Language business – Scuola Insieme http://www.scuolainsieme.com/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 18:26:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.3 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/icon-2021-06-25T191058.566-150x150.png Language business – Scuola Insieme http://www.scuolainsieme.com/ 32 32 3 tips for creating more inclusive recycling and waste management programs for underserved communities https://www.scuolainsieme.com/3-tips-for-creating-more-inclusive-recycling-and-waste-management-programs-for-underserved-communities/ Wed, 23 Nov 2022 17:47:54 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/3-tips-for-creating-more-inclusive-recycling-and-waste-management-programs-for-underserved-communities/ Listen to the article 6 minutes This audio is generated automatically. Please let us know if you have any comments. Underserved communities must be part of the strategy to meet long-term recycling and waste diversion goals at the local, state and national levels, speakers said at the recent National Recycling Congress conference. During a panel […]]]>

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Underserved communities must be part of the strategy to meet long-term recycling and waste diversion goals at the local, state and national levels, speakers said at the recent National Recycling Congress conference.

During a panel discussion, speakers discussed strategies for connecting with communities where English is not the primary language, where recycling services are impractical or non-existent, or where the community faces other systemic barriers.

Sustainability organizations must build thoughtful, long-term relationships with diverse communities to make recycling and access to waste more resilient, said Sophia Huda, chair of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council of the National Recycling Congress. . “Effective recycling programs require the participation and buy-in of our communities – every member of our community,” she said.

Here are some takeaways from the discussion:

Build programs with membership from the start

It is not enough to start a new recycling program and invite the target community to participate, the speakers said. Key members of this community should always be present in the decision-making process and program implementation.

“You need to be able to have people from diverse communities in your organization strategizing on policies and programs,” Huda said.

Whenever possible, collect data and make informed decisions based on community feedback instead of implementing predefined programs, said Keysha Burton, community infrastructure program manager for The Recycling Partnership. “We don’t want to make assumptions about why people don’t participate” in recycling or other programs, she said. “We want to decide based on research.”

When creating new sustainability programs, consider changing your program requirements or being flexible based on people’s backgrounds, said Berenice Garcia-Tellez, action administrator for the City and County of Denver and President of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County. For example, some immigrants don’t have W2 tax forms to prove their employment or income, she said, which is a common document needed for certain types of programs.

Partnering with a local community organization can help determine how to develop outreach programs tailored to target communities through culturally appropriate communications, she added. When a Denver-area program created flyers reminding residents to use reusable shopping bags, for example, community members suggested replacing the picture of a canvas bag with one of a colorful rectangular bag more commonly used in this Mexican-American neighborhood.

Successful programs are built on trust

While it is important to include diverse communities in any sustainability initiative, building community trust takes time. That could mean attending events or working on projects that, at first glance, don’t seem related to recycling or waste management, Garcia-Tellez said. Find providers based in the communities you hope to serve, participate in local events, or help the community meet other common needs, she suggested.

Early in the pandemic, many Latino business owners she worked with were more concerned with keeping their businesses open than upgrading their buildings with sustainable improvements. The Latino Chamber helped businesses apply for federal loans and invited them to a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic. Through this process, they were able to build trust and inspire people to adopt new recycling and waste diversion strategies, she said. One such company, Taco Star, was later awarded a US EPA price for its sustainability efforts.

Helping immigrant communities connect to new programs also comes with unique challenges, she said, because some people come from countries where “the government just takes the money out of their pockets.” Additionally, some business owners are undocumented or uninsured, which means they are not eligible for certain local business discounts.

“If you’re going to communities and you’re new, don’t expect them to fill out your survey right away or apply to your programs,” she cautioned. “You have to be patient.”

