On this Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Andrew preaches on what the 'new normal' of life in the Holy Spirit should be like.

Now that Pascha is over (or is it?), will we return to life as before, or will we allow the life of Christ to change our lives?

Opinion piece: submitted by SAP Concur For the past few months, most companies have focused their energy on how to adapt to a remote work environment and keep the business moving forward. But, what happens when shelter-in-place restrictions are eased...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, scores of colleges and universities in Puerto Rico had to close because of all the damage. Schools on the US mainland, from New York to Florida, wanted to do something to help. So they opened their doors and offered free or discounted tuition to those students from Puerto Rico whose home institutions were closed. One of the first students to take them up on that offer was Rosamari Palerm. She enrolled at St. Thomas University in Miami in late September 2017. But even after a comfortable year in Miami, Rosamari felt homesick and was ready to go back to Puerto Rico.

Also: A study from George Washington University reveals new death toll numbers from Hurricane Maria; A year after Hurricane Harvey, some families in Houston, Texas are still recovering; After Hurricane Maria swept through their hometown, a group of women started cooking meals together for people who didn’t have access to food.

(A man bicycles in an area without grid power or running water about two weeks after Hurricane Maria swept through the island. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A recent discussion hosted by the National Academies examined the extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent as the climate changes, and how the nation can better prepare for them.

The post Hybrid working is the ‘new normal’, according to ONS appeared first on Personnel Today.

At this year’s AHR Expo, Fujitsu presented the ways it can make the pandemic’s new way of living more comfortable.

During the pandemic, the foundations on which retailers, brands and Consumer Products companies rely to determine trade volumes, pricing and promotions have been shaken and, in some cases, broken.

Washington has a big problem to solve: Can it stop cyber mischief, trolls and disinformation from becoming as much a part of American elections as yard signs, straw hats and robocalls? National security officials warn that unless the United States takes strong steps to prevent or deter meddling, foreign nations — especially Russia — won't quit. "They're going to continue to do it," former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate subcommittee on Monday. "And why not? It proved successful." Moscow has sown chaos across the West, Clapper and others say, by injecting doubt into elections in the U.S. and Europe. The problem: The breadth and diversity of what makes up "interference" is also what makes it so difficult to combat — from hackers stealing and exposing embarrassing secrets to paid social media "trolls" to the creation of sensational or misleading stories camouflaged as news. "Anyone — not just Russians, anyone — can throw an idea against the Internet wall and

As the bizarre becomes ordinary, don't forget what's at stake for America's teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, writes Justin Minkel.

When we think of something “new”, we tend to picture something clean, shiny, or efficient. The new normal of fraud only checks one of those boxes, and unfortunately, that’s “efficient.” Today, scams and cyber attacks are persistent, and part of a larger ecosystem of phishing and hacking attacks by both [...]

The post The New Normal of Fraud appeared first on Government Data Connection.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that debt cannot become the “acceptable new normal” in climate financing, as he addressed the challenges faced by developing countries within the global climate finance framework.

His statement came during a Climate Finance Round Table Conference organised by Pakistan on the sidelines of the two-day World Leaders Climate Action Summit, also known as COP29, currently being held in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku.

“We stand at a crucial threshold where global climate finance framework must be redefined to effectively meet the needs of vulnerable nations,” PM Shehbaz said.

He explained that financing in the form of loans increases the debt of developing nations and pushes them towards “mounting debt traps” which he referred to as “death traps”.

He added, “Debt cannot become the acceptable new normal in climate financing which is why we must resume focus on non-debt financing solutions enabling countries to fund climate initiatives.”

“Despite years of promises and commitments, the gaps are growing, leading to aggregate barriers in achieving objectives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).”

PM Shehbaz called climate financing an “urgent need of the hour”, stating that developing countries need to deliver Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and “need an estimated $6.8 trillion by 2030 to implement less than half of their current NDCs.”

The prime minister further urged donor countries to “fulfil their commitment” which is 4.7 per cent of their gross national product (GNP) and capitalise on existing climate funds.

“One such commitment is a $100bn annual climate pledge established a decade ago at COP15 [which] is now reported by OECD to have reached only $160bn,” he said.

PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan can relate to the “agony and pain of other vulnerable countries”, highlighting how the country faced two devastating floods.

“In 2022, one-third of Pakistan was under water and the country had to repurpose all development and climate funds for financing basic relief and humanitarian efforts,” he said.

