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Has interest in IndyCar's iRacing Challenge peaked? Latest broadcast takes ratings dive

After four races in its six-race iRacing Challenge, IndyCar fans may be starting to lose interest in the esports version of the sport.

       




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Tully: I'm taking a cancer break, but I'll be back

It's time for a short break to deal with some cancer issues. But I'll be back.

      




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Tully: 8 takeaways from Tuesday's primaries

A lot of interesting storylines emerged from Tuesday's primaries. Here are several of them.

       




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Take your Buick Roadmaster station wagon or Honda Civic on a drag race. Here's how.

For 15 years, Lucas Oil Raceway's Wild Wednesday has offered residents around Indianapolis the opportunity to drive fast, drag race — legally.

      




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Discover: Takaoka

On your way from Takaoka to the Vladivostok ferry? Take a look out the window: the name of the Himi train line means Ice-Watching.




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Colts cut losses, trade Quincy Wilson for sixth-round pick and take CB Isaiah Rodgers

Wilson flashed promise in Year 2 after being a second-round pick but was benched last season

       




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Taking a look back at Colts 2017 draft class and it's 'Pro Bowl-caliber' talent

They say it takes three years to evaluate a draft class. How does the Colts 2017 class look three years later?

       




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Obama 2012 takes off as rivals 'hit treacle'

The 2012 presidential race is on. Kinda.

At the moment, it feels more like a wade through treacle - so slow is the pace of President Barack Obama's opponents. Mr Obama can be unambiguous that he is going to run because they are all showing varying degrees of hesitancy.

If the president is to get back into the White House he has to leap a number of obstacles: an economy that is so sluggish that there are constant worries it could go backwards and supporters who may be unenthusiastic about sending more troops to Afghanistan, bombing Libya and failing to close Guantanamo Bay prison. There is also huge uncertainly in the country about health care and much more we will be looking at in detail.

But the strength of opposition doesn't seem, at the moment, a particularly high hurdle.  To British eyes, the primary system is one of the most curious parts of American politics.

The elite of British political parties have only grudgingly and slowly given the power of choosing their own leader. The principle of "one member, one vote" has been slow in coming. 

Elections for leaders rarely grip in the same way as American internal elections. While any American can easily register as a Republican or Democrat and have their say about who represents them, in Britain being a party member still seems an effort of will.

Twenty-five pounds ($40) per year may not be much to play your part in conservative politics in Britain, £12 may be a bargain to have a say in the Lib Dems and it's only a penny (for those under 27) to join the Labour Party - but it still costs something.

There's a feeling that being interested in who becomes your PM or MP isn't enough. You have to be willing to sit in draughty village halls on wet Wednesdays listening.  

The biggest difference is perhaps not in just who is involved, but how late in the political cycle the choice is made. This has a real impact. Every party leader, good or bad, has an image, policy likes and dislikes and personal ticks that colour voters approach to the parties as a whole.

The British public has years to get to know Ed Miliband and decide what to think about him leading a Labour government. Here in the US, the opposition is currently either faceless or hydra-headed. There is no obvious front-runner, and any prediction about who will be the Republican candidate in 2012 is nothing more than an informed guess.

Mr Obama v Michele Bachmann would be quite a different contest to Mr Obama v John Huntsman. 

Republicans get to choose, late in the day, exactly what they want their party to stand for.

The influence of the Tea Party suggests any candidate will be economically conservative, but beyond that, it is impossible to predict very much. The candidates are so unenthusiastic about firing the starting gun, the first big debate at the Reagan library in California has been put back from next month to the autumn.

Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann and Donald Trump seem almost certain to have a go. Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, John Huntsman and Mitch Daniels seem less sure bets. And, of course, there are plenty of other names out there.

Mr Obama is starting the race now to make sure that whoever challenges him, his organisation will be ramped up and ready, with big bucks at its command.




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Taking a closer look at where Notre Dame football players may land in 2021 NFL draft

NFL draft analyst Scott Wright takes a closer look at the Fighting Irish roster and 2021 draft hopefuls.

       




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'We are finished': Takeout and delivery isn't sustaining Indianapolis restaurants

Indianapolis restaurant owners report up to 80% sales declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they expect numbers to keep falling.

      




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Indiana will distribute new federal unemployment benefits. It will just take time.

Indiana will issue unemployment benefits to workers who do not typically qualify. But distributing new federal stimulus money will take time.