]]> Vacancy at our Embassy in Pretoria for a Policy Officer in the area of ​​Climate Policy | Information https://www.scuolainsieme.com/vacancy-at-our-embassy-in-pretoria-for-a-policy-officer-in-the-area-of-climate-policy-information/ Fri, 18 Nov 2022 09:49:41 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/vacancy-at-our-embassy-in-pretoria-for-a-policy-officer-in-the-area-of-climate-policy-information/ News article | 18-11-2022 | 10:35 The Dutch Embassy in Pretoria has a job offer for a Policy Officer in the Climate Team from 1st February, 2023. We are looking for a professional with a proven track record in climate relations who is open-minded and driven by values ​​such as diversity, equality and inclusiveness and […]]]>

News article | 18-11-2022 | 10:35

The Dutch Embassy in Pretoria has a job offer for a Policy Officer in the Climate Team from 1st February, 2023. We are looking for a professional with a proven track record in climate relations who is open-minded and driven by values ​​such as diversity, equality and inclusiveness and who is a true team player.

The Embassy in Pretoria works as a team with the Consulate General in Cape Town. Our joint mission in South Africa hinges on the strong bilateral political and economic relationship between South Africa and the Netherlands. An important area of ​​cooperation is climate and climate adaptation.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Maintain and expand relevant network and relationships with key policy makers, influencers as well as private and public sector representatives in climate-related fields at local, provincial and national levels;
  • Identification and development of projects in the field of climate mitigation and adaptation, supporting the implementation of climate-related programs. This includes the identification, evaluation and processing of project requests, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of projects;
  • Identifies, assists, initiates and executes climate-related events and initiatives in collaboration with the team and external partners;
  • Identifies opportunities to engage the Dutch private sector in co-creating solutions to climate and environmental challenges;

Ensures political cohesion and the integration of the climate change perspective into other themes and objectives of the Netherlands in South Africa.

Skills and competences

Professional

  • Knowledge of climate policy and politics and a network of relevant actors at local, provincial and national level;
  • In-depth knowledge of the causes and impact of climate change, South Africa’s position and the role of different levels of governance in implementing climate action;
  • Understanding of business opportunities in climate-related sectors, including energy, water and circular economy, and experience of business-to-business engagements;
  • Good analytical and research skills, including the ability to collect, validate, assess and integrate relevant climate information from a variety of sources, assess their impact and formulate recommendations to strengthen climate ambition and action in South Africa ;
  • Proven sensitivity to political and social environment and ability to work accordingly. Takes initiative, works transparently and invites the opinions and contributions of others into own work;
  • Ability to serve as an internal resource person and share knowledge;
  • Ability to contribute to broader economic and political policy initiatives and projects through the thematic policy approach of assignments.

Communication

  • Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Adapts language, tone, style and format to the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and opinions and keeps others informed.

Teamwork and D&I

  • Works collaboratively and values ​​team cohesion. Seeks input by genuinely valuing the ideas and expertise of others. Is willing to learn from others. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when those decisions do not fully reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
  • Enjoys working in a diverse, multicultural team and environment, recognizes and appreciates cross-cultural sensitivities. Has views and ambitions on promoting diversity and inclusion in work and teamwork.

Qualifications

Education

  • Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in environmental science, political science, international relations, social science, economics or related field. Focusing on climate or environmental topics is an added advantage.

Experience, knowledge and skills

  • A minimum of three years of work experience in climate, political affairs, international relations, business development, or related field is required.
  • Knowledge of the environmental and socio-economic landscape in South Africa and interest in international and national climate developments;
  • Able to build strong relationships and identify key stakeholders;

Language requirements

  • Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required. Knowledge of other South African languages ​​is an advantage.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has an active diversity policy and strives to be an inclusive and safe working environment, where everyone can be who they are and are valued for it. We look for diversity of age, gender, race, orientation, identity, culture, background, and skill, among other traits, when composing teams.

Our offices are adapted for people with disabilities.

Hiring contract

One year fixed term contract – with possibility of extension.

Two-month trial period.

Salary indication (scale 9): ZAR 55,000 – 60,000 gross, depending on experience and qualifications, 37.5 hours/week.

Interested?

Please send your cover letter (max 400 words) and curriculum vitae to pre-plv@minbuza.nl, subject “Application Climate Officer – NAME”

Application deadline: December 2, 2022. Interviews will take place from December 5 to 15.

