Category Archives: Golden Rule

There are bottlenecks everywhere. Chip shortages, missing workers, clogged ports, rising commodity prices, and yes (still), Covid-19. Theyre all disrupting or threatening to disrupt supply chains. For compliance officers, its a perfect storm.

Thats because shortages trigger bribery risks.

Since I started writing the FCPA Blog in 2007, Ive noticed this: Compliance problems often spring from industries that deal in scarce commodities whatever those happen to be. Everything from lumber to energy, from telecommunications licenses to access to hospital patients, and so on. Today, its logistics, raw materials, labor, and more.

Wherever buyers are scrambling for supply, sellers have opportunities to squeeze them. When energy prices rise, for example, corrupt oil-producing countries exert more leverage over foreign buyers. That scenario plays out in similar ways, in different industries, again and again.

After the 2008 market disruption (the credit crunch), a commodity in short supply was cash. Sovereign wealth funds had it, and banks needed it. Some of the banks succumbed to market pressures. They abandoned compliance to save their balance sheets. Just as the DOJ had predicted, a string of investigations resulted, and some enforcement actions.

How big a problem are todays supply chain disruptions? According to Bank of America, during this years Q3 earnings calls, mentions of supply chain issues were up 412 percent year-on-year.

CEOs are worried about chip shortages, cargo vessel bookings, clogged ports, energy prices, commodity supplies and pricing especially wood, paper, metals, food, and more. Theyre also concerned that Covid-19 will continue causing trouble for commerce.

During market disruptions like these, the golden rule is in effect. Those who have the gold (or, in this case, the wood, paper, metals, food, ships, energy, etc.) will make the rules. Or try to. Thats going to mean more demands for bribes.

Will companies pressured by supply chain disruptions give in and pay bribes? If history is a guide, some will.

That means whats most at risk of disruption is compliance itself.

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Supply chain disruptions bring out the worst in everyone - The FCPA Blog

Nov 8th 2021

by Tom Nuttall: Berlin bureau chief, The Economist, Berlin

EUROPE RESPONDED to its financial crisis of 2010-12 with endless missteps. The euro zone agreed on punishing austerity as the price for rescue packages, and the European Central Bank raised rates at the worst possible moment. The result was a double-dip recession, drastic cuts in investment and, in some countries, sky-high unemployment, especially among the young. This time the reaction has been smarter. When covid-19 struck, the ECB ramped up its bond-buying and the EU suspended its fiscal rules, allowing governments to spend freely on furlough and other schemes.

The coming year will test just how much has changed. The first part of 2022 will see a bruising battle between EU governments over the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), the EUs fiscal rulebook. Even before covid-19 the constraints of the SGP, drawn up in the 1990s, looked a poor fit for a world of low interest rates and pressing investment needs. Endless amendments had left a legal tangle only experts could understand. Now countries like Italy are shouldering debt burdens close to 160% of GDP. The existing rules, due to snap back in 2023, would theoretically oblige Italy to run primary budget surpluses worth five percentage points a yeara punishing form of austerity that defies common sense.

But governments must find common ground, and SGP reform is divisive. Opening the EU treaties to amend the pacts benchmark figures, which aim to limit governments fiscal deficits and debt stocks to 3% and 60% of GDP respectively, is unlikely. Countries like Italy and France will urge tweaks that could, for instance, ease the adjustment path for indebted countriesperhaps by giving governments a say in defining it themselves. To help meet the EUs Fit for 55 climate goals, some governments will push for a golden rule to exclude green spending from the deficit calculation.

The unanimity needed to change the EUs tax rules has often proved elusive

The EUs sluggish legislative procedures will not kick into gear in time to change the rules for 2023. In the meantime governments will need a steer from Brussels on whether their proposed budgets for that year will pass muster. The commission in turn will need to know that northern governments will not cry foul if it agrees to wink at rule-flouters. But several have already signalled they will play hardball. Nor will Germanys new coalition be minded to align with Europes south.

The debate will run amid risks to the recovery, including continuing supply-chain disruptions, to which countries with large manufacturing sectors like Germany are vulnerable. Pandemic-related travel and contact restrictions could curb growth further. Meanwhile the ECB will wind down parts of its stimulus in 2022.

Next Generation EU (NGEU), the EUs 800bn ($930bn) debt-funded investment plan, will pick up part of the strain. In 2022 the commission will disburse around 55bn in grants, with especially large sums channelled to Italy and Spain. More will come in 2023 and 2024. To repay the debt, governments will consider increasing the EUs own resources (common taxes), perhaps via levies on imports from countries without carbon pricing, or amendments to the EUs own emissions-trading scheme. But the unanimity needed to make such changes has generally proved elusive. That debate will kick off in earnest in 2022.

So will another. Brussels has long struggled to respond to member governments it thinks subvert the EUs legal order, such as Hungary and Poland. In 2022 it will raise the stakes by delaying payments from the NGEU or even the EUs regular budget. That will irritate governments who see Brussels Eurocrats as bullies and worry leaders who fret about EU unitybut reassure taxpayers elsewhere that they are not paying to undermine the club from within.

Tom Nuttall: Berlin bureau chief, The Economist, Berlin

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition of The World Ahead 2022 under the headline Following the money

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EU leaders will struggle to update fiscal rules - The Economist

Zions Bank Press Release

Theres likely no other banker in Castle Country whos helped more people with their banking needs or is more widely recognized than Erroll Holt.

When the long-time manager of Zions Bank in Price retires on Nov. 24, he will mark 45 years with Zions Bank all of it spent in Carbon and Emery counties. In his banking career, Holt has managed the Price, Castle Dale and Huntington branches. Hes also been an area president. And, for the past 21 years, hes supervised the Price office.

A public open house to celebrate Holts career will be held on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Zions Banks Price branch, 45 South Carbon Ave.

