epa

Meek Mill Shows Fans How He's Preparing For Child's Birth



He's rumored to be expecting a baby with Milan Harris.




epa

DJ D-Nice Partners With Houseparty App For Epic Virtual Prom



You can still experience prom doing the COVID-19 outbreak.




epa

Mike Bloomberg Shares His Stance on Reparations



The presidential candidate examines economic opportunities.




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Mike Bloomberg Breaks Down Black Homeownership Discrepancies



The presidential candidate discusses Black homeownership.






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Stephon Marbury Is Preparing To Make Jaw-Dropping Donation To Fight COVID-19 In New York: Report

The former Knicks player could save millions of lives.




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Photos: Men’s National Team Prepare For Final

The 36 member squad making up the Bermuda Men’s National Rugby team continue to put in the work as they prepare for the upcoming Caribbean Cup match at the National Sports Center against Guadeloupe. Bermuda take on Guadeloupe in the Rugby Americas North Championship Final. Under the guidance of head coach Jamie Barnwell, the players […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Weather Causes Delay To NSC Track Repair

Bad weather has delayed the timeline for the National Sports Center track getting resurfaced ahead of the Carifta Games, with a new projected finishing date of mid-March. Craig Tyrell, senior operations manager for the NSC, told Bernews that he expects the track resurfacing should be completed by mid-March. Bermuda is hosting the Carifta Games from […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Photos & Video: Military Planes Depart Bermuda

[Updated with video] Just before noon today [Feb 22] aircraft from the Royal Air Force departed Bermuda’s LF Wade International Airport, heading to the Azores. The group of aircraft included the A330 Voyager Tanker accompanying four Typhoon fighter jets. As is the usual protocol, once the jets start their engines to warm up, passing traffic […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Minister: Preparing For COVID-19 Coronavirus

While there have been no cases of COVID-19 identified in Bermuda, the spread of it “across the globe highlights that it is highly infectious and therefore it will remain a threat to Bermuda in the foreseeable future,” Minister of Health Kim Wilson said. Speaking in the House of Assembly today [Feb 28] Minister Wilson said, […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Minister: Transport Control Department Update

“As of April 01, 2020, legislation will reflect that the only legal licence plates for motor cars will be a white background with black characters,” Minister of Tourism & Transport Zane Desilva said. Speaking in the House of Assembly today [Feb 28] the Minister said, “I rise today to make a short statement to clear […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Govt: Department Of Energy’s Budget Brief

Earlier this week the Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban delivered the Department of Energy’s Budget Brief. A Government spokesperson said, “Some highlights include: “This past year, the Department has continued with the Solar Rebate programme, striving to benefit those in smaller residences and encouraging ordinary homeowners to adopt solar photovoltaic panels to take some […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Minister Kim Wilson On Covid-19 Preparedness

“The Government is taking proactive steps to effectively respond to this global outbreak,” Minister of Health Kim Wilson said in the House of Assembly today [March 11]. The Minister said, “Hand sanitizers have been ordered, which will contribute to the essential hand hygiene needed to protect ourselves and prevent spread. Though we have to remember, […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Covid-19: Bermuda Housing Trust Preparation

In light of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Bermuda Housing Trust [BHT] is taking steps to protect their 194 tenants living in five properties located across Bermuda. A spokesperson said, “At the Bermuda Housing Trust [BHT], we are constantly monitoring the risk that Covid-19 might represent to the 194 tenants living in our five properties […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Video: BFRS & RBR On Hurricane Preparedness

Bernews hosted a News & Views panel discussion today [Oct 11], with Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service Divisional Officer Mark Taylor and Royal Bermuda Regiment Major Dwight Robinson discussing various aspects related to preparing for the approach of a hurricane and how their services respond during and after a storm. Strong winds swept across the […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Two People Arrested Following Separate Crashes

A 45-year-old Pembroke man was arrested on suspicion of causing injury by careless driving, while a 63-year-old Southampton man was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving following two separate collisions yesterday [Sept 3]. Reported Three Vehicle Collision on North Shore Road in Devonshire A police spokesperson said, “Around 5:50pm Tuesday, September 3rd a reported three […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Being Prepared for IROPS: A Business-Planning and Decision-Making Approach

TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 106: Being Prepared for IROPS: A Business-Planning and Decision-Making Approach describes a process to help justify airport planning, and funding decisions (capital, and operations and maintenance) related to supporting irregular operations (IROPS) contingency planning. The report presents a structured approach to quantifying the lifecycle economic value of proposed IROPS mitigation alternatives through a spreadsheet-based business-planning and dec...