]]> The state of offshore wind farms: Rocky sailing with legal challenges in New Jersey https://www.scuolainsieme.com/the-state-of-offshore-wind-farms-rocky-sailing-with-legal-challenges-in-new-jersey/ Tue, 15 Nov 2022 20:13:00 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/the-state-of-offshore-wind-farms-rocky-sailing-with-legal-challenges-in-new-jersey/ It’s just a cable to carry electricity from an offshore wind farm to a former coal-fired power plant in southern New Jersey, but it symbolizes a daunting challenge for the renewable energy industry. . The cable has been squabbling for nearly three years, with no end in sight in a state whose officials are eager […]]]>

It’s just a cable to carry electricity from an offshore wind farm to a former coal-fired power plant in southern New Jersey, but it symbolizes a daunting challenge for the renewable energy industry. .

The cable has been squabbling for nearly three years, with no end in sight in a state whose officials are eager to get offshore wind power working.

Thousands of wind turbines have been proposed for areas along the US coast as the country tries to meet an ambitious goal of deploying enough offshore by 2030 to power 10 million homes.

So far, only one project is running, in Rhode Island, while another is under construction off Virginia, where two of the planned 176 turbines are operating.

But hurdles like New Jersey’s only contentious cable show the challenge the offshore wind energy industry must overcome — quickly — if it is to move closer to its goals.

Josh Kaplowitz, vice president of American Clean Power, a federation of renewable energy companies, said offshore wind is crucial to combating climate change, generating electricity and creating new jobs. But before any of this can happen, the energy must reach the earth.

“The fact is, realizing these benefits requires building onshore infrastructure that allows electricity to come off and feed into the power grid,” he said.

Many people in Ocean City, a popular beach community south of Atlantic City, are strongly opposed to a proposed project by Orsted and PSEG that still needs state approval to bring a power line ashore.

“We don’t want that here in any way,” said resident Suzanne Hornick, a local opposition leader to the plan.

She cites concerns about damage to the environment, the possibility of higher rates being charged to consumers and the general lack of certainty about what is a brand new industry in this country.

The United States has 27 wind farm projects in development, with five more sites up for auction in California next month, according to the Business Network for Offshore Wind, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the offshore wind industry.

If even a small portion of them were to face protracted legal or regulatory challenges, this could pose a serious hurdle for the industry.

Sam Salustro, vice president of the network, said the industry must use as few landing cables as possible if it is to achieve its ambitious goals.

“Cable landings have become a focal point of opposition to offshore wind progress,” he said. “Avoiding these conflicts in the first place should be a top industry priority.”

This can be done through long-term planning of transmission projects, and the federal government should encourage cooperation between states and transmission authorities, he added.

Anticipating such opposition, New Jersey changed its law to effectively wrest control of offshore wind projects from local governments, empowering its state board of utilities to approve them when residents balk.

Nine Jersey Shore towns are contesting the proposed cable, which would land under a popular beach and then run underground along a highway to connect to the power grid at the site of a former fossil fuel power plant that has been closed.

Maryland has similar language in its offshore wind law exempting underground power cables landing from the ban on construction work on beaches in a certain area.

In August 2021, a group of citizens filed a lawsuit against wind development off the coast of Massachusetts, fearing it could reduce endangered whale species. Fishing groups are pursuing proposed projects in Massachusetts and New York.

David Stevenson, a former DuPont executive who served on the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency transition team, has fought offshore wind projects off the Delaware coast. He said local opposition stopped a power line from failing in a state park.

Stevenson last year formed a multi-state group called the U.S. Coalition for the Protection of the Oceans that wants a permanent no-go zone on all wind projects within 33 miles of shore along the entire east coast of the country. . Many of the proposed wind farms would be located between 10 and 15 miles (16 and 24 kilometers) offshore, making them visible from the beach on a clear day.

“I and many others assume state and federal agencies will ignore us,” Stevenson said. “So we’re making public comments and created the Ocean Environmental Legal Defense Fund, assuming we’ll eventually win by suing for violations of a list of protective federal laws and regulations.”

Offshore wind companies are throwing money at the coastline; some of the payments are required by law, but others are voluntary. Orsted and PSEG say they will pay $205,000 for the impact on just over half an acre of public land in Ocean City that is being preserved for open space and recreational use – 13 times the land’s appraised value .