Pakistan is ranked among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries, according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021. It has faced increasingly frequent and severe weather events, such as unprecedented floods, intense monsoon rains, devastating heat waves, rapid glacial melting and glacial lake outburst floods.

Pakistan witnessed devastating floods during the 2022 monsoon season, induced by climate change, resulting in the loss of at least 1,700 lives.

With 33 million people affected and swathes of agricultural land washed away, the damage incurred losses worth $30 billion, according to government estimates.

In June 2024, a heat wave brought record-high temperatures, severely impacting public health and agriculture.

While emphasising transparency and coordination in financial commitments made to developing countries, he stated that Pakistan alongside other developing countries, calls for stronger more equitable climate finance mechanisms under the UNFCCC.

He reiterated the pertinent need for reform of international financial architecture saying that “now is the time to build up on the momentum for international financial reforms” so that no nation is left behind in the global response to climate change.

PM to highlight ‘balanced and ambitious’ climate action

According to the Foreign Office, several high-level events and roundtable discussions hosted by Pakistan will also take place at the Pakistan Pavilion during COP29.

It added that at COP29, Pakistan will call for “balanced and ambitious progress on all issues such as loss and damage, adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation”.

“It will seek predictable financing to address developing countries’ climate goals. Pakistan will also underscore the historical responsibility and the principle of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility and call on developed nations to undertake deeper emission cuts.”

PM Shehbaz was warmly received by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and UN Secretary-General António Guterres upon his arrival at the summit venue today, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

The first day of the Climate Action Summit will feature statements from various heads of states, beginning from 3pm Pakistan time.

Speakers include the United Kingdom’s PM Keir Starmer, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Among those scheduled to address the high-level meeting tomorrow, besides PM Shehbaz, are Bangladesh leader Muhammad Yunus and Russia’s PM Mikhail Mishustin.

PM Shehbaz is listed as the 37th speaker out of 47 leaders during the session scheduled from 10am to 6pm (Pakistan time).

The prime minister will also participate in a high-level event ‘Glaciers 2025: Actions for Glaciers’ organised by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon on the protection of glaciers.

PM Shehbaz will also hold separate meetings with the prime ministers of Denmark and the Czech Republic, who are also attending COP-29, Radio Pakistan stated.

PM meets world leaders

On the sidelines of COP29, PM Shehbaz interacted with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed cooperation on climate change and matters of mutual interest, Radio Pakistan reported.

The premier also met with PM Starmer, where the two discussed enhancing Pakistan-UK cooperation.

He also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan, where they discussed environmental pollution as well as matters of mutual interest between the two friendly nations, the report added.

In his interactions with Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel and Bangladesh’s Yunus, PM Shehbaz discussed growing temperatures, the threat of rising sea levels, and forest conservation in South Asia.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and PM Shehbaz explored strengthening bilateral relations as well as expanding regional connectivity.

In his meetings with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan’s Rahmon, the leaders spoke about the conservation of glaciers and water resources in Central Asian countries and Pakistan.

They also exchanged views on expanding communication links among Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Radio Pakistan highlighted.

World leaders meet for climate talks, but big names missing

Dozens of world leaders convene in Azerbaijan for COP29 but many big names are skipping the UN climate talks where the impact of Donald Trump’s election victory is keenly felt.

UK’s Starmer will unveil an “ambitious” update to the UK’s climate goals later today, and said he wanted his country “to show leadership on the climate challenge.”

Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron are among G20 leaders missing the event, where uncertainty over future US unity on climate action hung over the opening day.

“It’s not an ideal situation,” acknowledged Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s environment minister. “But in 30 years of COP, it’s not the first time that we’ve faced obstacles,” he told AFP.

“Certainly, everything is still possible.”

Washington’s top climate envoy John Podesta is seeking to reassure countries in Baku that Trump’s re-election will not end US efforts on global warming, even if the issue will be “on the back burner”.

But despite calls for global cooperation, the opening day got off to a rocky start, with feuds over the official agenda delaying by hours the start of formal proceedings in the stadium venue near the Caspian Sea.

“This will be a tough COP,” said Fernanda Carvalho, global climate and energy policy lead at WWF.

“Countries are divided. There is a lack of trust,” she told AFP, and divisions over climate finance “will be reflected in every room of those negotiations.”

Cambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, 2020.

'We have fewer actors in every scene.''We don't have family scenes or scenes that involve a lot of people.''We are not doing scenes which are intimate or require closeness.'