  • http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=cover_acrp_rpt_106copy

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Multiple People Injured In Separate Collisions

The police continue to seek witnesses to two separate collisions in Southampton and Devonshire which both resulted in people being transported to the hospital for treatment. Male Rider in Hospital After Reported Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crash A police spokesperson said, “Around 4:30am Saturday, January 11th police officers on mobile patrol were flagged down by a […]

(Click to read the full article)




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Questions For Directors Of Ohio's Departments Of Jobs And Family Services, Commerce

This episode originally aired on April 24, 2020. Ohio’s unemployment rate has reached 11.6% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th worst in the nation. Laid-off workers should be on the lookout for scams and schemes trying to swindle away unemployment benefits and federal stimulus checks.




epa

Questions For Directors Of Ohio's Departments Of Jobs And Family Services, Commerce

This episode originally aired on April 24, 2020. Ohio’s unemployment rate has reached 11.6% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th worst in the nation. Laid-off workers should be on the lookout for scams and schemes trying to swindle away unemployment benefits and federal stimulus checks.




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Impacts on Practice: ACRP in the Classroom: Reimagining the Textbook at the University of North Dakota Department of Aviation

Within the academic aviation world, good textbooks can be hard to come by. Not only do few aviation textbook publishers exist, but the aviation industry is constantly changing. The TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's latest Impacts on Practice brief, ACRP in the Classroom: Reimagining the Textbook at the University of North Dakota Department of Aviation , details how Dr. Kim Kenville uses ACRP Research Report 16, Second Edition: Guidebook for Managing Small Airports , in her classes. “This publica...



  • http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=cover_acrp_iop_038a

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Development and Use of As-Built Plans by State Departments of Transportation

Sixty-eight percent of the states who responded to a survey indicated their agency has a documented process for as-built development. They said handwritten notes were the most commonly used method to capture as-built data (86%), followed by electronic notes (76%), and then photographs (33%). Some states use more than one option to capture as-built data. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Synthesis 548: Development and Use of As-Built Plans by State Departments of Transportation...




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A Primer to Prepare for the Connected Airport and the Internet of Things

TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Report 191: A Primer to Prepare for the Connected Airport and the Internet of Things introduces the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) within the airport environment to leverage current and emerging technologies. IoT can be used to provide information and services to airport passengers with current and evolving technologies. Airports, airlines, and other stakeholders can use these innovative technologies and data to enhance the user exp...



  • http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=acrp_rpt_191cover

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Guidance for Using the Interactive Tool for Understanding NEPA at General Aviation Airports

Most general aviation (GA) airports are minimally staffed and rarely employ environmental specialists, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) can be overwhelming to work through for those not familiar with the requirements. The TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Research Report 211: Guidance for Using the Interactive Tool for Understanding NEPA at General Aviation Airports , and the accompanying interactive tool that was developed, will help airport staff from GA airports understan...



  • http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=cover_acrp_rpt_211

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Repairing and Maintaining Airport Parking Structures While in Use

TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Synthesis 47: Repairing and Maintaining Airport Parking Structures While in Use provides information on developing and implementing successful maintenance and repair strategies for in-use airport parking structures that involve the least impact on the airport patrons, revenue stream, and facility operations.



  • http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=cover_acrp_syn_047copy


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Guidebook for Preparing and Using Airport Design Day Flight Schedules

TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Report 163: Guidebook for Preparing and Using Airport Design Day Flight Schedules explores the preparation and use of airport design day flight schedules (DDFS) for operations, planning, and development. The guidebook is geared towards airport leaders to help provide an understanding of DDFS and their uses, and provides detailed information for airport staff and consultants on how to prepare one.



  • http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=acrp_rpt_163cover

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JoT #2698: Separate, but pulling together!



