Category Archives: Fiscal Freedom

On the 23rd of April 2020 on the day of a critical meeting of the European Council President Giscard dEstaing together with leading representatives from the World of politics, academia and civil society from the Board of Re-Imagine Europa call European leaders to show courage and ambition.

The article was published on Re-Imagine Europa website and across Europe in some of the leading newspapers (to access the published article click on the link of the newspaper): Le Soir (Belgium), Euractiv (Brussels), LOpinion (France), Die Welt (Germany), La Repubblica (Italy), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Rzeczpospolita (Poland), Pblico (Portugal), DennikN (Slovakia), El Pas (Spain), La Vanguardia (Spain).

The past months have seen the World and Europe confronted with the Covid-19 pandemic a global health crisis whose management remains, for the moment, national and intergovernmental. This is hardly surprising seeing that the European Union only has supporting powers in the area of public health and is limited to encourage as best it can Member States to coordinate among themselves. Should the EU have stronger powers in this area? What will we learn from this pandemic?

The current situation forces us to start a deeper reflection on how the EU is functioning: is our system still adapted to challenges of today?

In the past weeks, citizens across Europe have demonstrated the resilience that resides within our society. Patients in cross-border regions have been transferred from one country to another, health workers have been able to work in the areas where they were most needed. Scientists working together have in a couple of weeks been able to achieve results that normally take months. This concrete solidarity demonstrates that European cooperation exists, and we are all realising that only if we join efforts, we could get out of this crisis.

The paradox of today is that we know we need a stronger, more resilient European Union, yet the crises of the past decade have created nationalist reactions that complicate any additional efforts towards real solutions. We are aware that recent decades have eroded a lot of the trust between European citizens, but we hope that the spirit of cooperation and unity will prevail.

Solidarity is the cornerstone of our Union, and it has an even bigger role to play in times of crisis to prove its strength and that it is not just empty words. As Europeans, we need to understand that this is not a zero-sum game; we win or lose together. A critical European Council meeting will be held today, the 23rd of April. We do not have time for hesitation or reluctance. We call for European leaders to demonstrate the courage to speak with one voice to provide all the necessary help to the countries worst hit by the coronavirus! We propose that in the future, in the event of a pandemic, the powers to coordinate public health actions be transferred to the European level. In this coordinated European frame, all other levels, national, regional and local have their responsibilities. This might require some adjustments to the Treaties, but it will be necessary to cope with a disease on a continental scale.

For the current crisis, some strong decisions must be made. It is not about pooling past debts but the debt that will be created in order to respond to the challenges created by Covid19. Ultimately, a European Treasury for the integrated area should manage the borrowing needs of states.

The 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework should also be revised upwards to become a more powerful instrument of solidarity and adapted to emergency situations like this one.

The Emergency Response Coordination Center, that directs aid in the form of expertise, relief materials or civil protection teams to the affected countries, must be fully operational, medical research better coordinated at European level, as well as the collection and interpretation of epidemiological data.

When this pandemic finally ends, it will leave significant scars in society. Thousands of people will have lost their lives, and our economic system will be severely disrupted. We need to take this opportunity to reimagine our economic and social system to be fairer, more sustainable and resilient. This is an essential step!

It implies that we need to encourage and improve the agility in decision-making and action deployment gained in the past months. We have been able to build hospitals and medical equipment in a couple of days when normally bureaucratic procedures hinder any creative process. The European Union, with its value-based community of 446 million citizens could and should be an active force in this change.

Imagine what our economy could look like if we stopped competing fiscally with one another? If we stood united, large tech firms would not be able to shirk their responsibilities and avoid paying taxes. We could close the loopholes that our current system allows and reimagine a system where everyone contributes, and the burden does not fall unfairly on the shoulders of the households or small companies. A system that boosts employment as opposed to taxing it. A precise timetable should be proposed for this fiscal unification in Europe.

In a world that is falling back into the temptation of power struggles, in Beijing, Washington, Moscow, Delhi and Ankara, we Europeans must defend these values that we know to be universal. Our European Union is a Union of values, based on the dignity of the human being, freedom, democracy, rule of law and peace. This is unique in the World. Only by giving Europe a full political dimension can we build the society of tomorrow and prevent the World from falling back into the tragic mistakes of the past.

The newly elected European Parliament and European Commission must prove ready to help us in this shift.

Covid19 has made us realise that we need new ideas to overcome the current challenges and adapt to the global, digital, and highly mobile World we live in today.

Europe is an idea and a project that belongs to us all. For it to be successful, we must cast aside negative views political bias, personal ego and the fear of change to name but a few and, relying on the foundations of our history, believe in the hope of building one of the great civilisations of the 21st century.

Valry Giscard dEstaing, Former President of France, former President of the European Convention, Founder and President of Re-Imagine Europa France

Dr Magdalena Adamowicz,Member of the European Parliament, Founder of the international coalition Imagine Theres No Hate (#ITNH) Poland

Ms Carina Autengruber, President of the European Youth Forum

Mr Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and Vice President of the European Movement International Italy

Mr Elmar Brok, former Member of the European Parliament and President of the European Federalists Germany

Professor Manuel Castells, Minister for University of the Spanish Government and Professor of Sociology Spain

Mr tienne Davignon, former Vice-President of the European Commission and President of Friends of Europe Belgium

Prof. Paolo De Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former Minister of Agriculture of Italy Italy

Mr Giovanni Fosti, President of Fondazione Cariplo, Italy

Mr Alain Lamassoure, former Member of the European Parliament France

Mr Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po in Paris and the founder of the Scuola di Politiche in Italy Italy

Ms Irene Milleiro, Managing Director, the Change.org Foundation Spain

Mr Carlos Moedas, Former European Commissioner Research, Science and Innovation, Trustee of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Portugal

Ms Isabel Mota, President of the Board of Trustees of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Portugal

Dr Hans-Gert Pttering, former Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former President of the European Parliament Germany

Ms Maria Joo Rodrigues, President of European Foundation of Progressive Studies, former MEP and Vice-President of S&D Group (2014-19) Portugal

Mr Claus Haugaard Srensen, member of the Advisory Group on Emergency capacities of the World Health Organisation, former Senior Advisor on Resilience, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, European Commission Denmark

Dr Daria Tataj, Innovation expert and former Chairwoman of High-Level Advisors to European Commissioner for Research, Science & Innovation Poland

Mr Nils Torvalds, Member of the European Parliament Finland

Dr Boris Zala PhD, former Member of the European Parliament, Founder of the Social-democratic Movement in Slovakia Slovakia

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For the Europe of tomorrow - EuroScientist

Monday,May11, 2020 / 07:39 AM/by OAGF / Header Image Credit: Ecographics

The rapid spread of Coronavirus and the resulting highfatality rate due to absence of a vaccine and cure have created a global healthemergency never seen in generations. COVID-19, the disease caused byCoronavirus, has been classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization(WHO). It is now both a public health emergency and an economic catastrophe. Ina bid to curtail its spread and impact, Nigeria like most countries in theworld, is implementing total lockdown.

Around the world, governments are channellingresources towards fighting the pandemic and the hardship it imposed oncitizens. The private sector has also stepped in to support government effortswith generous financial and material donations.