       




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Planning Mother's Day brunch? Here are 25-plus restaurants with takeout deals near Indianapolis

Several Indianapolis-area restaurants are offering brunch deals and takeout specials to help mom relax and stay out of the kitchen on Mother's Day.

       




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Bar and brewery owners take wait-and-see approach to returning to normal business

After coronavirus restrictions are lifted, Indianapolis bars and breweries will face challenges in terms of short-term staffing and long-term survival

       




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Skeletons are taking over Franklin. And tibia honest, they're kinda cute.

The Franklin Skeleton Crew is connecting small businesses with the community in an unconventional way.

      




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Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers announces he has Parkinson's disease. Vows to take it 'head-on.'

Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers announced Friday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder.

      




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It will take more than a $23M expansion to solve Johnson County's jail problem

The Johnson County jail will soon undergo a $23 million expansion to ease overcrowding. The jail could need yet another expansion after that.

      




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Sam Hunt, Filmore and Canaan Smith take the Legends Day stage at IMS

      




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Even after some misses, Butler still taking swings at transfer shooters

The Bulldogs missed out Saturday on a couple of transfers: Louisiana-Monroe's Michael Ertel to UAB and Santa Clara's Trey Wertz to Notre Dame.

       




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England's physical disability cricket team takes on running challenge

England's physical disability cricketers have taken on an energy-sapping challenge - they are running a collective marathon each day for 10 days.




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James Maddison, Phil Foden & Jofra Archer take part in Fifa tournament

James Maddison is unstoppable against former team-mate Callum Wilson while Jofra Archer suffers a last-gasp defeat on day three of the Premier League Fifa invitational.




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L.A. County and the Bay Area take a conservative approach as California eases stay-at-home rules

With parts of the California economy poised to reopen Friday, cities will be taking it slow over concerns that COVID-19 remains a significant threat.




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Coronavirus: Israeli drag queens take show online under lockdown

With theatres closed, Tal Kalai and Yuval Edelman streamed performances online – and ended up on TV.




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Coronavirus: Lang Lang on taking part in all-star concert

The pianist joins over 100 artists performing live from home to support front-line workers tackling the coronavirus outbreak.




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1964: President Kaunda takes power in Zambia

Zambia is the ninth African state to gain independence from the British crown.




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Coronavirus: Why Denmark is taking steps to open up again

Danish schools will reopen soon, but curbs will only be lifted gradually.




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Coronavirus: Should I start taking vitamin D?

Some people might want to consider it during the pandemic. Here's why.




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Coronavirus: Chinese state media take aim at US 'lab theory'

State media says US claims that the coronavirus originated in a research laboratory are "absurd".




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Forests 'can take cover to resist alien invaders'

Native woodlands can resist the spread of invasive species if they block light reaching the ground.





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Gadgets taking inspiration from science fiction

Though the watch was invented centuries ago and cars 100 years ago, it has not stopped innovators trying to improve existing gadgets.




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‘Black Mesa’: A painstaking recreation of ‘Half-Life’ that’s easy on the eyes

In keeping with the best video game remakes, “Black Mesa” is a perfect complement to your rose-tinted memories, with modern-day graphics and extensive level design tweaks.




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346 new coronavirus deaths in the UK, taking total to 31,587

Another 346 people have died in the UK after testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 31,587.




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Week 13 NFL betting tips: Redskins' playoff odds look grim, but Ravens are taking off

Baltimore has a good chance at nine wins with 10 and possibly 11 wins within reach.




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Fantasy Football start/sit tips Week 13: Backup running backs take center stage

If you were relying on Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette to help you this week you’re going to need a back up plan.




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A blockbuster Facebook office deal is a make-or-break moment for the future of commercial real estate. 3 leasing experts lay out the stakes.

  • Facebook has been in negotiations for months to lease over 700,000 square feet at the Farley Building on Manhattan's West Side. 
  • Office leasing activity in the city has plummeted, giving the blockbuster deal even more importance as a sign of life in a suddenly lethargic market.
  • The coronavirus has spurred a deep downturn in the economy that is already being felt in the city's commercial real-estate market, prompting a big slowdown in leasing activity.  
  • The rapid expansion of tech in recent years has propelled the city's office market. Real estate execs say that Facebook's big deal is a key barometer. 
  • The crisis also raises questions whether tenants will ever occupy office space the same way as companies and their workforces around the world grow familiar with remote work. 
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Leasing activity in New York City's multi-billion-dollar commercial office market has dropped precipitously as the coronavirus has battered the market and raised questions of when — and even if — tenants can return to the workplace in a post-Covid world.