We all have a rope to pull!




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Hepatic CEACAM1 expression indicates donor liver quality and prevents early transplantation injury

Although CEACAM1 (CC1) glycoprotein resides at the interface of immune liver injury and metabolic homeostasis, its role in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains elusive. We aimed to determine whether/how CEACAM1 signaling may affect hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and OLT outcomes. In the mouse, donor liver CC1 null mutation augmented IRI-OLT (CC1-KO→WT) by enhancing ROS expression and HMGB1 translocation during cold storage, data supported by in vitro studies where hepatic flush from CC1-deficient livers enhanced macrophage activation in bone marrow–derived macrophage cultures. Although hepatic CC1 deficiency augmented cold stress–triggered ASK1/p-p38 upregulation, adjunctive ASK1 inhibition alleviated IRI and improved OLT survival by suppressing p-p38 upregulation, ROS induction, and HMGB1 translocation (CC1-KO→WT), whereas ASK1 silencing (siRNA) promoted cytoprotection in cold-stressed and damage-prone CC1-deficient hepatocyte cultures. Consistent with mouse data, CEACAM1 expression in 60 human donor liver biopsies correlated negatively with activation of the ASK1/p-p38 axis, whereas low CC1 levels associated with increased ROS and HMGB1 translocation, enhanced innate and adaptive immune responses, and inferior early OLT function. Notably, reduced donor liver CEACAM1 expression was identified as one of the independent predictors for early allograft dysfunction (EAD) in human OLT patients. Thus, as a checkpoint regulator of IR stress and sterile inflammation, CEACAM1 may be considered as a denominator of donor hepatic tissue quality, and a target for therapeutic modulation in OLT recipients.




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Parental metabolic syndrome epigenetically reprograms offspring hepatic lipid metabolism in mice

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide. Although gene-environment interactions have been implicated in the etiology of several disorders, the impact of paternal and/or maternal metabolic syndrome on the clinical phenotypes of offspring and the underlying genetic and epigenetic contributors of NAFLD have not been fully explored. To this end, we used the liver-specific insulin receptor knockout (LIRKO) mouse, a unique nondietary model manifesting 3 hallmarks that confer high risk for the development of NAFLD: hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. We report that parental metabolic syndrome epigenetically reprograms members of the TGF-β family, including neuronal regeneration–related protein (NREP) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15). NREP and GDF15 modulate the expression of several genes involved in the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism. In particular, NREP downregulation increases the protein abundance of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) in a TGF-β receptor/PI3K/protein kinase B–dependent manner, to regulate hepatic acetyl-CoA and cholesterol synthesis. Reduced hepatic expression of NREP in patients with NAFLD and substantial correlations between low serum NREP levels and the presence of steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis highlight the clinical translational relevance of our findings in the context of recent preclinical trials implicating ACLY in NAFLD progression.




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Apple Preparing Retail Employees to Return to Work With Tips From South Korea Reopening

Apple in mid-April reopened Apple Garosugil, its lone store in South Korea, located in the Seoul's Gangnam District.


Apple's South Korea reopening has served as a test ground for further store reopenings, and Apple created an instructional video on reopening practices that's now being shared with other retail employees around the world as they prepare to reopen stores. We're not able to share the video, but it provides a good overview of the measures Apple is putting in place to safely operate retail locations.

Retail employees are following a strict set of guidelines that very heavily emphasize social distancing of two meters (or six feet in the United States). Apple is taking the following measures:


  • Prior to when work starts, all employees undergo a health screening complete with a temperature check, with the results logged in a daily spreadsheet.

  • Daily briefings are done in the mornings in the Forum area at Apple Stores, with employees making sure to sit at least two meters apart.

  • Prior to being allowed in the store, customers are also given a temperature check.

  • All ‌Apple Stores‌ are providing hand sanitizer, which customers are encouraged to use.

  • Stores are limiting the number of people inside, forming lines with customers waiting at least two meters apart.

  • Products purchased by customers or returned after repair are delivered from the back in a relay system, being handed off from employee to employee to allow each person to stay in a separated zone without back and forth.

  • Product specialists and Genius Bar staff are positioning themselves across tables away from customers in order to maintain distance.