On Tuesday, oil companies Equinor and bp set up a $5 million community grant fund in New York.

The Offshore Wind Ecosystem Fund will provide grants for vocational education and training, provide historically marginalized communities with access to labor and small business opportunities, and support minority-owned businesses and women in New York to foster innovation that contributes to offshore growth. wind industry.

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]]> Report: Tweets containing racial slurs skyrocket since Musk takeover https://www.scuolainsieme.com/report-tweets-containing-racial-slurs-skyrocket-since-musk-takeover/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 20:18:30 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/report-tweets-containing-racial-slurs-skyrocket-since-musk-takeover/ Breadcrumb Links PMN Company Author of the article: The Associated Press David Clepper FILE – The Twitter application is seen on a digital device Monday, April 25, 2022 in San Diego. The number of Twitter posts containing racial slurs has skyrocketed since Elon Musk bought the influential platform, according to new research. Center for Countering […]]]>

The Associated Press

David Clepper

FILE - The Twitter application is seen on a digital device Monday, April 25, 2022 in San Diego. The number of Twitter posts containing racial slurs has skyrocketed since Elon Musk bought the influential platform, according to new research. Center for Countering Digital Hate analysts searched for English-language messages containing one of several racial slurs. They found that usage of each increased in the first full week after Musk bought Twitter.
FILE – The Twitter application is seen on a digital device Monday, April 25, 2022 in San Diego. The number of Twitter posts containing racial slurs has skyrocketed since Elon Musk bought the influential platform, according to new research. Center for Countering Digital Hate analysts searched for English-language messages containing one of several racial slurs. They found that usage of each increased in the first full week after Musk bought Twitter. Photo by Gregory Bull /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cases of racial slurs have skyrocketed on Twitter since Elon Musk bought the influential platform, despite assurances from the platform that it has curtailed hateful activity, a rights advocacy group reported Thursday. digital civil rights.

Researchers from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that the number of tweets containing one of various racial slurs skyrocketed the week after Musk bought Twitter.

A racial epithet used to attack black people was found more than 26,000 times, three times the 2022 average. Use of a slur targeting trans people increased by 53%, while instances of a term offensive to gay men increased by 39% during the year. medium.

Instances of offensive terms used to target Jews and Hispanics have also increased.

In total, the researchers looked at nearly 80,000 English-language tweets and retweets from around the world containing one of the offensive terms they were looking for.

“The figures show that despite claims by Twitter’s head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, that the platform was successful in reducing the number of times hate speech was seen on the search page and Twitter trends, the actual volume of hateful tweets has increased,” according to analysis from the center, a non-profit organization with offices in the US and UK.

On Wednesday, Roth acknowledged the recent increase in hate speech on the site, but said the platform had made significant progress in bringing the numbers down.

“We’ve halted the spike in hateful behavior, but the level of hateful activity on the service is now about 95% lower than it was before the acquisition,” Roth said in broadcast remarks. live on Twitter. “The changes we’ve made and the proactive enforcement we’ve done make Twitter safer than it was before.”

On October 31, Twitter announced that 1,500 accounts had been removed for posting hate speech. The company also said it has significantly reduced the visibility of posts containing slurs, making them harder to find on the platform.

“We actually saw hate speech this week drop (asterisk) below (asterisk) our previous standards, contrary to what you may read in the press,” Musk tweeted last week.

Musk has described himself as a free speech absolutist, and is expected to revamp Twitter’s content moderation policies. Despite saying no changes have been made so far, Musk has made significant layoffs at the company, raising questions about its ability to curb misinformation and hate speech ahead of the election midterm on Tuesday.

It may take some time to accurately assess the platform’s performance in the election and to determine whether Twitter has adopted a different strategy for content that violates its policies, said Renee DiResta, head of research at the Internet Observatory. from Stanford.

“The civic integrity policy has remained unchanged,” DiResta said of Twitter under its new ownership. “Now there is a difference between having a policy and enforcing a policy.”