Amid the growing concerns the crisis will smother what had been robust demand for office space, eyes in the city's real estate industry have turned to a pending blockbuster deal on the West Side that could offer a signal of confidence to the market.

Facebook is in talks to take over 700,000 square feet of space in the Farley Building, a block-long property across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station.

"If that deal happens, then this market will be just fine," said Peter Riguardi, the New York area chairman and president of JLL. "If the deal happens but it's renegotiated, it will be fine, but it will be a trend that every tenant can follow. And if it doesn't happen, I would be very concerned about the market."

Read More: Inside the drama over control of the iconic Chrysler Building: A real-estate tycoon and a prestigious college are renegotiating a critical $150 million deal.

Facebook's NYC real-estate footprint

Last year, Facebook signed on for 1.5 million square feet in the Hudson Yards mega-development just west of the Farley Building, taking space in three new office towers at the project.

For months the $600 billion Silicon Valley-based social media giant has been in negotiations for even more space at the nearby Farley Building, whose interior landlord Vornado Realty Trust is redeveloping to include newly built office and retail space.

Vornado had originally expected to complete the deal with Facebook in early March, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The talks have continued on as the virus pandemic has brought commerce and social life to a virtual halt. The source expected the lease, which will commit Facebook to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in rent for the space over the life of the lease, to soon be completed.

In a conference call with investors and analysts on Tuesday to discuss Vornado's first-quarter earnings, the company's CEO Steve Roth also hinted that the Facebook deal was still on track.

"There's another large tenant that has been rumored to be that we've been in dialogue with," Roth said, not directly naming the company. "That conversation is going forward aggressively and hopefully maybe even almost complete."

Rapid growth in Big Tech leasing before coronavirus

Recent real-estate decisions by Facebook and other tech companies have worried real-estate executives that they may reconsider their footprint after years of dramatic growth. Facebook on Thursday revealed that the bulk of its over 40,000-person workforce will be asked to work remotely for the remainder of the year, a timeline that appears to show the company is using caution in returning to its footprint.

Read More: Neiman Marcus just filed for bankruptcy, and it could mark a major blow to NYC's glitzy Hudson Yards — one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history. Here's why.

Real-estate executives have expressed concern that tenants may become accustomed to offloading a portion or even the bulk of their workforce to a remote-working model, leading them to drastically reduce their office commitments.

At a minimum, the economic upheaval has appeared to spur a newfound sense of caution in tech companies that have grown rapidly in recent years. Alphabet called off negotiations to expand its San Francisco offices by over 2 million square feet in recent weeks, according to a report from The Information.  

Tech has been a big driver of demand for office space

In recent years the tech industry had become one of the most voracious takers of space in the city, helping to push up commercial rents and spur the construction of new office space.

In 2019, tech firms accounted for 24.5% of the 31.6 million square feet of leasing activity in Manhattan, eclipsing the financial industry as the city's biggest space-taking sector for the first time, according to data from the real estate services and brokerage firm CBRE.

In 2010 tech leasing comprised just 4% of the 24.2 million square feet that was leased in the Manhattan market that year, CBRE said.

"Nothing has buoyed the confidence of landlords more in recent years than tech tenants," said Sacha Zarba, a leasing executive at CBRE who specializes in working with tech firms. "It didn't matter where your building was. If it was attractive to tech, you would stand a good chance to lease your space. If that industry retrenches a bit, it removes a big driver of demand."

The Manhattan office market has slowed rapidly in recent weeks as the virus crisis has battered the economy and shut down daily life.

About 844,000 square feet of space was leased in Manhattan in April, according to CBRE, 64% lower than the five-year monthly average. In the first four months of the year, nearly seven million square feet was leased, a decline of 30% for the same period a year ago. 

So far, however, there are signs that tech continues to snap up space.

After scuttling plans to develop a 25,000 person second headquarters space in Long Island City last year, Amazon purchased 424 Fifth Avenue, a former flagship department store for Lord & Taylor, for nearly $1 billion in March. That property totals about 660,000 square feet. Late last year, before the pandemic hit U.S. shores but had flared in China, Amazon also leased 335,000 square feet at 410 Tenth Avenue.