In Nigeria; the organized private sector, wealthyindividuals and ordinary citizens are rising to the occasion through financialand material donations for the provision of critical medical facilities andequipment as well as palliatives for vulnerable citizens. According to astatement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday, April 17 2020;donations to the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Funddomiciled at the CBN was N25.8 billion.

Inaddition to the main CACOVID Fund Account with CBN; Mr. President has approvedthe opening of five COVID-19 Donor Accounts which form part of the existing TSAarrangement in the following commercial banks:

a)Zenith Bank

b)Access Bank

c)Guarantee Trust Bank,

d) UBA;and

e)First Bank.

ThisFramework covers all public funds allocated and dedicated to the fight againstCOVID-19 including the Fiscal Stimulus Package. It also applies to alldonations by corporate bodies and individuals to the Federal Government ofNigeria towards the fight against COVID-19 and the mitigation of its social andeconomic effects on citizens at large including donations under the PrivateSector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Fund domiciled at the CBN . Lastly,it provides clarity on the operation of the five newly opened COVID 19 DonorTSA Sub-Accounts domiciled in commercial banks.

FederalGovernment recognizes citizens expectation that these resources be prudentlyapplied towards the fight against COVID-19. In accord with citizensexpectations, Government is committed to managing these funds with the highestsense of transparency and integrity.

ThisFramework is therefore designed to articulate the measures put in place byGovernment for the transparent and accountable management of COVID19 DonorFunds as an expression of its commitment towards bridging the trust gap.

The TSASub Account in commercial banks are to be used for the purposes of receivingCOVID-19 donations only. On no account shall any other fund of FederalGovernment Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) be deposited into theaccounts or any other account in commercial banks. All other government accounts are to be maintained at theCentral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in line with the Presidential directive on TSA,the TSA Guidelines and related extant Circulars.

Allaccounts with commercial banks are to be linked with the TSA at CBN to providea single consolidated view of aggregate Government cash balances. This willprovide a single window for real time access to details of receipts andpayments across all commercial bank accounts. In the absence of a ready tool toaccomplish this requirement, the current CBN Payment Gateway may be deployed.

Allcollections into the Commercial bank accounts are to be swept into FGNSub-Recurrent Account with the CBN. Failure to sweep all balances within 24hours shall be deemed a violation of the Presidential directive on TSA whichshall attract sanctions.

Disbursementsof all COVID 19 Fund including those being collected directly by CBN and thosedomiciled with commercial banks shall be through appropriation.

TheHonourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning may liaise withthe National Assembly for emergency passage of a supplementary budget for theutilization of COVID-19 donation based on estimated total collection for theyear.

Fundsare to be appropriated directly to participating MDA and spending units likeMinistry of Health, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Nigerian Centre forDisease Control, etc rather than to an intermediary agency like thePresidential Task Force (PTF). Administrative cost of the PTF shall beappropriated separately to the PTF Secretariat.

The advantageis that the respective spending units and their Accounting Officers take fullresponsibility for funds appropriated to them and likely bottlenecks at the PTFare eliminated. Furthermore, transparency is enhanced when funds are spread tomore MDA than when a huge amount is put under the control of a single entity.

Giventhat there is a national emergency to which everyone including NASS is investedin addressing, there is no doubt that NASS will be willing to fast track itspassage. This will bind all spending units to the Appropriation Act and, infact, provide the greatest measure of credibility and transparency to themanagement of the donation.

Toensure equity and transparency in fund allocation, the HMFB&NP may workwith the PTF to determine the needs of participating MDA such as Health,Humanitarian Affairs, NCDC, etc.

AffectedMDA shall present details of their needs together with estimated cost. Thiswill form the basis for allocation of funds and enables post expenditurereporting and audit. Funds are to be transferred to TSA Sub Accounts ofspending units based on approved allocations.

Forcollection of donations and disbursements therefrom, a new line for COVID 19Donations under Fund Source segment is to be added to the Chart of Accounts.This will make it possible for all receipts and payments relating to COVID 19Fund to be uniquely tracked and reported.

Iffunds are to be disbursed based on NASS appropriation, then all payments are tobe effected using GIFMIS.

Wherethe extra-budgetary option applies, MDA shall spend using the REMITA platform

In allcases; extant laws, rules and regulations including those relating to PublicProcurement Act (subject to the guidance of the Bureau for Public Procurement)shall apply.

WhereGIFMIS is used, Fund based Budget Performance reports shall be generated foreach participating MDA using all applicable segments to provide additionallevel of details and transparency. Otherwise, MDA are to prepare the reportsmanually providing all relevant details similar to a standard BudgetPerformance report or Expenditure Return at the SubAccount Class level ofdetails [A draft format will be provided for guidance].

All therequirements of the Financial Transparency Policy of the Federal Governmentshall be complied with.

Foravoidance of doubt the following shall strictly apply:

a) TheOffice of the Accountant General of the Federation shall publish a DailyTreasury Statement for COVID-19 Fund outlining all the inflows into the Fundand all the outflows. The inflow information shall indicate the source of thefunds while the outflow information shall indicate the MDA responsible for eachpayment out of the Fund.

b) Eachparticipating MDA shall publish a Daily Payment Report indicating theBeneficiary, Purpose of the Payment and the amount for any payment above N5million made out of the COVID-19 Fund.

c) Thepublications in 9 (a) and (b) above shall be made on the Open Treasury Portal (www.opentreasury.gov.ng) not laterthan one week following the respective transaction. In addition each MDA shallpublish a detailed report of its activities relating to COVID-19 Fund on itswebsite at the end of every week.

d) TheMonthly Budget Performance Report for the COVID-19 Fund shall be published onthe Open Treasury Portal not later than 14 days following the end of the month.

e) Inaddition, a comprehensive report of all receipts and payments shall bepublished on the OAGF Transparency Portal as well as other Government websitesincluding those of Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning;Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Office of theAccountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) not later than two weeks followingthe end of the pandemic.

Furthermore,it is mandatory for all participating MDA to provide information on all COVID-19Fund transactions to any member of the public - individual or corporate - underthe Freedom of Information Act (FOI) within 7 days of receiving the request.

Visit link:

Framework for the Management of COVID-19 Funds in Nigeria under the Treasury Single Account - Proshare Nigeria Limited

The Air Jordan 1 is many things at once: Its the first signature shoe for the greatest basketball player ever, the sneaker that changed collecting forever, and a classic that evokes nostalgia and connects generations. Its also the most popular sneaker of today, with hundreds of different versions produced in the past decade. This week, with all things Michael Jordan returning to the public consciousness thanks to The Last Dance, The Ringer will explore the AJ1s history, the resale market it still dominates, and how Nike and Jordan Brand are positioning the model for the future.

