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April 15 Bonds Commentary: Dan Deming

Dan Deming, KKM Financial




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April 16 Bonds Commentary: Todd Colvin

Todd Colvin, Ambrosino Brothers




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April 17 Bonds Commentary: Dan Deming

Dan Deming, KKM Financial




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April 18 Bonds Commentary: Todd Colvin

Todd Colvin, Ambrosino Brothers




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April 22 Bonds Commentary: Dan Deming

Dan Deming, KKM Financial




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April 23 Bonds Commentary: Todd Colvin

Todd Colvin, Ambrosino Brothers




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April 24 Bonds Commentary: Dan Deming

Dan Deming, KKM Financial




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April 25 Bonds Commentary: Larry Shover

Larry Shover, Efficient Advisors




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April 26 Bonds Commentary: Todd Colvin

Todd Colvin, Ambrosino Brothers




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April 29 Bonds Commentary: Todd Colvin

Todd Colvin, Ambrosino Brothers




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April 30 Bonds Commentary: Dan Deming

Dan Deming, KKM Financial




ap

SOLIDWORKS Surface Tools for Industrial Applications

Need for Surface Surface Modelling is a method used to create and represent complex shapes with high curvature controls. Generally, surfaces are used as an alternative where a particular feature is difficult to create using solid modeling. It is helpful

Author information

E G S Computers India Private Limited, since 1993, has been in the forefront of delivering solutions
to customers in the areas of Product Design and Development with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD,Remaining Life Calculations,
Validation using Finite Element Analysis, Customization of Engineering activities and Training in advanced engineering functions
relating to design and development.

EGS India - Authorized Reseller for SOLIDWORKS Solutions in India - Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai - Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry.
For any queries on SOLIDWORKS Solutions contact @ 9445424704 | mktg@egs.co.in
| Website - www.egsindia.com

The post SOLIDWORKS Surface Tools for Industrial Applications appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog.




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Performance Bond Requirements: Agriculture, Energy, Equity and FX Margins - Effective April 22, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on April 22, 2020.

For the full text of this advisory, please click here.




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Performance Bond Requirements: Energy Margins - Effective April 22, 2020


As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 04/22/2020.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

20-170




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Switch to Bachelier Options Pricing Model - Effective April 22, 2020

Pursuant to Clearing Advisory 20-152 that was published on April 8th, the clearing house will switch the options pricing and valuation model to Bachelier to accommodate negative prices in the underlying futures and allow for listing of option contracts with negative strikes for the set of products specified in the link below. The switch will be effective for the margin cycle run at the end of trading tomorrow April 22, 2020 and will remain in place until further notice.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

20-170




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Performance Bond Requirements: Energy and Agriculture - Effective April 23, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 4/23/2020.

For the full text of this advisory, please click here.




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Performance Bond Requirements: Energy Margins - Effective April 22, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 4/23/2020.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

20-174




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Performance Bond Requirements: Energy, Agriculture, Metals - Effective April 24, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 4/24/2020.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

20-175




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Performance Bond Requirements: Agriculture, Energy, Equity, FX, & Metal Margins - Effective April 24, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory in the link below. Please email any questions to Clearing.RiskManagement@cmegroup.com

The rates will be effective after the close of business on Friday, April 24, 2020.

For the full text of this advisory, please click here.




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Performance Bond Requirements: Energy, Agriculture and Interest Rates - Effective April 28, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 4/28/2020.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

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Performance Bond Requirements: Energy Margins - Effective April 28, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 04/28/2020.

For the full text of this advisory, please click here.




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Additional Column Added to the CST610 CSV Report - Effective April 28, 2020

An additional column will be added to the CST610 CSV report, "Discr_Full_Value_Margin". The new field will include the total of discretionary and full-value margin, including designated delivery margin.

For the full text of this advisory, please click here.




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OTC IRS BRL and MXN Liquidity Parameter Changes - Effective April 29, 2020

CME will be updating liquidity parameters for Interest Rate Swap contracts denominated in BRL and MXN. These changes only impact portfolios with larger BRL or MXN exposures. For MXN, the impact to liquidity add-on is approx. 5-10% for portfolios with aggregated DV01 above 100M+ DV01 in local currency. For BRL, the impact to liquidity add-on is 30%+ for portfolios with aggregated DV01 above 10M+ in local currency. Based on current exposures, CME Clearing expects that there will be no impact to existing portfolios at this time. These changes will be available for testing in our New Release environment April 29, 2020, with a production date of May 4, 2020.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

20-181




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Performance Bond Requirements: Interest Rate Margins - Effective April 30, 2020

As per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., Clearing House Risk Management staff approved the performance bond requirements for the following products listed in the advisory at the link below.

