In this episode of On the Evidence, Cindy Hu, a Mathematica data scientist, discusses the prevalence of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in our drinking water, as well as their health implications and ways to address them through public policy.

By using an enterprise risk management approach, state Medicaid agencies can meet new federal program integrity requirements, serve more clients, improve the quality of care, and contain costs.

Too many conversations about the promise of using data to drive decisions lead with new steps, new requirements, new resource needs, and new expectations that are simply out of reach for too many. It doesn’t have to be that way.

We can’t expect policymakers, program administrators, and practitioners to stumble upon new evidence (let alone slog their way through multiple field-specific academic journals). As an evidence community, we have to do more to show them the way to research-based insights.

We are living in unprecedented times. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, more than 130 countries have closed schools entirely, impacting 80 percent of the world’s student population.

The unfortunate truth about crises is that they tend to reveal longstanding problems that we chose to ignore—because we could, or at least thought we could.

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GlaxoSmithKline is selling $3.45 billion worth of shares in Unilever's Indian business on the open market, one of the bookrunners organising the transaction said. The 5.7% stake in Hindustan Unilever, now put on the market, was accepted by GSK as payment for the sale of malted drink brand Horlicks and other nutrition brands to Unilever, agreed in late 2018.

These were your favorite studies on this topic.

If you are not promoting your business on social media, you are asleep at the wheel. Here is what eight social media masters and Advisors in The Oracles told us about the channels and tactics that impact their businesses most.

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With social media engagement hovering below 0.1%, networks showing more ads than ever, and organic social visibility in a continuous decline, social media does not seem like the lucrative marketing channel it once was.

However, user bases are growing, customers are using social to interact with brands, and most importantly, social is having an impact on purchasing decisions.

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Smith had a Twitter meltdown this morning in response to some relatively gentle and polite criticism from me. Smith is a perfectly respectable journalist in his day job — a purveyor of tediously predictable received opinion, to be sure, but there is room for all kinds. Online, he is transformed through the emotional alchemy of Twitter into a deranged, masturbatory, feces-flinging rage monkey straight from Hell’s own zoo. He is, amusingly enough, so enraged that he cannot even get straight what he himself has written.

I hope readers will forgive the brief point-by-point here. I promise it adds up to something.

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Once you have decided to invest in social media marketing, your next key challenge is to decide which platforms you should be focused on.

This used to be relatively easy - you started a Facebook Page, set-up a Twitter profile, and then added others over time. But now, things have changed. Instagram is a much bigger consideration, Facebook's dwindling organic reach means it may be less of a priority, Twitters algorithm changes the equation, and LinkedIn's seeing more traffic. Pinterest, too, is on the rise, while if you're going to create video content, then YouTube definitely should be on your radar.

But you can not be active on all of them all the time - so which platforms are right for your business and marketing efforts?

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Predicting the future of social media is always fun.

Emerging platforms, secured patents, new tactics and demographic shifts are just a few things to consider when making a prediction.

So, what is next with social media as we look ahead to 2020? Here are four big predictions on the future of social media in 2020.

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1. Plan a content strategy and create an editorial calendar for your social channels.
Marketers are sometimes at a loss at what to post on social media.

Successful social media marketing doesn't happen on accident -- there's a strategy in place, just as there is with a blog.

Look at the big picture and come up with social content that will resonate with your audience.

Map out seasonal content, as well as content related to events or launches your company is planning.

Work closely with your editorial and marketing teams to know what's coming down the pipeline and strategize the best ways to promote it.

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A sound, effective strategy involves these four steps.

A whopping 3.2 billion people, or 42% of the world's population, uses social media. On average, people spend over two hours of their day messaging and surfing social media networks.

After having a positive experience with a brand on social media, 71% of people will often recommend the brand to their friends and family. On top of that, 49% of people are taking their cues on what to buy from social media influencers.

Based on these statistics, it's crucial for businesses to have a solid social media marketing strategy in place. Unfortunately, many business owners have no idea how to handle social media marketing.

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The method of getting your podcast out to the world might not be the way you think.