Shortly after Musk bought Twitter, some users posted hate speech, ostensibly to test the limits of the platform under its new owner.

Within 12 hours of completing the Musk purchase, references to a specific racist epithet used to demean black people increased by 500%, according to analysis conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute, a firm based in Princeton, New York. Jersey, which tracks misinformation. .

Twitter did not immediately respond to messages on Thursday seeking comment on the new report’s findings.

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]]> Top eCommerce Challenges for 2023 and How to Overcome Them https://www.scuolainsieme.com/top-ecommerce-challenges-for-2023-and-how-to-overcome-them/ Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:52:56 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/top-ecommerce-challenges-for-2023-and-how-to-overcome-them/ Due to the pace at which the internet and technology are developing, e-commerce was an inevitable evolution. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has further accelerated the growth of e-commerce. Store closures and movement restrictions have driven more online shopping than ever before. This growth continued into 2022 and the market will grow to $8.1 trillion […]]]>

Due to the pace at which the internet and technology are developing, e-commerce was an inevitable evolution.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has further accelerated the growth of e-commerce. Store closures and movement restrictions have driven more online shopping than ever before. This growth continued into 2022 and the market will grow to $8.1 trillion by 2026, according to Statista, an increase of 56%.

This evolution has also resulted in some of the biggest e-commerce challenges for brands and retailers. Customer behavior continues to change, new competitors are entering the market daily, and data privacy laws have become more complex to navigate.

For brands and proactive distributors, these challenges are opportunities to strengthen their positions and develop their customer base. In this article, we will explore the biggest challenges facing the e-commerce industry in 2023 and how to overcome them.

Challenge 1: Rising customer expectations

Advances in technology are forcing brands and e-commerce store owners to keep up with an increasingly demanding customer base. Consumers want a shopping experience that’s simple and convenient, personalized and engaging. They want to be able to track their orders, shop across multiple channels, and receive real-time updates on the status of their orders and deliveries.

To keep pace, small e-commerce businesses must anticipate consumer expectations and meet those expectations. The best ways to achieve this goal are indirect research and direct communication. For example, after-sales surveys, social media monitoring, and direct communication with the support team are all ways to collect information about customer expectations and complaints.

Businesses need to understand buyers’ key pain points and design solutions based on their feedback. Some of these solutions include the following:

  • Self-service possibilities. Self-service may include chatbots on websites or mobile apps that answer questions or assist with order-related queries. With 24/7 support, customers can ask questions anytime and get answers quickly.
  • Various shipping and pickup options. Customers have different needs when it comes to delivery options. Some people prefer in-store pickup, and others may want free next day shipping or next day delivery.
  • Different payment options. Not everyone is comfortable with online credit cards. Some people prefer to pay with other online payment services or use cash on delivery.
  • Simple payment process. When customers checkout, they shouldn’t have to fill out many fields with their personal information each time. Instead, they should have the ability to save information to purchase items faster in the future.

Challenge 2: Competition from direct-to-consumer brands

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands sell products or services directly to customers instead of using resellers or distributors. These brands have been around for a while, but they have come to the fore during the pandemic.

The D2C e-commerce market grew significantly in 2020, according to Smart Insights, reaching $111.54 billion. This increase is not surprising given the delay in supply chains, order delays and the closure of in-person retail caused by the pandemic.

For example, the SaaS industry has seen the fastest growth among D2C companies. Innovative software has become accessible even to customers with modest budgets, thanks to subscription-based pricing models. By cutting out the middleman, D2C brands can deliver quality at lower prices.

As most D2C brands start with meager marketing budgets, they develop innovative marketing strategies. Tactics like influencer marketing, content marketing, and personalization can help attract new customers and build long-term customer loyalty. Some D2C brands create online communities where customers can actively shape the product development roadmap.

To shape this roadmap, brands can take the following steps:

  • Build a strong online presence and product catalog.
  • Produce high-quality content regularly to engage target audiences through different channels.
  • Deliver seamless user and shopping experiences.

These steps can help gather valuable information about customer needs and provide products and services that meet those needs.

E-commerce sales continue to grow, so businesses need to understand its unique challenges to improve their strategies and CX.