On December 3, 2017, P.J. Tucker did something in a game that normally wouldnt generate much attention for an NBA player: He wore a shoe originally designed for basketball. This wasnt any regular basketball sneaker, though. On that Sunday evening against the Lakers, the Rockets forward laced up a pair of Off-White Air Jordan 1 Chicagos, one of three AJ1s that came out of the collaboration between Nike and designer Virgil Abloh. The highly limited shoes, which originally retailed for $190, were virtually impossible for everyone from the average sneaker collector to even the wealthy and connected to land when they dropped on the SNKRS app two weeks earlier. Yet here was Tucker, pulling down boards in them as they were already trading for about $1,300 on the resale market. He even kept the shoes trademark zip tie intact. Tucker finished plus-15 that night as Houston extended its win streak to seven.

It seemed like an iconic flex; Tucker hooped in a pair of shoes that many people wouldnt even dare to take out of the box. And indeed, he says now that he wore those exclusive kicks as a statement: but not to assert himself as the leagues preeminent sneakerhead (his bona fides are well established in that area). Rather, he hoped to make a point to his nephew. The then-9-year-old had wanted a pair of Off-White Chicagos, Tucker says, but not to wear. He just thought theyd look cool on display. So Tucker inserted custom insolesthe AJ1s have never been the easiest shoes to play in, after alland took to the court in the updated classics.

It was such a big deal to him that he thought you just put them on your mantle, just like, You got em, Tucker says. Im like, No, like its all about wearing the shoes.

The story highlights the chasm between how different generations can approach sneakers, and specifically Air Jordans. The shoes namesake retired from basketball for the final time in 2003; he hit his last shot for the Bulls five years before that. Tucker, 35, and others who grew up watching MJ have vivid memories of his greatest moments. But younger generations know Jordan through YouTube clips, Space Jam, the Jumpman logo, and, more recently, ESPNs The Last Dance. They didnt see him dominate in real time in a pair of 14s, let alone the 1s.

Theres a challenge there for Jordan Brand: How can it get a new era of consumers excited about sneakers worn by someone whose greatest accomplishments predate their collective memory? But it also presents opportunities. The brand may no longer have the greatest basketball player ever showing off the shoes on a nightly basis, but its found a new group of influencers to reimagine its oldest silhouette, while developing some new tricks, too. Now, just like in 1985, the Air Jordan 1 is as much the shoe of the future as it is the one of the present.

In his prime, Michael Jordan was not only a preternaturally gifted basketball player; he was also a masterful spokesman. McDonalds, Hanes, Gatorade, Wheaties, Chevrolet, and even Ball Park Franks are just some of the companies that sponsored MJ during the 80s and 90s. He had a theme song and a sidekick, and he navigated the worlds of commerce and media with aplomb, minus the occasional hiccup. And right from the beginning, he was pitch perfect when he spoke on behalf of a brand. His longtime agent David Falk once recalled how a young Michael responded to one of the 1980s most divisive questions: Coke or New Coke? Michael instantly responded, Coke is Coke. They both taste great. MJs marketing instincts may have rivaled his basketball ones.

At the core of Michael Jordan Inc. sat his relationship with Nike. By 1997, Jordan Brand had become its own subsidiary, and by the time MJ retired in 1998, Nike accounted for 40 percent of sneaker sales in Americaa far cry from 1984, when the company signed MJ as it was losing ground to competitors like Reebok. Jordan instantly helped turn around a struggling shoe manufacturers fortunes, while also revolutionizing how sneakers are designed, marketed, and released. Even today, years after his retirement, the memory of his on-court glories still helps power Nikes salesin 2019, Jordan Brand generated $3.14 billion in revenue for the company, up from $2.86 billion the fiscal year prior.

Michael has two legacies: one on the court, and one on the feet, says Jason Mayden, Jordan Brands former senior global design director. Michaels legacy has wearable art.

Drawing on that legacy has been crucial for Jordan. The brand has produced many retros in the past 20 years as the demand for rereleases skyrocketed, and many of those new-again sneakers draw on Michaels past, from the Breds, to the Defining Moments AJ1s, to the Shattered Backboards. But to reach a new generation of consumersand the type of consumer who may not be as invested in that historythe brand has worked to find new ways to position the shoe. And as with many of the retros, its about hitting on the right narrative that will resonate, says Gentry Humphrey, Jordans vice president of footwear.

Theres perhaps no greater example of that approach than the brands relationship with Travis Scott. Since the beginning of 2019, the rapper has dropped 12 collaborations (including family-and-friend exclusives) with Nike. The most high profile of those have been his Air Jordans (though his SB Dunk is certainly in the conversation), and none are as visually striking as his first AJ1.

The Cactus Jack Highs do something thats typically seen only on factory defects: They reverse the signature swoosh, at once operating within the confines of the most recognizable silhouette in sneakers and taking it in a direction no AJ1 designer had previously. Theyre audacious, yet undeniable; flamboyant, yet subdued with muted colors. Theyre an iconoclastic approach to the Jordan 1, which in a sense feels like a continuation of the first pair of Air Jordans, the ones Nike marketed as being banned by the NBA, even though that story appears to have featured some reimagining of its own.

Humphrey says that letting Scott flex his creative muscles was important for Jordan: They wanted to capitalize on not only his popularity, but his entrepreneurial spirit, which is something that resonates with younger consumers.

This is just our ability to stay connected with some of the key influencers of today, to collaborate with them and put subtle twists on classic models that make them relevant with consumers that really had no connection to Michael back in the day, Humphrey says. It really allows us to stay relevant with a classic model when we stay connected with influencers like Travis.

The idea of rappers and celebrities pushing sneakersand even Jordanscertainly isnt new. Nellys Air Force Ones turns 18 next month and Run DMCs ode to the three stripes predates that by 16 years, while Eminems Jordan 4s and Jay-Zs Reebok line proved the power of musicians as shoe pitch people. The difference now is they have a greater say in whats happening across the industry: Adidas sometimes seems as though it has as many artists signed to the brand as it does basketball players, and Kanye West just became a billionaire almost entirely thanks to his Yeezy empire (though maybe his basketball prowess helped). The Cactus Jack 1s are just one of the most visible ways Jordan Brand can stay connected to younger people.

They dont know Jordan, says writer and actress Lena Waithe, who recently created the sneaker-culture show You Aint Got These for Quibi. They know Yeezy. They know Big Sean. They know Nipsey. They know Travis. You know what Im saying? Theyre like, OK, we worship yall. And what do those guys worship? Kicks.

The idea also extends into the world of fashion, where Humphrey says that Jordan Brand has capitalized on the AJ1s legacy as a shoe that works as both everyday footwear and upscale design. Its part of the reason why the brand let designer Virgil Abloh also reimagine the AJ1 by deconstructing a pair with an X-Acto knife and piecing it back together. (Abloh, who grew up in Rockford, Illinois, in the 1980s, has previously said that he was able to reinvent the Jordan 1 because the new era allows for more freedom: Kids on Instagram are Photoshopping checks backwards. Its just cultures moving.)

But the Abloh collaboration is just the most prominent manifestation of Jordan Brands high-fashion overtures. One of the more popular drops of the past few years was the collaboration with streetwear shop Union Los Angeles, 2019 brought the release of the Comme des Garons pack, and pairs of Dior 1s were originally slated for an April release before they were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Or, take the Milan 1 Mids, which dropped in February: Thirty-four years after the Jordan 2 polarized sneakerheads in part because of its Made in Italy backstory, the brand has paid homage to the countrys fashion roots.

