/2020 itineraries include:The World Cruise 2020: Departing Fort Lauderdale for Amsterdam on Jan. 6, 2020, Silver Whisper will become the first ever ship to visit all seven continents on a world cruise. The 140-day World Cruise 2020 will encompass 32 countries and 62 ports.Australia and New Zealand: Silver Muse will spend more than four months in Australia and New Zealand, marking its longest season in the region to date and with mostly 14-day voyages, departing from Sydney or Auckland.South America: On Jan. 24, Silver Shadow departs Fort Lauderdale on a 63-day full circumnavigation of South America. Highlights include a crossing of the Panama Canal, an inaugural overnight visit to Guayaquil, cruising Chile’s fjords, an overnight stop in Rio de Janeiro, plus two-night stays in Buenos Aires and Callao, gateway to Machu Picchu. This vibrant continent may also be explored on four shorter segments, with departures from Fort Lauderdale, Callao, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.Myanmar: Departing November 19 and February 29, two Silver Spirit voyages incorporate multi-day stopovers in Myanmar. The voyages depart from Mumbai or Singapore with overnight stays in Sri Lanka included.Asia: Silver Spirit and Silver Muse will both sail through Asia, from Japan to China to Vietnam and beyond.Caribbean: Nearly two dozen voyages aboard Silver Wind, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper spotlight the Caribbean.Expedition cruises: The full schedule for Silver Galapagos from January to June in 2020 continues the ship’s exploration of the biologically diverse Galápagos Islands, with two distinct seven-day itineraries that can be combined into 14-day sailings. The itinerary schedules for Silver Cloud and Silver Explorer have already been announced until mid-February 2020, while Silver Discoverer will leave Silversea’s fleet in the summer of 2019. Friday, May 4, 2018 Travelweek Group Books open on Silversea Cruises’ winter 2019/20 itineraries Tags: Silversea Cruises
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No related posts. From the print editionI had never heard of Mike Daisey until I read a curious headline in the online magazine Salon: “Can One Man Change Apple?” I expected the story to be about recently deceased icon Steve Jobs. But it was not his picture in the story – it was that of an actor. As I read on, I realized that Apple did need to change, and that Mike Daisey had a piece of theater we needed in Costa Rica. When monologist Mike Daisey heard that someone had found photos inside new iPhones, he was intrigued. Obviously, the photos were taken to test the iPhone’s camera. He had always assumed that Apple devices were made by robots. The thought of just who it was that made millions of these gadgets took Daisey to China.Out of his trip came “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” the monologue he has been performing since 2010, a witty and irreverent piece full of humor and spicy language. In it, Daisey weaves the tapestry of his passion for Apple products with stories about Steve Jobs, our manic lust for electronic gadgets and the inhumane conditions under which those devices are made in China.The success of his performances raised public awareness and brought him much press attention. Ira Glass, of public radio program “This American Life,” aired an excerpt from the monologue on Jan. 6, and then all hell broke loose for Mike Daisey.To a North American journalist in Shanghai who heard the program, some of the details sounded strange. For instance, Daisey mentioned seeing armed guards at Foxconn, the huge factory where most of the electronics are made. But the journalist knew that only the police and the military in China are allowed to bear arms. He contacted Daisey’s translator, who said Daisey had made up or exaggerated some details. On March 16, Glass dedicated a TAL show to having Daisey retract some of his claims and apologize for violating the rules of journalism. Daisey admitted to making composites, rearranging events and embellishing details of his trip to Shenzhen, for the theatrical effect of his monologue.“But,” says Ruth Franklin of The New Republic, “very little … seems actually to be untrue. … No one disputes that he got the basics of the story right: Foxconn’s deplorable treatment of its employees.” The New York Times published two exposes of working conditions at Chinese plants that supply Apple. As recently as March, the Fair Labor Association – a consortium of businesses, civil organizations and academic institutions that protects workers’ rights and fair labor standards – also issued a report denouncing terrible working conditions at Foxconn.What critics forget, says Franklin, “is that the theater, like the novel, operates by different rules than journalism does. Glass seems to have forgotten that the character Mike Daisey isn’t Daisey; it’s his dramatic persona.” Griselda Murray Brown of London’s Financial Times, in reviewing May performances by Daisey at Suffolk’s HighTide Festival in England, alluded to his misleading audiences as a mistake: “Few people believe Daisey was right to mislead his audiences; the issue, how our heedless choices affect tens of thousands of factory workers, is too important. But what those who gave Daisey a standing ovation at HighTide were applauding, I think, was his ability to speak to their consciences, to open their eyes. His monologue is a piece of theatre unlike any other I’ve experienced.”Before the controversy, Daisey declared his monologue an “open source,” and gave permission for it to be adapted, modified and performed as directors wish. Given the compelling nature and dramatic immediacy of this piece, Ann Antkiw and I adapted the monologue to a staged reading by five actors. Cast members include Barbara Adams, Ron Boston, Lisa DeFuso, Tom Humes, Caroline Kennedy, Susan Liang and Vicky Longland.