Holt joined Zions Bank in 1976. After serving in the U.S. Air Force in Okinawa, Japan, during the Vietnam War and then spending two years on a religious mission to the Navajo Nation, he had intended to study electrical engineering. But, with only $150 to his name, he didnt have the means to return to school. A friend from the Air Force connected Holt with a bookkeeping job at Zions Bank. The Pennsylvania native never looked back.

Among Zions Banks nearly 1,500 employees in Utah and Idaho, only two other bankers can claim the longevity of Holts career. He remembers a time when branch employees would hand stuff paper bank statements, when a chartered plane would pick up paperwork each night from the Price branch to bring back to Salt Lake City, and when the Huntington branch was housed in single-wide trailer. During the period when power plants were being built in the area, the Price branch got so busy that cars would line up for blocks up down the street.

Every Friday it was a mad house. People would call to see if there was a run on the bank, Holt recalled.

While technology has vastly changed the banking world, Holts approach to banking has remained the same.

You have to embrace the technology and at the same time maintain that philosophy of community banking and relationship-building throughout the process, he said.

Hes anchored his management in the golden rule treating others the way you would want to be treated and in Zions Code of Ethics, which calls not only for doing things right correctly, accurately, appropriately and within the law, but also doing the right thing.

Holt said the most rewarding part of his job has been the people, both the colleagues and clients, hes worked with over the years.

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Long-Time Manager of Zions Bank in Price to Retire After 45 Years - ETV News

Weve all been there before, bearing the brunt of a lack of boundaries at work. Youll clock out of a long shift, drive home via the drive-through for a good takeaway and assemble yourself in a nest of blankets. Finally, relaxation. Only to be interrupted by your phone buzzing on the table. Its your boss texting. How did the shift go? Did you put an order in for more stock before you left? Can you do this random task for me tomorrow that I definitely didnt need to message you about right now?

Suddenly, youre mentally back at work. And eventually, you notice that youre pretty much always there. Clocking off doesnt mean our brains switch off from the responsibilities of our workplace. Its easy to leave the building, but its difficult to stop thinking about work, whether its something we left half-done today, or what the workload will look like tomorrow.

And bosses texting you in the evenings and on your days off only reinforces that inability to properly escape.

It seems the pandemic only smudged the already blurred lines between work and home even more. The Office for National Statistics says during the first UK lockdown, 46.6% of people who were still employed (unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky) transitioned to remote working. Of those people, 86% did so as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving only 14% with prior, regular work-from-home experience.

Ive worked from home for the best part of four years, going from a full-time remote position to becoming a sole trader. I know the golden rules, the dos and the donts that make work from home life successful. But for those who had little more than a week to transition from full-time office boss to remotely trying to manage workers, a lot of guesswork (and serious trial and error) was involved. The pandemic took away the inherent control of having your employees work under your literal supervision. The result: everyone struggling with defining boundaries with their bosses.

Well, Portugal is the first country to put a stop to this serious lack of work-to-life balance, and the boundaries employers are so often missing.

Now, the government in Portugal has passed a law preventing too much communication between bosses and employees. The new regulation bans employers from texting employees after they sign off from work. If a boss does contact employees outside work hours, they could face a financial penalty, from a hefty fine to increased gas and electricity bills, according to Portugal's Socialist Party government.

Speaking at a tech conference in Lisbon last week, Ana Mendes, Portugals Minister of Labour and Social Security, said The pandemic has accelerated the need to regulate what needs to be regulated. The Portuguese government wants to encourage more remote teleworkers and theyve recognised the boundaries that employers of these jobs often lack.

Telework can be a 'game changer' if we profit from the advantages and reduce the disadvantages. We consider Portugal one of the best places in the world for these digital nomads and remote workers to choose to live in, we want to attract them to Portugal.

Not all of their proposals were passed through parliament, though. Campaigners had originally proposed a right to disconnect, meaning workers would be able to switch off their work devices when necessary. This particular rule was not approved.

But despite that shortfall, Portugal has done a great job of starting off regulations that allow employees important freedom. Additional rules are also set to be introduced. One is planned to offset loneliness, making face-to-face meetings mandatory every few months. Another assists workers who are the parents of young children. All workers will have the right to work from home without arranging it with their employer in advance if their kids are up to eight years old.

The conversation around placing boundaries at work has been popular for a few years now but was certainly reignited by the pandemic. With 77% of people surveyed in one report expressing dissatisfaction with their work-life balance and experiencing burnout, this is unsurprising. A quick scroll through LinkedIn or even Instagram reveals an abundance of posts recommending routines and methods for conjuring and maintaining a great work-life balance. But bosses can basically do whatever they like in regards to when employees start work, how they work, and when they leave.

With Zoom fatigue and workaholic becoming buzzwords and the great resignation (one in four workers quit their jobs this year) signifying basically everyone being sick and tired of their jobs, its clear the British population are more than a little burned out.

Unfortunately, not everyone who desires a work-life balance or time away from their bosss clutches necessarily has the autonomy to make it happen, so is it time the government stepped in to make it possible for everyone? Perhaps we should impose similar regulations in the UK.

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Is Your Boss Breaking The Law By Texting You After Work? - Grazia

Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

I have come across two things on social media this week that have been disappointing concerning our area youth.

The first was a social media account created to make fun of students of a political party and the second was a video of a student being physically assaulted and bullied in a bathroom at one of the schools.

I was saddened in both situations to see that students found bullying of their peers acceptable and that not just one, but many, were bystanders at minimum.

The social media account contained not a handful but 82 students who followed the user. The user asked the followers to submit people to post about.

With the incident in the bathroom, there were other students looking on watching and at least one person who was recording.

I am saddened that this type of behavior is happening amongst the youth in our community.

As I have thought about these two incidents, it makes me question whether we do a good enough job of teaching our children about the impact of their actions. I also question where these youth are learning this type of behavior and why they think it is acceptable.