[The Air Jordan 1] is the mainstay of our business, Humphrey says. Well continue to provide it in multiple ways from very, very classic models that people can wear every single day to super-fashionable models where people want to wear a couture fashion.

Its a far cry from Maydens experience designing AJ1s and other models for the company when he was hired by the brand in the early 2000s, just as the throwback market was finding its footing. Back then, he says he often had to deal with the retro police: people who wanted rereleased models to be similar to the original versions, down to the stitching. Now, Jordan Brand has a lot more freedom to try new things with its most classic silhouette.

Youre not competing against history, Mayden says. Youre now trying to give people a sense of where youre headed. Its more, Whats the future-leaning aesthetic? Who are the heroes of now? The Travis Scotts, the Virgils, those people.

The Milans may hint at the future of the original Air Jordan in more ways than one. In addition to nodding to European fashion, the shoes are an example of what Humphrey says is one of Jordan Brands key goals for the silhouette going forward: positioning low and mid versions of the 1 as flagship products alongside the highs.

From the dawn of the retro boom in the early 2000s, Jordan typically treated high-top AJ1s as the premium products in its collection, with lows and mids often making up the general releases that could be found in the mall. But, Humphrey says, theres been a conscious effort in the past few years to boost the other cuts profile. That bears out in the numbers: In 2016, just four of the 40 AJ1s released were lows, and none were mids. Of the 80 released in 2019, 35 were mids and 17 were lows. In the past six months alone, Jordan Brand has dropped notable mids including the Milans, a classic Chicago colorway, a collaboration with streetwear brand Clot, and an AJ1 personal edition for Luka Doncic. The recently released lows may be even more ambitious: The list of limited drops has included Paris 1 Lows, a version tied to the Quai 54 streetball tournament in France, and a pair of Travis Scotts. While those Cactus Jacks dont resell for as much as the highs (around $700 for the lows compared with more than $1,000), its existence shows that Jordan Brand isnt afraid to use the model as a signature shoe.

We were able to gather a lot of momentum on those models as well, Humphrey says of the lows and mids. That allowed us to expand and grow in the marketplace because some folks didnt want to wear high tops.

That versatility has been crucial while Jordan Brand has worked to discover what resonates in foreign markets, an ever-growing part of its business, Humphrey says. And one geographic location more than any other is driving that growth: Asia. According to financial figures provided by Nike, revenue in the Greater China market grew 42 percent in the 2019 fiscal year. The country has increasingly embraced sneaker culture in the past few years, and now boasts a resale market that is valued at more than $1 billion. Jordan has capitalized on the increasing interest by opening flagship stores and sponsoring Guo Ailun, a seven-time Chinese Basketball Association All-Star who became the first player from the country to sign with the brand.

The NBA may be reeling from the fallout from Houston Rockets GM Daryl Moreys tweet in support of Hong Kong protestors in October, but the market for basketball sneakers is in better shape than ever. And Matt Cohen, vice president of business development for Culver City, Californiabased sneaker marketplace GOAT, says thats been only great news for Jordan Brand and its flagship shoe, even despite some COVID 19related disruptions that affected brick-and-mortar sales in Asia during Nikes last fiscal quarter.

The last couple of years, the demand from China has fueled unprecedented growth in the Jordan 1 silhouette, Cohen says. The brand has responded to that by coming out with more and more.

Moe Wagner remembers one of the first times he understood Michael Jordans greatness: It came while watching the 1991 NBA Finals, when MJ caught a pass from forward Cliff Levingston near the top of the key and drove toward three Laker defenders. Jordan went above the rim with the ball in his right hand, brought it back down, switched to his left, and laid it off the glass.

It looks unnecessary to go down again, but he makes it look so easy, Wagner says today.

Wagner, however, didnt experience Jordans famous hand-switch layup in real time: Rather, the Berlin native watched it on YouTube in the mid-2000s.

The 23-year-old Washington Wizards center represents two sides of the new generation whom Jordan Brand is trying to reach with Air Jordan 1: He grew up outside of the U.S., and he did so during a time when Michael Jordan the Player was spoken about like a mythical figure, not someone fans could watch live. But Jordan still resonated with Wagner, who says that watching videos like the 91 Finals clip helped him bond with his father, an MJ obsessive who passed down his fandom to his son. Even though youre in Germany and youre not necessarily in the States, the first thing you learn about basketball is Michael Jordanregardless of what era you live, says Wagner, who signed with Jordan Brand in 2018.

That connection also extended to Jordans shoes: Wagners first Air Jordans were a pair of 11s, but he slowly gravitated toward the AJ1. Thats not an atypical experience, he says. The originals ability to transcend uses, seamlessly moving from everyday wear to fashion accessory, is part of the appeal. But so is the Air Jordan 1s storyits the genesis shoe from a man who would go on to have so many iconic kicks, and one first worn by MJ when he was younger than Wagner is today.

Thats the classic one, Wagner says. I think every generation connects to that shoe the most.

With each passing year, P.J. Tucker plays alongside more and more guys like Wagner, who werent around for Michaels heyday. At 35, hes among the sports more veteran playershe was born exactly 13 years before his youngest teammate, center Isaiah Hartensteinand one of only a handful who were alive to watch the entirety of the Bulls 90s glory.

But, Tucker says, the younger guys typically have a love of Air Jordansand in many cases, specifically the AJ1s.

Its interesting to me kids now that have no idea, Tucker says. Theyve never turned on NBC and seen Jordan and heard, At 6-foot-6, from North Carolina. They didnt experience that.

That experience isnt just limited to the locker room. One of the biggest names in the sneaker resale market is Ben Kapelushnik, who sells under the name Benjamin Kickz and functions as something of a sneaker concierge to the stars. The 20-year-old currently has more than 1 million Instagram followers, and hes built his business at least partially on the back of Air Jordans: He told Vice in 2016 that he connected with his most famous client, DJ Khaled, with a pair of Pantone Jordan 11s.

Kapelushnik operates in whats becoming more and more of a young persons game. That requires learning a lot about both Michael Jordan and his sneakerswhich in a way, becomes another means of continuing the legacy of each.

I dont know if Michael Jordan means as much to him as he does to me, but Benjamin Kickz knows that if youre going to be into the sneaker game, youve got to know about Jordan, Waithe says.

The influencers become essential in passing down the heritage of Jordan and his shoes to younger generations, says Kenneth Myers Jr., who has collected Air Jordan 1s and documents his devotion to the silhouette on the Instagram account mr_unloved1s. Myers says he hosts sneaker meetups in his hometown of North Charlestown, South Carolina, that draw a mix of longtime and burgeoning collectors. The number of the latter has grown in recent years as shoes like the Off-Whites and the Cactus Jacks have captured the public consciousness. Myers says that sneaker purists may get upset when they see Kylie Jenner in a pair of MF Doom SB Dunks or AJ1 Shadows, because as a new adopter, it gives off the impression that shes more passionate about the clout than the shoes themselves, but she may draw in a different, possibly younger person to sneaker culture.

[Someone who] looks up to Kylie Jenner is loving the fact that shes rocking these sneakers, and is going to become a huge sneakerhead because of that, Myers says.