The rates will be effective after the close of business on 04/30/2020.

Click here for the full text of the advisory

20-182




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20181113api

Topics in this issue include:

New - Support for Additional Calendar Spread Options

Effective Sunday, December 2 (trade date Monday, December 3), pending all relevant CFTC regulatory review periods, CME ClearPort will support trade entry for the following Calendar Spread Options (CSOs):

For more information, please refer to SER-8279 in the Special Executive Report (SER) Notice Archive.

This enhancement will be available for customer testing in New Release on Wednesday, November 14.

Back to Top

 

Price Precision Extension

CME Group is implementing end-to-end technology changes to support increased price granularity. Currently, CME Group systems support a maximum of 7 decimals. With this initiative, products with up to 9 decimals may be listed and traded. Effective Sunday, January 13, 2019 (trade date Monday, January 14), pending regulatory approval, the 2 Year Treasury Note futures and spreads will move from 7 decimals to 8 to support trading at 1/8 of 1/32.

Customers are encouraged to move to support 9 decimals now; but there are no plans to list a product that uses the 9th decimal at this time.

The attributes listed below will be impacted.

For more on impacted products and CME Globex, iLink messaging, Drop Copy and Market Data impacts, view the CME Globex Client Impact Assessment.

Trade Capture Reports and Acknowledgements

Price will be impacted at the Trade Capture Report and Trade Instrument Leg Group levels.

Level Field Name FIXML Attribute Name
/TrdCaptRpt - inbound Trade Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRpt/TrdLeg - inbound Leg Last Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRptAck - outbound Trade Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRptAck/TrdLeg - outbound Leg Last Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRpt - outbound Trade Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRpt/TrdLeg - outbound Leg Last Price LastPx

Reference Data

Level Field Name FIXML Attribute Name
/SecDef/Instrmt MinPriceIncrement MinPxIncr
/DerivSecList/DerivSecDef/DerivInstrmt MinPriceIncrement MinPxIncr

These enhancements are currently available for customer testing in New Release.

Back to Top




ap

20181219api

Topics in this issue include:

 

CME Reference Data API Launch

CME Group has launched CME Reference Data API, a real-time solution for accessing information on every instrument and product at CME Group.

Embed the CME Reference Data API in your system’s product matrices and databases to automate product reference data for all CME Group and hosted partner exchange markets.

CME Reference Data API includes:

  • Contract specifications
  • Product codes and symbols
  • Trade and order type eligibility
  • Instrument life cycle dates: first and last trade date, notices, delivery and settlement

Key Benefits:

  • Reduce the risk of errors with automated definitions
  • Machine-readable API delivers product and instrument information without human intervention
  • Access CME Group markets and products faster
  • A cost-effective solution to accessing product data

Request Access:

Contact Global Account Management to obtain access to the Reference Data API:

U.S.: +1 312 634 8700
Europe: +44 20 3379 3754
Asia: +65 6593 5505

Additional Resources:

Back to Top

 

Price Precision Extension

CME Group is implementing end-to-end technology changes to support increased price granularity. Currently, CME Group systems support a maximum of 7 decimals. With this initiative, products with up to 9 decimals may be listed and traded. Effective Sunday, January 13, 2019 (trade date Monday, January 14), pending regulatory approval, the 2 Year Treasury Note futures and spreads will move from 7 decimals to 8 to support trading at 1/8 of 1/32.

Customers are encouraged to move to support 9 decimals now; but there are no plans to list a product that uses the 9th decimal at this time.

The attributes listed below will be impacted.

For more on impacted products and CME Globex, iLink messaging, Drop Copy and Market Data impacts, view the CME Globex Client Impact Assessment.

Trade Capture Reports and Acknowledgements

Price will be impacted at the Trade Capture Report and Trade Instrument Leg Group levels.

