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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/27/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Sunday 27th January 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Sunday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS).

NEW BARBADOS BISHOP ORDAINED – Reverend John Maxwell has just received the instruments of the order of Bishops. He has been presented with the Pectoral Cross, the Ring, his mitre and staff in a service of ordination attended by hundreds at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium. (SS)

ECONOMIST CONCERNED ABOUT HOW BARBADIANS VIEW SOVEREIGNTY – Economist Jeremy Stephen is calling on Barbadians to change the way they view sovereignty and for policymakers to urgently undertake several reforms of some sectors if the country is to turn the economic tides and prosper. He said the country seemed to be stuck in a cycle where “we run down reserves, go into some form of recession and we get bailout”, and it was time things were done differently. “That is not a position we should be proud about. I am fine with the measures that are being taken but should have been done ever since. That is my view and I am unapologetic in that, but it cannot persist because as we consume more, and as owners of capital ensure the price of things continue to rise, we will be in this position again any time soon no matter what happens,” he told the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) annual Errol Barrow Lecture at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus on Friday night. The event, which formed part of the party’s Errol Barrow week of celebration, was held under the theme Towards a New Political Economy. Stating that Barbados lost its influence in the region over the years under successive administrations, Stephen said “we have to understand that as a priority our sovereignty will dictate our future”. However, he insisted that the way Barbadians viewed sovereignty needed to be amended, adding that he was concerned that the country still had no way of measuring the prosperity of its people. “Sovereignty is not 166 square miles. In this modern world . . . sovereignty is not the land mass on which you live, sovereignty is a changing ideology, one that promotes prosperity for its people economically and socially no matter where they are,” said Stephen. “That same measure of sovereignty has prevented us from, even before the Democratic Labour Party took power, from taking advantage of large spots of land in Guyana . . . that could be effectively supplement the agricultural sector we do have here,” he added. “There is nothing stopping the investment we could have had in Guyana, upgrading the [Bridgetown] Port and shipping food back home, [while] maintaining good relations [with Guyana]. That is solved by changing our view of sovereignty. We should have investments [in] land in Guyana we should have investments in the same [in] Haiti,” he added, as he commented briefly on the situation facing Haitians who are stranded in Barbados. He believed “one of the best things that could have been done was the fact that we improve our relations with Haiti”. “Everybody see Haitians coming here and being displaced. That is an issue, but nobody is seeing the opportunities [for us] to go out there . . . people don’t understand what is in our own backyards,” he stressed. With Barbados struggling to carry out several reforms in vital sectors such as education, health, tourism and agriculture, Stephen insisted that authorities could learn from various models around the world including that of Georgia, New Zealand, Singapore, Israel and Japan. He told the room of DLP supporters, which included former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and several of his former cabinet ministers, that the work and legacy of Errol Barrow, was no longer appealing to young Barbadians. However, he quickly pointed out that “it does not mean it is not a legacy you can lift off on”. Stephen said Barbados could use the Georgia model to reform its education system and improve the ease of doing business. “What we lack, and I will say this unapologetically, is the willingness to call a spade a spade no matter who is in charge, and to ensure accountability on all ends”. “And I speak to the Barbados Democratic Labour Party at this moment to ask what threats makes you rise from the ashes once again to be relevant, the threats don’t have to be current.” Warning that some jobs were at risk of becoming extinct due to the proliferation of automation and continued advancements in technology, the blockchain technology enthusiast said he would not be surprised if some companies in Barbados started to use technology instead of cashiers, a job he said many thought would always be around. “That is the reality. It will come upon us sooner rather than you think,” he said, stating that “we have come to that point where education is beginning to fail us and will continue to fail us”. He warned that the country faced losing critical foreign direct investment if individuals here did not become well equipped to develop technology, adding that Barbados also faced the possibility of having to import labour. Stephen also expressed disappointment that Barbados was yet to take advantage of the widening of Panama Canal, citing Jamaica as one country that has already started to benefit greatly from that passage. Pointing out that Barbados had an advantage because of its position between Panama City and the gateway into the Middle East, Stephen said “the thing that made Barbados a trans-shipment [point] of slaves and sugar, literally could be the life blood of the economy going forward”. “We can integrate all the technology in the world, we can have all the coders in the world, but the 20-year low hanging fruit is [the Bridgetown] Port, that can effectively, by having 10 more crate loaders, replace about a third of economic activity in about 20 years. It is the lowest hanging fruit, it can also interact in terms of foreign direct investment with respect to ship registry. These are easy areas that can propel growth, the type that no party in Parliament is talking about,” he said, while calling for the retraining and retooling of foreign officers and more focus on “economic diplomacy”. In relation to health care reform, Stephen said Barbados should focus more on preventative measures rather than reactive, as he pointed to Japan as one country that Barbados could emulate. “Even if technology takes over tomorrow you still need your people. So this has to be a priority,” he said. With respect to the tourism industry, Stephen said within the next two decades Barbados will “have to challenge what it sees as viable tourism”, adding that he was “a very big opposer of how we view tourism right now”. Indicating that it was difficult to track tourist spend currently, Stephen said the time had come for that sector be to linked “to a concept of sovereignty”. He explained that this could be achieved through a greater focus on the country’s gross national product, as opposed to just the gross domestic product. The economist, who had previously thrown his support behind the 2014 David Estwick economic plan, which recommended that the then DLP administration negotiate a $5 billion sinking fund from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to wipe out the country’s debt, said attracting investment from the Middle Eastern nations was another “low hanging fruit for Barbados”. “Since we love race cars it almost boggles my mind that nobody has made the invitation to have these guys come down with their vehicles and drive around. Something as simple as that can bring about all manner of festivals throughout the year – more racing events. These guys will even build another track for you. I am not saying we should go cap in hand, but I see opportunity first,” he stated. (BT)

INVESTMENTS AND BARBADOS’ LABOUR FORCE - In seeking to transition from an economy stagnated since the world plunge in 2008, Barbados now faces a possible overheating of trade, and in consumption of goods and services because several investments are set to come on stream around the same time. This word of caution amidst an expectation of much investment and construction beginning this year, came from Minister within the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Marsha Caddle, who has spoken of the need for the projects, implying at the same time that any feverishness of commerce would have to be managed. “We believe that based on the investments that are anticipated over the next financial year that we may, in fact, have a small level of overheating of the economy,” Caddle said to members of Barbados Labour Party St Peter branch. She explained that because of uncertainty on the readiness of the Barbadian population to supply all expected the labour needs, planners are eagerly awaiting results of the Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey that was restarted mid-January. “There are going to be so many investment projects coming, and some of them up here in the north, that we actually think – and developers have been concerned – that there may be a shortage of labour because a lot of them are going to be onstream at the same time,” she said last weekend at the Roland Edwards Primary School. Following a presentation explaining objectives of Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (BERT), Caddle fielded questions on employment, investment, and energy use. She said that the use of cheaper renewable energy to reduce the cost of doing business was a main focus of BERT. Noting that the investment projects will create economic activity “not just in the areas where they’re located but across the island” Caddle spoke of the unfolding impact of the just opened Ross University that will have a spinoff school of nursing and Sagicor Financial Corporation $400 million first phase investment on a 20-acre retirement village and medical centre. These are to be coupled with some US$60 million main highways road repairs stemming from IDB and CAF, the Latin American development bank, loans. Additionally, she said that laid-off skilled workers will be getting access to small-works contracts of $250,000 or less. Such works include getting homes of the needy for hurricane prepared and installing water-borne toilet facilities in many households. A significant area of capital investment is expected to stem from last month’s conversion corporate tax for local and international businesses on a scale from one per cent to 5.5 per cent. Caddle said that in the first instance this tax readjustment is expected to ensure international companies remain. “Once the entire scheme of legislation comes together, including the Town Planning legislation and all the other ways in which we are making the doing business environment easier, we don’t anticipate high levels of capital flight.” Emphasising that the conversion will be an incentive for local businesses Caddle spoke of a company operator indicating a plan to expand operations and employ more Barbadians thanks to the reduction in local company taxes that had been in the range of 30 per cent. While retaining what Barbados already has the Minister said the drastically reduced taxes were lower than any other jurisdiction that no longer has a zero-tax regime as stipulated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and for this reason Barbados would be attracting more businesses to these shores. “We anticipate that companies will want to come. We’ve been getting a lot of interest in companies wanting to come under the new rules,” she said. During her year-end statement to the nation, Prime Minister Mia Mottley had spoken of banks gearing up for the inflow of business. “The commercial banks report a wave of new foreign investments coming,” the PM said. Given this expected level of investment, Caddle said planners are looking to the current labour force survey to answer, “what are the population issues and measures, and what is the policy that is going to allow us to grow the economy and to generate the revenue we need?” “It is not just a question of diversifying the economy and having a revenue-positive policy – which we do have as part of the BERT plan, but it is also a question of making sure you have the population base to support it and that is one of the reasons for the population commission is important,” she said. (BT)

GOVERNMENT FOCUSED ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT – In an effort to address youth unemployment, the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment has launched the Drive and Work Programme which will equip over 45 males with skills to gain employment in the transportation sector. Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment Adrian Forde launched the initiative at his ministry’s Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St Michael headquarters this evening. From February 4 participants ages 18 to 30 will learn how to drive heavy-duty vehicles and acquire their heavy duty licences over a three-month period with the costs paid by the Ministry. They will also be exposed to personal development and life skills to enhance their employability and will receive one-month internships. The Minister assured participants that employment in the transportation sector was “practically guaranteed” after they successfully completed the three-month programme. He revealed that the transportation industry was not oversaturated therefore it provided opportunities for successful employment. However, the Minister of Youth expressed great concern about the alarming youth unemployment in the island, disclosing that 29 per cent of youth ages 15 to 30 were unemployed with percentile among school leavers higher. “One of the things employers ask for is experience and as part of our mandate we are going to give young people that experience that employers always ask for,” said the Minister. “Young people must be provided with education and training which provide utility and employability,” he added. The Minister of Youth noted that comprehensive education and training for those entering the workforce were a priority. He disclosed that the participants would undergo customer service training, learn basic vehicle maintenance as well as conflict resolution and substance abuse prevention. Forde stressed that his ministry sought to provide solutions and held the participants throughout the programme. Forde noted that the educational curriculum needed to be re-evaluated to reflect the society’s changing demand. He explained that youth were entering the workforce without core skills such as communication, numeracy, problem-solving and sociability. “There is a need to desist from narrowly focusing on traditional academic disciplines and to expand our curriculum to include life and core skills to support the future labour force. The curriculum should reflect the demands of the labour market and the needs of the economy to ensure that all those who pass through secondary and tertiary education and training, graduate with employable skills. This would involve developing linkages between educational and training institutions and employers where they do not exist and strengthening existing linkages,” he emphasized. The Minister of Youth explained that the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 age groups recorded the highest unemployment rates throughout 1999 and 2004. He reiterated that youth unemployment was a “major issue” in Barbados as the unemployment rates in the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 age groups were 31.6 per cent and 19.2 per cent respectively. “In my view, the youth of Barbados need comprehensive information which can help them to identify opportunities that can translate into viable careers, particularly in occupational areas that are not saturated. In this regard, the education and training provided should endeavour to almost immediately translate into employment, “ he advised. (BT)

CARPHA ADVISES REGION TO BE PROACTIVE IN REDUCING FLU RISK – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is urging people to practice good personal hygiene in order to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses especially as the region prepares to host carnivals and other festivals. It said that influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused mainly by two types of viruses: Influenza A and Influenza B. “The Influenza A (H1N1) virus caused a pandemic in 2009. Although often referred to as “swine flu”, this name is misleading, as it is not spread by contact with pigs or pig products,” it said, adding that “Influenza A (H1N1) is a virus that continues to circulate around the world, including the Caribbean. “Typically, the flu season in the region occurs between September to March when there is usually an increase in the number of persons coming down with the virus.” CARPHA said that the flu is characterized by a sudden onset of high fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise (feeling unwell), sore throat and runny nose. “Most people recover from these symptoms within a week without requiring medical attention, but influenza can cause severe illness or death in people at high risk,” it warned. CARPHA Executive Director, Dr C. James Hospedales, said that the primary form of influenza transmission is through interpersonal contact. He said that large social events like carnival, festivals and concerts can create serious public health challenges because persons are often crowded together, sharing personal space and common areas. “Given elevated flu activity in the northern hemisphere, combined with the high travel season to the Caribbean, it is important that people take the necessary steps now, to protect themselves and their loved ones from the flu.” CARPHA said it was urging people to take proactive measures to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses. It said good hygiene measures that persons can take include covering the mouth with a tissue or handkerchief, or using your elbow, when sneezing or coughing; safely disposing of used tissues, washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after coughing and sneezing and before and after meal preparation, eating and using the toilets “Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent the disease. Safe and effective vaccines have been available and used for over 60 years. Vaccination is especially important for health workers and people at higher risk of serious influenza complications, such as the very young, pregnant women, the elderly and chronically ill persons, and for people who live with or care for high risk individuals,” CARPHA said. (BT)

MINISTRY OF PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT DECRIES VIOLENCE – The new level of violence in society is a reflection of social and economic realities. So said a statement from the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs as it registered its “dismay at the prevailing spate of violence in the society”. Noting that next weekend (February 2 and 3) had been designated a Weekend of Prayer, the ministry said violence was related to gangs and the drug trade – “two illicit activities that lure our vulnerable young men and women who are faced with a sense of disenchantment and alienation, and being barred from a stake in this country’s future”. “Sadly, it particularly affects our young men in what should be their most productive years. The traditional village no longer exists to raise the child and our children are creating their own dysfunctional villages.” The statement said there had been heightened concern during the first month of 2019 as violence reached “record levels and intimidate even the strongest among us. “Violence in society goes beyond the police concern, with far-reaching social and economic implications. It is, for example, linked to public health and puts pressure on already scarce resources. The statement went on to say violence traumatised families and friends and caused stress, anxiety, depression and additional financial burdens. It also said it sent the wrong message to the tourism industry and other productive sectors. Meanwhile, Minister Cynthia Forde further expressed her gratitude to the crime-fighting agencies, which, she said, continued to deploy strategies to safeguard communities, as people have the right to feel safe. She also asked that during the Weekend of Prayer all faith-based leaders lead the country back to basics and the principles of love and mutual respect. (SS)