A social enterprise in Delhi attempts to bring informal dismantlers and recyclers under the mainstream umbrella

Guest expectations have changed and Agilysys is ready with contactless and cashless integrated solutions at every step along the hotel guest journey. This webinar will explore: Which Agilysys solutions to use at each step along the guest journey Wha...

There was certainly was stress in the air when health and economic consqeuences of COVID-19 bore down on Brooklyn and the rest of America. But as these pressures grew, constructive hearts and minds prevailed at the BKLYN Commons (BKC) shared workspace operation at 495 Flatbush Ave., in the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens area, which creatively and passionately morphed to adapt to the new normal.

The DML News App offers the best in news reporting.

The post REPORT: National parks visitors should plan for ‘new normal’ appeared first on Dennis Michael Lynch.

The following article, California Sheriff Refuses to Arrest People Defying Stay-at-Home Order: “There cannot be a new normal”, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com.

Riverside, California Sheriff Chad Bianco spoke to the Riverside Board of Supervisors on May 5th to say that he will not enforce the stay-at-home order in California. He tells people who are afraid of contracting the coronavirus that they should stay home if they want to. Bianco continues with the suggestion that any business owner […]

Continue reading: California Sheriff Refuses to Arrest People Defying Stay-at-Home Order: “There cannot be a new normal” ...

Parks testing public access at several parks with limited offerings and services

Idealist notions of the State overtaking the Market as the one in charge are unfounded.

The lockdown has added significant impetus, however, to e-sports or online sports, which are fast becoming a mainstream activity.

Just over a decade ago, the state of California faced serious concerns about whether its utilities could generate and/or buy enough power to assure that the world’s seventh-largest economy could keep the lights on. The infamous California energy crisis, which affected several other western states as well, was a complex tangle of poorly structured deregulation, significant market manipulation (remember Enron?), and other causes. Along with rolling blackouts, California endured an official state of emergency that lasted 34 months, led to the recall and replacement of Gov. Gray Davis, and cost the state and its ratepayers billions of dollars — a cautionary tale for all states of electricity supply unable to meet demand.

After closing amid the coronavirus pandemic, the National Park Service is testing public access at several parks across the nation, including two in Utah, with limited offerings and services. Visitor centers and campgrounds remain largely shuttered at Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, but visitors are welcome at some of the sites. Sullivan was on a day visit to hike the park’s Rim Trail and Bryce Amphitheater, two of the few hiking destinations currently open at Bryce.

Steve Parish has defended attempts to get the season back up and running amid the coronavirus pandemic, stressing not doing so would be a major financial blow to taxpayers and the football community.

'Regular' meals at fast food restaurants are really supersized meals loaded with calories. But can you stop eating after just half a Chipotle burrito?

All our underlying assumptions about what makes consumers tick need to be pressure-tested.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

James Carroll, partner and director at TetraVX, ?and Kevin Beasley, CIO at VAI, explain the importance of security and privacy safeguards in the new COVID-19 WFH world

Country must accept the coronavirus as new normal: NR Narayana Murthy

Engineers, information technology employees, some HR roles, consultants, knowledge workers can work from home but it might be hard for those working in finance, insurance and companies ad that have proprietary applications.

After closing amid the coronavirus pandemic, the National Park Service is testing public access at several parks across the nation, including two in Utah, with limited offerings and services. Visitor centers and campgrounds remain largely shuttered at Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, but visitors are welcome at some of the sites.

Once markets are reopened, the industry would also be braving a changing consumer spending behavior and capacity. There could be a major lag before sales begin to pick up. Fashion as a commodity is also perishable. It may be very difficult to sell the loaded inventories in warehouses, and heavy discounts would not be an attractive option at a time of slim profit margins.

Superstar cities bounced back stronger than ever after the Great Recession. But the COVID-19 shutdown is different and the way back will be a challenge unlike any other.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce has spoken to the airline's new normal saying "The Qantas of 2021 and 2022 will not be the Qantas of 2019".

With a focus on using artificial intelligence (AI)/ machine learning (ML) to better predict demand and improve companies operations from end-to-end, Blue Yonder Holding, Inc. (Blue Yonder), has launched its reimagined Luminate Planning portfolio. This powerful set of solutions enables boundaryless planning providing customers with integrated sales and operations execution (S&OE); limitless, always-on planning; and an intelligence engine that can predict and pivot to deliver an autonomous supply chain.