Level Field Name FIXML Attribute Name
/TrdCaptRpt - inbound Trade Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRpt/TrdLeg - inbound Leg Last Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRptAck - outbound Trade Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRptAck/TrdLeg - outbound Leg Last Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRpt - outbound Trade Price LastPx
/TrdCaptRpt/TrdLeg - outbound Leg Last Price LastPx

Reference Data

Level Field Name FIXML Attribute Name
/SecDef/Instrmt MinPriceIncrement MinPxIncr
/DerivSecList/DerivSecDef/DerivInstrmt MinPriceIncrement MinPxIncr

These enhancements are currently available for customer testing in New Release.

Back to Top




ap

CME ClearPort API Entity Reference Data Changes for Brokers

Please be advised that effective Sunday, August 25, 2013 (for the August 26th business date) there will be changes to CME ClearPort API Entity Reference Data that will impact Party Detail List Reports and Party Entitlement Reports for CME ClearPort API Brokers and CME ClearPort API Platforms who request Entity Reference Data on behalf of Brokers.

These changes will be available for testing in the New Release environment on August 14th.

Changes to Existing Reponses

When a Broker (or Platform on behalf of Broker) submits a request for all related accounts using the Party Details List Request message or a request for all related accounts which trade a particular product using the Party Entitlement Request message, the following information is provided for each account in Related Party Detail blocks:  The Clearing ID of the Account’s Clearing Firm (Party Role 1), the Trading Firm / Account Owner’s firm identifier (Party Role 7),  and the Broker Firm’s firm identifier (Party Role 30).

Going forward, when the same requests are submitted, an additional Related Party Detail block will appear on the response if there is an Asset Manager Firm assigned to the account:  the Asset Manager Firm’s identifier (Party Role 49).

In the following examples, ACCT1 has been assigned an Asset Manager by the Clearing Firm, while ACCT2 has not.

<FIXML v="5.0 SP2" xv="109" s="20090815" cv="CME.0001">

<PtyDetlListRpt ReqID="123437" RptID="1376864472358" ReqRslt="0" Txt="Valid request">

<Hdr SID="CME" SSub="CPAPI" TID="PLTFM" TSub="username"/>

<PtyDetl ID="ACCT1" Src="C" R="24">

<AltPty ID="A-12345" Src="H"/>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="123" Src="C" R="1">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="2"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="trading_firm1" Src="C" R="7">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="36"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="broker_firm1" Src="C" R="30">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="22"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="asset_mgr_firm1" Src="C" R="49">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="32"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

</PtyDetl>

<PtyDetl ID="ACCT2" Src="C" R="24">

<AltPty ID="A-67890" Src="H"/>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="456" Src="C" R="1">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="2"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="trading_firm2" Src="C" R="7">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="36"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="broker_firm1" Src="C" R="30">

 

 

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="22"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

</PtyDetl>

</PtyDetlListRpt>

</FIXML>

 

<FIXML v="5.0 SP2" xv="109" s="20090815" cv="CME.0001">

<PtyEntlmntRpt ReqID="123412" RptID="1376865078371" ReqRslt="0" Txt="Valid request">

<Hdr SID="CME" SSub="CPAPI" TID="PLTFM" TSub="username"/>

<PtyEntlmnt>

<PtyDetl ID="ACCT1" Src="C" R="24">

<AltPty ID="A-12345" Src="H"/>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="broker_firm1" Src="C" R="30">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="22"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="trading_firm1" Src="C" R="7">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="36"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="asset_mgr_firm1" Src="C" R="49">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="32"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="123" Src="C" R="1">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="2"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

</PtyDetl>

<PtyDetl ID="ACCT2" Src="C" R="24">

<AltPty ID="A-67890" Src="H"/>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="broker_firm1" Src="C" R="30">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="22"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="trading_firm2" Src="C" R="7">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="36"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="456" Src="C" R="1">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="2"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

</PtyDetl>

<Entlmnt Typ="0" Ind="Y">

<InstrmtScope Oper="1" ID="NN" Src="H" SecTyp="FUT"

 

Exch="NYMEX"/>

 

 

</Entlmnt>

 

</PtyEntlmnt>

</PtyEntlmntRpt>

 

</FIXML>

 

NEW- Broker Requests Asset Manager Users at an Asset Manager Firm

In a previous CME ClearPort API release a change was made to allow Brokers (or Platforms on behalf of Brokers) to specify asset manager users in party role 36 (instead of a trader at the account owner firm) to satisfy the trader individual requirements for applicable market types like energy and metals.  Now Brokers can use ClearPort API reference data to obtain a list of asset manager users for their related accounts.  Once the above responses are received, the Broker or Platform can use each related Asset