MORE BOOTS IN GUNS CHASE – Boots, boots, boots and more boots! Prime Minister Mia Mottley is going after the guns. She emerged from a long day of talks with local and regional law enforcement officials yesterday to reveal that police officers across the country would give up two off-days each month, and 80 soldiers from the Barbados Defence Force would now be utilised to help quiet Barbados’ streets over the next few months. Mottley promised she would not sit idly by and allow Barbadians to be stuck in their homes and not be able to travel freely and safely, as they have for decades. And, enter the former top cop. The Prime Minister also revealed that former commissioner of police Darwin Dottin would be bringing more than 40 years of law enforcement experience back to the Royal Barbados Police Force as a consultant to assist current Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith in stemming the illegal-gun problem. (SS)

LECTURER’S DEATH A SHOCK – The death of a University of the West Indies (UWI) lecturer has sent shock waves across academia. Earlier this week, when former students of Dr Sarah Sutrina found out that the American educator had died, many of them took to Facebook to express their sadness. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Sutrina was one of the female bodies discovered in St Lucy on Monday. Police however have not yet officially announced her passing, but it is understood they recently visited the Cave Hill Campus to carry out investigations. The Saturday Sun understands that after their visit, the staff was informed about her death via an internal memo. The university also has not released an official statement about her passing. (SS)

BARBADOS RECORDS SECOND ROAD FATALITY – Barbados has recorded its second road fatality for 2019. Police reported on Saturday that 30-year-old Hamal Amal Lamar Phillips of Jackson Terrace, Stage 2, St Michael, was injured in an accident which occurred along Black Rock Main Road on Monday January 21 around 12:12 p.m. Phillips was the owner of motorcycle ME9157, while the other person involved was Robert Leslie Burrowes, 52, of #1 Glebe Land, St George. Phillips succumbed to his injuries around 11:00 p.m. that night at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. On January 20, motorcyclist Mario Peters succumbed to injuries from an accident which occurred on Bay Street on January 3. (BT)

TEENAGER MISSING – Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing girl. Sixteen-year-old Sarina Latoya Hippolyte of Horse Hill, St Joseph, left the home of her mother, Latoya Anderson, at around 8am on Saturday. The teenager was going to the residence of her father, Adams Hippolyte, at Chapman Street, Baxter's Road, St. Michael, but has not been seen since. She is approximately 6 feet tall, slim built with a medium brown complexion and has a long face, small eyes, broad nose, wide mouth and thin lips. When last seen Hippolyte was wearing her thick, natural, black hair in one and was attired in a long, floral, red dress and a white sheer jacket. Her accessories were a silver-coloured, round-faced watch with a black and white strap and an off-white, handbag that contained a Bible and a hymnal, both books were covered with brown paper. She has a quiet manner and speaks standard English. She is a graduate of the Grantley Adams Memorial School and a member of Clapham Bulls Netball Team. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing teen please contact District E Police station at 419-1930, 211 or any police station. (SS)

ACCUSED CAR THIEF BAILED – St Michael resident Kismar OBrian Bynoe is due back in court in May to answer to charges of handling stolen property. Thirty-three-year-old Bynoe of #3 Brown’s Avenue, Bayland, St Michael, was charged with dishonestly assisting in the disposal of two Silver Toyota Axio motor cars valued at $47,000 and $56,000. Police say the incidents occurred between October and December 2018 and between November 21 and 22 2018. Bynoe appeared in the District A Criminal Court Number 2 on January 23, and was granted bail in the sum of $50,000 with two sureties. He was ordered to report to the District A Police Station, every Monday and Wednesday before 11:00 a.m. He is scheduled to reappear at the District A Court on May 16. (BT)

TOENAIL CLIP THIEF OUT ON BAIL AFTER APPEAL – The man who admitted to stealing a seven-dollar toenail clip from Massy has now been granted bail. Farley Nigel Smith, 62 spent his last night at Her Majesty’s Prison, Dodds, St. Michael, yesterday, after starting a 12-month sentence earlier in the month for the clip. Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim appealed the sentence describing it as “excessive” and the matter is expected to be heard later. On January 16, Smith, of Hothersal Turning St Michael, pleaded guilty to stealing the item from Massy the previous day. When he re-appeared before acting Magistrate Anika Jackson in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court, she granted him bail in the sum of $500 and a surety. Additionally, Smith had an outstanding matter from 2015 in which he was accused of intending to defraud First Caribbean Bank of $7,952.21 on February, 20 and four days later he was further charged with attempting to steal that amount from the bank. A warrant was also issued for Smith on August 14, 2018 for his failure to attend court having been granted bail. Pilgrim, in making an application for bail, noted that the four-year-old matter had not started and there was no injury to anyone. As a result, the acting magistrate recalled the warrant and adjourned the matter until May 29. Moments before having this matter adjourned, Smith had appeared before Magistrate Douglas Frederick in another court, accused of stealing a battery worth $300, sometime between September 1 and 6, 2018. Magistrate Frederick granted him bail in the sum of $3,000 and adjourned the matter until February 21, 2019. (BT)

FINED FOR DRUGS IN PANTS POCKET – Marijuana is legal in some countries, but not Barbados. This reminder was given by Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson, presiding in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court. She made the remarks after 38-year-old Dwayne Hallam Volney of 3rd Avenue Long Gap, Spooners Hill, St Michael had pleaded guilty to having 2.05 grams of the drug worth $10 on January 24, 2019. Prosecutor, PC Kenmore Philips told the court that on the day of the incident, police were stopping and searching vehicles on John Beckles Drive, St Michael. They stopped the car in which Volney was a passenger. The car was searched and nothing was found, but when Volney was searched police found a quantity of vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis in one of his pants’ pockets and he admitted ownership. In his defence, Volney said he had forgotten the drug in his pocket and apologised to the court and “all of Barbados”. The acting magistrate noted that according to Volney’s conviction card, he had a similar offence in 2014. She therefore fined the contrite man $350 payable by Monday by 2:30 pm. Failing that he will spend three months in prison. (BT)

CHASE STARS AS WI TAKES 1-0 LEAD – West Indies, inspired by career-best bowling figures of eight for 60 by off-spinner Roston Chase emphatically thrashed England by 381 runs on the fourth day of the first Wisden Trophy cricket Test at Kensington Oval here Saturday. Set 628 runs for victory, England were dismissed for 246 in 80.4. overs, 44 minutes after the tea interval at 3:44 p.m. as the Windies took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The figures by the 26-year-old Chase were the best by a Barbadian spinner in Test cricket. Resuming from 217 for six at tea, England’s demise was swift as Jos Buttler was spectacularly caught at short mid-wicket by a diving John Campbell off Chase for 26. Wicket-keeper Ben Foakes also fell to another stunning catch at short leg by Shimron Hetmyer off Chase for five. Chase gained his seventh wicket when Kraigg Brathwaite caught Adil Rashid on the second attempt on the mid-wicket boundary for one. Fittingly, Chase took the final wicket when Sam Curry was brilliantly stumped down the leg side by stand-in wicket-keeper Shai Hope for 17. It was the Windies' sixth victory over England in 16 Tests at the iconic venue where they visitors have only won thrice with the other seven drawn. Earlier, England starting the day on 56 without loss, lost openers Keaton Jennings for a patient 14 and Rory Burns for the top score of 84 as they went to lunch on 134 for two. Burns hit 15 fours off 133 balls in 206 minutes at the crease. On resumption, England's slide continued when they lost the wickets of Jonny Bairstow (30), captain Joe Root (22), Ben Stokes (34) and Moeen Ali (0) to stare defeat in the face. After fast-bowler Shannon Gabriel removed Bairstow to a leg-side catch by wicket-keeper Hope, Chase, added three more scalps. He induced Root to edge to Darren Bravo at slip before trapping Stokes leg before wicket and in the last over before tea, Moeen steered an off break to Jason Holder at the second of two slips. Summarised Scores: West Indies 289 in 101.3 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 81, Shai Hope 57, Roston Chase 54, John Campbell 44, Kraigg Brathwaite 40; James Anderson 5-46, Ben Stokes 4-46) and 415-6 dec’d in 103.1 overs (Jason Holder 202 not out, Shane Dowrich 116 not out, John Campbell 33, Shimron Hetmyer 31, Kraigg Brathwaite 24; Moeen Ali 3-78, Ben Stokes 2-81). England 77 in 30.2 overs (Keaton Jennings 17; Kemar Roach 5-17, Jason Holder 2-15, Alzarri Joseph 2-20) and 246 in 80.4 overs (Rory Burns 84, Ben Stokes 34, Jonny Bairstow 30, Jos Buttler 26, Joe Root 22; Roston Chase 8-60 in 21.4 overs). (SS)

CHASE SLICES THROUGH ENGLAND TO SET UP CRUSHING WIN – Off-spinner Roston Chase’s career-best eight-wicket haul propelled a dominant West Indies to their second largest win ever over England, as they crushed the hapless visitors by 381 runs inside four days of the opening Test to take a shock 1-0 lead in the three-match series here Saturday. The 26-year-old bowled brilliantly to take eight for 60 – the second-best performance ever by a West Indies bowler against England – as the tourists, chasing an improbable 628 for victory, crumbled meekly for 246, three quarters of an hour after tea at Kensington Oval. Resuming the day on 56 with survival as the only realistic option, left-handed opener Rory Burns led the initial resistance with a top score of 84 while all-rounder Ben Stokes chipped in with 34 and Jonny Bairstow got 30. Jos Buttler (26) and captain Joe Root (22) got starts but England never came to grips with Chase on a wearing track especially after lunch when they lost four critical wickets in a damaging slide. They had looked in good stead at lunch on 134 for two but the decline in the second session saw them lose their last eight wickets for 112 runs handing the hosts their third largest Test victory in terms of runs. The day had started brightly when Burns and Keaton Jennings (14) extended their opening stand to 85, to keep the Windies without any immediate success in the morning session. Burns scored quickly, punching 15 fours off 133 balls in just under 3-¼ hours at the crease while Jennings opted for defense as his approach, in his boundary-less nearly 2-¼ hour stay at the crease. Approaching the first hour, West Indies got the breakthrough when fast bowler Alzarri Joseph got Jennings to drive at a full length delivery and edge a catch high to Jason Holder’s left at second slip. Burns then put on another 49 for the second wicket with the fluent Bairstow, in a stand which appeared to be taking England safely to lunch. But Chase breached Burns’s loose forward defensive stroke and bowled him between bat and pad with the penultimate delivery before the interval. The real drama, however, started almost immediately following the resumption. Off the third ball, captain Joe Root fended off a lifter from speedster Shannon Gabriel to second slip where Holder took the gentle lob but television replays showed the bowler had overstepped. Undaunted, Gabriel struck in his next over when he got Bairstow to glove one through to wicketkeeper Shai Hope, deputising for the injured Shane Dowrich. Root made little of his reprieve when he departed on the stroke of the first hour after lunch, steering Chase to Darren Bravo at slip at 167 for four. England then resisted through a 48-run fifth wicket stand between Stokes and Buttler, the former playing positively in an attempt to transfer England’s pressure. Stokes went after Chase with a boundary to long on before clearing the ropes at long off in the same over. But Chase struck two key blows in the last 13 minutes before tea when he first trapped Stokes lbw and then had Moeen Ali caught at second slip by Holder, driving at the penultimate ball before the break. Tottering on 217 for six at the break, England were staring down the barrel and Chase duly performed the final rites as he took the last four wickets for the addition of only 29 runs. With his first ball of the second over following the resumption, he claimed Buttler to an excellent catch by debutant John Campbell at short mid-wicket, to complete his second five-wicket haul in Tests. And in his next over, Chase got his sixth wicket when Ben Foakes’s (5) attempted sweep found Shimron Hetmyer’s lap at short leg, and Adil Rashid (1) holed out to Kraigg Brathwaite at deep mid-wicket in the bowler’s next over, to put England on the brink. The next Test starts at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua next Thursday. (BT)

YOUTH MINISTER URGES DISCIPLINE AT LAUNCH OF NATIONAL SPORTS RALLY – Over 800 young people gathered at the Deighton Griffith Secondary School this morning for the launch of the annual National Sports Rally. The rally, which falls under the Community Sports Training Programme hosted by the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment, welcomed individuals ages 9 to 29 from the various teams and districts across the island to play sports such as cricket, netball, volleyball, road tennis and hockey. Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Adrian Forde reminded the youth that Barbados was brimming with talent and their sporting capabilities could be used as a route to success. “Sports in Barbados and around the world has always been used as a vehicle to put the country on the map. . . Sports has always been that one vessel to take Barbados across…the world and indeed above our hemisphere,” said the minister. He encouraged the students to remain dedicated and disciplined and use the skills they acquired throughout the sports to carry them further in life. “You must work at it in order to achieve not only your goals for the team but for Barbados. “We need every single one of you to work together to ensure not only the success of your team as sportsmen and sportswomen but the success of this country,” he advised. Forde also addressed the increasing rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the youth, and encouraged them to remain fit with exercise and eat healthy. “Persons under the age of 21 are now suffering [from] high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes. . . [and] of the most important weapons to fight these is exercise and diet,” he said. Youth Commissioner Shawn Burke shared agreed the minister’s sentiments, telling Barbados TODAY that Burke disclosed that many young athletes failed to take their diet seriously. “Although we have a large number of persons involved in sports, a lot of them don’t take their diet seriously. Diet plays an important role,” said Burke. “A lot of young people may not necessarily see or do not understand that sports too can be a job because the sports industry throughout the world is a thriving industry and you can make a living playing sports,” Burke said. (BT)