Challenge 3: Trading Across Borders

Cross-border trade emphasizes the advancements that e-commerce has made in recent years and offers retailers new opportunities to grow their business by tapping into previously inaccessible markets.

However, this growth comes at a cost for some online retailers. Some challenges include the following:

  • Cross border delivery. This can be tricky, especially if third parties are handling the shipping. E-commerce companies that operate internationally should consider having a network of local warehouses instead of a single central headquarters. While not cheap, warehouse networks can streamline shipping, reduce the risk of lost merchandise, and lower costs.
  • Language barrier. Most e-commerce platforms only offer support in their native language, although players like Shopify and BigCommerce are making improvements. This can cause delays in resolving issues, such as customer complaints. Merchants who wish to benefit from cross-border trade should offer support in multiple languages. Investing in multilingual customer support can dramatically improve customer satisfaction and boost sales.
  • Currencies. In some cross-border scenarios, currencies differ from country to country, making price calculations more complex and costly for the retailer. Partnering with payment processing providers that can support transactions in multiple currencies can help businesses trade across borders and transact in foreign currencies.

Challenge 4: Consistency across channels

Improving CX also means ensuring a consistent experience across all channels. The omnichannel experience requires brands to be present on different platforms, as long as those channels are tailored to the brand’s target consumers. More importantly, brands need to deliver a seamless experience across all channels.

Consumers need to be able to shop easily across all channels without encountering issues or inconsistencies in customer service, product availability, pricing, content, delivery options, etc. This requires brands to understand their target audience, what motivates them, and how they make decisions.

To create consistency across all channels, companies should ensure that the following points are consistent:

  • company history;
  • messaging;
  • products and services;
  • look, including logo, typography, layout, etc. ; and
  • customer interactions through different touchpoints – such as phone calls and live chats – and through different communication tools, such as email and social media.

Challenge 5: Data security

Data security is one of the biggest challenges in e-commerce, and it will continue to be in 2023.

Companies are putting a lot of effort into developing data-driven e-commerce services. These services can help brands with shipping, retail management, and multi-channel approaches, such as buy online, collect in store, and buy online, ship to store.

However, the amount of data that needs to be processed and stored is enormous – from customer profiles and purchase histories to website analytics and inventory management data. Moreover, all this data must be secured against cyberattacks, data breaches, viruses, hacking attempts and more. Addressing these data security issues requires an IT infrastructure capable of handling huge amounts of data to ensure its security and privacy.

For example, when it comes to choosing a payment processor, companies should primarily focus on compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which is the minimum level of security for processing online transactions.

Businesses can also benefit from the expertise and support of payment service providers, who offer:

  • On-site penetration testing for fraud detection. These tests minimize the risk of compromising sensitive data and provide peace of mind to merchants and their customers.
  • Encryption of sensitive data. As hackers get smarter and security breaches become more common, businesses need strong encryption algorithms to protect their customers’ personal data, especially when it’s transmitted over the Internet.
  • Tokenization of payment identifiers. While encrypted credit card information prevents unauthorized users from accessing it, tokenization renders the information useless in the event of theft, effectively reducing the risk of fraudulent charges.

The bottom line

In 2023, the e-commerce industry will continue to grow. Due to its fast-paced nature and ever-changing business environments, we can expect more challenges in 2023. Consumer behavior will continue to change, data security threats will continue to increase, and the boundaries between physical and digital purchases will continue to fade.

However, companies that follow these trends will be able to seize opportunities to increase revenue and boost sales.

About the Author
Robert Brandl’s passion has always been web tools that make life easier. That’s why he founded Tooltester, where you can find reviews and tutorials for the world’s best website builders, e-commerce platforms, and web hosting services.

]]> Stocks open lower on Monday as market closes huge October comeback https://www.scuolainsieme.com/stocks-open-lower-on-monday-as-market-closes-huge-october-comeback/ Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:51:00 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/stocks-open-lower-on-monday-as-market-closes-huge-october-comeback/ Stocks slid into the final trading day of October on Monday, but major averages were poised to snap a two-month losing streak. The S&P 500 last traded down 0.8%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.2%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 130 points, or 0.4%. Markets made a huge comeback in October, led by the […]]]>

Stocks slid into the final trading day of October on Monday, but major averages were poised to snap a two-month losing streak.