Manager Firm (Party Role 49) to request a list of users at the firm:

 

Request

<FIXML v="5.0 SP2" xv="109" s="20090815" cv="CME.0001">

<PtyDetlListReq ReqID="123437">

<Hdr SID="PLTFM" SSub="username" TID="CME" TSub="CPAPI"/>

<ReqPty ID="broker_firm1" R="30"/>

<Pty ID="asset_mgr_firm1" R="49"/>

<ReqR R="36"/>

</PtyDetlListReq>

</FIXML>

 

 

 

 

Response

 

<FIXML v="5.0 SP2" xv="109" s="20090815" cv="CME.0001">

<PtyDetlListRpt ReqID="123437" RptID="1376866782295" ReqRslt="0" Txt="Valid request">

<Hdr SID="CME" SSub="CPAPI" TID="PLTFM" TSub="username"/>

<PtyDetl ID="asset_mgr_user1" Src="C" R="36">

<Sub ID="First Last" Typ="9"/>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="asset_mgr_firm1" Src="C" R="49">

<Sub ID="Company Name" Typ="5"/>

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="6"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="CMD" Src="C" R="22">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="12"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="CME" Src="C" R="22">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="12"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="DME" Src="C" R="22">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="12"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="NYMEX" Src="C" R="22">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="12"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="COMEX" Src="C" R="22">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="12"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

<ReltdPtyDetl ID="CBT" Src="C" R="22">

<Rltnshp Rltnshp="12"/>

</ReltdPtyDetl>

</PtyDetl>

</PtyDetlListRpt>

</FIXML>

 

For more detailed information regarding entity reference data retrieval through CME ClearPort API, please see the CME ClearPort API Reference Data Guide:

http://www.cmegroup.com/clearing/files/Clearport_Reference_Data_API_FIXML_Message_Specification_

and_Samples.pdf

 

If you have questions or need help facilitating your tests in the New Release environment, please contact:

 

Market Operations Technical Support

24 Hour 6 Days a Week Support available from Sundays at 5PM ET to Fridays at 5PM ET

Phone: 800-275-6215 / 212-301-4720

Email:  thirdpartyservices@cmegroup.com




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Baptism on the ballfield

OM Hungary’s baseball ministry celebrates brothers in Christ and starts new family outreach.




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Quelles perspectives après la présidentielle?




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Zimbabwe: Appoint Neutral Interim Government




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Post-Apartheid South Africa and the World: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters?




ap

Hindering SADC From Shaping Poll Landscape

Zanu PF's limited commitment to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the resultant institutionalisation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) is why the party began to push for elections as from 2010, a strategy seen as steering the total collapse of the agreement.




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The meaning of baptism

A public baptism ceremony at the river becomes an opportunity to teach an onlooker about the true meaning of baptism.




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Make them happy

OM Guatemala distributes more than 1,000 pairs of shoes at local primary schools.




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Blood of St. Januarius liquefies in Naples under lockdown

Rome Newsroom, May 3, 2020 / 08:30 am (CNA).- The liquefaction of the blood of the early Church martyr St. Januarius occurred Saturday amid the coronavirus lockdown, leading the Archbishop of Naples to bless the city with the miraculous relic.

“Dear friends, I have a big announcement to make: even in this time of coronavirus, the Lord through the intercession of St. Januarius has liquified the blood!" Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe said May 2.

Cardinal Sepe, the Archbishop of Naples, offered a Mass via video livestream from the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary to celebrate the recurring miracle, and then used the relic of the liquified blood to bless the city.

“How many times our saint has intervened to save us from the plague, from cholera. St. Januarius is the true soul of Naples,” he said in his homily.

St. Januarius, or San Gennaro in Italian, the patron of Naples, was a bishop of the city in the third century, whose bones and blood are preserved in the cathedral as relics. He is believed to have been martyred during Diocletian persecution.

The reputed miracle is locally known and accepted, though has not been the subject of official Church recognition. The liquefaction reportedly happens at least three times a year: Sept. 19, the saint's feast day, the Saturday before the first Sunday of May, and Dec. 16, the anniversary of the 1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

During the miracle, the dried, red-colored mass confined to one side of the reliquary becomes blood that covers the entire glass. In local lore, the failure of the blood to liquefy signals war, famine, disease or other disaster.