JOE PAYNE CLASSIC TODAY – Barbadian athletes will begin their bid to qualify for this year’s CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands at the annual Joseph Payne Memorial Classic at the National Stadium from today. Judging from the entry list and looking at the performances during last Saturday’s New Year’s Classic, the meet, which starts at 10 a.m., should have some exciting battles on the track and in the field events. The Orlando Greene Men’s 800 at 4 p.m. should have plenty of fireworks with Rasheeme Griffith, who won the two-lap race last Saturday in 1:56.62 minutes, favoured to win. He will have stiff competition from CARIFTA half-milers such as his former Coleridge & Parry teammate Tafari Bishop, Elite Distance Programme’s (EDP) Rio Williams, the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme’s Roneldo Rock and UWI’s Joseph Parris. Handal Roban from the Xcel Track Club in St Vincent should also make his presence felt in this race, as well as in the 400. Another Vincentian Xcel athlete, Nellie Ambriton, will compete in the Under-17 Boys’ 400 and 800 races. Shonita Brome will also be looking to repeat her New Year’s Classic success in the Leticia Gilkes Women’s 800 metres while improving on last week’s time of 2:29.38 minutes. She will be up against Charissa Moore and 13-year-old middle distance prodigy Layla Haynes, who will be going after the CARIFTA qualifying time for Under-17 girls. Junior athletes like Samiya Dell, Skye Spencer-Layne, Jahzara Holford, Shamari Addison and Jamarion Mapp will also have some keen competition as 13 athletes from the Abilene Wild Cats Club in St Lucia will be competing. Another junior who caught the eye last Saturday was Coleridge & Parry’s Khimani Cox. Cox, who also plays cricket and football for his school, impressively won the 800 metres in 2:21.86 minutes before returning to take the 200 in 24.98 seconds. Elite’s Dacoreya Collymore was another impressive winner of the Junior Girls’ 800 in 2:46.73 minutes. Elite’s Rickyla Fagan, who completed the Under-17 Girls’ sprint double by winning the 200 in 25.77 seconds, and clubmate Daquan Clarke, who won the boys’ 200 in 22.83 seconds, should again triumph. Velocity’s Sarah Belle took the women’s 200 in 25.46 seconds and Proformers’ Miguel Nicholas (22.49) won the men’s event. On the field, BC Trac’s Alex Duguid-Green will be looking to improve on his put of 14.23 metres in the Under-20 Boys’ shot. Proformers’ Vivica Addison and BC Trac’s Kevon Hinds are two field athletes who can book early CARIFTA tickets in the throws. EDP’s coach Samuel Leo Garnes, who still has five national senior records, will be the patron for the meet. (SS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 338 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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endenogatai · 6 years

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Lending platform Funding Circle raises £300M in London IPO, valuing it at £1.5B, as investor interest cools

Another fintech startup has made the leap into publicly-traded company: Funding Circle, the peer-to-peer lending platform for small and medium businesses that was originally founded in the UK, opened for trading today on the London Stock Exchange. It was a positive, if not stratospheric, debut. Trading under FNIG.L, its stock opened at 460 pence, only a small rise of 4.5 percent on its initial offer price of 440 pence per share. Funding Circle href="https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FCH/13808441.html"> raised £300 million ($392 million) in its IPO, but that initial price was at the lower end of the original range of 420-530 pence set by the company.

And to further draw out the trend, the numbers have not been looking that promising as the day has continued : currently the stock is trading at 438.30 pence, below its IPO price.

The float, which accounted for 29.3 percent of Funding Circle’s shares, gives the company a market cap of £1.504 billion (nearly $2 billion in today’s currency) based on the number of shares outstanding. (Fully diluted, including vested and unvested options, the valuation is closer to £1.6 billion.)

“We have always believed Funding Circle would be well-suited to the public markets and today’s milestone is recognition of the strength and global impact of our model,” Samir Desai, CEO and co-founder of Funding Circle, said in a statement. “We look forward to starting this exciting new chapter for the business as we focus on growth across all markets and seek to create a better financial world for small businesses and investors. I am pleased to welcome our new shareholders and I would like to thank my fellow Circlers for all their hard work since we launched. Funding Circle is a very ambitious company and we are excited to continue growing our business over the coming years. The UK is a great place to start and grow a FinTech business and we are proud of today’s accomplishment.”

The IPO train has been moving swiftly through the world of tech this year, but not everyone gets to ride in first class. In that context, Funding Circle’s conservative pricing and performance might be due to a few reasons.

The company chose to list in London, at a time when the country is in a prolonged period of uncertainty over how Brexit — the process of the UK separating itself from the European Union — will play out. That will have an effect on a number of areas, but one in particular will be how money moves in and out of the UK economy; and given that this is part of what sustains the business model of Funding Circle, you can see how this might impact it more acutely.

Secondly, we have had a number of fintech and e-commerce IPOs already this year, and so there is less pent-up demand. Thirdly, lending platforms have had had ups and downs, and while P2P lending has continued to grow as a compelling and competitive alternative to more traditional sources like direct loans from banks, it’s had some volatility. (LendingClub, the first IPO of a P2P lending platform in the US, has never quite recovered from its own difficulties.)

Lastly, Funding Circle itself is seeing revenues growing, but it still operates at a loss. The company said its first-half revenues for the six months that ended in June 2018 were £63 million up from £40.9 million a year before, with loans under management in excess of £2.5 billion. But it also posted a loss of £16.3 million, up from £13.2 million in the same period a year ago.

To shore up investor interest and show commitment from previous investors, Funding Circle said that Heartland A/S, the private holding company of Anders Holch Povlsen (who is a key investor in the company), agreed to purchase 10 percent of the issued ordinary share capital up to a maximum valuation of £1.65 billion. It’s not clear yet how much Heartland ultimately snapped up. Other investors in the company — which had raised about $375 million before going public — have included Index, Accel, Ballie Gifford, DST and Union Square Ventures.

The company also said that it was still getting major commitments for monies that would be loaned through its platform. Most recently, Alcentra, a global asset management firm owned by The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, agreed to lend $1 billion to small businesses the platform in the US.

We’ll update this post throughout the trading day.

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#IFTTT #RSSMix.com Mix ID 8204425

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thegloober · 6 years

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Lending platform Funding Circle raises £300M in London IPO, valuing it at £1.5B, as investor interest cools

Another fintech startup has made the leap into publicly-traded company: Funding Circle, the peer-to-peer lending platform for small and medium businesses that was originally founded in the UK, opened for trading today on the London Stock Exchange. It was a positive, if not stratospheric, debut. Trading under FNIG.L, its stock opened at 460 pence, only a small rise of 4.5 percent on its initial offer price of 440 pence per share. Funding Circle href=”https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FCH/13808441.html”> raised £300 million ($392 million) in its IPO, but that initial price was at the lower end of the original range of 420-530 pence set by the company.

And to further draw out the trend, the numbers have not been looking that promising as the day has continued : currently the stock is trading at 438.30 pence, below its IPO price.

We’ll update this post throughout the trading day.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/lending-platform-funding-circle-raises-300m-in-london-ipo-valuing-it-at-1-5b-as-investor-interest-cools/

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theinvinciblenoob · 6 years

Link

And to further draw out the trend, the numbers have not been looking that promising as the day has continued : currently the stock is trading at 438.30 pence, below its IPO price.

We’ll update this post throughout the trading day.

via TechCrunch

#IFTTT #TechCrunch

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fresh-fruit-ninja · 6 years

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CANADIAN-ISM

I would say there could be two sides to a feeling of Canadian-ness in my experience as a consumer of products and media by our favourite, well actually, probably the only big book store in Canada, Indigo-Chapters, or as I nostalgically like to call it, Chapters. The first side, in which relates to my notions of traditional Canadian identity or values and traits I feel I am a part of, and second, that uninhibited, emotional side I have to my identity as a Canadian. The thing with big cities in my experience is that relaxed feeling is harder to come buy and even in the busiest of cities I find the environment, or the vibes at chapters more relaxing, like in Toronto, which I have been to on some occasions. But more so in my smaller city of London. Since I was young, I get a warm feeling from going to Chapters. Originally with my mother, as a youth we would spend time there. Back then there were couches, bean bag chairs and chairs, as they promoted and wanted people to spend a lot of time sitting and reading and of course, purchasing. Then, with the Starbucks that are inside it became busier and more of a hangout. As I got older and the city grew, with the rampage of students, popularity of Starbucks and purchase by Indigo, I noticed the private spaces, couchies and beanies had mostly disappeared. Now, there is a large shared table with plugs and a few chairs scattered throughout the store. The Starbucks everyday is full and mostly with students, so is the table in the store. But there are still people who relax with a book and a coffee or tea, reading groups and so on. As mentioned above, part of the Canadian-ness I guess I feel is do to the community and people friendly experience that is very much a representation of Canada, who in my view are a friendly people. In my experience, in other countries like USA and Europe people keep more to themselves and are less excited about a random chat with someone.

I love reading and am a writer and Chapters is a place for me to go when I am feeling “artsy” I will wear my big heavy wool cardigan (hand made in Ireland) 😊and my wool flat cap (from the UK,) have a decaf or tea and read or write. I guess the sense of being a cultural hub for my city is how I feel about Chapters. With the hand-picked books, book clubs and so on, it’s kind of like a library to me, except its more up to date. But as I got older and peered deeper into Chapters, and in this current social climate, I feel more comfortable with it. Now back to the two sides. The Canadian identity part, from my own cultural standpoint, Chapters and Indigo are Canadian made. You knew I was going to say that… The Canadian CEO hand picks many books and showcases us things from a more Canadian spotlight or outlook if you should say. Indigo has stood up for the values of democracy and peace by taking stances on some political issues like women’s rights, public safety and so on. The music they play, as I now know, (because I asked,) is from a purely Canadian company and plays international and Canadian music, which I will discuss later.

A point made from a Canadian communications research approach takes the position that; “The central unit of knowledge is society rather than the individual.” Now, if I could push for this point with Chapters and how its programs and media outreach indicate a Chapters communications system which is being representative, or trying to be representative of its key asset, the Canadian consumer, or the collective of Canadian society. Of course, not all Canadians think the same, but culturally there is a suggestion of core Canadian values along within some of its programs; although public libraries are larger, more dispersed…. but they are government entities and… well there is a sense of community…lots of social activities… but in my experience the library doesn’t have the most recent books. 😊 I also like the idea of meeting authors at book signings, and events reading clubs, like the upcoming Canada Day event. Some other events are “Open Panels” with authors in many fields and, yes!! Literary agents!! Others are labeled “In Conversation” where you can chat with a ride range of authors from a world of topics, from fiction to political or social causes. Libraries don’t usually take on socially responsible causes, which is a point I am trying to make here. There is an Ontario and possibly Canadian problem with under funding of social institutions like libraries and as we see on the indigo website with public schools and is another cause Chapters has taken up. (The love of Reading Foundation and Adopt a School) https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/lorfaq/ Some other causes which are important to me as a Canadian, which allow me to support Chapters are; Chapters not selling books by that evil German leader, also the CEO has represented Canadian values in her stance of oppression of women in the middle east, and gun safety among others things.

Which brings me to the second part, my favourite part, my passion! Its fun and easy (dumb) just to be proud of anything that says “Canada.” Canadian nationalism has become a tool as well for big interests like commercial and institutional. But a big part of being Canadian is that we are not just a line up of things that say Canada, we are a crochet of values that come together in our acceptance of growth and new experience, and not just a closed ancient tradition which the government is spending millions on to preserve because they fear the new world. Canadian identity, (as much as people try for it to be,) is not a nationalistic propaganda tool, it’s a feature and pinnacle of ours and of world civilization. The commies used to say nationalism is the enemy of the nation, as they propagated nationalism.

Canadianness is also about one world love and multiculturalism, embracing the experiences and the wealth of knowledge, culture and traditions that we have around the world, which are represented by millions of Canadians. The Chapters’ customer experience and curated Stingray music does well to my Canadian-ness by not* nationalizing my identity or conforming me to a portrayal of who I am, but rather lets me express myself in all ways human… That being music and arts and media from around the world, and from our diverse Canadian social landscape. That’s why I love Canada! Because being yourself is not being a codified Canadian, or person with only a specific set of so called cultural traits, but rather being a person whose cultural persona is always growing and developing and taking in life and turning it into something that is very much ideally, exemplary and proudly Canadian. For example, a person who likes hockey and hockey only maybe the stereotypical Canadian, but a person who enjoys competitive sports, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and shares his Canadian-ness and cultural identity to other smaller parts of Canadian sport, like soccer or basketball, (in the bigger picture, smaller parts of our national identity) that is what being Canadian is about, bringing the love of the world!!

I really love the Stingray app because its Canadian like Indigo is Canadian, and our values are represented in the media and books to a certain extent, but more subtly, or not over done; but also, we are not closed like other cultures who are so fixated on their ways, whether in defense of any sort of change, or sticking to their so called tried and true traditions. World cultures took centuries to develop, and are closely related to many other cultures, why should they stop growing now? Because of a few stubborn ideals? I think not! Canadians are growing, (maybe because we are a young country) and making a culture which is like no other. People adapt to take on Canadian traits and as Canadians, we can collect and grow our flowers of youthful bountifulness of positivity and optimism, becoming a nation of healthy and happy people who want to flourish as a growing world culture and role-model.

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texanpeanut · 6 years

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Trees All the Way Down

Here’s the most recent email update I’ve sent out and I think the last one I’ll use as a blog post. From now on the blog posts will just be blog posts!