The S&P 500 last traded down 0.8%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.2%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 130 points, or 0.4%.

Markets made a huge comeback in October, led by the Dow Jones. The 30-stock index rose 13.9% for the month and on pace for its best month since 1976 as investors bet on more traditional companies, like banks, to lead the next bull. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are also up around 8% and 4%, respectively, this month.

The October gains came despite a mixed earnings season in the third quarter, which showed slowing growth and some major disappointments from big tech companies such as Meta Platforms and Amazon. These names led Monday’s tech sector losses as investors continued their rotation out of the growth sector.

Traders are gearing up this week for the Federal Reserve’s final meeting, which begins on Tuesday. The central bank is expected to raise rates again by three-quarters of a percentage point on Wednesday, but many on Wall Street are waiting for a signal from the FOMC statement or Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference that the Fed may pause hikes in the near future. future, or limit their size.

This, along with economic data expected to be released later this week, such as Friday’s October nonfarm payrolls, could threaten the market’s recent rally.

“We attribute the strong +9% rebound in the S&P 500 over the past 10 trading days primarily to the seemingly endless hopes of a ‘Fed pivot’, which [the] The market is apparently defining itself as a +75bps rally this week, followed by a +50bps move in December,” Wolfe Research’s Chris Senyek said in a note to clients on Monday. “Our feeling is that investors are more likely than not to be disappointed on Wednesday afternoon. .”

Earnings season continues this week with reports from Uber, Pfizer and Advanced Micro Devices.

]]> Amendment will remove the word “orphan” from the Alabama Constitution https://www.scuolainsieme.com/amendment-will-remove-the-word-orphan-from-the-alabama-constitution/ Fri, 28 Oct 2022 21:12:00 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/amendment-will-remove-the-word-orphan-from-the-alabama-constitution/ MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A “yes” vote on Amendment 5 will remove the term “orphan affairs” from the Alabama Constitution because the term “orphan” is no longer used. “There is nothing in Alabama law that deals with orphans, so there is no orphans’ ward, no orphan law here in Alabama like there is,” the judge […]]]>

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A “yes” vote on Amendment 5 will remove the term “orphan affairs” from the Alabama Constitution because the term “orphan” is no longer used.

“There is nothing in Alabama law that deals with orphans, so there is no orphans’ ward, no orphan law here in Alabama like there is,” the judge said. Montgomery County probate, JC Love.

Here’s what the November 8 ballot will read: “To propose an amendment to the Alabama Constitution of 1901, to remove a provision giving the probate court of each county general jurisdiction over the affairs of orphans.”

This removal will reflect how juvenile cases are currently handled and will not change the powers of a probate judge.

“And so the treatment of minors as well as disabled people as well as wills and administrations is covered by other sections of the code,” Love said.

The removal of the language is part of a larger effort to make changes to Alabama’s constitution. This change was initiated by the Alabama Law Institute.

“One of the jobs of the law institute is to seek out obsolete provisions in the Constitution’s code and revise or remove them where possible,” said the institute’s David Kimberley.

“Just looking at the function of offices and how they work, I just made an effort to remove unnecessary, harmful, or hateful language from our constitution,” Love said.

When the amendment was in the state house, it passed overwhelmingly.

You can read the full amendment here.

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]]> InfluxDB’s next-gen time-series engine is built on Rust and supports SQL https://www.scuolainsieme.com/influxdbs-next-gen-time-series-engine-is-built-on-rust-and-supports-sql/ Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/influxdbs-next-gen-time-series-engine-is-built-on-rust-and-supports-sql/ As enterprises see an unprecedented increase in real-time data analytics, InfluxDB announced Wednesday that it is launching a next-generation time series engine for its InfluxDB Cloud managed database service. According to market research firm IDC, time series data can be defined as a collection of data points that are collected at regular intervals with fixed […]]]>

As enterprises see an unprecedented increase in real-time data analytics, InfluxDB announced Wednesday that it is launching a next-generation time series engine for its InfluxDB Cloud managed database service.