“Naples has never given up in the face of the misfortunes that have affected it,” Sepe said.

The cardinal praised the health care workers who are serving those infected by the coronavirus in the city. Naples is the capital of the region of Campania, where 4,459 people have been documented with COVID-19 by the Italian Ministry of Health.

“But there is another possible epidemic that worries me in the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city," Sepe said, referring to the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia.

“There are those who are good at making a fortune in times of epidemic. … Let’s move, intervene immediately, because the underworld is faster than our bureaucracy. The Camorra does not wait. It is up to us to get rid of all [criminal] organizations. We must overcome and affirm the right to hope,” the cardinal said.

Amid Italy’s lockdown, anti-mafia experts have warned that Italy’s criminal organizations could take advantage of the redirection of police resources, and profit from the government stimulus that could inadvertently fund mafia-controlled industries.

The coronavirus lockdown also prevented the traditional procession for the miracle of St. Januarius from taking place. This procession had even continued in Naples during World War II, according to ACI Stampa.

Public Masses have not been allowed in Italy for the past eight weeks under the country’s coronavirus restrictions. 

The president of the Italian bishops’ conference, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti said May 2 that the bishops had reached an agreement with the government, and that he expects public Masses to resume “in the coming weeks” if the infection curve flattens.

“As a Church, we have certainly shared in suffering the limitations imposed to protect the health of all,” he said.




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Trapped in difficult circumstances

Behind the glow of city lights, a group of people easily go unnoticed—lost sheep in desperate need of the hope of the gospel.




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Andrew Walther appointed president of EWTN News

CNA Staff, May 8, 2020 / 06:00 am (CNA).- EWTN Global Catholic Network, the world’s largest Catholic media organization, announced Friday that Andrew Walther – an experienced Catholic journalist, media executive, and advocate for persecuted Christians – has been named president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, Inc. The appointment is effective June 1.

Walther began his Catholic media career as a journalist writing for the National Catholic Register two decades ago. Most recently he has served as vice president for communications and strategic planning at the Knights of Columbus.

In his role as president of the news division, Walther will oversee EWTN’s vast news media platforms, which create content in English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese and Italian. Its holdings include Catholic News Agency, the National Catholic Register, the ACI Group, ChurchPop and EWTN’s lineup of television and radio news programming.

“As well as being an accomplished Catholic journalist and media executive, Andrew Walther brings to this role unique expertise in the global Church,” said EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael P. Warsaw.

“His leadership experience with a global Catholic communications and media operation – and his previous work with the National Catholic Register and EWTN News Nightly – gives him the added advantage of already knowing the Catholic media world and many of the people within the EWTN family. We look forward to having him lead and strengthen our news division,” Warsaw said.

Since 2005, Walther has worked in senior roles at the Knights of Columbus. During his tenure at the Knights, Walther helped launch the organization’s modern communications department, overseeing work with Catholic and secular media outlets, the launch of social media channels and video production, and the organization’s global media work, especially in Europe and the Middle East. He was also heavily involved in the organization’s charitable work and disaster relief initiatives.

Walther also organized and led the Knights’ work on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, traveling to Iraq several times and successfully leading a public effort to have ISIS’ campaign of persecution declared  a genocide by Secretary of State John Kerry.

His advocacy for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East helped shape policy in both the Obama and Trump administrations, and he also helped play a role in forging a bipartisan legislative consensus on behalf of persecuted Christians and other victims of ISIS in the Middle East. Walther’s efforts included working with other governments and the UN as well as with Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders to end violence and persecution and bring relief to persecuted Christian communities.

“Andrew Walther has been a good friend and a trusted colleague for many years,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who is president of the U.S bishop’s conference and a longtime member of EWTN’s board of governors.

“Andrew is one of the Church’s finest strategic thinkers and a highly respected advocate for international religious liberty. All of this will serve him well as head of the world’s largest Catholic news organization. I wish him great success.”

While working closely over the years with many bishops, dioceses and Catholic organizations in North America, Walther also worked closely with the Vatican on several projects under both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

“Mother Angelica created a network dedicated to ‘the advancement of truth’ and Catholic news is a vital part of this mission,” Walther said Friday.