Whatever happened to the Golden Rule?

I also reflected on the youth who are standing by as this behavior is happening. We must empower our youth to know that they can stand up for what is right and that if they are too afraid to do that themselves, that they should reach out to a trusted adult for intervention.

While I know that this problem does not apply to all of our youth there are many youth out there who are good examples of standing up for their peers and being inclusive for all it does seem to be an issue that needs to be addressed.

I hope that parents in our community will take a few minutes and talk about these two instances with their children. Use this as a teaching moment a chance for them to learn critical life lessons.

They must learn, if they dont already know, that this is not acceptable.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.

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Sarah Stultz: Youth must learn the impacts of bullying - Albert Lea Tribune - Albert Lea Tribune

The International Network of Humanist Educators presented the book Hay Futuro todava. Experiences in the construction of a nonviolent humanising education in times of crisis, a collective work that brings together twenty-eight stories with multiple voices from more than ten cities and corners of Peru, Ecuador and Argentina, interwoven with drawings and paintings by Peruvian children and adolescents.

There is still a future! is still a Latin American cry launched from the shock, uncertainty, loss and isolation in the pandemic period and, at the same time, the living testimony of multiple responses of good treatment, active listening, effective dialogue, mutual help, patient and supportive teaching.

The General Coordinator of the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE), Nelsy Lizarazo, highlights in the foreword: each story is a gift of certainty, hope and affection made into daily practice. The human intentionality that transforms makes its way and advances steadily in the determined action of teachers, parents, children and adolescents who, convinced of the centrality of learning relationships, of the need for encounter and dialogue, of the unstoppable search for the link with others, deployed ingenuity, creativity and commitment. A sample of that resolve is in this book.

It tells in a simple way how it was possible to overcome confinement (stay at home) in the midst of the abyss opened up by economic inequalities and educational exclusion in times of virtual education. It shows how people come together, reflect and organise themselves in different spaces and scenarios: the womens circle in the Amazon in Ecuador, the Classroom Assembly and the march of families in Rimac in Lima, the videos for families and students in the Sierra del Cusco in Peru, the Train in Movement in Santa Elena on the Ecuadorian coast, or the learning for affectivity in an Institute of Higher Education in Mendoza, Argentina.

The Humanist Educators Network is an initiative that emerged in 2016, which is part of multiple expressions promoted by the Humanist Movement worldwide. This work closes the second international call, launched in 2020, and marks the beginning of the 3rd international call in 2021, aimed at promoting and collecting transformative humanist actions, inspired by the golden rule I treat others as I would like to be treated.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reddeeducadoresdelperu/

Email: relatosdocentesnoviolencia2020@gmail.com

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There is still a future! - PRESSENZA International News Agency

Reuters.

By Anna Beatriz Bartolo

Investing.com Inflation is back on investors radar, with data released in Brazil and the United States. At 9:34 am, it is down 0.22%, while it is rising 0.30% to R$5.5160.

In the US, futures were down 0.16%, while 100, 0.46% and 0.26% were down, respectively. Country application numbers will be released today due to the Veterans Day holiday on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Brazil recorded 183 new deaths from the Covid-19 virus, bringing the total number of victims of the deadly disease in the country to 609,756, the Ministry of Health reported. 10,948 new cases of infection. Corona VirusThe volume added that the total number of confirmed infections in the country rose to 2,1897.025.

In the second round, the Chamber of Deputies approved, by 323 votes in favor and 172 against, the PEC dos Precatrios, which authorizes the government to pay installments for judicial debts and change the spending cap rule. If the measure is also approved in the Senate, it will make room in the budget for Bolsonaros government to spend nearly R$100 billion next year.

One of the main changes that the text brings is setting an annual limit for court orders, taking into account the amount paid in 2016 as well as the adjustment for inflation, which totals R$44 billion in 2022. Another important change is the revision of the spending cap rule that will now use the period Between January and December to limit budget adjustments, when previous forecasts between July and June were used.

But MPs opposed the amendment that made the golden rule more flexible, which prevents the government from entering into debt to pay off recurring debts, such as employee salaries. Today, the government needs congressional approval to break this rule, but the executives suggestion was that this was already foreseen in the annual budget.

HICP In the economic sphere, the Expanded National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) rose 1.25% in October, after rising by 1.16% the previous month, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). This is the highest score for the month in 20 years. In the 12 months to October, the IPCA is up 10.67%. In September, the index was 10.25%.

5G Auction The companies that won the 26GHz stakes in the 5G auction entered into an agreement this Tuesday, 09,. According to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), which mediated the negotiations, the changes serve to provide a more technically efficient arrangement of services.

Jair Bolsonaro meeting with Senator Luis Carlos Haynes (PP/RS), Vice President of the Senate Peoples Party; Meeting with Pedro Cesar Souza, Deputy Head of Legal Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic. Seriously consolidate the framework for the regulation of illegal work.

Paulo Geddes There are currently no scheduled appointments.

Campos Neto Participate in the Climate Risk Disclosure Private Sector Commissioning event, promoted by the Climate Disclosure Standards Council at COP26; Participates in the opening event Program Learning Value ENEF Week; Lunch with Pedro Duarte Guimares, President of Caixa Econmica Federal.

Iguatemi (SA Mall operator Iguatemi generated R$57.9 million in the third quarter of 2021.

Braskem (SA Braskem reversed a loss of R$1.413 billion in the third quarter of 2020 with a loss of R$3.537 billion in the third quarter of 2021. Compared to the second quarter of 2021, there was a decrease of 52%.

Santos Brazil (SA Santos Brasil Participaes (SA:) recorded R$66.6 million in the third quarter of 2021, reversing a loss of R$5.45 million in the same period in 2020.

Locate (SA Localisa registered R$671.4 million in the third quarter of this year, an increase of 106.3% over the same period last year.