Like Moe Wagner, Kia Nurse grew up in the 2000s outside of the U.S. (in Hamilton, Ontario) and formed a connection to Michael Jordan through his sneakers and YouTube highlights (she was particularly enamored of the free throw line dunk). But the 24-year-old WNBA All-Star also shares a small, but important first with Tucker despite him being 12 years her senior: She was the first person to ever debut a specific pair of Air Jordans on the court. Except, in Nurses case, it was the AJ 34.

The New York Liberty guard, who also wore the AJ1 Satin Black Toes during WNBA All-Star festivities in July, signed to Jordan Brand last year alongside her teammate Asia Durr. They became the second and third WNBA players to join the brand, following the 2011 addition of Maya Moore. In September, Nurse became the first basketball player in any league to wear the latest signature shoe bearing Michael Jordans name when she stepped into a pair of Blue Voids.

I got to be the first player to ever debut the 34 on court, and Im a womens basketball player, Nurse says. I did it in the WNBA. That was something that you dont see very often, something thats truly special.

Signing Nurse and Durr and having Nurse subsequently debut the AJ 34 are just some of the ways that Jordan Brand has increased its outreach to women. The Nike subsidiary has also reimagined classic silhouettes in the past two years to meet a growing demand, resulting in eye-popping releases like Melody Ehsanis Fearless AJ1s, which are every bit as subversive as the Cactus Jacks or the Off-Whites. Jordan has also created a womens division within the subsidiary to focus on growing its offerings. Thus far, those efforts have paid off: The Brand said in February that it saw triple-digit increase in sales for womens apparel and shoes in its 2019 fiscal year.

Those moves may also have an impact outside of sales. In 2018, the brand recreated the famous Michael Jordan wings poster with Moore, positioning the former WNBA MVP as something of an heir (Air?) apparent. That resonated with at least one young fan in a big way.

Watching the response to that, watching the young girl who went and posed, it felt like I could be her, seeing people that look like you transforming the game, Nurse says. Jordan is doing that on the womens side, especially.

And that may be Michael Jordans greatest legacy: the idea of transforming the game, whether with a basketball, with a sneaker, or with something else. Mayden, the former lead designer for the brand, says we too often get caught up on the past when we discuss Jordan. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, and it fuels so much of the narrative around him. We see it in his sneakers, when his most popular signature shoe remains the original one he wore in 1985, and we see it in the discussion around The Last Dance, which is taking us through his final great run in painstaking detail. But Michael himself didnt get where he did by emulating his idolshe did so by taking the foundation they laid and building upon it. He became greater than any of them on the court, and he pushed his off-court brand to levels never seen before. The original Jordan 1s became such a force because they were so revolutionary, not because they harkened back to a bygone era. Kia Nurse, Travis Scott, and Virgil Abloh arent just keeping MJs legacy alive. Theyre forging their own. And in their own way, theyre becoming the Michael Jordans of the future.

To honor him is to do something now, to do something that people will celebrate 30, 40, 50 years from now, Mayden says. Thats what he pushed all of us to think about.

Excerpt from:

Nikes Air Jordan 1 Has Entered the Influencer Age - The Ringer

Shaw Communications executives said Thursday that the Freedom Mobile service won't meet its 2020 target for growing its subscriber base because the COVID-19 crisis has kept stores closed and customers distracted, but they said the lost revenue will be offset by lower operating costs during the coming months.

The comments came in a conference call to discuss the Calgary-based company's results for the second quarter, which ended Feb. 29, just prior to the official declaration of a global pandemic and unprecedented social-distancing measures designed to slow and reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The quarter also ended before Saudi Arabia began a global price war that dropped the price of crude oil, a major source of revenue for Shaw's customers.

"While we generally feel very comfortable that we can manage through this crisis, it is difficult, if not impossible to accurately or precisely predict the impacts on Shaw," chief financial officer Trevor English told analysts.

Like other companies across Canada, Shaw and Freedom have closed most of theirretail stores in response to official demands to avoid or limit activities that could move the virus through the community by person-to-person contacts. Freedom says 20 corporate stores are still open to deal with urgent customer matters.

English said that Freedom customers "are simply not making decisions to switch or alter their services during this time" and Shaw expects its wireline businesses will also experience "considerably muted" activity for "a period of time."

He said some of Shaw's business and residential subscribers may select less expensive packages or cut some services amid "increased difficulty for some customers to pay their bills."

However, English said those lost revenues will be manageable given Shaw's financial strength and the importance of its communications and entertainment services while most Canadians are conducting work and school from home.

The company said it will preserve cash by suspending a share buyback program that had cost Shaw about $130 million as of the end of March, but it will continue to maintain its dividend payments to shareholders.

During the fiscal second quarter ended Feb. 29, net income, revenue and free cash flow were up compared with a year earlier.

Net income was $167 million, or 32 cents per share, up from $154 million or 30 cents per share; Revenue was up 3.7 per cent to $1.36 billion from $1.32 billion. And free cash flow, which is the amount of cash available after servicing short-term debt obligations, was up 20 per cent to $191 million.

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Shaw warns that Freedom Mobile isn't adding as many customers as planned due to COVID-19 - CBC.ca

Over the past several weeks you have received a number of memos regarding employee pay during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are writing to further clarify UC policy and expectations with respect to pay for researchers during the temporary cessation of non-essential on-campus research due to COVID-19. In VCR Brandts March 26 memo, he discussed some principles and made recommendations. This memo supersedes that one and formalizes those principles into official UCSC policy.

Our overriding concern is to ensure that all members of our research community continue to receive paychecks during the COVID-19-induced cessation of on-campus activity and return to full productivity once we are able to return to campus.

We recognizeand the entire US research enterprise, from agency heads on down, recognizesthat this will be a period of reduced research productivity. UC is in active discussions with our state and federal government representatives and agency heads about how to mitigate that impact. Agencies have already signaled that they will extend great latitude regarding deadlines and deliverables and we have hopes for supplemental funding to cover this period. We do not have all the answers now and we will continue to press on this moving forward. Today, our concern is the well-being of our researchers and the continued viability of UCSCs outstanding research enterprise.

Paid Administrative Leave: On March 16, UC President Janet Napolitano announced by Executive Order that all employees will be eligible for up to 128 hours of paid administrative leave for absences due to various COVID-19-related reasons. By UC policy, this leave is available to all employees, regardless of funding source. Like other types of paid leavevacation, sick leave, etc.this is now UC policy and thus payable from all extramural funding sources. All employees taking such leave, including extramurally-funded researchers, will continue to be paid on their existing funding source(s).

No-Layoff Policy: On April 2, UC President Napolitano and the Chancellors sent out a letter promising no COVID-19-related layoffs through the end of the fiscal year. This policy was further clarified in an April 4 memo providing FAQs about UC job protections through June 30. That guarantee applies to all current academic and career staff employees. Career staff employees are defined as those working a fixed or variable percentage of time at 50 percent or more of full-time, and the position is expected to continue for a year or more. This policy also applies to undergraduate researchers, GSRs, postdocs, and all academic researchers regardless of percent time or duration of appointment. Per the FAQs, this policy explicitly guarantees that grant-funded researchers will continue to be paid (from their grants) at least through June 30. This policy does not apply to researchers whose positions were set to end on or before June 30 for reasons unrelated to COVID-19.