Unlike most popular forms of online content, podcasts utilize a form of forbidden arcane knowledge; an ancient method of internet distribution discussed in hushed tones and under furtive glances as really simple syndication or RSS for short.

Learning how to make your own podcast-only RSS feed is a crucial element for any successful show.

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Updating your brand bio can be a great, simple way to boost engagement, especially heading into the new year. Your profile bio can play a key role in perception, and in driving subsequent action, so it is worth reviewing your details and ensuring that everything is as you want it.

Writing a Great Social Media Bio for Your Brand [Infographic]

None of us are getting out of this alive. With the advent of consumer tech and the internet, you can now make your wishes known in a myriad of ways. For starters, if you are wondering where’s the best place to make sure your loved ones follow your will directives and have access to your passwords, you can do this online.

Specialty sites can store all your important documents from wills, trusts and passwords to your funeral preferences. While most sites are subscription-based, there is a free option that is HIPPA-compliant with secured bank-level encryption.

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If you are a hard-core Slack user, you might find yourself spending more time within the confines of that collaboration tool than any other. If that's the case, why not get your news there as well? Sound like something you might want or need? If so, it is a good thing Slack allows the addition of RSS feeds.

complete article

The method of getting your podcast out to the world might not be the way you think.

Unlike most popular forms of online content, podcasts utilize a form of forbidden arcane knowledge; an ancient method of internet distribution discussed in hushed tones and under furtive glances as really simple syndication or RSS for short.

Learning how to make your own podcast-only RSS feed is a crucial element for any successful show. Feel free to jump to a section of your choosing if you’re looking for something in particular:

What is a podcast-only RSS feed?
Why you need a podcast-only RSS feed
How to craft a podcast-only RSS feed
How to switch to a podcast-only RSS feed

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One of the unwritten rules of Instagram management is to create a cohesive feed. The posts you upload on the platform should be logical in terms of visual concept, timing, captions, and hashtags.

But consistency isn’t something that can be accomplished overnight. You need to take time and think through each caption, the relevance of tags, the whole grid layout style and posting frequency. To streamline this process and plan your Instagram posts and stories, you can use Combin Scheduler, a tool for Instagram content planning.

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These days, your boss can be watching your Instagram stories or liking your posts. Social media blurs the line between work and personal life. While this can bring you closer to your team, it also adds pressure as any faux pas may affect your role or office dynamics. To explore the effects of ones social profiles on their career, WhoIsHostingThis, wanting to quantify what constitutes digital hoarding, the extent to which people do so, and the potential privacy risks of this behavior, asked over 900 employees, and the findings were interesting:

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The SEO landscape is very dynamic. Sure, some things stay the same: put relevant keywords in your titles, make it a priority to optimize for mobile users, etc.

But other things continue changing in a never-ending spiral. This year, Google, along with other huge platforms, is trying more and more to be the end destination of their users journeys.

This, more than anything, defines major SEO trends for 2020.

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A 2019 study by the Pew Research Center showed that 51% of the people surveyed said they were uncomfortable with being tracked and categorized by Facebook.

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If you are a hard-core Slack user, you might find yourself spending more time within the confines of that collaboration tool than any other. If thats the case, why not get your news there as well? Sound like something you might want or need? If so, it is a good thing Slack allows the addition of RSS feeds.

With this feature, you can always be up to date on your favorite topic-specific RSS feed from within your favorite Slack workspace. It is a one-two punch of efficiency. If that sounds like something you might want, lets see how it is done.


The only things you will need to make this work are: An RSS feed to follow and a Slack workspace that allows you to install apps. If your workspace doesn't allow the installation of apps, reach out to the Slack admin for your company or team and see if they can install the app for you.


The easiest way of installing apps on Slack is either via the desktop app or the web-based interface. The good news is that, no matter which route you take for installation, the RSS feed will show up on your workspace, no matter if you're using the desktop app, the web-based interface, or the mobile app.

1. Open the Slack desktop app
2. Click the + button under Apps
3. In the resulting window, type RSS and hit Enter on your keyboard.
4. Click the Install button associated with the resulting RSS app listing.
5. When your default browser opens, click Add To Slack and then click Allow.