Raya Drogacil (SA Raya Drogazil reported an adjusted amount of R$173.6 million in the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 0.40% over the same period the previous year.

C&A (SA C&A will pay R$415 million to Bradesco (SA to resume providing financial services and products that the bank had until then explored exclusively in chain stores. C&A will launch C&A Pay next month, a solution that promises a complete digital experience, and is fast and easy for a customer to contract.

Carrefour (SA The value of the Carrefour adjustment amounted to R$621 million in the third quarter of 2021, a decrease of 18% compared to the same period last year. Adjusted Ebitda, in turn, was R$1.4 billion, an increase of 10.9% over the previous 12 months. The groups total sales amounted to R$20.7 billion, an increase of 7.7%.

itash Ita Unibanco (SA will allow mortgage customers to skip up to two loan installments every 12 months. The new service, called Pula Parcela, will be available to customers who already have financing and updated in installments, as well as for new contracts. The amount of deferred premiums, plus interest and fees, will be mitigated in others.

Betz (SA Petz, which is expected to be priced November 18. Given the closing price of R$20.83 per share on Tuesday, the total value of the follow-up could reach R$854 million.

MRV (SA MRV . has grown

Ethernet (SA Net income grew 143.5% in Q321 year-over-year, to R$98 million. Net revenue increased by 37.2% to R$ 275.9 million.

cell phone (to me:) Mobly reported R$25.7 million in Q321, reflecting a profit of R$1.9 million in the same period in 2020. Ebitda was negative R$9.6 million, exacerbated by 35.2% compared to the negative result of R$7.1 million in same period. year 2020.

Volcapras (SA Vulcabras reported income of R$126.5 million in Q321, an increase of 191.5% over Q3 of 2020 and the highest result in history for this quarter. Ebitda was valued at R$138.9 million, an increase of 109.8%.

Taurus (SA:) Taurus achieved a 63% increase in the third quarter of 21 compared to the previous year, valued at R$166.4 million.

Petrobras (SA According to Valor Econmico, executive director of reservoirs at the state-owned company, Tiago Homem, he advocated that alternating water and gas injection into pre-salt fields could increase the recoverable volume of water in some fields by 25% to 30%, when compared to water injection Only in these cabinets.

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What to Expect for the Stock Exchange in Brazil This Wednesday By Investing.com - The Catholic Transcript

Find a strategy that will reduce division

As someone who spent many hours watching public meetings in my job as a journalist with KPBS, I am disturbed by the building tension and frustration I see happening at school boards and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Since retiring, Ive found myself focusing on the growing divides in our culture, as one after another, long-held pain bursts out of hiding and demands to be recognized.

Whether its Black Lives Matter, the Me Too movement or LGBTQ+ rights, people are coalescing into groups with grievances that demand attention and retribution. Now anti-vaxxers and those against mask mandates are doing the same, gelling into group identities with like-minded folk and demanding to be heard. The challenge of our time seems to be how to stay open and not allow these separate group identities to cut us off from each other completely.

Rather than see public meetings curtailed or canceled altogether, there may be better ways for public agencies to handle all that raw emotion. The principles of nonviolent communication offer some ideas. Marshall Rosenberg writes that its a basic human need to want to be heard. The rising level of aggressive testimony suggests people dont feel heard.

It is very hard for public officials to sit through hours of raucous public testimony, especially if its aimed against them. But in many cases, the person on the dais may share core human values with the person testifying, like wanting freedom of choice, or caring about their childrens education. Before laying out their arguments for how they will vote, reflecting back what they heard and acknowledging where they agree are key parts of moving through conflict. In any disagreement, feeling heard can go a long way toward diffusing anger and frustration.

What we are up against is what Harvards Arthur Brooks calls the outrage industrial complex in which social media makes money off our attraction to outrage by catering to just one ideological side, creating a species of addiction by feeding our desire to believe that we are completely right and that the other side is made up of knaves and fools.

What we need he writes, is not to disagree less, but to disagree better.

Any strategy that will reduce the outrage and contempt that leads to higher walls and greater divisions is what we must find. Perhaps its requesting more written testimony that people can read at meetings or see online, or offering to let the public pre-record short videos of their arguments, rather than going live.

Our public officials are being tested. Its a phenomenon that is making good people think twice before running for public office. But acknowledging and tolerating the powerful feelings that run though our political lives today is perhaps the most important skill that any public servant can bring to the table.

Alison St John Inglis, Oceanside

Civility, like most things, is a team sport, and if team members know their positions and their roles and if they cooperate, they will usually succeed. Your premise, that we must address and resolve uncivilized behavior, seems to assume that we will always have these negative confrontations. In fact there is no place for the demonstration of hateful and threatening gestures at all. We need to end it, not adjust to it. We can disagree and debate, but when we spew hate, we lose the game.

We can all look into a mirror and ask ourselves to please act like a responsible person when interacting with other human beings. Beyond that it is hard to imagine any other way to get there. The two sides in this drama are right and wrong, not left or right or progressive or conservative or based on any isms. You cant solve bad behavior with new rules that you make up as you go along. Actions, not words, are what matter.

Where does this all come from, and why does the mainstream media obsess about it? Is it because, for some reason, it works? Surely we arent all inherently hateful, are we? How does it get into our system and how do we deal with those who get some sort of satisfaction in abusing others?

These same officials sitting before the public and taking this abuse were elected themselves. Remember those political debates and that endless stream of campaign mailers spewing hate and humiliation upon their opponent? Some politicians used that language to get our vote. They taught us.

We lived through the last presidential campaign, Democrats tearing each other apart in the primary, then the election where everybody regrouped and went at it again and then the worst kind of confrontation, physical violence, as seemingly normal people set out to physically harm their opponents all this inside the hallowed halls of Congress.

It really doesnt seem like there is a way out of this as long as mainstream and social media feed off the worst in all of us. We arent going to fix this breakdown in civility by passing more rules. That wont solve anything in this endless confrontation.