March 30, 2018:

Hey y'all,

Welcome to this month's update from Maggie. I think this email has two themes: growth and change. The first part of the email will be more about some gushy emotional stuff so if you don't wanna read that and wanna know more about some werkkk related things skip down a few paragraphs until you see some ALL CAPS WRITING LIKE THIS. If you remember from the last update, I wrote about how Peace Corps has been challenging mostly in mental and emotional ways. In the first two months at site after I installed (mid-December to mid-February), I think I was overall appreciative of my experience and glad to be here, but also felt anxious and worn out day to day. When I arrived in Thies in mid-February for In-Service Training (IST), I realized I did not feel like myself. I normally consider myself a somewhat laid back person (at least half the time anyway) and fairly optimistic, but I was letting myself become stressed out beyond necessity over small things beyond my control. So, when I arrived back at the regional house in Kedougou at the end of February after two weeks of additional technical training at IST, I decided I needed to take a stronger initiative to take care of my mental health. Like I said earlier, a lot of things that were stressing me out in the beginning were things beyond my control. For example, I would work myself up so much just thinking about going around in my village to greet people because I was worried about how they would react to me, if they would be unwelcoming, or make fun of me, blah blah blah. So one way I've tried to change my focus is to think more about my intentions overall for coming here, and my intention for every small action throughout the day. After some reflection I think the two main reasons I wanted to join Peace Corps were to learn practical, technical skills related to my field of interest (I guess a fancy way of saying I wanted to do cool agroforestry stuff with my hands), and to better myself as a person. I don't think those two reasons are mutually exclusive. And I think by focusing on those things every day, I've been able to feel more calm and comfortable at site, more productive in my work, and overall more just like myself. I decided people are going to treat me however they want to treat me, and the only thing I can control is how I show respect to my family and neighbors, and the effort I put into starting projects and trainings. If I put effort every day into working towards my main intentions of being here (work and bettering myself), by either doing something related to trees, or overcoming some kind of fear or mental roadblock, I can be proud of that day. One more thing I've been thinking about is that I have a lot to really be grateful for. In life in general of course, but specifically in Senegal. I was thinking a few weeks ago how I think my biggest problem/fear/obstacle is my own fear of how people perceive me. And then I thought that isn't really a problem at all. Every day now I feel incredibly lucky to have my own place to sleep at night (with a roof and an actual bed), a bike, a dog, my own little gas stove, great physical health, no severe mental health issues, no crippling debt, great friends I've made in Peace Corps, great friends back at home in America, and a great family who I love and loves me back (at least that's what they tell me lol). And I do feel so lucky to be here in this beautiful part of Senegal, presented with such a unique opportunity to challenge myself mentally and physically and learn so! many! new! things! OKAY on to the COOL STUFF like TREES and GARDENS!!! Alright. So. During the first couple months at site I really did not work at all because I was just trying to get a feel for the village, practice my Pular, and learn how to do things like carry buckets of water on my head without getting laughed at. But now I'm doing some agfo stuff like filling little plastic bags with dirt and poop and it's pretty neat. So... little bags of dirt and poop. Aka, a tree nursery. After I got back to site from IST I finally started a personal tree nursery in my backyard. A tree nursery is one method of propagating trees to later out-plant in fields or compounds. There are two main types of trees people like to seed in nurseries - live fencing species and fruit trees. Trees used for live fences are usually little scraggly, thorny things that prevent livestock from entering gardens and eating all the vegetables. Livestock are the biggest nuisance to vegetable production in this country other than insects and children. Fruit trees are pretty much what they sound like and the two most popular fruit trees here are mango and citrus, but people also plant papaya, sweetsop, soursop, pigeon pea, and cashew. Cashew has a huge market in the southern regions that make up an area called the Casamance, and is expanding steadily throughout the country. Right now, peanuts are one of the main cash crops of this country, but it's really a shame because they deplete the soil so rapidly. Cashews are a great alternative because they are great for soil stability, the fruit has a lot of uses, and the amount of money a farmer can make from one hectare of a cashew orchard is insane. Okay, end of that side note. To make a tree nursery you dig a pit (or build a little wall out of cinderblocks) as big as you need for the amount of sacks you plan to fill, and then fill it with sacks. The sacks are little plastic bags that you fill with a combination of soil and either compost or manure (the poop). Once your sacks are full and you've watered them for a week, you can seed your trees. After a few weeks you out-plant! It's just a way to have more control over young and vulnerable baby trees, and then once they do germinate you can choose to plant the healthiest, best-looking ones, rather than wasting field space on some dumpy little thing. So I have the tree nursery in my backyard, and I seeded some tamarind and papaya that I collected back in January. They haven't germinated yet but I'm still hopeful! I also have begun teaching people in my community how to do this for themselves. One day I went out to the garden of a man I know in my neighboring village named Bonnoit to see if I could find him to talk about work. I didn't find him there, but I found another man named Leonard at a garden nearby, introduced myself and said my work is to plant trees and I can help him if he wants. He said yes I do want to plant trees. So I came back about a week later, we dug a huge pit together, pounded cow poop down to a powder, and filled about 20 sacks together. I've been going to visit him every day for the past week to see how it's going and so far he's filled about 140 without any extra help from me! He is a really motivated worker and I think is really excited to continue this, so I'm looking forward to doing more stuff with him in the future. I also hosted a small tree nursery training for a few of my neighbors and family members. I asked a few of my friends to help invite people in our village, and about 11 people showed up which was perfect because I am trying to start small. Being a little bit of a shy person, I am still nervous about speaking in front of a crowd of 30-40. Anyway, I held the training in my backyard and we added some sacks to my personal nursery and overall I think it was successful. Everyone was attentive and seemed like they wanted to be there and got to practice filling one sack. I gave everyone who came 10 sacks, so I will see who fills those and then give out more to the people who do. Some other work things that aren't set in stone but might happen in the future are a women's cashew orchard in my road town of Salemata, and a garden in my neighboring village for youth who are done with school but can't find work. The women in Salemata seem very excited about the orchard, and Bonnoit (the man I referenced earlier) seems very motivated about getting his garden started, and even brought me his own detailed list of supplies and prices I could use for writing a grant for the project. I'm still unsure if these two things will happen since they're just in the very beginning of planning and discussion, but I am hopeful! Welp, that's about all I got. I'm taking a few days at the regional house for a few reasons. 1) It's my birthday and my village is great but I really wanted to treat myself to some electricity and cold water. 2) I originally planned to have Lyra, my dog spayed today. I have had her for three months now and I think she is about four months old. Anyway I went to the vet this morning and he said he's out of anesthetic but should get some more tomorrow or Sunday so... actual spay date for little Lyra is TBD. 3) New volunteers are coming!!! In Senegal we have four sectors of volunteers: Health, Community Economic Development (CED), Agriculture, and Agroforestry (which I think is technically in the environment sector). The Ag/Agfo volunteers come at the very end of September, like I did, and the Health/CED volunteers come at the very end of February. The newest cohort has been here for a month so far, and they just found out their permanent site placements a few days ago. So the new Kedougou volunteers will be coming in tomorrow for a few days of Field Orientation Training (like I did back in October) before they go back to Thies to complete their Pre Service Training. If God wills it, they will install at their new sites in mid-May! And that's all. Love y'all. Say hi to America for me.

-Maggie

#peacecorps #peacecorpssenegal #peacecorpsafrica #senegal #africa #agroforestry #trees #gardening #environment #nature #travel #volunteer

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everettwilkinson · 6 years

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MUELLER ‘has enough evidence’ to charge FLYNN — BEYOND THE BELTWAY: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT rocks statehouses — More DONNA BRAZILE fallout — CNN’S David Chalian and Justin Bernstine wed — B'DAY: John Harwood

BREAKING … NBC NEWS — “Mueller Has Enough Evidence to Bring Charges in Flynn Investigation,” by Julia Ainsley, Carol Lee and Ken Dilanian: “Federal investigators have gathered enough evidence to bring charges in their investigation of President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser and his son as part of the probe into Russia’s intervention in the 2016 election, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

“Michael T. Flynn, who was fired after just 24 days on the job, was one of the first Trump associates to come under scrutiny in the federal probe now led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. Mueller is applying renewed pressure on Flynn following his indictment of Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, three sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News.” http://nbcnews.to/2zyReDm

Story Continued Below

Good Sunday morning. THE POWER OF PLAYBOOK — PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER: “Sexual misconduct allegations rock statehouses,” by Illinois Playbooker Natasha Korecki, California Playbooker Carla Marinucci and New York Playbooker Jimmy Vielkind: “Statehouses from Boston to Sacramento have been rocked by an onslaught of sexual misconduct allegations, creating unprecedented pressure on state legislative leaders to take immediate action.

“Amid a flood of recent testimonials from female legislators, staff and lobbyists, a portrait is fast emerging of male-dominated state capitol cultures rife with sexual harassment and bereft of protections for victims, where complaints from women frequently languish — or are outright ignored. In Illinois alone, hundreds of women signed onto an open letter charging a pervasive predatory culture in the state capitol, prompting a public hearing that exposed a grossly neglected, nearly non-existent reporting system. Already, one high-ranking Illinois lawmaker has been stripped of his leadership post — and mandatory training from an outside professional is likely to become legally required. An emergency meeting of an ethics commission is set for next week.” http://politi.co/2zi3Goh

SUNDAY BEST — TAX REFORM TIMING — SPEAKER PAUL RYAN told “FOX NEWS SUNDAY” host CHRIS WALLACE that Republicans are on track to move the tax reform bill through the House before Thanksgiving with hope to get a final bill on the president’s desk by Christmas. http://politi.co/2zhb8Ca

— CHUCK TODD speaks with SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OKLA.) on NBC’S “MEET THE PRESS”: “If this tax bill increases the debt too much, you’re a no?” LANKFORD: “I am a no. I want to make sure we have reasonable assumptions in the process for growth estimates.”

WEEKEND NUMBERS: WAPO’s DAN BALZ and SCOTT CLEMENT: “Approaching the first anniversary of his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, Trump has an approval rating demonstrably lower than any previous chief executive at this point in his presidency over seven decades of polling. Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans — 37 percent — say they approve of the way he is handling his job.” http://wapo.st/2lT6bdz

BOSTON GLOBE’S MATT VISER: “A year after Trump’s election, York, Pa., is forever changed” http://bit.ly/2Akw9tv

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING … TRUMP ABROAD …

— POOLER WSJ’S MIKE BENDER: “About 6.5 hours into the 8-hour flight, POTUS unexpectedly walked back to the press cabin and spoke for a little less than 12 minutes. During that time, he went off the briefly went off the record at two different moments. Wearing a white shirt with no tie and his collar open, he was in good spirits — joking with reporters, and taking a few questions from the trip. … ‘I think it’s expected we’ll meet with Putin, yeah. We want Putin’s help on North Korea, and we’ll be meeting with a lot of different leaders.’ … Explaining his Aramco tweet: Said he spoke to the Saudi King during the flight: ‘I know they’re looking at London, I know they’re looking at others, they’re probably looking at themselves, they have a much smaller stock market. So I would like them to consider the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ.’”

— ON THE BUSH BOOK: “I’ll comment after we come back. I don’t need headlines. I don’t want to make their move successful.”

— AT GOLF: The two leaders signed white ball caps that read, ‘Donald and Shinzo Make Alliance Even Greater.’

— AT DINNER: “Hello everybody. Thank you very much for being here. We’re in the midst of having very major discussions on many subjects, including North Korea and trade and we’re doing very well. Doing very well. Our relationship is really extraordinary. We like each other and our countries like each other. And I don’t think we’ve ever been closer to Japan than we are right now. It’s a great honor, it’s a great honor. We’ll have dinner tonight. I think we’ll insult everybody by continuing to talk about trade. But the time is a little bit limited and then tomorrow is a very busy day.’” On the menu: Hokkaido scallops and white truffle salad, sautéed Shizuoka’s ise-ebi bisque and Tajima beef steak.

ANDREW RESTUCCIA in Tokyo — “Trump gets ready to ‘maximize pressure’ on North Korea”: “President Donald Trump eased into his 12-day sprint through Asia with a round of golf and a private dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of his closest allies on the international stage. But the seemingly carefree start to his five-country tour belied the sky-high stakes of the trip. With the threat of North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear weapons program looming, the grueling swing through the region — the longest trip since Trump took office — will likely be a defining moment for the president.

“The White House’s top priority for the trip is to ratchet up pressure on Asian nations to denuclearize North Korea. But the administration is also under pressure to confront a series of other challenges, including China’s unrelenting dominance of the continent and Trump’s desire to challenge what he deems unfair trade practices.” http://politi.co/2zjm0zi

— @JenniferJJacobs: “Trump thought about throwing a party to celebrate one-year anniversary of his election victory then thought better of it, he told us on AF1.”

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TRUMP’S SUNDAY — Trump is speaking to U.S. and Japanese business leaders this morning. He and the First Lady will participate in an embassy meet and greet, in a welcoming ceremony and state call with Their Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan. Trump will have lunch with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, take an official photo with Abe, and hold a joint press conference with him. Trump and the First Lady will also meet with families of Japanese abducted by North Koreans. Tonight, they will attend a state banquet.

WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT — “Donna Brazile: I considered replacing Clinton with Biden as 2016 Democratic nominee,” by WaPo’s Phil Rucker: “Former [DNC] head Donna Brazile writes in a new book that she seriously contemplated setting in motion a process to replace Hillary Clinton as the party’s 2016 presidential nominee with then-Vice President Biden in the aftermath of Clinton’s fainting spell, in part because Clinton’s campaign was ‘anemic’ and had taken on ‘the odor of failure.’ In an explosive new memoir, Brazile details widespread dysfunction and dissension throughout the Democratic Party, including secret deliberations over using her powers as interim DNC chair to initiate the process of removing Clinton and running mate Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) from the ticket after Clinton’s Sept. 11, 2016, collapse in New York City.

“Brazile writes that she considered a dozen combinations to replace the nominees and settled on Biden and Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), the duo she felt most certain would win over enough working-class voters to defeat Republican Donald Trump. But then, she writes, ‘I thought of Hillary, and all the women in the country who were so proud of and excited about her. I could not do this to them.’ …

“As one of her party’s most prominent black strategists, Brazile also recounts fiery disagreements with Clinton’s staffers — including a conference call in which she told three senior campaign officials, Charlie Baker, Marlon Marshall and Dennis Cheng, that she was being treated like a slave. ‘I’m not Patsey the slave,’ Brazile recalls telling them, a reference to the character played by Lupita Nyong’o in the film, ‘12 Years a Slave.’ ‘Y’all keep whipping me and whipping me and you never give me any money or any way to do my damn job. I am not going to be your whipping girl!’” http://wapo.st/2zzadxO … $16.80 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2xMw0gL

— DOES ANYONE actually believe she could’ve and would’ve done this?

— BRAZILE talking to GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS on ABC’S “THIS WEEK”: STEPHANOPOULOS: “Do you agree with Elizabeth Warren that the primaries were rigged?” BRAZILE: “I don’t think she meant the word rigged, because what I said, George, as you well know after I left this show on July 24, I said I would get to the bottom of everything. And that’s what I did and I called Sen. Sanders to say, I wanted to make sure there was no rigging in the process. I’m on the rules and bylaws committee. I found no evidence. None, whatsoever. The only thing I found, I found the cancer, but I’m not killing the patient, was this memorandum that prevented the DNC from running its own operation.”