  • In the forum area, employees sit one cube away from customers they're interacting with.

  • Employees are encouraged to communicate with one another through the Talk app to cut down on unnecessary movement within the store.

  • Half of the workstations in the back are empty, with employees working at alternating workstations to keep more distance between them.

  • Tables have been rearranged to put products on corners to prevent customers from being near one another.

  • Products on tables have been reduced.

  • Communal tables and couches have been removed from employee break rooms and have been replaced with individual chairs evenly spaced about the room.

  • Operating hours are reduced.

  • Employees are all wearing face masks.


After opening its South Korea store on April 16, Apple has reopened its sole store in Vienna, Austria, and 21 stores located in Australia. Stores in Germany will begin reopening on May 11, and all of the newly opened locations are following many of the same guidelines listed above to keep both customers and employees safe.

There's no word yet on when Apple retail stores in the United States will start to reopen, but Apple CEO Tim Cook last week said that stores in North America will begin reopening starting in the month of May.

Apple plans to evaluate data and make reopening decisions on a city by city, county by county basis, following local guidelines and recommendations before opening up a store.
Related Roundup: Apple Stores

This article, "Apple Preparing Retail Employees to Return to Work With Tips From South Korea Reopening" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums




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Thinking of using TurboTax to file your tax returns? Think again. The Minnesota Department of Revenue advises against using Intuit software to file tax returns!

Thinking of using TurboTax to file your tax returns? Think again. The Minnesota Department of Revenue advises against using Intuit software to file tax returns! It found unacceptable errors in Intuit tax software, including TurboTax, ProSeries, Lacerte, and Intuit online. Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • calculation errors found in Intuit tax software
  • Department of Revenue advises against using ProSeries
  • Department of Revenue advises against using TurboTax
  • Department of Revenue finds errors in Intuit software unacceptable
  • Intuit online
  • Lacerte
  • Minnesota Department of Revenue
  • multiple issues with Intuit tax software
  • ProSeries
  • The Minnesota Department of Revenue advises you not to use Intuit to file your tax returns
  • thinking of using TurboTax to file tax return
  • Thinking of using TurboTax to file your tax returns? Think again. The Minnesota Department of Revenue advises you not to use Intuit to file your tax returns!
  • TurboTax

epa

Residents Oppose Cost of Berlin Police Department Move to Bigger Space

William Brighenti, who founded the Berlin Property Owners Association, argued that the town can’t afford a new police headquarters, and police should look to clear space in their current building. He thinks one way to accomplish this is to get rid of tactical gear. Continue reading




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Berlin looks to build $21 million police department

The Berlin police department is looking to build a new facility, but some residents don't think spending $21 million should even be considered. Continue reading




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Connecticut Department of Labor: SNAFU!

Are you as an employer having trouble paying online your unemployment compensationtaxes with the Connecticut Department of Labor? SNAFU. Continue reading




epa

Don’t let a stooge prepare your income tax returns.

Does a stooge prepare your income tax returns? Watch the Three Stooges prepare a tax return and learn from them. Don't be a stooge: hire a CPA to prepare your next tax return! Continue reading



  • Accountants CPA Hartford
  • Articles
  • Albert Einstein on income tax
  • Don’t let a stooge prepare your income tax returns
  • federal income tax
  • Form 1040
  • income tax preparer
  • income tax return
  • income tax sappy
  • three stooges

epa

Did companies and countries buy access to the State Department by donating to the Clinton Foundation?

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Grimaldi of The Wall Street Journal, who has covered the Clinton Foundation for years, looks at the relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department during Hillary Clinton’s time as secretary of state, and what it would be if she became president. Newly released State Department emails include exchanges between top members of the Clinton Foundation and Clinton’s top State Department advisers, including Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills. The FBI reportedly wanted to investigate the Clinton Foundation earlier this year, but U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch pushed back. Continue reading




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United Nations Disaster Resilience Scorecard, Developed by AECOM and IBM, Helps Cities Prepare for Disaster

An updated Disaster Resilience Scorecard to help cities and local government agencies improve their preparedness and reduce risks from disasters was launched today at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Developed for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction by AECOM, IBM with support from USAID and the European Commission, the Scorecard gives better access to information, knowledge resources, and tools to effectively reduce risks from the impacts of natural hazards and climate change.