Our stress levels are at an all-time high right now, which means our attentiveness to our own self-care should be, too—especially those of us with wanderlust. Traveling from the living room to the kitchen and back is no one’s ideal of a vacation, yet here we are. On top of that, our social media platforms seem determined to remind us of better days: Hey, look where you were a year ago today! blares Facebook, serving up a photo of a gorgeous beach or other getaway spot much more alluring than the permanent butt-groove you have formed in your couch.

For many of us, looking back on our travels past is not doing us much good at the moment. Luckily, there are a few methods to keep them from showing up in your social media feeds.

When most people talk about social media, they are usually referring to platforms like Facebook or Instagram, but rarely think of LinkedIn as part of the vast array of social media platforms available.

We tend to assume that LinkedIn is not such a valuable place to be and often, even businesses make this mistake, assuming that it would be far more beneficial to focus on their presence on Twitter, for example. There is a logic behind this – LinkedIn is a place for businesses, but I’m looking to advertise to real people, and they are going to be on other, more laid-back platforms, so I might as well go there, too.

This logic is flawed. Why? We are just about to show you.

On LinkedIn, you can build your brand.
This is true both for individuals looking to expand their job potential, and for businesses wanting to grow their brand. As an individual, where can a possible employer find you? On Facebook or Instagram. But do you really want them to see that snapshot of you in your undies at the beach, or the dirty joke you posted last night?

Probably not. These are personal details about you that chip away at your professional brand.

The method of getting your podcast out to the world might not be the way you think.

Unlike most popular forms of online content, podcasts utilize a form of forbidden arcane knowledge; an ancient method of internet distribution discussed in hushed tones and under furtive glances as really simple syndication or RSS for short.

First of all, we need to draw a critical distinction between traditional RSS feeds and podcast-only RSS feeds. An RSS feed is a format of internet file that can contain any sort of content, while the podcast-only variety is, unsurprisingly restricted to only podcasts.

A podcast-only RSS feed is a subtype of the internet file type known as RSS. This file can be easily distributed to a variety of different directories that updates the displayed content in real time alongside changes made by the creator.

This format restriction is what allows podcast directories to so easily display and showcase new content; everything that is submitted is, from a technical standpoint, completely identical!

After years of usage, your WordPress database can contain weird characters, be filled with data you don’t need anymore, and so on. In this article, you will learn about SQL queries to clean up your WordPress database. Two things to note: First, any of these queries should be preceded by a backup of your whole …

Useful SQL Queries To Clean Up Your WordPress Database Read More »

Four global funds have submitted non-binding bids of ₹4,800-5,000 crore valuation. Final bids are likely to be in by June-end. The company had hired investment bank Avendus to find a buyer for the promoter’s stake.

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Congregations and pastoral candidates are adapting the hiring process and getting to know each other online.

Phillip Bethancourt’s kids aren’t convinced other children actually live in College Station, Texas. They moved from Nashville a few weeks ago for their dad’s new job as pastor of Central Church, but because of the coronavirus shutdowns, the four boys have yet to go school, make friends in the neighborhood, or meet the kids at their new church.

Bethancourt too is living in his own strange parallel reality, preaching to a video camera in an empty auditorium and waiting for a congregation he hasn’t seen to officially vote him in. If all goes as planned on Sunday, he’ll become a lead pastor for the first time while his flock is still social distancing.

“Nothing matches the opportunity to be with people in person,” said Bethancourt, who left his job as vice president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to pursue the call at Central Church. “But I would say the process we’ve been using so far is the best substitute we can create.”

Several other pastors and churches are in the same predicament, caught in the process of applying, interviewing, and onboarding during the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is not the time to be without a pastor,” said William Vanderbloemen, who runs a consulting agency that helps Christian organizations with hiring. His phone has been “ringing off the hook” with churches wanting to get serious about their pastoral search.

Many have decided to forge ahead with the process despite the unique challenges of social restrictions and shutdowns due to the pandemic. Several congregations, including high-profile megachurches Moody Church and Willow Creek Community Church, were in the midst of leadership transitions and have named ...

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