“I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated team of journalists at EWTN News to provide news from a Catholic perspective and to highlight important stories that might otherwise be overlooked.”

In addition to his roles in media and religious freedom advocacy, Walther also oversaw the Knights’ polling and book publishing operations, which included several New York Times bestsellers. Together with his wife, Maureen, he co-authored “The Knights of Columbus: An Illustrated History,” a book released this year.




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Logos Hope visits Myanmar as nation enters historic new chapter

The world’s largest floating book fair welcomes its five millionth visitor as the tour of Asia comes to a conclusion.




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Doulos: a platform for peace in Papua New Guinea

In 1999, national bitterness and divisions were set aside on board Doulos, which facilitated an historic reconciliation after conflict in the Pacific islands.




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Doctors and therapists point to Jesus

On a recent outreach to several towns in the Amazon jungle, OM Peru worked with the Presbyterian Church of Moyabamba and its annexes.




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The Best Business Messaging Apps for 2020

If the coronavirus breaks as bad we fear, a lot more people are going to be working from home. These business messaging apps can help teams stay in touch, and stay productive, even if they can't come in to the office.




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In new biography, Benedict XVI laments modern 'anti-Christian creed'

CNA Staff, May 4, 2020 / 11:45 am (CNA).- Modern society is formulating an “anti-Christian creed” and punishing those who resist it with “social excommunication,” Benedict XVI has said in a new biography, published in Germany May 4.

In a wide-ranging interview at the end of the 1,184-page book, written by German author Peter Seewald, the pope emeritus said the greatest threat facing the Church was a “worldwide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies.”

Benedict XVI, who resigned as pope in 2013, made the comment in response to a question about what he had meant at his 2005 inauguration, when he urged Catholics to pray for him “that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.”

He told Seewald that he was not referring to internal Church matters, such as the "Vatileaks" scandal, which led to the conviction of his personal butler, Paolo Gabriele, for stealing confidential Vatican documents. 

In an advanced copy of “Benedikt XVI - Ein Leben” (A Life), seen by CNA, the pope emeritus said: “Of course, issues such as ‘Vatileaks’ are exasperating and, above all, incomprehensible and highly disturbing to people in the world at large.”

“But the real threat to the Church and thus to the ministry of St. Peter consists not in these things, but in the worldwide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies, and to contradict them constitutes exclusion from the basic social consensus.”

He continued: “A hundred years ago, everyone would have thought it absurd to speak of homosexual marriage. Today whoever opposes it is socially excommunicated. The same applies to abortion and the production of human beings in the laboratory.”

“Modern society is in the process of formulating an ‘anti-Christian creed,’ and resisting it is punishable by social excommunication. The fear of this spiritual power of the Antichrist is therefore only too natural, and it truly takes the prayers of a whole diocese and the universal Church to resist it.”

The biography, issued by Munich-based publisher Droemer Knaur, is available only in German. An English translation, “Benedict XVI, The Biography: Volume One,” will be published in the U.S. on Nov. 17.

In the interview, the 93-year-old former pope confirmed that he had written a spiritual testament, which could be published after his death, as did Pope St. John Paul II.

Benedict said that he had fast-tracked the cause of John Paul II because of “the obvious desire of the faithful” as well as the example of the Polish pope, with whom he had worked closely for more than two decades in Rome.

He insisted that his resignation had “absolutely nothing” to do with the episode involving Paolo Gabriele, and explained that his 2010 visit to the tomb of Celestine V, the last pope to resign before Benedict XVI, was “rather coincidental.” He also defended the title “emeritus” for a retired pope.

Benedict XVI lamented the reaction to his various public comments since his resignation, citing criticism of his tribute read at the funeral of Cardinal Joachim Meisner in 2017, in which he said that God would prevent the ship of the Church from capsizing. He explained that his words were “taken almost literally from the sermons of St. Gregory the Great.”

Seewald asked the pope emeritus to comment on the “dubia” submitted by four cardinals, including Cardinal Meisner, to Pope Francis in 2016 regarding the interpretation of his apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia.

Benedict said that he did not want to comment directly, but referred to his last general audience, on Feb. 27, 2013.

Summing up his message that day, he  said: “In the Church, amid all the toils of humanity and the confusing power of the evil spirit, one will always be able to discern the subtle power of God's goodness.”