By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News

As many states begin to reopen — most without meeting the thresholds recommended by the White House — a new level of COVID-19 risk analysis begins for Americans.

Should I go to the beach? What about the hair salon? A sit-down restaurant meal? Visit Mom on Mother’s Day?

States are responding to the tremendous economic cost of the pandemic and people’s pent-up desire to be “normal” again. But public health experts remain cautious. In many areas, they note, COVID cases — and deaths — are still on the rise, and some fear new surges will follow the easing of restrictions.

“Reopening is not back to normal. It is trying to find ways to allow people to get back out to do things they want to do, and business to do business,” said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “We can’t pretend the virus has gone away. The vast majority of the population is still susceptible.”

So far, state rules vary. But they involve a basic theme.

“They are making assumptions that people will use common sense and good public health practice when they go out,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director with the American Public Health Association.

As states start to reopen, people will have to weigh the risk versus benefit of getting out more, along with their own tolerance for uncertainty. The bottom line, health experts say, is people should continue to be vigilant: Maintain distance, wear masks, wash your hands — and take responsibility for your own health and that of those around you.

“It’s clearly too early, in my mind, in many places to pull the stay-at-home rules,” said Benjamin. “But, to the extent that is going to happen, we have to give people advice to do it safely. No one should interpret my comments as being overly supportive of doing it, but if you’re going to do it, you have to be careful.”

An added caveat: All advice applies to people at normal risk of weathering the disease. Those 60 or older and people with underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems should continue staying home.

“Folks who are at higher risk of having a more severe reaction have to continue to be very careful and limit contact with other people,” Plescia said.

So, should I go to the beach?

There’s nothing inherently risky about the beach, said Benjamin. But, again, “if you can, avoid crowds,” he said. “Have as few people around you as possible.”

Maintain that 6-foot distance, even in the water.

“If you are standing close and interacting, there is a chance they could be sick and they may not know it and you could catch it,” Plescia said. “The whole 6-foot distance is a good thing to remember going forward.”

Still, “one thing about the beach or anywhere outside is that there is a lot of good air movement, which is very different than standing in a crowded subway car,” he said.

Even so, recent images of packed beaches and parks raise questions about whether people are able or willing to continue heeding distancing directives.

But if we’re all wearing masks, do we really need to stay 6 feet apart?

Yes, for two reasons. First, while masks can reduce the amount of droplets expelled from the mouth and nose, they aren’t perfect.

Droplets from sneezing, coughing or possibly even talking are considered the main way the coronavirus is transmitted, from landing either on another person or surface. Those who touch that surface may be at risk of infection if they then touch their face, especially the eyes or mouth. “By wearing a mask, I reduce the amount of particles I express out of my mouth,” said Benjamin. “I try to protect you from me, but it also protects me from you.”

And, second, masks don’t protect your eyes. Since the virus can enter the body through the eyes, standing further apart also reduces that risk.

Should I visit Mom on Mother’s Day?

This is a complex choice for many families. Obviously, if Mom is in a nursing home or assisted living, the answer is clearly no, as most care facilities are closed to visitors because the virus has been devastating that population.

There’s still risk beyond such venues. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 8 out of 10 reported deaths from the coronavirus are among those 65 or older. Underlying conditions, such as heart or lung disease and diabetes, appear to play a role, and older adults are more likely to have such conditions.

So, what if Mom is healthy? There’s no easy answer, public health experts say, because how the virus affects any individual is unpredictable. And visitors may be infected and not know it. An estimated 25% of people show no or few symptoms.

“A virtual gathering is a much safer alternative this year,” said Benjamin.

But if your family insists on an in-person Mother’s Day after weighing Mom’s health (and Dad’s, too, if he’s there), “everyone in the family should do a health check before gathering,” he said. “No one with any COVID symptoms or a fever should participate.”

How prevalent COVID is in your region is also a consideration, experts say, as is how much contact you and your other family members have had with other people.

If you do visit Mom, wear masks and refrain from hugging, kissing or other close contact, Benjamin said.

My hair is a mess. What about going to the salon?

Again, no clear answer. As salons and barbershops reopen in some states, they are taking precautions.

States and professional associations are recommending requiring reservations, limiting the number of customers inside the shop at a given time, installing Plexiglas barriers between stations, cleaning the chairs, sinks and other surfaces often, and having stylists and customers wear masks. Ask what steps your salon is taking.