–“Open Letter from Hillary for America 2016 Team”: “We were shocked to learn the news that Donna Brazile actively considered overturning the will of the Democratic voters by attempting to replace Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine as the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees. It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health.” http://bit.ly/2h6ttr6

— SOME OF THE LETTER’s 120 signers included: Huma Abedin, Lily Adams, John Anzalone, Glen Caplin, Brynne Craig, Leslie Dach, Amy Dudley, Marc Elias, Adrienne Elrod, Brian Fallon, Jesse Ferguson, Tyrone Gayle, Teddy Goff, Mandy Grunwald, Alex Hornbrook, Connolly Keigher, Ron Klain, Elan Kriegel, Marlon Marshall, Jim Margolis, Nick Merrill, Robby Mook, Jen Palmieri, John Podesta, Christina Reynolds, Jake Sullivan and Josh Schwerin and Dan Schwerin.

KEEP AN EYE ON THIS — “Billionaire prince among dozens arrested in Saudi sweep,” by AP’s Abdullah Al-Shihri in Riyadh and Aya Batrawy in Dubai: “Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of princes and former officials, including a well-known billionaire with extensive holdings in Western companies, as part of a sweeping anti-corruption probe that further cements control in the hands of its young crown prince. A high-level employee at Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Co. told The Associated Press that the royal was among those detained overnight Saturday.

“Reports suggested those detained were being held at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, which only days earlier hosted a major investment conference with global business titans from the U.S., Japan and other countries. A Saudi official told The Associated Press that other five-star hotels across the capital were also being used to hold some of those arrested. … Analysts have suggested the arrest of once-untouchable members of the royal family is the latest sign that the 32-year-old crown prince is moving to quash potential rivals or critics.” http://bit.ly/2zeyfNN … Investments of Kingdom Holding, fund controlled by Alwaleed bin Talal http://bit.ly/2zypFKe

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— NYT’s ALEXANDRA STEVENSON in Hong Kong: “Citigroup, 21st Century Fox, Twitter: Prince’s Arrest Touches Many”: “Among Prince Alwaleed’s crown jewels: sizable stakes in Twitter, Lyft, Citigroup and 21st Century Fox. He has gone into business with some of the corporate world’s biggest titans, from Bill Gates to Rupert Murdoch and Michael Bloomberg. His investments span the globe, including the historic George V hotel in Paris, the Savoy in London and the Plaza in New York. He has also invested in the AccorHotels chain and Canary Wharf, the London business development.” http://nyti.ms/2ywT1Zy

— TRUMP called the king of Saudi Arabia. White House readout: “[P]resident Trump noted that the King and Crown Prince’s recent public statements regarding the need to build a moderate, peaceful, and tolerant region are essential to ensuring a hopeful future for the Saudi people, to curtailing terrorist funding, and to defeating radical ideology – once and for all – so the world can be safe from its evil.”

FOR YOUR RADAR — “Securing North Korean nuclear sites would require a ground invasion, Pentagon says,” by WaPo’s Dan Lamothe and Carol Morello: “The only way to locate and secure all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons sites ‘with complete certainty’ is through an invasion of ground forces, and in the event of conflict, Pyongyang could use biological and chemical weapons, the Pentagon told lawmakers in a new, blunt assessment of what war on the Korean Peninsula might look like.” http://wapo.st/2zgyzt7

THIS IS A NEW ONE — “Mitch McConnell: Facebook, Google should help U.S. government ‘retaliate’ against Russia” — Fast Company: “‘What we ought to do,” McConnell said [on MSNBC yesterday], ‘with regard to the Russians is retaliate, seriously retaliate against the Russians. And these tech firms could be helpful in giving us a way to do that.’” http://bit.ly/2zyhoX4

SPEAKING OF RUSSIA — “Manafort proposes $12.5 million bail package,” by Josh Gerstein: “Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is offering to post $12.5 million-worth of assets — including his Trump Tower apartment — as part of a bail package to ensure that he appears for the trial he’s facing on charges of money laundering and failing to register as a foreign lobbyist, Manafort’s defense team said Saturday. Manafort’s lawyers identified three properties he is willing to pledge: the Trump Tower condo in Manhattan, a condo several miles to the south on Baxter Street in Chinatown and his primary residence in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

“In a court filing, the veteran lobbyist also said several life insurance policies worth a total of $4.5 million could be posted, although they’re held by trusts or Manafort’s wife Kathleen. In exchange for pledging the properties, Manafort is seeking to be released from home confinement at his Alexandria, Va. condo and permitted to travel freely in Florida, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and New York.” http://politi.co/2hF48Fm

FIRST PERSON — “I worked for Paul Manafort. He always lacked a moral compass,” by K. Riva Levinson on the cover of WaPo’s Outlook: http://wapo.st/2hevCET

— PAUL MANAFORT sent an email this week to his neighbors in his Alexandria condo building apologizing for the inconvenience of the media staking out the building, according to two residents and another neighbor who saw the letter.

ON TAX REFORM — “Multinationals grapple with Republican excise tax surprise,” by Reuters’ Amanda Becker in Washington and Tom Bergin in London: “The Republican tax bill unveiled last week in the U.S. Congress could disrupt the global supply chains of large, multinational companies by slapping a 20-percent tax on cross-border transactions they routinely make between related business units. …

“The proposed tax, tucked deep in the 429-page bill backed by President Donald Trump, caught corporate tax strategists by surprise and sent them scrambling to understand its dynamics and goals, as well as whether Congress is likely ever to vote on it. Reuters contacted seven multinational companies and four industry groups. None would comment directly on the proposal, with most saying they were still studying the entire tax package.” http://reut.rs/2j3BNMz

ELECTION WATCH — “Activists eye post-Charlottesville surge in black voting in Virginia,” by Kevin Robillard in Norfolk, Virginia: “Democratic activists expect a surge in black political engagement fueled by backlash to this summer’s violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville could tip the scales in Tuesday’s Virginia gubernatorial race. … Turnout already shot upward in heavily black areas during the Democratic primary, compared to the last one in 2009, and Northam won big in those regions in June. Since then, black political groups have run a steady stream of radio and digital ads invoking Charlottesville and inequality in the criminal justice system, including NFL players’ protests of the issue. And they are talking with voters one-on-one in Norfolk and other African-American population centers to make a personal case about voting this year.” http://politi.co/2hGktto

SUNDAY BEST …

— BONUS: WALLACE and RYAN on “FOX NEWS SUNDAY”: “House Speaker Paul Ryan vowed Sunday that Congress would not interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, a probe that has intensified with recent indictments of Trump campaign officials. … ‘We’re not going to interfere with his investigation. The investigation will take its course, and we will let it take its course,’ the GOP leader said. Ryan (R-Wis.) also said he believed that President Donald Trump would uphold his repeated pledge to not dismiss Mueller.” http://politi.co/2Aay2bs

— JAKE TAPPER talks with HOUSE MINORITY LEADER NANCY PELOSI on CNN’S “STATE OF THE UNION”: TAPPER: “Now, a letter from the Pentagon to members of Congress says that the only way to take out North Korea’s nuclear program with — quote — ‘complete certainty’ would be a ground invasion. Is that something that you could support?” PELOSI: “Well, I think we have to exhaust every other remedy. North Korea’s behavior is — has to be contained, stopped, reversed. They cannot have a nuclear weapon that they — my view, my concern about North Korea is not only what they’re doing, but what they’re advertising, that they may want to sell some of this technology. … I would like to think that we would exhaust every diplomatic remedy, because we’re dealing – we’re sticking a — poking a stick in the eye of a mad dog with some of what we’re saying.”

ON TAX REFORM — TAPPER: “There seem to be provisions that you could support. There is a tax cut for middle-class Americans, as well as for wealthier Americans. The plan doubles the standard deduction to $12,000 for individuals, $24,000 for couples. Is it not true that some lower- and middle-class families will do better under the plan?” PELOSI: “No. No, they won’t.” TAPPER: “They won’t?” PELOSI: “And here’s the thing, is they give with one hand and take away with the other. First of all, this — let me just give it a macro and then the micro, because the micro is very important, what it means in people’s lives. But the macro is that this thing will explode the deficit, the national debt.”

BOWLING GREEN NEWS — “BG man charged with assaulting Paul at senator’s home,” by Don Sergent: “A Bowling Green man was arrested Friday and charged with fourth-degree assault after an incident at the Bowling Green home of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul. Rene Boucher, 59, is in the Warren County Regional Jail in lieu of a $5,000 bond … Paul suffered minor injuries … Kelsey Cooper, Paul’s Kentucky communications director, issued a statement to the Daily News indicating that ‘Senator Paul is fine.’

“‘Senator Paul was blindsided and the victim of an assault’ … The arrest warrant in the case indicates that Paul told police his neighbor came onto his property and tackled him from behind, forcing him to the ground and causing pain. According to the warrant, Paul had injuries to his face and had trouble breathing due to a rib injury.” http://bit.ly/2zz3VOF

SNL COLD OPEN – “Paul Manafort’s House Cold Open” — TRUMP (played by Alec Baldwin) visits PAUL MANAFORT’s condo: “I just came by to check up on you.” MANAFORT (Alex Moffat): “Of course. I’m embarrassed. I only wore a casual $10,000 suit. I thought you were on your way to Asia.” TRUMP: “Everybody does. But in fact I sent Melania, along with a very convincing lookalike.” MELANIA (Cecily Strong), reading “Private Islands” magazine on Air Force One: “Donald: why are you so quiet? … Okay for the first time in 10 years, let me tell you about my day.”

TRUMP: “Paul: Believe me my staff is much happier that that look-alike is going. They were terrified that when I got to China, I would do that slant-eyes like that guy on the Houston Astros. Hilarious by the way. Everyone is so politically correct now. I’m surprised that you can even say Oriental rugs anymore, which by the way these are fantastic.” MANAFORT: “Yeah thanks thanks. I got a great deal, only a million bucks because I paid cash.” 5-min. video http://bit.ly/2yxs08o

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump puts on a military jacket as he meets the U.S. troops at the U.S. Yokota Air Base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Sunday, Nov. 5. | Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo

WEST COAST WATCH — “Jerry Brown’s holy war on Donald Trump” by California Playbooker David Siders in Vatican City: “California has opened a new front in its war on Donald Trump — the Vatican, where Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday sought to enlist the Catholic Church in his effort to undermine the president’s climate policies abroad. Brown, addressing a somber gathering of scientists, politicians and religious leaders here, rebuked Trump’s rejection of mainstream climate science as a ‘lie within a lie,’ urging religious establishments to help ‘awaken the world’ to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” http://politi.co/2Aa2Yse

— “Poised for West Coast Dominance, Democrats Eye Grand Agenda,” by NYT’s Alex Burns and Kirk Johnson in Sammamish, Washington: “It is the stuff of liberal fantasies: a vast, defiant territory, sweeping along the country’s Pacific coastline, governed by Democrats and resisting President Trump at every turn. A single election in a wealthy Seattle suburb on Tuesday could make that scenario a reality, handing the party full control of government in Washington State — and extinguishing Republicans’ last fragile claim on power on the West Coast. The region has been a rare Democratic stronghold on an electoral map now dominated by vast swaths of red, and Republicans’ only toehold on power there has been a one-seat majority in the Washington State Senate.

“The prospect of such far-reaching autonomy for Democrats, who already hold all three governors’ offices as well as both houses of the legislatures in Oregon and California, has infused extraordinary energy into what might have been a low-key special election. The race is on track to draw more than $9 million in campaign spending, a record-breaking sum for Washington State. National environmental and abortion rights groups have mobilized, business associations and oil companies have poured in money, and a former vice president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., has intervened on the Democratic side.” http://nyti.ms/2h4gQg5

BUSINESS BURST — “The Inside Story of How the Sprint and T-Mobile Deal Collapsed, Again,” by WSJ’s Ryan Knutson, Drew FitzGerald and Dana Mattioli: “During months of merger talks with T-Mobile US Inc., Sprint Corp. Chairman Masayoshi Son sought a way to merge the two wireless rivals without really having to hand over the keys. There was discussion over inserting a provision to buy the combined company back after two years, two people familiar with the matter said. They explored giving the Japanese billionaire the right to increase his stake over time. He was offered the role of co-chairman.