The commitments of major tech companies absorb millions of square feet in the city, but they also help fuel a larger ecosystem of tenants that occupies an even larger footprint. That means that a decrease in the real estate of just a few big tech players could be multiplied across the market as smaller players in the sector follow suit.

"Those big tech firms do a fantastic job of training and credentialing tech talent on the city," said Matt Harrigan, a co-founder of Company, a space incubator at 335 Madison Avenue that provides offices and community for both startups and more established tech firms. "Google and Facebook spin off talent who start or join other tech ventures that take space. That's what's so important about having the large presence of those companies here."

Have a tip? Contact Daniel Geiger at dgeiger@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 352-2884, or Twitter DM at @dangeiger79. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: What to expect when you're back in the office: 7 real-estate experts break down what the transition will look like, and why the workplace may never be the same

SEE ALSO: Major tenants are delaying big leases in NYC as they re-think their office space needs for the post-coronavirus world

SEE ALSO: As WeWork and flex-space rivals stumble, 18 million square feet of space in NYC is at risk. Here's what that means for the real-estate market.

SEE ALSO: BI Prime Edit in Viking Neiman Marcus just filed for bankruptcy, and it could mark a major blow to NYC's glitzy Hudson Yards — one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history. Here's why.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button




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Softbank-backed delivery startup Rappi is testing out robots for contactless delivery — take a look

  • Colombian delivery app Rappi is testing pilot robot deliveries in Colombia.
  • Rappi operates in several Latin American countries, and last year SoftBank invested one billion dollars into the startup.
  • Deliveries are made using Kiwibot, a delivery robot from a Colombian owned company in California.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Colombian delivery app Rappi is yet another company turning to robots to reduce reliance on human workers during the coronavirus pandemic. 

In addition to Colombia, Rappi operates in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil. Last spring, SoftBank invested $1 billion — one-fifth of its Innovation Fund for Latin America — in the startup. It was founded in 2015, and other investors include Sequoia Capital, Andreesen Horowitz, and Y Combinator.

Colombia is currently under a lockdown set to end in May, though it may be extended again. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported on the lack of coronavirus testing throughout Latin America, making it difficult to assess how widespread the virus is in the region.

Like in other countries, the Colombian delivery app is using robots to complete orders at a time when people are at risk of catching the virus from interacting with others. So far, the robots are part of a pilot in Medellin, with potential to expand.

Here's what it looks like. 

SEE ALSO: Nonprofits, truck drivers, food banks, and others are turning to a little-known Google Maps feature to navigate life amid the coronavirus pandemic

Rappi is using robots for deliveries in Medellin, the capital of Colombia.



Typically, Rappi works similarly to GrubHub or DoorDash, with delivery drivers picking up orders and bringing them to customers' doors.



As the coronavirus spread between people, options for contactless delivery became more popular.



Deliveries in the pilot program use Kiwibot robots, from a California company with a Medellin office.



The four-wheeled delivery robots have orange flags to call attention from walkers, drivers, and bikers.



Customers stuck at home because of the coronavirus can order and pay for meals digitally, and then last mile delivery is completed by the robots.



Robots can carry deliveries up to five square inches in size, and are disinfected between orders.

Source: The Star



Kiwibots have a stereo camera system to sense its surroundings as it moves.



The sensor system allows it to react to lights and obstacles.



Kiwibots are equipped with corner recognition, which allows them to create safe paths on sidewalks.



Kiwibot emphasized its robots ability to "seamlessly mesh into the fabric of urban landscapes," with technology like street crossing mode.

Source: Kiwibot



Rappi says it completes about 120 deliveries each day with the 15 robots in the pilot area.

Source: The Star



It plans to run the program until July, and then potentially expand to other cities.



Kiwibots have previously been used for deliveries at colleges including UC Berkeley, and Kiwibot says it has made more than 30,000 deliveries since it started in 2017.

Source: The New York Times






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Cory Booker and his ‘boo,’ Rosario Dawson, take their relationship on the campaign trail

Low-key no longer: The presidential candidate and his actress girlfriend appeared together at public events over the holiday weekend.