When law and order really does break down, it will be like the climate situation. It will be too late. When our time-tested institutions are dismantled, what will be left? Does anyone really want to go there? We need an attitude change, and we need it now.

If we are going to restore civility to our government, how about the political establishment taking a vow to run issue-based campaigns instead of aiming for the personal destruction of their opponents character? Its a sad commentary on all of us that negative campaigning works.

We simply must look into everything from the Magna Carta to Roberts Rules of Order for guidance on how to be civil, how to mind our words and our attitudes.

Honestly, how difficult is it to simply behave in public?

Gary Weber, Normal Heights

Parents have every right to show up to school board meetings and voice their concerns, per the First Amendment. Our school board meetings are arguably the first place we should 100 percent defend our First Amendment rights. Our federal government has recently gone so far as to build a pathway for some to call parents at school board meetings domestic terrorists simply because they are emotional about what is going on in the schools.

Do I agree that parents should be civil and at least try to be respectful in their tone and words they use when addressing school boards? Of course. The report we heard recently here in San Diego where there were wholly inappropriate comments being made by one gentleman needs to be investigated and possibly that person banned from meetings.

How many injuries have school board members endured at the hands of these domestic terrorist parents anywhere in this country? Zero. How many deaths at school board meetings? Zero. So, to insinuate that a school board member is in danger or cannot serve safely and effectively is quite a stretch. The videos that I have seen where parents attempts to express themselves to school boards are met with stone cold silence and no response reek of totalitarian privilege. Why do these school board members act like they hold all of the cards and have all of the power when dealing with peoples children?

I have an idea. How about if the school boards actually consider what these parents are saying at these school board meetings and work collaboratively with parents to structure the curriculum in the schools? What we have is an issue where the curriculum has gone so far overboard regarding race and gender issues that parents are frustrated. When their initial attempts to enact changes in school boards across the country was met with silence and zero effort to understand their point of view, that frustration turned to a situation where emotions started to boil over.

Is it crazy to suggest that our schools get back to the basics: Reading, writing and arithmetic? I dont need a school to teach my child about race and racism. I dont need a school to teach my child about genders, pronouns and sexuality. These are topics that should be discussed and dictated by parents and families and the cultures within those families, not a teacher who may have a view that is different from the norms and values of that family. We need to restructure school boards to where parents have access and a voice regarding the curriculum that is being taught, and parents at least feel like they have some input regarding what their children are learning. This will lower the temperature in these school board meetings.

E. Marshal Cox, Chula Vista

Donald Trump is the example that has contributed to this bad behavior. For more than four years, we witnessed the leader of our country act like a schoolyard bully name-calling, finger-pointing and making fun of anyone he disagreed with, or, more importantly, anyone who disagreed with him.

The man cannot even be respectful of the dead.

Everything that he says and does is about him. He so wants personal adulation he can only think of what he might not get.

This has not stopped with Trump. Politicians on both sides of the aisle want only what their own agendas are. Our society has become all about what I want. No discussion, no debate. If this continues, we are a doomed democratic society.

Faithful public discussion is imperative. Wake up, everyone.

Jennifer Roberts, South Park

Whats happened to the America we used to know? Civil disobedience is no longer civil. Its now acceptable to publicly act in unacceptable ways.

How did we arrive at this point where being rude, offensive, and bullying others is our new normal? One answer might be that anti-democracy rebelliousness is being fueled by disinformation, intolerance, and polarization across America. Is it fair to blame much of that degradation on the verbal graffiti created by politicians and newscasters?

At times, Americas political climate feels like a fairy tale with wicked witches casting evil spells. Sometimes, politicking is like an unhinged, never-ending nightmare, with politicians behaving like self-serving grifters on American Greed. Their lack of decorum and cavalier attitude toward their Constitutional Oath are major factors in the disintegration of standards such as The Golden Rule throughout society.

As for TV newscasters and radio talk-show hosts, theres a difference between informing citizens with news and using misinformation to stoke fears. Manufactured crises about cultural wars, election fraud conspiracies, and accusations of tyranny are keeping the turmoil roiling.

Unfortunately, the rancor being generated by multiple entities has spilled over into the real world. A frightening form of radicalism violence as a means to an end has recently entered the picture. County board meetings and local school board meetings (plus families of elected officials) are now subject to threats and disruption.

Public servants are the core of our democracy. This mafia-type intimidation this vigilante virus must be stopped before it proliferates. Posting rewards and announcing arrests without delay might alleviate that problem.

People have the right to be heard. They do not have a right to be unruly or threaten others.

The assumption that everyone knows how to behave is a false premise. All boards must adopt formal guidelines (eg., a Code of Conduct for Civil Disobedience) patterned after Emily Posts etiquette guide. Speakers at public meetings would be required to abide by that Code. Also, all boards must have a Sergeant of Arms to control disorderly conduct and remove disrupters from meetings. Anyone making threats must be prosecuted, fined, and jailed.

America is undoubtedly going through a cultural crisis. Unless we counterbalance the negative forces with positive solutions, the nastiest, rudest, most foul-mouthed factions will take over.

If one of the root causes of the problem has been the news media, then maybe its time for them to become part of the solution. Local stations could air broadcasts about the Code of Conduct. Also, the Code could be mailed to every postal address and/or be part of the curriculum in schools.

Citizens watching TV or listening to talk radio can make a difference by switching stations. Lowering the ratings, hurting broadcasters financially, will make newscasters feel the consequences of their behavior. Voting pretzel politicians out of office is another way to generate positive results.

Unless something changes, what happened on January 6 will only get worse. Our American family is broken. Its up to all of us to put it back together again.