Accordingly, except in circumstances described above, all UCSC researchers and research support staffcore-funded, grant-funded, and recharge-fundedshall continue to be paid on their existing funding sources (whether they take their allocated administrative leave or not) and shall not be laid off during the current fiscal year ending June 30.

Beyond these minimum guarantees, PIs supporting researchers and students are expected to continue funding them as planned throughout the on-campus research cessation. PIs funding researchers on grants have great freedom to determine what activities will be performed with the funds in pursuit of the research and as discussed above, funding agencies have indicated that they will give grantees wide latitude with respect to deadlines and deliverables in recognition of the severe impact that COVID-19 is having on many researchers abilities to perform their research and meet agency deadlines. PIs are directed to find productive activities for their researchers to perform while they are unable to get into their lab.

We have heard concerns that some PIs might lay off their researchers rather than pay them to do research outside of their planned activities. While we respect every PIs right to conduct their research as they think best, except in special cases as outlined above, such a response is prohibited before June 30 and, in the unfortunate event that this situation extends beyond June, strongly discouraged beyond that. As discussed in the March 26 memo, there are many non-lab research activities that people can productively work on. Be creative and make this work for the good of our entire research community.

Recharge-funded researchers: Recharge-funded researchers and research support staff are in a unique position in that their funding depends upon providing service to, and charging, researchers for their services. While the employees may be able to perform relevant tasks while locked out of their labs, recharge centers do not generate funds while the labs they support are idle. Therefore, until further notice, all recharge centers are directed to continue paying their employees as outlined above. We will determine later how to cover any deficits they incur.

Any recharge-funded employees who are receiving pay while not working for their recharge center may be assigned other tasks as determined by the Office of Research and/or their divisional leadership, or they may be granted paid administrative leave if applicable.

Contracts: Any PI who is working on a contract and is concerned about their ability to meet their deliverables should reach out to OSP so that we can contact the sponsor and discuss the terms. We fully expect them to be willing to make accommodations for the circumstances.

As before, please refer to the Research Continuity with COVID-19 webpage for additional guidance and/or email any comments or questions to researchcontinuity@ucsc.edu.

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Clarification of UCSC policy and expectations on funding researchers during the temporary cessation of non-essential on-campus research due to...

For weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounded the alarm telling us that handwashing is the number one thing we can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But as thousands of Michiganders know, you cant wash your hands without running water.

On March 28, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer became the firstand as of todayonly Governor to ensure running water will be restored to all occupied households served by public water systems across an entire state. Executive Order 2020-28 also made up to $2 million available to fund reconnections in households needing plumbing repairs. These repairs are often needed due to the damage caused by their water utilities shutoff policies, which result in stagnant water remaining in the pipes and water heaters for extended periods of time. Without these plumbing repairs, the water service could not be safely restored.

Since late February, NRDC has worked nonstop in support of the Peoples Water Board Coalition and its partners calls for the safe restoration of water services for all occupied homes in Michigan, and the establishment of emergency water stations for cooking and drinking water while homes await reconnection and, after reconnection, until the tap water is safe.

Through the Freedom of Information Act, Bridge obtained records from Detroit indicating that 9,500 occupied homes disconnected for nonpayment in 2019 still were without service in mid-January, while the average duration ofdisconnections for homes with restored service was 29 days

Bridge Magazine, February 26, 2020

Residents in Detroit and Flint have been especially hard hit with water shutoffs, which are almost always due to unaffordable water bills. In February 2020, Bridge Magazine estimated that 9,500 households in Detroit and 5,000 households in Flint lack running water. Further, in fiscal year 2018 alone, the City of Flint shut off the water to more than 7,615 households due to nonpayment and generated nearly $600,000 by charging $75 per home in termination fees for those who could not afford their water bills. Its worth noting that Flint has among the highest water bills in the United States, nearly double the national average.

Executive Order 2020-28 requires water utilities to provide the details of their efforts to reconnect all occupied homes in a report, which is due no later than April 12. The report will be submitted by all public water supplies that have used water shutoffs as a remedy for non-payment within the last year. These water systems must provide an account of:

In the report, the water utilities must also certify that:

In preparation for the April 12 reporting deadline, NRDC will continue working with the Peoples Water Board Coalition partners, Flint Rising, and other groups to gather critical data and prepare questions to better ensure the public water system reports are properly evaluated by state officials. Public water systems should be doing everything possible to ensure that residents in their service area have running water during this pandemic.

One remaining problem NRDC is helping address is that in cities like Detroit and Flint that have relied heavily on water shutoffs, it is going to take a while before safe drinking water is restored to all occupied homes. Consequently, its critical that safe water be made available to these residents for drinking and cooking by providing water in containers derived from municipal water systems or through water buffalos, which are large tanks of safe water from which residents can obtain water in containers. Although the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has delegated water distribution responsibilities to local governments, the systems are not yet in place for residents to access this water.

When this crisis recedes, we will continue working with our local partners to overcome water affordability barriers by advancing income-based water bills, water utility accountability and oversight, and other measures that will help ensure everyone has access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water. As we can see from the COVID-19 crisis, access to safe, affordable water to meet basic human needs is an imperative and a human rightone that should not depend on whether you can afford it.

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MI Governor Leads the Way with Water Reconnection Order - Natural Resources Defense Council

By RICK BRUNDRETT

Every 10 years, S.C. lawmakers re-exert their authority to draw legislative and congressional district lines based on updated population counts a typically convoluted process aimed at protecting incumbents.

While the 2020 U.S. Census is underway, state lawmakers quietly are planning to initially spend as much as $2 million on the reapportionment process, or the redrawing of district lines.

How those lines are drawn largely controlled by legislative leaders can greatly affect who wins elections, which areas are best represented, and what legislation gets approved.

The 2010 U.S. Census showed that South Carolinas total population grew by more than 15% over the previous decade, resulting in the creation of a seventh U.S. House seat and realignment of legislative districts.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld partisan gerrymandering, allowing the political party that controls a state legislature to draw voting maps to help its candidates win elections.

In its recently passed, $32.3 billion state budget version for fiscal year 2020-21, the S.C. House appropriated $1 million for its 124-member chamber for reapportionment expenses, and approved an additional $1 million for unspecified operating expenses for the 46-member Senate.

Back in November, neither the House nor Senate would reveal to The Nerve any upcoming spending plans for their respective chambers after missing a legal deadline to file their proposed chamber budgets for fiscal 2021, which starts July 1.

State agencies are required by law to submit their proposed budgets to the governor by Nov. 1. But as The Nerve previously has reported, the Legislature in recent years often has ignored the law when it comes to their own chamber spending plans.

Gov. Henry McMaster in his proposed fiscal 2021 state budget version, which was released in January, recommended appropriating a total of $22.9 million and $15.4 million for the House and Senate chambers, respectively.

The House later proposed adding $1 million each to the House and Senate chamber budgets, though the House version didnt provide specifics on funding for redrawing legislative and congressional district lines. The Legislature approved similar funding for redistricting costs when the last U.S. Census was done, as The Nerve reported then.