“Employees should stay home if they are sick or in contact with someone who is sick,” said Dr. Amanda Castel, professor of epidemiology at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. “Also, employers should make sure they don’t have everyone congregating in the kitchen or break room.”

Some salons or barbers are cutting hair outside, she noted, which may reduce the risk because of better ventilation. Salons should also keep track of the customers they see, just in case they need to contact them later, should there be a reason to suspect a client or stylist had become infected, Castel said.

Consider limiting chitchat during the cut, said Plescia, as talking in close proximity may increase your risk, although “it feels a little rude,” he admitted.

What if your stylist is coughing and sneezing?

“I would leave immediately,” he said.

What about dining at a restaurant?

Many states and the CDC have recommendations for restaurants that limit capacity — some states say 25% — in addition to setting tables well apart, using disposable menus and single-serve condiments, and requiring wait staff to wear masks.

“That’s the kind of thing that does help reduce the chance of spread of infection,” Plescia said.

If your favorite eatery is opening, call to ask what precautions are in place. Make a reservation and “be thoughtful about who you are having dinner with,” said Plescia. Household members are one thing, but “getting into closer physical contact with friends is something people should be cautious about.”

Overall, decide how comfortable you are with the concept.

“If you’re going to go to a restaurant just to sit around and worry, then you might as well do takeout,” he said.

And travel?

Consider your options and whether you really need to go, say experts.

Driving and staying in a hotel may be an option for some people.

If hotels are adequately cleaned between guests, “you could make that work,” said Plescia. Bring cleaning wipes and even your own pillows. Again, though, “if you’re going to see an elderly parent, you don’t want to contract something on the way and give it to them.”

Regarding air travel — airlines are taking steps, such as doing deep cleaning between flights. Fresh and recirculated air goes through special HEPA filters. While there is little specific research yet on the coronavirus and air travel, studies on other respiratory and infectious diseases have generally concluded the overall risk is low, except for people within two rows of the infected person. But a case involving an earlier type of coronavirus seemed to indicate wider possible spread across several rows.

Maintaining distance on the plane and in the boarding process is key.

“Wear a mask on the plane,” said Benjamin.

And plan ahead. How prevalent is the coronavirus in the areas you are traveling to and from? Are there any requirements that you self-isolate upon arrival? How will you get to and from the airport while minimizing your proximity to others?

But if it’s not essential, you might want to think twice right now.

“People who absolutely don’t have to travel should avoid doing it,” said Plescia.

Worship services are important to me. What precautions should be considered?

The distance rule applies as houses of worship consider reopening.

“As much as you can within religious rules, try to avoid contact,” said Benjamin.

He is not giving any advice on Holy Communion, saying that is up to religious leaders. But, he noted, “drinking from the same cup raises the risk if a person is sick or items are touched by anyone who is sick.”

Finally, keep in mind that much is being learned about the virus every day, from treatments to side effects to how it spreads.

“My own personal approach is, try to play it on the cautious side a bit longer,” said Plescia.

Castel agreed.

“We need a little more time to fully understand how COVID-19 works and more time to ramp up our testing, find treatments and hopefully a vaccine,” she said. “We all have social distancing fatigue. But we can continue to save lives by doing this.”

Virtually all of us are radically changing our lives to adjust to the new realities caused by the coronavirus crisis. This is a major shock to our entire global society, and it certainly will cause major changes in the way that people and organizations think and act in the future. As governments, institutions, and individuals … Continue reading The Next New Normals – in General →

A recent post anticipates that as we go through the current crisis, we will develop a “crisis new normal” and, after we recover from the crisis, a “normal new normal” (NNN).  At this point, governments, institutions, and individuals are still developing new routines as we wait out the crisis by doing things like sheltering in … Continue reading The Next New Normal in Law, Dispute Resolution, and Legal Education →

An article by Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari, The World After Coronavirus, describes general dynamics of crises and particularly the current crisis: Many short-term emergency measures will become a fixture of life.  That is the nature of emergencies.  They fast-forward historical processes.  Decisions that in normal times could take years of deliberation are passed in … Continue reading Communication, Privacy, and Community in the New Normal →

By Leo Babauta It’s time for us to accept that this pandemic, and social isolation, are here for awhile. But in addition to that, our reality has changed, possibly for good. We’re in a new normal. Some things that have changed for many of us: A sense of restriction: We’re not able to do our […]