“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” will open May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Hotel Club del Mar in Jacó. For reservations in Jacó, call 2643-3194.At the Teatro Laurence Olivier (Ave. 2, Calle 28, next to the Sala Garbo), the play opens Friday, May 25, and will be staged for two weekends on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. General donation: {6,000 ($12). Members tickets cost {5,500 ($11). On May 26, tickets are two-for-one for members. Group rates (10 or more) are 15 percent off. For reservations and information, call 8858-1446 or visit www.littletheatregroup.org. Facebook Comments
Agents & Brokers Debt Crisis First-Time Homebuyers GDP Home Prices Housing Affordability Housing Starts Investment Investors Jobs Lenders & Servicers Mortgage Rates Mortgage-Backed Securities Processing REIT Service Providers Unemployment 2012-03-28 Ryan Schuette in Data, Origination, Secondary Market, Servicing Clouds May Lift for Housing, Economy by 2014: Survey March 28, 2012 453 Views 
Housing lingered in the doldrums of a recovery last year but may pick up by 2014 as the U.S. economy generally improves, analysts and economists said Wednesday.[IMAGE]The “”Urban Land Institute””:http://www.uli.org/ polled 38 real estate analysts and economists to signal their expectations for “”broad improvements”” in the nation’s economy and real estate markets in 2012.The findings? Commercial property transaction volume may get a 50-percent bump, with increases in the issuance of commercial mortgage-backed securities by as much as half and a drive in returns for real estate assets and investment trusts by anywhere from 8.5 percent to 11 percent year-over-year.””Commercial real estate returns for institutional quality and REIT assets have performed very well in recent years, and this performance is expected to remain strong but trend lower over the next three years,”” “”Dean Schwanke””:https://netforum.uli.org/iWeb/images/ULIEvents/81561108/Dean_Schwanke_Bio.pdf, executive director of the ULI Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate, said in a statement.The survey revealed that transaction volume in commercial real estate markets could reach as[COLUMN_BREAK]much as $312 billion in 2014, up from a projected $250 billion in 2012.The issuance of commercial mortgage-backed securities could step up to $75 billion from $40 billion over the same two-year timeframe.Analysts said that housing starts could double by 2014, just as home prices tick up in 2013 and prices increase overall by 3.5 percent that year.Total returns for Real Estate Investment Trusts could meanwhile decline to 8.5 percent in 2014, reflecting a series of dips along the way at 9 percent in 2013 and 10 percent in 2012.The group found that housing could thrive on the back of a return by the economy at large, with market analysts suggesting that GDP could rise from 2.5 percent this year to 3 percent next year and 3.2 percent in 2014.Unemployment may also linger around 8 percent this year, with expectations that it will fall to 7.5 percent in 2013 and 6.9 percent in 2014.Economists said the job outlook may also improve as debt crises draw down overseas, with payrolls expected to swell to 2 million this year, 2.5 million next year, and 2.75 million in 2014.””While geopolitical and global economic events could change the forecast going forward, what we see in this survey is confidence that the U.S. real estate economy has weathered the brunt of the recent financial storm and is poised for significant improvement over the next three years,”” “”Patrick Phillips””:http://www.uli.org/LearnAboutULI/WhoWeAre/FromthePresidents/PatrickPhillips.aspx, CEO of the group, said in the statement. “”These results hold much promise for the real estate industry.””The news is welcome for an industry that suffered during the financial crisis and lingered in still-nascent recovery as home prices fell to their lowest levels in years, more community banks went under than at any time since the Great Depression, and GDP contracted significantly. Share
November 27, 1999Residents, workshoppers and invited visitors gather in the Cafefor a Thanksgiving feast. With community members coming from such varied backgrounds,the resulting potluck included the traditional fare – Turkey, Cranberry Relish,and Pumpkin Pie – as well as some exotic dishes: Thai Curried Tempeh & Veggies,Spicy Quesadillas, Focaccia Breads, and even a Tofu Turkey. Later, some indulgedin the wood-fired hot-tub in Camp and were then treated to a session of readings:poetry, mad-libs, music, and stories, in the Octagon community-building. Photoand text by Benjamin Ericson.