The House and Senate, for example, collectively spent thousands of dollars on outside attorneys to defend the chambers in a federal lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering in the 2011 redistricting plans, state comptroller general records show.

The Nerve recently asked House clerk Charles Reid and Senate clerk Jeff Gossett under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act for documents showing how exactly the proposed additional $1 million for each chamber would be spent.

A House attorney provided only general budget records showing the total requested amount for reapportionment expenses. Gossett didnt provide any records, saying only in a written response: The Senate has no documents specifically regarding the appropriation beyond what is in the (state budget) bill. However, the primary intention of this is to fund reapportionment and other expenses.

House records show that Rep. Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, proposed the additional $1 million for the House for one time expenses incurred due to reapportionment.

The Nerve last week asked Bannister for records related to his budget request, though no documents were provided by publication of this story. Bannisters proposal was designated in House records as a budget earmark, which typically is a funding request for a program or project that didnt originate with the state agency that would receive the public dollars.

The Nerve earlier this month revealed more than $51 million in earmarks in the Houses state budget version, including, for example, $19 million for a proposed downtown Greenville convention center and $7.5 million to renovate the Sumter Opera House.

Funding for those projects, as well as the proposed $1 million House chamber earmark, would come out of $945.5 million in actual and estimated nonrecurring state revenues, under the Houses state budget version. Whether the overall projected $1.8 billion-plus surplus for next fiscal year will materialize, however, is uncertain because of the states continuing coronavirus response.

Still, the House and Senate chambers have plenty of their own reserves to cover redistricting costs in fiscal 2021. Records show that at the start of this fiscal year, the Senate had $5.2 million in general fund reserves, while the House had a surplus of $23.3 million $666,401 more than its current total chamber budget.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve (www.thenerve.org). Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org. Follow him on Twitter @RickBrundrett. Follow The Nerve on Facebook and Twitter @thenervesc.

Nervestories are free to reprint and repost with permission by and credit to The Nerve.

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How S.C. lawmakers increase their odds of staying in power - The Nerve

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC), a leading global supplier of high-performance test systems, motion simulators and sensors, today announced it has been awarded the largest single order in its 54-year history, valued at over $70 million, to design, manufacture and install two of the world's largest, and most advanced seismic simulation systems at Tianjin University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China.

The project will be part of the new National Facility for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NFEES) on the Tianjin University campus in Tianjin, China. Upon completion, the earthquake simulation facility will be the largest and most powerful of its type, expanding the world's engineering science and technology research capabilities. It will play an important role in ensuring the safety of hydraulic engineering, buildings and bridges, wind energy generation, and offshore infrastructure.

The lab will include two separate test systems, both of which will be the largest of their type in the world. One system will be a six-degree-of-freedom seismic table with a working area of 16 x 20 meters and a 1350-ton specimen mass capacity, allowing for full-scale or near full-scale testing. The other system will consist of two 6 x 6-meter six-degree-of-freedom seismic tables, each capable of handling 150-ton specimens. These 6 x 6-meter tables will be designed to be submersible in up to three meters of water and configured for independent or synchronous testing. One of the underwater tables will be in a fixed location and the other may be positioned at different points along a 57-meter long trench allowing for testing of large specimens that vary in length, such as bridges, tunnels and pier structures. The basin will also employ wave and current generators to create different sea states to help determine the effects of water and waves on structures during an earthquake or tsunami event.

MTS was selected for this project due to a combination of extensive experience and expertise in creating the most advanced seismic simulation systems in the world, and a demonstrated capability to support sophisticated customers and applications in China. The entire project will be performed over the course of four years with scheduled completion in 2023.

"MTS' strong presence in China and proven systems integration expertise will contribute tremendously to the success of this project. As a leader in this market, MTS is one of the few companies in the world that has the demonstrated expertise in large-scale seismic simulation technology, and a proven capability to handle all the elements of a project of this scale, from the high-force motion control to the complex systems integration required for the simulation of earthquakes and tsunami events," states Dr. Jeffrey Graves, MTS President and CEO. "MTS is honored to be working with Tianjin University on this groundbreaking endeavor to better simulate seismic activity, providing information that will help design safer and more sustainable buildings, bridges and renewable energy infrastructure for China's future."

"We look forward to working closely with MTS to build the world's largest, most advanced seismic simulation systems, as essential elements of our National Facility for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. This project is similar in scale to other one-of-a-kind national research projects undertaken by the Chinese government in recent years," says Prof. Zhang Fengbao, Vice President of Tianjin University and Executive Chief Director of NFEES. "When complete, this state-of-the art facility, and its data and results will be shared with researchers from all countries, with a goal of improving the safety and sustainability of critical infrastructure in highly populated areas around the world. Tianjin welcomes all scientists and engineering experts to visit and help to further earthquake engineering simulation research."

About Tianjin UniversityTianjin University is the oldest institution of higher education in the modern history of China. Founded in 1895 as Peiyang University, Tianjin University's 125-year history is the epitome of the progress of modern Chinese higher education, embodying the Chinese people's indomitability through challenging times. During its growth spanning three centuries, the University has been a pioneer in several fields, from the first aero engine in China to the first Chinese hydraulics laboratory.

About MTS Systems CorporationMTS Systems Corporation'stesting and simulation hardware, software and service solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products and structures. MTS' high-performance sensors provide measurements of vibration, pressure, position, force and sound in a variety of applications. MTS had 3,500 employees as of September 28, 2019 and revenue of $893 million for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2019. Additional information on MTS can befoundat:http://www.mts.com

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MTS Awarded Seismic Simulation Project Valued At Over $70 Million For China's National Facility For Earthquake Engineering Simulation At Tianjin...

Appreciation

I appreciate the grocery stores giving special hours to seniors. However I went to Albertsons eagle store this morning. There were more people there than other times I have gone. There was severely more crowding of seniors with a greater chance of virus spread. With this concentration of elderly it only exacerbates the chance of a major outbreak with severe consequence of major death tolls in the neighborhood. The other problem was most of the shelves were empty of staples, whether produce bread, or meat in the meat counter. There were empty shelves on all isles. The store should be stocked as fully as possible before the seniors show up. This would reduce time shopping and reduce contact between people. I think the stores should think out these thing before announcing to the public, Seniors do need help but do not increase the chances for infections.

John Brown,

Eagle

Greed

With the mass hysteria and hoarding going on these days, surrounding COVID-19, I am reminded of a quote from Gandhi- The world has enough for everyones need, but not enough for everyones greed. These words could not be more timely than they are today. I have gone to two different grocery stores over the last few days, with my very short, and appropriate, grocery list. It took four trips to those stores just to get a few essential items. I saw people with overflowing carts, and many empty shelves in their wake. Some of the items, that were hard to find, made no sense to me. Produce and dairy products are perishable. Why buy more than you can possibly use in a day or two? Why buy a years supply of canned goods, and frozen foods, when you see that you are emptying the shelves, therefore denying your neighbor of those same items? Can we really call ourselves a civilized country, when we seem to be acting like its everyone for themselves? Luckily, I have also witnessed acts of kindness, which have restored my faith that there are still good people that walk among us. I came to work one evening after trying to get a few cans of chicken noodle soup for my husband, who is undergoing chemo. He is very limited in what he can eat these days. There wasnt a single can on the shelf. A coworker heard my plight and brought in two can of soup the next night from her own supply. Lets learn from people like her. We are in this together and will all come out better on the other side if we work together! I applaud the hard working people in the stores who work tirelessly to keep the shelves stocked!