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As Fifth Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy Approaches, U.S. Utility Companies Still Feel Underprepared for Weather-Related Outages

Each year, weather-related power outages cost the U.S. economy as much as $33 billion a year. Additionally, one severe weather event has the potential to impact the daily lives and routines of millions of people. As 2017 marks the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, The Weather Company, an IBM Business (NYSE: IBM) and Zpryme are releasing the results of a survey that found that U.S. utility companies still feel underprepared for weather-related outages and that their reactive approach to outage prediction leads to lost time and resources.




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IBM to Lead SAP S/4HANA Project for Department of Defence

IBM to Lead SAP S/4HANA Project for Department of Defence




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IBM Extends Infrastructure Services Deal with Department of Health & Ageing for Four Years

IBM Australia (NYSE: IBM) today announced a four-year extension to its contract with Australian government agency, Department of Health & Ageing, for the provision of IT infrastructure services. The deal includes a variation to the final year of the existing agreement, and has a total value of $109m over five years.




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Veda Partners with IBM and Prepares for Next Phase of Growth

: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has signed a five-year multimillion dollar agreement with Veda (ASX: VED), a leading provider of credit information and analysis in Australia and New Zealand. The agreement extends Veda's existing strategic outsourcing relationship with IBM, which continues to provide Veda with a highly reliable and resilient infrastructure, and now includes cloud services.



  • Banking and Financial Services

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Australian Settlements Limited Taps IBM Cloud in Preparation for New Payments Platform

ASL to benefit from IBM Cloud and IBM PureApplication to deliver for secure real time payments for NPP Australia



  • Banking and Financial Services

epa

How to Prepare for the Trump RecessionThe global coronavirus...



How to Prepare for the Trump Recession

The global coronavirus pandemic has put our economy in free-fall.

Even through Donald Trump’s reckless economic policies, like his pointless trade war with China or his deficit-busting tax cuts for his billionaire donors, the economy has somehow managed to keep chugging along — until now. 

All of the stock market gains from Trump’s time in office have been wiped out, and over the course of just over one week in March the Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced its five largest drops in history. 

Worse than a plummeting stock market, businesses and major industries have been forced to shutter their windows to help combat the rapid spread of the virus, putting hundreds of thousands of workers’ paychecks at risk. 

A recession is inevitable at this point. Here are 3 things we can do to prepare.  

Number one: We need to reform unemployment insurance so it reflects the needs of today’s economy. 

When it was first created in 1935, unemployment insurance was designed to help full-time workers weather downturns until they got their old jobs back. But there are fewer full-time jobs in today’s economy, and fewer people who are laid off get their old jobs back again. 

As a result, only 27% of unemployed workers receive benefits today, compared to 49% of workers in the 1950s. We need to expand unemployment coverage so that everyone is protected.

Number two: We need to strengthen Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as  public assistance. 

Since its creation in 1996, the number of families receiving cash assistance has declined dramatically – and not because they’re doing well. Between 2006 and 2018, just 13% of families were lifted out of poverty, while the number of families receiving public assistance fell by 39%.

Already weak, the program didn’t hold up well during the Great Recession. Funding doesn’t automatically expand during economic downturns – meaning the more families are in need, the less money there is to help them. The program also has strict work requirements, which can’t be fulfilled in a deep recession. Worse yet, many individuals in need have already exhausted their five years of lifetime eligibility for assistance.

We need to reform the public assistance program so that more families in need are eligible. It should be easier to waive the strict work eligibility requirements during the economic downturn, and the lifetime five-year limit should be suspended.

Number three: We need to protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps. 

Unlike public assistance, SNAP responded well during the Great Recession. Its requirements are designed to expand during economic downturns or recessions.

Waiving work requirements during the Great Recession made thousands of people in need eligible for the program who otherwise wouldn’t have been. Between December 2007 and December 2009, the number of SNAP participants rose by 45%. The program helped keep an estimated 3.8 million families out of poverty in 2009.