Angela Tilaro, San Marcos

Originally posted here:

Opinion: Your Say on handling aggressive and threatening behavior at public meetings - The San Diego Union-Tribune

With help from Rishika Dugyala and Teresa Wiltz

Supporters cheer as then-Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin walks onstage at a campaign rally days before the November election. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Hi, hi, Recast family! Maya and Sabrina here filling in for Brakkton this week. (Hes taking a much-needed vacay.) Were sure youve read plenty of the hot takes in the wake of the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections last week. And while we expect more takes hopefully with more data in the days and weeks to come, well walk you through some of the biggest takeaways on what Democrats need to be looking at heading into the midterm elections. Lets jump in.

Democrats have a bigger problem than they thought.

Following bruising losses up and down the ballot in Virginia and a too-close-for-comfort win in New Jersey, Democrats are doing damage control. Its going to take some heavy lifting for them to stop the bleeding in 2022. Thats because theyll need to totally rethink and seriously prioritize their strategy to mobilize the constituencies they most need: Black and Latino voters.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe fell short of the governors mansion by just over 2 points even as turnout among voters of color rivaled the record-breaking figures from 2020, when President Joe Biden won the commonwealth by 10 points. Its leading grassroots organizers, campaign strategists and party leaders alike to reexamine where the party went wrong in the commonwealth.

Then-Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe departs after speaking during his election night event on Nov. 2. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Among the main concerns emerging from the election results: Democrats over-reliance on Black and Latino voters to turn out and counteract overwhelmingly white, Republican enthusiasm. Democrats expect POC voters to show up without making necessary investments to gin up Black and brown turnout, some party officials, consultants and pollsters say. Whats more, they add, the old strategies of outreach last-minute mailers, a handful of Spanish-language ads and visits to Black churches and barber shops are outdated, ineffective strategies in the face of data-driven, well-funded outreach strategies coming from the GOP.

Its like we watch the same movie every election cycle and we expect a different beautiful ending. Every now and then we get one, but oftentimes its not because everything that couldve been done was done on outreach and turnout with people of color, said Julin Castro, former Democratic presidential candidate and Housing secretary in the Obama administration.

That needs to change.

And its not just about outreach. Voters need something to get excited about. That was particularly evident as Republicans drove much of the public debate and Democrats struggled to gain traction with their talking points on policy. Education dominated the Virginia race, as panic over critical race theory a legal academic framework that examines racism in American institutions quickly morphed into a debate around whether parents should control what their children learn in school.

The issue animated the gubernatorial race, as now Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin promised to ban the teaching of it while McAuliffe waited until weeks before the election to fully address it, handing out copies of Toni Morrisons Beloved. McAuliffe, who launched his campaign on education, also was haunted by a September gaffe during a debate where he said parents shouldnt tell schools what to teach.

All of that led to conditions in Virginia, unfortunately, for the dog whistle politics and the grievance politics, that Glenn Youngkin can perpetuate it to be quite successful, and quite effective, said Terrance Woodbury, A Democratic pollster who studies Black voting behavior.

Now, lets be clear: Democrats loss in Virginia isnt about placing blame on voters of color. The truth is Democrats are bleeding support from white voters.

And that helped Republicans in Virginia, where the electorate that turned out was certainly whiter.

The share of white voters supporting McAuliffe also went down to 38 percent from 45 percent for Biden just a year earlier.

Meanwhile, exit polls in Virginia portrayed dueling narratives with Latino voters in Virginia, as one had Youngkin winning by 12 points while another showed McAuliffe winning by more than 30 points. Democratic pollsters and political insiders, however, say one thing is clear: Latino support for Democrats is eroding and they need to act fast.

The electorate was also older. More than one-fourth of voters were over the age of 65 an age group that leans more conservative up from 18 percent in 2020. Only 10 percent of voters were in the 18-to-29 age range, a group that leaned toward McAuliffe, down from 20 percent in last years election. Exit polls also show a swing among independent voters with a majority voting for Youngkin after a majority backed Biden last year.

Stickers reading "I Voted" are available to those afterwards who cast ballots at the Fairfax County Government Center on Nov. 2 in Virginia's election. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

We know that the party in power in the White House often faces headwinds. At the same time, Im looking for, How do we buck that trend? Castro said. In order to buck that trend, were going to have to drive up turnout among our base. That means you need great candidates, you need well-funded grassroots outreach efforts and you need an appealing record of accomplishment and strong narrative going into 2022.

As always, well be watching to see how this dynamic plays out in 2022 and beyond.

All the best, The Recast team

Power dynamics are changing. With The Recast, you'll get a twice-weekly breakdown of how race and identity are the DNA of American politics and policy. Stay tuned for fresh analysis, scoops and new voices.

Programming note: Brakkton will co-moderate a discussion at POLITICOs inaugural sustainability summit on Nov. 16 about what it will take to achieve a just transition to a clean energy economy. RSVP here.

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THE ROUNDTABLE

Former Democratic presidential candidate Julin Castro speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta in December 2020. | Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

We wanted to dig a little deeper into how the results in Virginia shook out, how much Democrats should be paying attention and how voters of color in the commonwealth could be a bellwether for how the party might perform next November. So we spent some more time on the horn with Woodbury, a Democratic pollste, and Castro, former HUD secretary and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. And we enlisted Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Bernie Sanders. This conversation has been edited and shortened for clarity.

THE RECAST: What demographic shifts did you notice in Virginia in 2021 that Democrats might have underestimated? What could that tell us about next years races?

TERRANCE WOODBURY: We saw the electorate get significantly whiter and significantly older than it was in 2020. I think that shows some underperformance amongst voters of color, primarily Black voters, who both turned out at a lower rate, but also supported Democrats at a lower rate.

JULIN CASTRO: Its clear there was an uptick of white voters in the electorate compared to previous cycles. And also that Youngkin was able to peel off independents who likely had voted for Joe Biden versus Donald Trump and who very well may have voted for McAuliffe in 2013 and Northam in 2017.