“In the end, nothing worked. In a joint statement Saturday, the companies called off the merger for good. The abrupt turn of events derailed a deal that many on Wall Street have anticipated for years, and that Mr. Son has long desired. … The latest round of deal talks began to unravel in late October. The transaction that was being contemplated was an all-stock merger that would have given Deutsche Telekom control over the combined company and made T-Mobile Chief Executive John Legere the new firm’s head, the people said. Beyond having a voice as a major shareholder, Mr. Son wouldn’t be able to dictate the combined company’s direction.” http://on.wsj.com/2Aa7jvH

2018 WATCH — “Can Erik Prince Beat the GOP Establishment and Win a Senate Seat?” by NBC News’ Keri Geiger and Jon Allen: “In an interview last month in a noisy, crowded German bar in Washington, D.C., Prince acknowledged that he is ‘mulling’ a primary challenge to [Sen. John] Barrasso … ‘The people of Wyoming, they embrace very much Trump’s agenda and its senator should too.’ Or, Prince said, he ‘needs to be replaced by someone who does, too.’ … He advocates a tightly run Special Forces unit, overseen by a supreme commander (which he calls a ‘viceroy’) and assisted by private military contractors, that would not only ‘deny terrorists sanctuary’ but save the government billions of dollars over the long run. … ‘He [Trump] resisted the Pentagon’s approach all the way up until that weekend. If it was not for the debacle of Charlottesville and all the political pressure the president took that week, he would have done this,’ said Prince. …

“Barrasso hasn’t shown much capacity for raising money from Wyoming—one measure of the intensity of support for a candidate. Of the roughly $2.4 million he’s collected in itemized individual contributions since the start of 2013, only $130,525 — or 5.5 percent of the total haul — has come from the Cowboy State.” http://nbcnews.to/2yvFzVL

— PER KURT BARDELLA: “More than 80 members of the country music community have signed a letter urging songwriter Lee Thomas Miller to run for the Congressional seat currently held by Marsha Blackburn. Those signing the letter include Brad Paisley, Kix Brooks, Dustin Lynch, Jamey Johnson, Chris Janson, John Esposito (CEO of Warner Music Nashville), the famous songwriters behind almost every hit in country music Luke Laird, Craig Wiseman, busbee, Chris DeStefano, Corey Crowder, Ross Copperman, Kelley Lovelace, etc.” The letter http://bit.ly/2zgS1rS

BONUS GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman:

— “The war against Pope Francis,” by Andrew Brown in The Guardian: “His modesty and humility have made him a popular figure around the world. But inside the church, his reforms have infuriated conservatives and sparked a revolt.” http://bit.ly/2h3NHSt

— “The Other Foucault,” by Bruce Robbins in the Nation: “What led the French theorist of madness and sexuality to politics?” http://bit.ly/2zbWaLw

— “Western philosophy is racist,” by Bryan W. Van Norden in Aeon Magazine: “Academic philosophy in ‘the West’ ignores and disdains the thought traditions of China, India and Africa. This must change.” http://bit.ly/2lNlcgJ

— “Philadelphia’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” by Charles F. McElwee III in the American Conservative: “At the same time as the Parkway is struggling, Philadelphia is also experiencing a renaissance. Over the past decade, the city witnessed a boom in commercial and residential development, game-changing investments made by universities, and gentrifying neighborhoods that had recently suffered from crime and blight. The Fairmount neighborhood, near the Art Museum, has turned into a thriving residential quarter and a popular nightlife destination.” http://bit.ly/2A7ns4S

— “How to Replace a Ghost,” by Alan Massey in Longreads: “En route to a wedding, Alana Massey is haunted by the ghosts of relationships past.” http://bit.ly/2zdzpa5

— “Here’s Why Vaccines Are So Crucial,” by Cynthia Gorney in the Nov. issue of NatGeo: “If children in poor countries got the shots that rich countries take for granted, hundreds of thousands of young lives could be saved.” http://on.natgeo.com/2zbsvo1

— “The Sins of Leon Wieseltier,” by Joseph Epstein in the Weekly Standard: “The climb and fall.” http://tws.io/2zead3j

— “The Dialysis Machine,” by Anne Kim in the Nov./Dec. issue of Washington Monthly: “How Medicare steers low-income and minority kidney patients toward the hell of dialysis—and keeps two big companies rolling in profits.” http://bit.ly/2zhcyMF

— “Decriminalization: A Love Story,” by Susana Ferreira in the Common: “Portugal’s remarkable recovery, and the fact that it has held steady through several changes in government—including conservative leaders who would have rather ushered in a return of the War on Drugs—could not have happened without an enormous cultural shift and collective change of heart around how the country viewed drugs, addiction, and itself.” http://bit.ly/2zgAy2F

— “What Killed the Democratic Party?” by William Greider on the cover of the Nation: “A new report offers a bracing autopsy of the 2016 election—and lays out a plan for revitalization.” http://bit.ly/2h6CrEU … The cover http://politi.co/2zkvjyP

— “How Much is Too Much to Save a Dying Cat?” by s.e. smith in Longreads: “A series of losses prompts s.e. smith to wonder why, if it’s inevitable, we tend to view death as failure.” http://bit.ly/2zaKE31

— “The True, Twisted Story of Amityville Horror,” by Michelle Dean in Topic: “There were haunted houses before Amityville, of course, but no one place has made as deep an impression on American pop culture in the past half century or so as the notorious Long Island home, the site of a terrible murder and then the basis of scores of books and movies.” http://bit.ly/2xZU7bN (h/t Longform.org)

— “The Russian Spies Who Fooled Seattle,” by James Ross Gardner in Seattle Met: “Before hackers tried to sway the 2016 election or word spread that our new president might be compromised, a peculiar couple resided on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Have we really taken stock of the spies who lived among us?” http://bit.ly/2j0CxC9

— “General David Petraeus: How The Best Leaders Inspire And Confront Failure” – Q&A by Zack Friedman in Forbes: http://bit.ly/2lNCLgH … Bloomberg Businessweek Q&A https://bloom.bg/2hbUGw6

— “Inside Trump’s Cruel Campaign Against the U.S.D.A.’s Scientists,” by Michael Lewis in the Nov. issue of Vanity Fair: “The folks at the Department of Agriculture laid on a friendly welcome for the Trump transition team, but they soon discovered that most of his appointees were stunningly unqualified. With key U.S.D.A. programs—from food stamps to meat inspection, to grants and loans for rural development, to school lunches—under siege, the agency’s greatest problem is that even the people it helps most don’t know what it does.” With a shout-out to Politico’s Jenny Hopkinson http://bit.ly/2iZ5azs

— “Weaken From Within,” by Hannes Grassegger and Mikael Krogerus on the cover of TNR: “Moscow has been honing an information age art of war—through fake news, disinformation, leaks, and trolling—for more than a decade. How can free societies protect themselves?” http://bit.ly/2ytaphS

DANIEL MITROVICH, author of a new book “Forever at the Finish Line,” with a foreword by former President Bill Clinton, tells the story of getting a life-size statue of New York Marathon founder Fred Lebow in Central Park. It would end up taking an army of politicos, including former President George H.W. Bush, VP Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Sens. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.) and Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and 13 members of Congress. Mitrovich is running the Marathon today. Good luck to him and all the runners! $13.68 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2Ak54Xz

OUT AND ABOUT — Betsy Fischer Martin and Jonathan Martin, Hilary Rosen and Megan Murphy, Kelley and Brian McCormick, former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) and Jeremy and Robyn Bash hosted a surprise birthday party last night for Tammy Haddad at Jose Andres’ restaurant FISH at the MGM National Harbor. 13 courses were served. Guests wore black and white wigs to surprise Tammy and the evening concluded with Jeremy Bash leading the crowd with his guitar singing “Country Road,” “Sweet Tammy” (a version of “Sweet Caroline”), and “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” JMart and others also took the mic to sing. PICS — Jeremy on the guitar and JMart, Patrick Steel and Lee Satterfield, Hilary Rosen, Heather Podesta and Tammy all singing http://bit.ly/2zg93UO … JMart with the mic http://bit.ly/2AlgpGv … Tammy about to blow out her cake http://bit.ly/2j2AhtS

SPOTTED: Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Capricia and Rob Marshall, Carol Melton, Dan Meyers, Heather Podesta and Steve Kessler, Jim Popkin, Kevin Cirilli, Lee Satterfield and Patrick Steel, Marc Adelman, Polson Kanneth, Robin Goldman, Niki Christoff, Mike Allen, Ryan Williams, Kellie Meyer, Alice Lloyd, Jacqui and Keith Bloom, Kevin Letek.

SPOTTED at Taylor Lorenz’s going-away party at Satellite Room last night to toast her move to SF as the Daily Beast’s new tech reporter: Nikki Schwab, Neil Grace, Betsy Woodruff and Jonathan Swan, Sara Pearl Kenigsberg, Greg Overzat, Keturah Hetrick and Patrick Tucker, Asawin Suebsaeng, Lachlan Markay.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS — “David Chalian, Justin Bernstine” — N.Y. Times: “Mr. Chalian, 44, is a vice president of CNN in Washington, where he serves as political director, overseeing all the political coverage across all of CNN’s platforms. He graduated from Northwestern. … Dr. Bernstine, 39, is the assistant dean for undergraduate academic services in the School of Communication at American University in Washington. He graduated from Brown and received a doctoral in higher education administration from George Washington University. … The couple met online in October 2013.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2zzb1mi

— Sarah Kaplan and Joe Feinmann were married Saturday at sunset at Houston’s McGovern Centennial Gardens. Kaplan, who is from Houston, is staff director for the House Democratic Caucus’s Future Forum. Feinmann, from Scotland, works for PricewaterhouseCoopers. The traditional Jewish nuptials were officiated by Rabbi Steve Gross under a Chuppah made of the bride’s mother’s wedding gown and witnessed by family and friends. Pic http://bit.ly/2yxD6dD SPOTTED: Reps. Gene Green (D-Texas) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.); and Danielle Aviles Krueger, Cait McNamee, and Carly Reed.

— “Katey McCutcheon, Ryan Black” — Times: “The couple met at West Virginia University, from which they graduated. Mrs. Black, 25, is a deputy press secretary in Washington for Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia. … Mr. Black, 26, is a deputy sheriff at the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2zeBC7r

— Zach Butterworth, former legislative director to former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) who now works for New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, married Ariel Roland, Saturday night in St. Francisville, Louisiana. SPOTTED: Mary Landrieu, Mitch Landrieu and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.).

BIRTHDAYS: John Harwood … NBC News D.C. bureau chief Ken Strickland … Valerie Biden Owens, E.V.P. at Joe Slade White and Co. … Politico’s Katy O’Donnell, who was surprised on Friday night with Neapolitan pizza, close friends and family (hat tip: Alyson Chwatek) … Nolan McCaskill … Benjamin Wittes, senior fellow at Brookings and editor-in-chief of Lawfare blog … Jason Calabretta, associate producer at “NBC Nightly News” … Autumn VandeHei (h/ts Jim VandeHei and Lisa Barclay) … Moira Whelan, partner at BlueDot Strategies (h/t Ben Chang) … Casey Smith, deputy director of the office of protocol and special events at USAID … HFA alum Heather Stone … Steve Pfister … Annie Kelly Kuhle, SVP at FP1 Strategies and Jeb alum (h/t Ryan Williams) … Stephen Rubright … WaPo senior correspondent Kevin Sullivan … New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is 43 (h/t Ed Cash) … Tom Guthrie … Lori Sanders … Richard Parker … Trudy Vincent (h/t Jon Haber) … Keith Castaldo, general counsel to Sen. Gillibrand …

… Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) is 75 … Camille von Kaenel … Jeremy Ravinsky … Curtis Skinner … Austin Butler … Zack Marshall … Kristin Bodenstedt … John Procter, EVP at Signal Group, is 38 (h/t Eric Bovim) … former Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) … former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) … Corey Jones … Steve Caldeira … Chris Mewett … Susan Arbetter … Ryan Mewett … Malik Haughton … Ted Kulongoski … Joseph Perman … Kate Throneburg … Meryl Holt of the NYC Law Department … Jessica Harris … Ben Polk … Kim Griffin … Sheri Sweitzer … Jackie Boynton … Rick Leach … Karen Mulhauser … Janice Griffin … Craig Kirby … Evie deFrees (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

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danielamartine-blog · 7 years

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Mastery Journal . . . Month 12

1) I will reflect individually on each course over the past 12 months for my last official Mastery Journal Entry using the following prompts:

How has each course contributed to your personal and professional development as an instructional designer?

Describe your most outstanding personal triumph in each course.

First and foremost, my most outstanding personal triumph for each course was somehow managing to successfully complete every course on time while teaching. Teachers, specifically high school teachers—have a grueling schedule, which starts before sunrise and often ends well after the sunset. I can’t remember ever being so tired before in my life, nor having consumed so many energy boosting products. As I prepare to walk across the stage next week wearing my cap and gown, I know the late nights and lack of sleep were totally worth it.

Also, while reflecting on the past year, I realized how much I enjoy learning new things, reaffirming my decision to pursue a degree in instructional design. Each course provided me an opportunity to research and present information on various concepts. Most of this knowledge has stuck with me. For example, we were required to create a video presentation discussing alternative energy vehicles for Corporate Training and Motivational Development. On my daily commute, I encounter several Smart cars. Every time I am stuck behind one of these vehicles, I think to myself, I know that car can go faster. I wish the drivers knew that too.

Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership

This course not only set the ball rolling but more importantly, set the foundation for the months that followed. Reading and reflecting on Greene’s writings in Mastery as well as exploring Duckworth’s concept of Grit and Pausch’s Last Lecture allowed me to identify and articulate what I wanted to take from this program and how it will help shape my professional and personal growth as I make the shift from instructor to instructional designer.

Strategies for Learner Engagement

I am pretty sure this course was designed to be a trial by fire or at least that is how it seemed. I started this program with very little experience and/or knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite or any other design software. However, this was not the case for long. I was amazed at how quickly I learned the tools and was able to deliver a product I was proud of. While striving to meet project requirements, I still found ways to add personality—not just my personality—but a personality for the soldiers showcased on the infographic. Instructional assets with personality are more interesting and therefore more engaging. Learners can connect with content—in this case, the soldiers’ stories—on a deeper, more authentic level.

Visual and Verbal Communication

The biggest takeaway from this course has to be the knowledge I gained regarding design elements and principles. Not only did I learn why things like balance, hierarchy, and unity are important, but I also picked up several tips and tricks that help text and images pop. Furthermore, I began developing a deeper understanding about cognitive load.

An equally important takeaway, contributing to my professional development as an instructional designer is understanding the art of giving and receiving feedback. Feedback is an essential part of the design process. It allows the creator to view his or her work through a fresh set of eyes. The goal of instructional design is learning. If someone sees something that may hinder learning, then I want to know. We should always strive to create instructional media assets that maximize learning outcomes.

Corporate Training and Motivational Development

Looking back on this course, one of the most important things I gained from this experience is an understanding the importance of delivering a quality presentation. Like everything in design, poor quality distracts from the intended message. The goal of instructional design is to help people learn. When learners are distracted, learning is compromised. This includes shoddy audio and inadequate lighting as well as poor presentation skills. The experience of evaluating and reflecting on examples of both good and bad presentations has sharpened my metacognitive practices. To this day, I catch myself making a faux pas in front of my students such as sticking my hand in my pocket while discussing critical content. I not only self-correct—but I also restate content in case my body language undermined my delivery.

Instructional Design and Evaluation

This course marks a turning point in my personal development as an instructional designer. This was the first course, during which I was able to acknowledge my confidence with graphic design and design tools. Developing and understanding of adult learning theories are critical to my professional development as an instructional designer. I think the biggest takeaway from this course is seeing the enormous complexity of instructional design and K-12 technology integration. This complexity is not surprising, though given the number of stakeholders in education such as state and federal governments in addition to corporations. Sadly, the most important stakeholders in education—student, parents, and teachers—are the ones drowning in all of the mess.