Michal Voloshen,

Boise

Senior students are especially concerned about their college journey and decisions for next Fall. I want to remind seniors that they do not have to give an answer until May 1st (College Signing Day).

Tips: Take the time to revisit every colleges website that you have been accepted to.

1. Take a virtual tour and really pay attention to the details. Write down notes of pros and cons.

2. Review the department and the professors. Check what research is happening or news articles about the department professors.

3. Look at student satisfaction which can be found on https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/fisk

4. Review your financial aid packages of all colleges.

5. Look up clubs and contact the people listed who are in charge of the club by email.

6. Review past activities that are held in previous years.

7. If your major requires an internship, take a look at the companies that provide internships. Do some research on what interns do at the companies.

8. Review the help centers and the hours they are open. Are they available to everyone? How is it staffed?

9. Look up the research projects and grants that are taking place and research those students that were part of the research. Reach out to them.

10. Update your resume and start thinking about how you can help, whether it is at your home or in your community.

Rebecca Carroll,

Boise

Emergency

The U.S. Coronavirus Task Force and the Center for Disease Control have both recommended that non-emergency, elective surgery be postponed to free up hospital space and supplies to fight COVID-19. Planned Parenthood received 37% of their funding in the most recent fiscal year from U.S. taxpayers. The procedures that Planned Parenthood conducts require surgical supplies like gloves, masks, etc. What about ventilators in case of emergency? Planned Parenthood needs to suspend business as usual and get those supplies out to the hospitals and health care workers that really need them, now. This is a National Emergency!

Do you LOVE local news? Get Local News Headlines in your inbox daily.

Thanks! You'll start receiving the headlines tomorrow!

Howard Henning,

Nampa

A solution?

Most voters are continually amazed at how our Idaho Legislature can act and vote as if we are still in the 19th Century, and not the 21st Century.

The legislative agenda again this year appears to be single focused: How can we reduce property taxes? Forget about the fact that Idaho is in the bottom 1/3 of states in property tax rates, continues near the bottom in terms of school and teacher funding, refuses to listen to so many leaders of major businesses who need better educated employees or may have to move much of their employment base out of state (as Micron Technology has already done), fails to invest in our infrastructure maintenance and improvement, and finally, refuses to recognize transgender residents as people,......we could add more but it would be like flogging a dead horse.

I will suggest a partial remedy: Since the legislature has already had to adjudicate several laws in the past, and LOST those cases, costing our taxpayers about $3.5million, and since the Idaho Attorney General has already recommended against this law restricting transgenders, knowing it will cost as much as $1Million to defend, and finally, because the legislature feels so strongly about the righteousness of their transgender bill, they should be willing to pay the legal costs out of their own legislative budget. That would certainly change the dynamics.

Chas Bonner,

Eagle

Freedom

Well our state legislators have taken another step to denying women the right to make their own decisions. For those legislators who hate government intrusions on our rights as citizens. They have shown their hypocrisy . They scream and holler about gun rights / personal choices. The losers are women who want their rights to make decisions that affect them the rest of their life and kids life choices. As we all know the choice of having children is personal. The cost of feeding, providing a home and having personal expenses to raise a child have increased. Lots of single parents cannot afford daily expenses and now the legislators have event made it difficult for those who are forced to have a child. Okay I get it, you want no freedom of choice. Its now time for people who want this to step up and provide support or adoption to these women. If you are going force them to do this you need to make a plan for 17 years of support during their growing up years. Causing hardships for both women and children is cruel. Are these same people trying to get rid of death penalty here in Idaho? Be careful who you elect!

Larry Raganit,

Caldwell

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Letters to the editor, March 26, 2020 | Opinion - Idaho Press-Tribune

10:04 25/03/2020 Prinesha Naidoo and Sarina Yoo

As South Africa heads into a three-week lockdown that will shut down large parts of its already shrinking economy, a possible downgrade of its credit rating to "junk" on Friday could be the least of its problems.

Moodys Investors Service is scheduled to make an announcement at the end of the week and while it could end up taking no action, 19 of 23 economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect a negative ratings move. According to 12 respondents, the country will be cut to junk, while seven expect it to be placed on ratings watch for a downgrade, two expect it to be affirmed at current levels and two expect no statement.

Pessimism has been growing since Moodys in November cut the outlook on South African credit to negative and the February budget failed to show a debt-stabilisation path. The economy has slumped into its second recession in two years, a problem exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, which causes the Covid-19 respiratory disorder that has so far killed more than 17 000 people worldwide.

"The Covid-19 has certainly added to the underlying economic pressures," said Thabi Leoka, an independent economist in Johannesburg. "Debt seems to increase in perpetuity. This is a problem."

On Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a lockdown that will go into effect at midnight on March 26, halting all activity except essential services. The restrictions are likely to weaken tax collections, increasing the burden on already-strained public finances. Government estimates in February showed the budget deficit as a percentage of GDP would widen to an almost three-decade high in the 12 months through March 2021.

That, and the governments debt burden, could now look even worse. The Treasury will have to reconsider its fiscal framework, Director-General Dondo Mogajane told the South African Broadcasting on Tuesday.

On the growth side, the picture is hardly any better. Moodys almost halved its forecast for 2020s expansion to 0.4% on March 6, when the country had just one confirmed infection. As of Tuesday it had 554, with 302 of those in Gauteng province, the countrys economic hub, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

"South Africas creditworthiness has deteriorated drastically," said George Herman, chief investment officer of Citadel Investment Services. "The longer the downgrade takes, the more damage it will cause."

But while a downgrade by Moodys would leave South Africa without an investment-grade rating for the first time in 25 years and cause it to be dropped from the FTSE World Government Bond Index, the negative impact on the rand may be muted. Thats because virus-driven fears have already resulted in significant outflows, driving the currency 14% lower against the dollar in the past month.

Given that backdrop, the reality of a long-feared downgrade could even come as a "relief," said Mike Schussler, chief economist at Economists.co.za. Freedom from worries about a downgrade could also free up South African monetary and fiscal policy decision makers to take decision action, he said, at a time when "rules have been dumped to help keep economies alive" globally.

Lumkile Mondi, an economics lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, is the only respondent in the Bloomberg survey who expects the country will still have its investment-grade rating at Moodys at the end of 2020.

"South Africa has been saved by Covid-19, which requires massive investment by the state to save lives," Mondi said. "Covenants and other financial measurements have become secondary."

What Bloombergs Economist Says...

"President Cyril Ramaphosas swift and decisive handling of the crisis will probably stay Moodys hand for now until the extent of damage to the economy is fully understood." - Boingotlo Gasealahwe, Africa economist

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Junk rating this week may be least of SA's problems - Fin24