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11 Costly Cruise Mistakes

Discover the 11 Costly Cruise Mistakes that cruise passengers make most often, And how you can avoid making them. Drawing on the 73 cruises I have done to date, and the mistakes that I either made or seen other cruisers make, this is the list of things you need to be aware of to make sure you do not waste money, spend too much or have to fork out a lot of extra money when cruising.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL BY:
Buying my Cruise T-shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore
Booking your next cruise with CRUISEDIRECT.COM: http://bit.ly/TFTBookCruise


Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.

Follow Tips For Travellers on:
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge




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Worst Cruise Packing Mistakes

What are the 9 worst cruise packing mistakes cruisers can (and Do) Make? I discuss the main things that cruise passengers get wrong when packing for their cruise vacation, along with watch-outs and things to be careful of based on where you are cruising to.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL BY:
Buying my Cruise T-shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore
Booking your next cruise with CRUISEDIRECT.COM: http://bit.ly/TFTBookCruise


Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.

Follow Tips For Travellers on:
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge




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The far left is taking a page from its opponents’ playbook

They have big dreams, but the plans aren’t backed up.




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12 Free Web Development Courses to Take While in Self-Isolation

It’s rather unfortunate that the best some of us can do in a time of a global pandemic is to stay at home in order to help. Quarantines for that matter, are tough challenges for the regular person. However, they don’t have to feel like an unproductive slog, why not treat yourself to some self-improvement […]

The post 12 Free Web Development Courses to Take While in Self-Isolation appeared first on SpyreStudios.




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oscon: Just 1 week left to take advantage of #OSCON early registration prices. Register by 6/6 to save http://t.co/E0JKpcj1Rp #opensource

oscon: Just 1 week left to take advantage of #OSCON early registration prices. Register by 6/6 to save http://t.co/E0JKpcj1Rp #opensource




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How Can We Take Advantage of Reading–Writing Relationships?

Teacher question: Everyone says reading and writing are connected. But our school focuses on only reading. We have a reading program (we don’t have a writing program). We test the students three times a year in reading, but never in writing. Writing isn’t even on our report card, though I guess it is part of Language Arts. What should we be doing with writing? Shanahan's response: You came to the right place. I think your school is making a big mistake not giving sufficient attention to writing.




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Fin24.com | Blue Label hopeful of Cell C's prospects - despite its stake sitting at R0

Blue Label Telecoms wrote down its entire stake at Cell C in 2019. And after calling in a valuation specialist, its value remained at R0 in the first half of the group's 2020 financial year.




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How Can We Take Advantage of Reading–Writing Relationships?

Teacher question: Everyone says reading and writing are connected. But our school focuses on only reading. We have a reading program (we don’t have a writing program). We test the students three times a year in reading, but never in writing. Writing isn’t even on our report card, though I guess it is part of Language Arts. What should we be doing with writing? Shanahan's response: You came to the right place. I think your school is making a big mistake not giving sufficient attention to writing.




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7 Common Negotiation Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs

Many often consider negotiation an arduous task, as it involves having conversations with people, where both parties are doing their best to protect personal interests. Going over negotiations while maintaining relationships remains relevant to businesses and investments. It hardly comes easy to conclude a negotiation that keeps both parties happy, while overlooking small processes may […]

The post 7 Common Negotiation Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs appeared first on ReadWrite.




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WIB Vulnerability: Sim-Card that Allows Hackers to Takeover Phones

In the past, we’ve all witnessed sim-jacking attacks that allow a hacker to impersonate the targeted victim to steal the phone number. Hackers can gain access to unauthorized information related to the victim using the vulnerability, ‘SimJacker’ was that vulnerability. Recently there’s a similar vulnerability that has popped up, which uses the same SMS-technology to […]

The post WIB Vulnerability: Sim-Card that Allows Hackers to Takeover Phones appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Pro Tip: What it takes to build high-quality links

You have to invest real time into earning links from high-authority sites by doing your own research and digital public relations.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.




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Hotfile sues Warner Bros., claims wrongful takedowns

Warner Bros. systematically abused an automated takedown system provided by Hotfile, the file host claims in a countersuit against the studio. The claims made by Hotfile include information on the behind-the-scenes actions taken by Hollywood to enforce its rights against file sharing on cloud file hosts. Continue reading on NewTeeVee.


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News24.com | Take leftist posturing over DA leadership contest with a shaker of salt

After Mmusi Maimane's resignation as DA leader, Buccus recycled the madcap mutterings of Herman Mashaba, warning that the DA had been captured by the "right-wing zealots of the Institute of Race Relations".