Digital Media and Learning Applications

The most significant contribution to my personal development were tough lessons on humility and perseverance. Another significant contribution to my personal development as an instructional designer was learning what I don’t see myself doing ten years down the road. I value the opportunity for having had the experience to learn what goes into creating web-based Java applications using jQuery and other stuff. At the same time, I value learning that this is not for me. Creating animated media assets using outdated and unsupported software was oftentimes frustrating. On the bright side, the frustration fueled my desire to explore other available options. I became excited when I learned about how easy it is to integrate animation using programs like Articulate and look forward to working with this program in the future.

Music and Audio for Instructional Design

I discovered I really enjoy creating and editing audio for instructional purposes. Of course, I enjoyed researching content. I also had a blast writing and editing script. I even liked searching through hundreds of files searching for the perfect audio clip or sound effect. Furthermore, I appreciate the opportunity to work alongside my knowledgeable and experienced peers. The feedback and expertise I received from my cohort regarding audio editing advice and additional resources proved to be of great value. Their insight and expertise helped grow skills and therefore my confidence.

Filmmaking Principles for Instructional Design

I have to admit to a guilty pleasure—ravenously binge watching cooking shows. Then I had the opportunity to create a video tutorial on how to make cornbread. I could see the final cut in my mind’s eye. Picture an overhead shot of steamy hot golden goodness. I created a storyboard outlining scenes, timing, camera, lighting angles—the whole nine yards. Then it was time to shoot the video in my kitchen, which turns out to be the exact same width as the tripod base. Also, the tripod is a too short as well as too long to capture the overhead angles I originally wanted. The filmmaking project taught me adaptability. I had to adapt to my surroundings. To create an engaging video, I used several cameras to capture different angles, cut the clips together, and ultimately made a video a person could watch and learn from.

Game Strategies and Motivation

As an educator, who is an avid gamer, I really looked forward to this course. I have attempted to gamify my classrooms in the past, albeit unsuccessfully. Gamification is much more than XP, badges, and loot. Gamification, when applied properly, is an excellent motivational tool that doesn’t just actively engage learners—it can help learners develop a sense of flow. The game(s) I developed for this course support my beliefs as an educator. I want to fill the world with authentic, real-world, multidisciplinary project-based collaborative learning activities. Given today’s learner, these activities have to be fun, engaging, and easy to execute as well as available in multiple formats on multiple platforms in multiple languages.

Media Asset Creation Creating the media asset bundle to highlight the culmination of skills, knowledge, and experience gained throughout the program, was demanding. The opportunity, however, allowed me to better appreciate and value teamwork and collaboration—things I will look for in potential employers. The biggest takeaway from this course was writing the Training Needs Analysis. I found myself often referring to this document as I designed each asset, which helped me stay on track by focusing on the target learning goals. In addition, I approached the science coach, explained the project, and asked her what she needed for her classrooms. I found a subject matter expert, who provided content resources as well as suggestions and instructional strategy ideas.

2) How well were you able to utilize the concepts and techniques you learned from the program (theories, systems design, interface styling, and the creation of multimedia content) as you designed, developed, and implemented your Final Project?

This past month I sat back and took a thorough look at and reflected on past coursework. As I designed, developed, and implemented the final project, I found some projects I had almost forgotten about and some projects I wish I could forget about. I carefully selected projects to display in my portfolio that showcase my ability to create instructional materials that are—not only interesting and engaging—but also well-designed. Most importantly, this past month allowed me to sit back and reflect on myself as an instructional designer. I began honestly asking myself questions like What is my niche? How do I see myself applying these skills on the job? What job do I even want? Where do I want to be—not just metaphorically—but literally? I will approach the answers to these questions similarly to developing instruction in bite-size, easily digestible pieces that reduce cognitive overload. I know I will walk across that stage in cap and gown, I will finish out the school year at LHS, and I will take a much-needed vacation—road trip around the country Eat, Pray, Love style.

#mastery #mastery journal #omgimdone

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thechasefiles · 5 years

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/12/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Saturday 12thJanuary 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Saturday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS).

SAVINGS TAP – Prime Minister Mia Mottley wants less talk and more action to press the over $9 billion held in the banking system to work to help dig the island out of its economic doldrums. In fact, Mottley said the time for talk was over and it was now time for action, pointing out that if there was ever a time for the country to have “entities that could be appropriate financial intermediaries” it is now. Speaking late this evening at the unveiling ceremony and cocktail reception of the Enterprise Growth Fund Ltd (EGFL) at Monteith Gardens, Barbarees Hill the island’s first female Prime Minister noted that too often residents have lamented the fact that they were getting less than favourable returns on their savings in commercial banks. With Barbados a few months into an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, she believes the over $9 billion in savings piling up in the banking system should be “appropriately used” in order to help the country grow its way out of its economic hole. She insisted that Barbados’ growth should not only depend on direct foreign investment given the liquidity in the system. “This is a difficult pill for us to swallow and we have come to the conclusion as a government that we have simply to do better as a region and a country in being able to mobilize our savings to the productive purposes of growth in our country and in our region,” Mottley told the gathering at the ceremony where a plaque was unveiled in celebration of the organization’s 21st anniversary. The prime minister did not give details of the plan she had in mind to unlock the savings in the banking system, but said it was about time that mechanisms were put in place “to bring a level of financial literacy” throughout the society and “close the circle of economic enfranchisement”. At the same time, Mottley said regionally the situation was similar, pointing out that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) had US$47 billion in savings. She said with that kind of money “we are in a far better position to be able to finance our development, but we are simply not acting with the strategic purpose that we ought to be acting”. In fact, Mottley said the region was allowing a “scattershot approach to diffuse the benefits that can otherwise accrue to us of that level of accumulated savings”. She said she was hoping Friday would be the last time such a message was delivered against a background of a “failing by our region to be able to put forward an adequate plan” that would allow CARICOM to accomplish the development it needed. She said for Caribbean countries to better facilitate greater returns on capital to their citizens and afford producers and businesses cheaper cost of capital to grow, there must be better mechanisms put in place. Equally, she said, there was need for “appropriate levels of financial literacy” among the region’s population. “It cannot be that we continue to labour under myths that have come to characterize our population, rather than confronting the stark reality of our circumstances,” said Mottley, while urging Barbadians to see the rest of the region as their place to do business. Adding that Barbados had the capacity to make a difference through tourism, renewable energy and information and communication technology, Mottley said “the choice is now ours to stop talking and to do”. Chairman of the EGFL Condé Riley said his organization was an example of corporate governance, as he pointed to the growth of the fund over the past two decades and constant production of on time, audited financial statements. “The performance of this company has been underpinned by sound corporate governance. We all know that a sound corporate governance framework is the bedrock of any successful enterprise. The EGFL is no exception . . . This institution is therefore now an example of what we really want to replicate if we are to build the kind of Barbados of which we can be proud,” he said, acknowledging that “like any other financial institution, we have had our challenges” over the years. He pledged the institution’s continued support to help develop small and medium enterprises across a range of sectors and to support the restructuring and transformation of the Barbados economy. “I look forward to working with this institution to assist with the challenge of resuscitating this island we call home and I hope with the assistance of my board we can leave an indelible footprint in keeping with the national strategic goal,” he said. (BT)

FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION CAUTIONS AGAINST INVESTMENT SCAMS - Amid reports that members of the public are being invited to invest in a trading platform under an entity referred to as The Bitcoin Wealth, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) is again warning Barbadians to be on their guard against financial scams. In an article recently posted on what appears to be a fake news site, a claim was made that Barbados’ Ministry of Finance had invested sums of money in the acquisition of a bitcoin startup company. The article stated that Barbados had finalised a $500 million deal with the entity. Other articles with similar claims have allegedly also been made regarding other countries, and warnings have been issued via electronic media signifying that the purported platform and offer by this entity is a scam. FSC’s CEO, Kester Guy, has consequently advised the public to exercise extreme caution when considering investment decisions in any type of offering. “We are aware that these type of scams will continue to surface from time to time and that with crypto currency still being a novel concept to many people, there is a lot of room for misinformation, misunderstanding and misguidance. As a regulator, we want to protect the public from that, as far as we are able to,” he said. Guy explained that there are legitimate investment opportunities out there, and advised that people should, at the very least, do a basic search to see if and where the company is registered to do business. “Of course people want to find opportunities that offer them the best returns on their investments, but we need them to be prudent and exercise good judgment,” he warned. He further advised that the public should not solely rely on information provided by the company encouraging investment, but should consider these four common warnings of investor scam – is it promising you high returns and low risk; did you get a hot tip or insider information; are they pressing you to buy/act now; is the seller registered to sell investments? “What we are stressing to the public, beyond and above all information presented to you, packaged in whatever form, is to check before you invest,” said the chief regulator. (SS)

FORMER WORKERS SINGING THE BLUES – A representative from a local worker’s union is charging that persons who have worked for a decade in the public sector and were retrenched as a part of the BERT Programme have not received any financial settlement. Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers Wayne Walrond said that the way in which workers who have completed a decade in the public service were being treated, was a blatant act of discrimination by Government. “ If they are saying that these persons working for ten years are not eligible for benefits then it is an act of discrimination. If you have a set of workers that you know are not eligible for termination pay then it is discrimination to send them home knowing full well that you are sending them home without any benefits,” Walrond said, adding that the disenfranchised workers were at their wits’ end. “Right now you have persons in the NUPW for example with ten years and over who are being threatened by debt collectors, people are at their wits’ end and they do not even have money to get by for a few months,” he said. Walrond told Barbados TODAY that he did not believe it was the intention of Government to send home persons without their appropriate benefits. Therefore, the union believes that persons with ten years in the public service should not have been sent home and should have received the same benefits as appointed public servants. In fact, Walrond believes that if Government knew persons with ten years in the public service would have left empty-handed then they should not have been sent home. “ [They received] no kind of money and they are at their wits’ end. I am saying that if government realizes that there is a technical issue in the law about releasing pension and gratuity before 60 [years-old]. If they know these persons will be affected by that they ought not to have sent them home.[ They should] have ensured that they made some sort of arrangement that they can still get some form of compensation. They cannot have these workers out there waiting. The treasury is not going to touch it unless the pension legislation supports it,” he said, The Acting General Secretary of the NUPW said that the workers desperately needed to be compensated because workers who worked in the public service for two to nine years had received their compensation while these workers with over ten years had not “received a cent and this is a serious issue that needs to be corrected,” he told Barbados TODAY. (BT)

TAKE BP TABLETS UNTIL – A medical practitioner is urging patients suffering from high blood pressure to continue taking their Valsartan and Indapamide until they can get them exchanged at pharmacies. The advice comes from Dr Adrian Lorde days after the Ministry of Health and Wellness announced it was recalling Indapamide 1.5mg and Valsartan 160mg and 320mg, manufactured by Ciron Drugs and Pharmaceuticals PVT Ltd, from local shelves. Valsartan and Indapamide, issued by the Barbados Drug Formulary, were recalled after tests found they did not easily dissolve in the stomach. Last month, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled Valsartan, Amlodipine-Valsartan and Valsartan hydrochlorothiazide tablets on December 31, after the FDA discovered that medication contained an impurity believed to be carcinogenic. But Lorde said the timing of both recalls was coincidental and had nothing to do with each other. He said it was the local/regional testing body that discovered that the Valsartan available here was not dissolving as it should. The Valsartan recalled in the United States was not available in Barbados. (SS)

STUDINESS OF TANKS QUERIED – Amidst claims from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) that two of its new 1 000-gallon water storage tanks might have collapsed as a result of “vandalism”, a 2015 report is suggesting the contrary. In the report dated October 26, 2015, then mechanical engineering engineer at the BWA, Edmund Brathwaite questioned the sturdiness of the 1 000-gallon tanks after a similar occurrence at Boscobel, St Peter. Brathwaite wrote: “The integrity and sustainability of these 1 000-gallon tanks will have to be inspected more carefully when delivered from the manufacturer for any similar faults, this is to minimise any occurrence of the Boscobel, St Peter, incident and avoid any safety issues that would cause problems for the residents accessing these community tanks.” Although efforts to reach Brathwaite, no longer with the BWA, proved futile, Hector Marshall, who worked then as the BWA’s distribution engineer, and according to the report informed Brathwaite of the ruptured tank, confirmed the incident. (SS)

EASY PASSAGE – Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde says she will sleep well tonight after watching a blocked road in her constituency become passable again. This morning, Forde was on hand as a group of concerned residents, using a bobcat and shovels, removed a pile of marl that had been placed there by an unknown person, to block the Vaucluse, St Thomas road. Some of the marl was used to fill potholes on that same road while private vehicles took the majority away. Barbados TODAYwas informed by a source, that an application has been made to have the same road converted to a private road. According to Forde who complained about the blocked road in Barbados TODAY’s January 7 edition, the move by the residents is a breath of fresh air, and a stern warning to whoever was responsible for blocking the public road that “you cannot just do what you please”. She commended what she described as a high level of community-minded people who assisted. “There is always somebody to answer to. I am happy to see what has happened here today. I am thankful to have this travesty removed, and I pray that it would never happen again. “Despite our colour, our class, or creed, our persuasion politically, religiously or otherwise, we are all Barbadians and we must have free access to what our forefathers worked for. This public road has been cleared and I am hoping that it is not blocked again,” the MP told Barbados TODAY. “I am grateful for the opportunity to see how a stumbling block has been turned into a stepping stone this morning. So that the rest of Barbados who are transacting their business in St Thomas, going on to St Andrew, St Joseph and St James, can pass on this road and have a safe passage because it has now been opened again after somebody, or somebodies put a load of marl here to block access. I pray that those who have done it would learn a little more common sense in the future,” Forde said. She explained that in order for a public road to be made private, an application must be sent to Cabinet to be approved and discussed in Parliament. “We in Barbados are a cohesive people and we don’t really want any more private roads. Every road should be made accessible to anyone because at the end of the day we are all Barbadians and we are serving Barbadians,” Forde said. Businessman David Spieler, whose Earthworks Pottery is located close to the road, was among the residents who led the effort. He said after reading the article about the blocked road in Barbados TODAY, residents decided to open up the road, and is now hoping that there would not be another effort to block it. “St Thomas is a community where everybody helps one another. It is a loving community, and we hope that everybody would continue to come together to uphold everything that is good,” Spieler said. Managing director of Eastern Land Development Ltd, Michael Cozier, who owns the land on both sides of the road, told Barbados TODAY earlier this week that he did not know how the road got blocked. (BT)