“But the darkness of successive historical periods will never allow the unadulterated joy of being a Christian ... There are always moments in the Church and in the life of the individual Christian in which one feels profoundly that the Lord loves us, and this love is joy, is ‘happiness’.”

Benedict said that he treasured the memory of his first meeting with the newly elected Pope Francis at Castel Gandolfo and that his personal friendship with his successor has continued to grow.

Author Peter Seewald has conducted four book-length interviews with Benedict XVI. The first, “Salt of the Earth,” was published in 1997, when the future pope was prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was followed by “God and the World” in 2002, and “Light of the World” in 2010.

In 2016, Seewald published “Last Testament,” in which Benedict XVI reflected on his decision to step down as pope.

Publisher Droemer Knaur said that Seewald had spent many hours talking to Benedict for the new book, as well as speaking to his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger and his personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.

In an interview with Die Tagespost April 30, Seewald said that he had shown the Pope Emeritus a few chapters of the book before publication. Benedict XVI, he added, had praised the chapter on Pope Pius XI’s 1937 encyclical Mit brennender Sorge.
 

 




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Therapy and Psychotropic Medication Use in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Guidelines suggest young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receive intensive nonpharmacologic interventions. Additionally, associated symptoms may be treated with psychotropic medications. Actual intervention use by young children has not been well characterized. Our aim in this study was to describe interventions received by young children (3–6 years old) with ASD. The association with sociodemographic factors was also explored.

METHODS:

Data were analyzed from the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN), a research registry of children with ASD from 17 sites in the United States and Canada. AS-ATN participants receive a diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendations. Parents report intervention use at follow-up visits. At follow-up, 805 participants had data available about therapies received, and 613 had data available about medications received.

RESULTS:

The median total hours per week of therapy was 5.5 hours (interquartile range 2.0–15.0), and only 33.4% of participants were reported to be getting behaviorally based therapies. A univariate analysis and a multiple regression model predicting total therapy time showed that a diagnosis of ASD before enrollment in the AS-ATN was a significant predictor. Additionally, 16.3% of participants were on ≥1 psychotropic medication. A univariate analysis and a multiple logistic model predicting psychotropic medication use showed site region as a significant predictor.

CONCLUSIONS:

Relatively few young children with ASD are receiving behavioral therapies or total therapy hours at the recommended intensity. There is regional variability in psychotropic medication use. Further research is needed to improve access to evidence-based treatments for young children with ASD.




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Anaerobic Necrotizing Pneumonia: Another Potential Life-threatening Complication of Vaping?

An adolescent girl with a history of frequent electronic cigarette use of nicotine was hospitalized with severe necrotizing pneumonia. Blood cultures obtained before the administration of empirical broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics had positive results for the growth of Fusobacterium necrophorum. The pathogen is an uncommon but well-known cause of anaerobic pneumonia with unique features that are collectively referred to as Lemierre syndrome or postanginal sepsis. The syndrome begins as a pharyngeal infection. Untreated, the infection progresses to involve the ipsilateral internal jugular vein, resulting in septic thrombophlebitis with direct spread from the neck to the lungs causing multifocal necrotizing pneumonia. The teenager we present in this report had neither a preceding pharyngeal infection nor Doppler ultrasonographic evidence for the presence of deep neck vein thrombi, leading us to explore alternative mechanisms for her pneumonia. We propose the possibility that her behavior of frequent vaping led to sufficient pharyngeal irritation such that F necrophorum colonizing her oropharynx was inhaled directly into her lungs during electronic cigarette use. Preexisting, but not yet recognized, vaping-related lung injury may have also contributed to her risk of developing the infection. The patient was hospitalized for 10 days. At follow-up one month later, she still became short of breath with minimal exertion.




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Eosinophilic Pneumonia and Lymphadenopathy Associated With Vaping and Tetrahydrocannabinol Use

Idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition that is defined by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and fever in the presence of pulmonary eosinophilia. It often presents acutely in previously healthy individuals and can be difficult to distinguish from infectious pneumonia. Although the exact etiology of idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia remains unknown, an acute hypersensitivity reaction to an inhaled antigen is suggested, which is further supported by recent public health risks of vaping (electronic cigarette) use and the development of lung disease. In this case, a patient with a year-long history of vaping in conjunction with tetrahydrocannabinol cartridge use who was diagnosed with idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia with associated bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy is described.




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