CHUCK ROCHA: There was such a hyperfocus on white women. And Terry McAuliffe ran millions and millions of TV commercials targeting white women with the choice issue. So much so that you saw them saying, Dont Texas my Virginia and trying to use that as a motivational factor for white women, when in fact, they dramatically underperformed.

So, you know, saying that this is on Black and brown voters is totally false.

THE RECAST: Did you notice any warning signs with voters of color ahead of the November election? And what were some of your biggest takeaways in either or both New Jersey and Virginia?

WOODBURY: We always say if you're asking the wrong questions, then you're getting the wrong answers, and a lot of pollsters are asking the wrong questions. And, frankly, conventional polling doesn't even include racism and discrimination in most issue batteries.

ROCHA: The biggest thing that we're hearing in the community is that Black and brown people were horribly affected by Covid, because of education, and kids being home from school. So Covid overlaps with the schooling issue, because unlike rich white folks, or you could say just rich folks in the suburbs, [working class] black and brown folks don't have a nanny or don't have the privilege to get to work from home. So the whole family suffered when the child had to stay home. And nobody was talking about that issue in Virginia. And I've heard it in every single focus group of Black and brown voters in almost every state I've worked in.

CASTRO: From both the elections, I took that Republicans were able to control the narrative in Virginia that race became a lot about critical race theory and essentially white identity politics as expressed in whats taught in schools. And in New Jersey, it centered a lot around taxes and thats particular to New Jersey.

THE RECAST: What lessons can Democrats learn from 2021 so not to repeat them in 2022?

CASTRO: Democrats have to enhance the outreach and the resources to drive up registration and turnout, especially turnout among low propensity Latino voters We need a full court press on registration and turnout 365 days a year, not only a few months before an election. And that the agenda of accomplishment in Washington and in state capitals across the country reflects the interests of Latinos and other people of color.

I believe that Jamie Harrison and the DNC get that and that you have a lot of people that do understand the urgency of making these investments and doing the outreach. But sometimes things get lost in the shuffle.

ROCHA: There's a golden rule in politics. And that is you only get one time to make a first impression.

WOODBURY: Democrats often are on the right side of these issues, but not willing to take the bold public stance ... Even when I was focus grouping Democrats who were considering or had already supported Donald Trump, and I asked them, What is it about him? Even after explicit racism, like, demonstrable racism, what is it about him that would make you still want to support him? They say, Well, at least he stands for what he believes in, even if it's wrong. Even if it's unpopular. And that's what they're missing in Democrats, is someone that will stand for them. Even when it's unpopular.

ICYMI @ POLITICO

For weeks, dozens of students have taken over the social hub of Howard University while sleeping on pallets, air mattresses and tents inside and outside of the building. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Howard University students are still protesting abysmal campus living conditions, reports POLITICOS Eugene Daniels. They have a message for the Biden administration, Congress and their most famous alumnus, Vice President Kamala Harris: follow through on a promise.

For POLITICO Magazine, Ruby Cramer dives into the new Pete Buttigieg documentary. Amid the action of the campaign, she notes that the real drama is watching a person who is still becoming comfortable with himself and doing so on the biggest stage imaginable.

What happens when a movement meets a man who cant be moved? Also for POLITICO Magazine, Ruair Arrieta-Kenna reports on the Sunrise Movements challenging year in a Washington seemingly ruled by Sen. Joe Manchin. Its a hard look at efforts to win transformational climate policy and the limits of the progressive wave.

THE RECAST RECOMMENDS

Its Teresa and Rishika with your favorite section of the newsletter! Bookmark these recs and we hope you find some time (or create some time) in your week to indulge.

We wanted to remind you again: Brakkton will co-moderate a discussion at POLITICOs inaugural sustainability summit on Nov. 16 about what it will take to achieve a just transition to a clean energy economy. You can RSVP here.

In his new book, Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America, scholar and rapid-fire thinker/speaker Michael Eric Dyson dissects all the ways Black lives are served up for consumption on the public stage.

We loved Season 1 of Padma Lakshmis food/travel series, Taste the Nation, so were especially geeked to see shes back with Season 2.

Make some time for this profile of Emily Ratajkowski, whos been dubbed the thinking mans naked woman. With her new book, the model tries to escape the oppression of the male gaze while acknowledging that shes used her sexuality to advance her career and reflects on the huge number of photographs of her body that have come to define her life.

Emily Ratajkowski attends the CoinGeek conference cocktail party in October in New York. | Andy Kropa/Invision/AP

Louise Erdrichs latest novel, The Sentence, dropped today and its caught our eye: An independent bookstore specializing in Native literature becomes the site of a yearlong haunting. Set in Minneapolis amid the Covid-19 pandemic and protests against police brutality, the book explores both the paranormal and devastating reality.

Heres a little energy to get you through the day, brought to you by Rakeem Miles, Waka Flocka and Chad Hugo.

Rishika tried her hand at co-hosting a Diwali party for the first time last weekend. Shes pretty proud of this hand-curated playlist of Bollywood hits:

TikTok of the Day: Just a father and his baby, vibing.

Were supposed to be packing for vacation

Follow this link:

Truth: Democrats have a white voter problem - Politico

This one's for those who dont have access to (or the ability to play) a real guitar, but still want those sparkling textures. The solution: software sample libraries and virtual players. Some even boldly argue that software guitar is a more practical route to rich, majestic guitar melodies

Its now a nearly universally recognised fact that the pro-level sample library has largely negated the necessity of investing in bank-breaking instruments, or studio recording time. From the comfort of your home, music makers across genres can easily conjure lush orchestration, realistic-sounding drum-kits and authentic analogue synth tones with the right applications of professionally curated sample collections, in conjunction with natural-sounding legatos and humanisation abilities.

For some however, guitar sampling remains something to be treated with a degree of scepticism, as those stubborn real-world players remain dubious of the idea that software can reproduce guitar parts as realistic as those performed by a human being when performed via a MIDI keyboard, or programmed via software.