HAITIAN GOVERNMENT MUST DO ITS PART – Pan Africanist and attorney-at-law Robert Bobby Clarke believes it is the responsibility of the Haitian government to inform its people that they cannot run to Barbados looking for work. In light of a group of Haitians stranded in Barbados after failing to find work here though they paid large sums of money to an agency in Haiti that promised them that they would, Clarke said the developing situation needs to be arrested as soon as possible. “I don’t know who from the Haitian side would have done that, but it doesn’t appear to me that the Haitian government is responsible. It appears to be a group of smart people that are trying to make money off of people,” Clarke told Barbados TODAY. Since August last year, the visa requirement for Haitians coming to Barbados has been lifted. This development has resulted in an increase of Haitians coming to the island, in search of work, some of them admitting that they paid thousands of dollars to an alleged agency that promised them work and accommodation in Barbados. However, recently, a group of 15 young men between the ages of 21 and 36, who were evicted from a rental home in Brittons Hill, realized that they had been tricked. The members of that same group who are now staying at the Salvation Army’s Reed Street Hostel are appealing to Barbadians and their fellow countrymen, to help them purchase tickets to return home, as they have run out of the cash with which they arrived on the island. According to Clarke, measures should be put in place to ensure that this situation does not reoccur. The Pan Africanist said that the Haitian government needs to clearly explain to its people that they cannot just come to Barbados and work, and that they need to go through the right channels if that is their intention. “We have to find a way to help the Haitian government, but the biggest problem is that we have to explain to the Haitian people the CARICOM position. They just can’t come and expect to get a job. But we have to be careful it doesn’t put us in the same very category of the United States government against the Haitian people. “When the United States government allowed people from Santo Domingo Dominican Republic to come in freely, if the Haitians arrived they send them right back. “It is a position that the American government has taken and we in the Caribbean seem to be following that. The exception to that is Dominica. “But we got to try and help the Haitians. Apart from the history of being the first black republic, they have gone through a lot of unfairness in that 200 years,” Clarke said. Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM, David Comissiong has shared a document with this newspaper, which has been sent to the Haitian government, informing the people of that nation that they are not entitled to work in Barbados, and also outlining the terms on which they may visit the island. The press advisory, dated August 15, written in French, Creole and English, explained that it is important that there be a general understanding, not only in Haiti but all across the Caribbean that while no CARICOM national needs a visa to travel to Barbados, that it is necessary when visiting Barbados that the traveller be in possession of sufficient financial resources to adequately maintain himself or herself without becoming a charge on public funds. (BT)

BACK TO BASICS – Two of the island’s well-respected anti-crime and security professionals are blaming a breakdown in social structures and a lack of attention to community policing for the ongoing wave of violence in Barbados. And they are strongly recommending an urgent return to full-fledged community policing as one of the main solutions. The suggestions were echoed this afternoon in separate interviews with former Commissioner of Police Orville Durant and Oral Reid, chairman of the Caribbean Association of Security Professionals (CASP) and a retired senior police officer. Durant, a certified criminologist and attorney-at-law, attributed a major part of the crime problem to the Royal Barbados Police Force’s (RBPF) inability to gather “good” intelligence from the community. The outspoken former top cop claimed that the anti-crime programmes which he had established to prevent crime have since been scrapped. “I dealt with it [crime] when I was commissioner. You wait ‘till the horse gets out and now going to deal with it? You got to deal with it before. I assisted in developing a solid anti-crime platform . . . you will still get problems, but all areas through the public relations programme and so on that we had, were designed to prevent crime,” Durant told Barbados TODAY. The retired commissioner contended that one of the reasons the force was now confronted with the wave of gun violence and other crimes was because the strategies established under his leadership have been “killed”. “You move the police out of the districts. You stop all of the programmes . . . literally all stopped. You just ignored them. But now you got back the problem, how do you deal with them? You can’t keep dealing with problems when they flare up. You’ve got to do a lot more work when things are quiet and you make sure you prevent this kind of development,” he suggested. Durant said when he was leading the force he anticipated a spike in crime and therefore started a series of programmes to try to stave it off. “If you move the police from the communities, where are you going to get information from? And our problem right now is information. If somebody see somebody stab somebody or shoot somebody and he ran and they know where he had a row with somebody, that is easy . . . ‑that ain’t want no lot of big investigation,” he argued. Regarding to border security and the influx of guns coming into the country through what current Commissioner Tyrone Griffith said were legitimate ports of entry, Durant was matter-of-fact in his comments, noting that this is a known fact. “You have to have real intelligence gathering and the force had moved to an intelligence-gathering situation,” he recalled. For Oral Reid, who is also chairman of Crime Stoppers Barbados, the troubling developments in crime can be attributed to a breakdown in societal structures including community policing. “What we are seeing is a manifestation of a lack of structure in our society. It is symptomatic of a deterioration of societal structures. From a policing perspective, I believe that it is important for us to return to aspects of community policing, in order to be able to address some of the issues that are manifesting themselves at this point in time, Reid told Barbados TODAY. He also thinks there should be leadership within the community to fill those gaps that exist between people experiencing financial difficulties and groups of youths who need to be mentored and supported as they transition from teens to adults. “I don’t think this is a job for the police alone, but something that requires careful consideration and consultation with other social service agencies to meet this situation head-on and to address it,” the chairman of the Caribbean Association of Security Professionals said. Reid was quick to point out though, that this is not a problem peculiar to this period, but one that continues to recur. “And it is simply because we as a society have not sought to put in place, structures to really address the problems that will manifest themselves, especially at times of serious financial challenges, similar to what is happening now in our country,” the retired law enforcer added. Regarding the issue of guns entering the country, Reid conceded that it was a mammoth undertaking for authorities to plug all possible points along the country’s borders. The top security official suggested some measures that could help. “We have to be more rigorous in the application of policies and procedures to ensure that persons who are placed in the capacity to function in these border security areas are given the latitude and the equipment to function effectively.” (BT)

FATAL SHOOTING IN PINELANDS – A man was fatally shot while outside a house in Pinelands, St Michael this evening. Police said Ronald Rudder was sitting alone outside the residence at Ridgeway, Pinelands, St Michael when gunshots rang out about 5:15 p.m. causing others who were socialising in the area to flee. They returned to find Rudder lying in the road and when he was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by private transportation he succumbed to his injuries. Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS or District “A” Police Station at 430-7295 or 430-7270. (SS)

MOTHER OF 4 WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO KNOW FATE– A mother of four will have to wait 28 days to find out if she will be accepted into the rehabilitation programme at Verdun House again. Lisa Amor St John, 44, of Belfield Land, Roebuck Street, The City, had been remanded to the Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation, to determine if she was a suitable candidate to undergo treatment at the St John institution. However, it was reported that when she arrived at Verdun House, she was uncooperative and refused to answer questions. As a result, she was kicked out of the programme and told she could reapply in 30 days. When she reappeared before Magistrate Douglas Frederick in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court today, he remanded her to HMP Dodds until February 8, after he said he felt if he released her she would get caught up in the drug habit once more. St John had previously pleaded guilty to having a coke pipe and cocaine on December 20, after police who were on duty in Greenfield, The City, searched the woman and found a cylindrical bottle containing a white residue and a folded napkin, with a white crystalline substance in her right hand, which she told officers she was “now going to hit”. She had told the magistrate she had been using the drug for the last two years after being introduced by her ex-boyfriend. She had added she had been no use to her children for the past year, and needed help to get her life back together. (SS)

WIFE DROPS CHARGES AGAINST HUSBAND – She initially lodged a charge against her common-law husband for assault, but after conversing with some other women in the District “A” courtyard, a Guyanese woman decided to drop the matter against him. Guyanese Heimchand Dhanpat, 40, of No. 64 Lukes Avenue, Bayville, St Michael, denied assaulting Sarone Gilkes, occasioning her actual bodily harm on January 11. Prosecutor Station Sergeant Carrison Henry told Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson even though the prosecution would not want to object to bail, there were some concerns. “There is some concern about his status in the country. He is also allegedly charged for assaulting his common-law wife and the question of where he will stay has arisen,” he said. When called upon, attorney Samuel LeGay, who represented the maintenance technician, said he was waiting on Immigration to regularise his stay as with many other cases. An immigration officer told the court, Dhanpat had made an application for immigrant status since 2013, but the application was still being processed. “I perused his file this morning and there is nothing there basically. I cannot say specifically if it will be approved or not. In the past there were some challenges with Mr Dhanpat and some investigations were still going on, but there is nothing that should stop the application from happening,” he said. LeGay then added the issue of where his client would reside was invalid as he was moving out of the premises shared with Gilkes later that day. After the matter was stood down for Dhanpat to secure his surety, LeGay told the court Gilkes wanted to address the court. Gilkes told Acting Magistrate Jackson that she wanted to drop the case against Dhanpat. “I have a six-year-old daughter for him and she need she father,” she said. The matter was dismissed. (SS)

PYBUS ISSUE ‘PART OF A LARGER PROBLEM’ – Former Barbados, Nottinghamshire and Tasmania all-rounder Franklyn Stephenson says the handling of Richard Pybus’ appointment is just a microcosm of the problems facing West Indies cricket. Stephenson told THE NATION that cricket in Barbados and the region was in the doldrums and cried out for an infusion of ideas. “We don’t understand our tourism, our sport, our youth. This country is in crisis and sport can show you that because it is the heart of the people. “This Pybus issue is a trifling nonsense. Who is Pybus to come here to run our cricket and help us in any way?” he said. Just a few days ago, Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB) president Enoch Lewis called for Pybus’ appointment as interim West Indies men’s head coach to be rescinded, after accusing Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron of “hand-picking” the Englishman and ignoring the best practices of “transparency, fairness and due process”. (SS)

HOLDER SOON AT FULL FITNESS – Jason Holder is gradually returning to full fitness and ready to make a return to Test cricket. The West Indies captain, sidelined for the recent series against Bangladesh and one Test against India because of a shoulder injury, made a comeback to the competitive arena by playing for Barbados Pride against Guyana Jaguars in the regional four-day competition at Kensington Oval last weekend. Playing his first regional first-class match since 2014, Holder bowled 17 overs in Guyana’s mammoth first innings total of 548, scored 44 in Barbados’ response of 360 and expressed satisfaction with his outing ahead of the first Test between West Indies and England starting on January 23 at Kensington. “It was a good run out. I haven’t played cricket since I left India. Since then, I have been going through some rehab just trying to strengthen my shoulder. I had some time off and I am getting back into the cricket. It was a good account,” Holder said on Friday. (SS)

FANS EXPRESSED DISGUST WITH LONG WAIT – Frustrated! That was how avid cricket fans said they felt as they stood in line from as early as 8:30 a.m. today to purchase tickets for the highly anticipated West Indies/England series which starts on Wednesday, January 23. The frustrated members told Barbados TODAY they were waiting in line for over two hours and they believed that since Barbados was holding a West Indies versus England tour match that they would have more persons on staff to sell tickets. “I was here from 10: 30 and it should be a well-oiled machine but it definitely is not a well-oiled machine. This is an England tour, so they would know that there would be interest there and they would be a lot of persons out here. So, they should put things in place to ensure that the line moves at a good pace. Not everyone is fortunate like me that can come here and stand up a whole day in a line waiting to buy a ticket. Other persons may have taken time from work to come here. This is not good enough!” the man who wished to be unidentified said. When Barbados TODAY visited just after 11 a.m. members of the Royal Barbados Police Force were trying to manage the line which was getting out of control. Barbados TODAY attempted to speak to the cashiers but they declined to comment. However, another person standing in the line who also preferred anonymity said he believed the ticketing system should be taken from the management of Kensington Oval and given to private contractors. He was supported by another bystander who said that unlike some of the other persons he came and found his friends in the line and proceeded to the back of the line. “But as I stand here, I realize a lot of people come and shout them friends and remain in the line and some come from all different angles and stand up. Yes, I am an avid cricket fan and that is a hard question. I would like them to win but I cannot tell you that they can win,” he said. Another female cricket fan said she was frustrated with the length of time she was standing in the line and questioned if officials at Kensington Oval understood the volume of persons that would be coming to purchase their tickets on the first day of being made available to the public. Another elderly man who wished to be unidentified said that he was standing in line for tickets as early as 9:30 and was told that senior citizens would be given their complimentary tickets first. However at 1 p.m when Barbados TODAY was leaving the facility the gentlemen was still in the line. David Kingland who was one of the few persons to exit the facility after obtaining his ticket at 12: 30 p.m. Kingland who is from the UK said he arrived at Kensington Oval at 8: 30 a.m and was standing in the line for over three hours before he received his tickets. “I have been here since 8:30 this morning. They did not open the door until 9: 20 and then you were getting people jumping in the cue, moving along the line saying hello to people and then staying there. Other people were coming in, ex-policemen, an ex-Minister and they were [going straight] in. They were passing their identification cards to other people. They were people going in with five ID Cards. They had a big row in front of a policewoman. They should have been police on the outside and the area should have been cordoned off to maintain order,” he told Barbados TODAY, adding that after his long wait he was not able to obtain tickets for the One Day International which starts on January 21st, 2019. (BT)

SEATING WORRY – The 2019 schools’ track and field season started on Friday with concerns expressed over seating arrangements for fans at the National Stadium. Spectators attending the Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School’s inter-house championships were disappointed when they were forced to sit on the opposite side of the finish line. Concerned parents and family members told THE NATION they had become accustomed to and preferred the vantage point on the Randolph Field Velodrome in front of the stands on the western side of the facility because they were better able to see their children and cheer them on as they crossed the finish line. “We are only getting to see them as they pass by but we are all the way out here and they are finishing all on the other side. We aren’t happy at all about this,” relayed one parent who requested anonymity. (SS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 353 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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