But that might not be an option this time around, as SNAP has come under attack from the Trump administration, which is trying to enact a draconian rule change that would kick an estimated 700,000 of our most vulnerable citizens off of the program. Luckily, a judge blocked the rule from going into effect, but the administration is still fighting to enforce it — even in the middle of a global pandemic. We need to make sure SNAP’s flexibility and ability to respond to economic downturns is protected before the next recession hits.

Stronger safety nets are not only good for individuals and families in need. They will also prevent the looming recession from becoming an even deeper and longer economic crisis. 




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Malta - a Lilliput state with potentates separated from and above the people?


Memorial plaque
Memorial plaque
Malta is the smallest country among EU member states. It has only about 400000 inhabitants and the area is only 312 square kilometers. The Maltese people are very proud of their country and are very right to be so. During WW II the Maltese people were very courageous and it was then the Maltese people was rewarded S: t George’s cross 1942 by the king of England, which cross since 1943 is a symbol on the Maltese flag. The president of the United States of America, Franklin D. Roosevelt, has expressed his gratitude to the Maltese people, which can be seen on a memorial plaque on the wall of the predidential palace in Valletta. 
However, the majority of Maltese do not seem to travel a lot and therefore are rather ignorant about other countries. Malta is just a rock in the Mediterranean, but, of course, historically an important rock. Yet, you can hear Maltese people quite seriously say that Malta is the most beautiful country in the world. Of course, what is beautiful is a very subjective. Still, very few people, but the Maltese, would say that Malta is the most beautiful country in the world. I have also heard that the Maltese wines as well as its vegetables are the best in the world! There might be a few countries which would like to contest that. Maybe it is beacuse of this ignorance that the Maltese people accept the behaviour of their potentates.

The government, backed by its loudspeaker, The Times, does everything to give the impression to the Maltese people that Malta has an important role to play in EU and in the rest of the world. If prime minister Gonzi for instance travels to some conference abroad, the articles in The Times have headlines giving the impression that the other prime ministers were there just to listen to Mr. Gonzi. Malta also has a Head of State, a President with his own flag and a car with a special license plate. His wife is called Malta's first lady! Even the The Commissioner of Police has his own flag as well as the Archbishop. The corruption is widely spread. But there is of course a reason for all these cars and flags and mumbo jumbo; the government wants to give the people the impression that Malta has a bigger role to play in EU and in the world than it really has and therefore one also must have men in formal high positions with attributes. One must remember that Malta, although a sovereign state, is not bigger than a middlesized european town and ought to be be governed more in accordance with that and not like United States of America..



Archbishops BMW license plate
Gozo bishops Toyota license plate
The catholic faith is state religion in Malta. The archbishop as well as the bishop of Gozo has company cars, the latter a smaller one than the BMW that is archbishop Cremona's company car. Do not for a moment think that these cars have ordinary license plates. No way, they have plates of a silvery material in the shape of a bishop’s miter. If you do not believe me, look at the pictures. And, of course, the archbishop has a more expensive car than the Gozo bishop (The Observer wonders what Jesus would think of that!).To a foreigner from a more secular state this looks really ridiculous. Of course also the prime minister’s car have special plates. As far as the Head of the State, the President, is concerned, it is more understandable. He is, after all, a symbol. If the president and the prime minister want to attend a mass in Valletta they travel by these cars about 200 meters to the church. This is just window dressing. One could argue that they travel by car for security reasons; no way, anyone could go close to these potentates. All this is also a part of implementing the belief in people that Malta and its potentates are very important, separated from and above the people. They act like royalties more than the royalties in the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.

President Abela's car and flag
To a foreigner all these attributes are kind of sweet and touching, except for the corruption. Malta is a Lilliput with its attributes similar to those in operettas. This is sweet, but, of course,  fulfills a not so honorable cause, namely to keep the people in a feeling that Malta is something it is not.






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High-Tech Car Repair Co.




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How To Prepare For An Earthquake Part 1

Unless you live under a rock you know well enough about the devastation that recently happened in Japan and just how fast a devastating earthquake can tear things apart. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes your emergency preparedness plan must encompass earthquake survival. So how do you prepare for an earthquake? In this first of 2 posts on earthquake survival I’ll show you what you can do to better prepare your home.