Well, that idea should be put to bed right now, because, in reality, guitar sampling has been a perfectly elegant solution for those less able to weave dazzling solos with their fingers for years, or for those looking to apply guitar characteristics that are simply outside of their sphere to muster.

The idea that these virtual guitar suites cant sound truly realistic may have held water some ten years ago, but the last decade has seen rapid innovations in performability and sample animation. Many guitar sample libraries feature phrases and scale runs performed by superlative players, recorded in a studio context with top of the line amps, cabs and microphones too. When applied to a track, very few listeners if any would be able to tell that they were added using software.

While its definitely the case that you now dont actually need a real guitar in order to work the instrument in your mix, you really do need to make sure that you listen carefully to the sound of the legion of virtual guitar VSTs for sale before you part with your cash.

Youll find that, as a general rule, theyve all been tailored for a specific sonic purpose. Impact Soundworks Shreddage for example, is aimed at those wanting a pounding metal thrash, while the affecting, delayed licks found in Audiomoderns Opacity II heavily vie to be used in a Nordic murder mystery soundtrack. While both aretechnically guitar packs, they cater for very different audiences.

Sound aside, many of these types of virtual guitar plugin will contain pre-played phrases, riffs and licks that are triggered like any other sample, but if you were wanting to create your own, note-by-note, youd be advised to take a look at the individual expressive capabilities of the suite. The aforementioned Opacity II is exemplary in this regard, with its pre-prepared (and pre-mixed) textured pads able to be scaled seamlessly, while the sequence loops, swells and pads can yield stunning guitar atmospheres it would take days to carve.

The same can be said of the much more straightforward Session Guitar series from Native Instruments. While these suites contain some stellar recordings of classic guitars (for example a Martin D-35, in the case of the standout Strummed Acoustic), the best aspect of the software is that ability to trigger predetermined chord sequences via a pattern selector, or, to boil things down to a crazily simple level, via a one-note key press, which triggers a lush chord on the chosen guitar. Its actually almost that bit too easy, but at the end of the day, it sounds real, and accelerates the production process.

While direct overall control over chords and notes is one aspect of being a guitarist, the parallel pleasure of exploring the expressive scope of the instrument, and coming up with new, off-the-wall riffs and melodies is something that many might expect the software world to not be able to cater for.

Well, Impromptu Guitars from Zero-G features an engine that randomly weaves together a wide range of improvised loops, crossfade-able by use of the central knob. These evolving sounds can be mixed into your track in numerous pleasing ways, and were all captured with real amps and pedals.

Other software, such as the range offered by Real Guitar, allows a wide range of techniques and chordal control, with key velocity and your mod wheel affecting such aspects as harmonics, strum intensity and chord voicing. Real Guitars suites among many others also contain humanisation algorithms, designed to combat the former jarring realisation that were working in the domain of samples, with chord strums and technique being carefully thought about during the recording process.

Oddly, human imperfection and unpredictability is a discernible, sought-after attribute. While weve named a few of our particular favourite guitar sample manipulating products, do take the time to explore around and hone in on the right fit for your music. Or, if youre starting fresh, a guitar sample library with performance abilities can be a splendid starting point.

Even if youre a guitarist through-and-through, its certainly not an either/or situation with regards to the virtual world. Certain software suites could lead you down more interesting creative angles.

Melodic sample packs, such as Pedal Steel from Loopmasters, or Guitar Hooks from IQ Samples can be easily slotted in to your mix, and can spur on the creation of new earworms, which you can develop further with an actual instrument (though you may want to keep these royalty-free sounds as they are, bearing in mind theyve been captured with god-tier guitars and amp combinations).

However you want to approach things, the golden rule is that all music-making technology is there to help your creativity to flourish, and tired arguments about hardware vs software or indeed guitars vs sampled guitars restrict both sides of the fence.

But, there are no shortcuts to achieving the perfect sound for your track as weve over-stated throughout this feature, the track should always be the primary consideration.

Even if youve spent your life in dance music, and never worked with the guitar as a mix element before, then why not open your ears to the possibilities it presents? You might be surprised with how a considered application of guitar sounds can prove to be the missing ingredient that makes your track into a real gourmet dish.

If you want some beefy metal power in your mix, but dont own either a guitar or the necessary skill to conjure the required tone, then Shreddage 3 is tailor-made for you. Using a MIDI keyboard, Shreddage allows you to control the guitar via Poly Input, while the suite also contains huge numbers of articulations and presets.

Featuring 3,682 samples, the realistic fretboard and string-handling noises found within Ample Guitar L III means that youd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and a real guitar recording. A substantial helping of articulations, realistic legato and a choice of instrument types result in a quality simulated guitar option.

It may be over ten years old, but Electri6ity is still held in high regard by many software-guitar explorers. Its automatic chord feature revoices your MIDI keyboard chords into guitar chord shapes, while the programmable strumming ability keeps things sounding human. Theres also a huge amount of scalability and effects within.

Across Natives range of Session Guitarist instruments, stunning guitar recordings are performable via your standard MIDI keyboard. Strummed Acoustic is certainly up there as a vital go-to if you dont have a real guitar to hand. It provides the simple ability to construct realistic performances that can help to texture your mix.

Taking their cues from a classic Gibson Les Paul sound, this sublime package captures the playing of acclaimed player Michael Dowdle, and features a heap of pre-recorded parts, phrases and programmable notes. The strumming animation controls are top notch as well, which features the ability to palm mute and apply harmonics.

Available in a range of different flavours, the Virtual Guitarist series provides many musical styles to choose from, with thousands of samples and performance options to explore. Full chords can be triggered with single-note presses, and more than 100 presets can direct you to a tone that will work for your track. The effects are pretty sweet, too.

Original post:

How to get a great guitar sound... without buying a guitar - MusicRadar