According to market research firm IDC, time series data can be defined as a collection of data points that are collected at regular intervals with fixed timestamps.

These types of datasets are primarily used to reveal patterns or seasonality among other trends and can help business analytics teams describe and understand what is happening with the data and why, in order to make better business decisions, Amy Machado, research manager at IDC, wrote in a research report.

Databases or time series datasets have recently gained prominence with the advent of streaming technologies, Machado wrote, adding that unlike the earlier practice of downloading such a database in a high-latency batch processing, streaming technologies allow time-series data to flow. in the real-time database.

“A time-series database and analytics toolset works best to handle a large influx of continuous data first, and then successfully leverage massive data workloads for insights,” wrote Machado in the report.

Developed on Rust for performance, scale

The new engine, which is based on the company’s IOx open-source project introduced in 2020, was developed on the Rust programming language to improve scale and performance, the company said in a statement.

To support faster storage performance, the company says it has redesigned its column-oriented storage, allowing the engine to ingest high-volume data with unlimited cardinality.

Generally, a column-oriented database is faster than a row-oriented database because it uses less memory to store data. It also improves query output speeds because the system has to access a smaller portion of the database to process it.

Cardinality in a database management system can be defined as the relationships between data in two database tables. The more cardinality allowed, the better a database will scale.

The new engine can process queries on most time-series data in milliseconds, the company said, adding that it uses Apache Parquet files on disk storage and Apache Arrow for in-memory data operations between components.

Write queries in SQL

With the introduction of the new engine, the company said it is finally adding support for developers to write queries in SQL.

SQL is the most popular database operating language as it is used in most traditional relational databases.

“The SQL capability that InfluxDB boasts was actually built in from the start by Timescale, which has always been based on PostgreSQL,” said Tony Baer, ​​principal analyst at market research firm dbinsight.

Previously, InfluxDB allowed developers to write queries using APIs, Flux, and InfluxQL.

Flux, which is based on open source, is a self-contained scripting and query language focused on code reuse and optimized for extract, transform, and load (ETL), the company said.

InfluxQL, on the other hand, is a query language that has an SQL-like syntax.

Adding SQL support is a growing global trend for real-time data solutions, Machado said, noting that the number of developers who know SQL is significant. “SQL support can increase your adoption rates. You can use existing teams to add new use cases when offering SQL support. »

According to the company, all query languages ​​can be accessed through the DataFusion Query Engine, which is an extensible query planning, optimization and execution framework, written in Rust, that uses Apache Arrow as its in-memory format.

Additionally, the new engine will add support for observability use cases, as enterprises will have access to data needed for observability, such as traces, logs and metrics, the company said.

InfluxDB against the competition

InfluxDB is highly rated when it comes to time-series data workloads and competes with Graphite, Prometheous, TimeScaleDB, QuestDB, Apache Druid, and DolphinDB, among others, according to database recommendation website dbengines .com.

Asked about InfluxDB’s momentum in the market, Baer said, “InfluxDB initially became an early favorite among developers, but they squandered that opportunity with incompatible forks that slowed their momentum.”

“In the meantime, time series data has become a checkbox with many operational and analytical cloud databases,” Baer added.

According to IDC, time series data or workloads have increased with the explosion of IoT and are in high demand for operations use cases in the oil and gas, logistics, supply chain, transportation and healthcare.

Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.

]]> Federal Support for Hurricane Ian Recovery Approaches $1.3 Billion, FEMA Provides More Than $595 Million in Individual Assistance to Jumpstart Recovery for Survivors https://www.scuolainsieme.com/federal-support-for-hurricane-ian-recovery-approaches-1-3-billion-fema-provides-more-than-595-million-in-individual-assistance-to-jumpstart-recovery-for-survivors/ Sun, 23 Oct 2022 15:09:32 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/federal-support-for-hurricane-ian-recovery-approaches-1-3-billion-fema-provides-more-than-595-million-in-individual-assistance-to-jumpstart-recovery-for-survivors/ WASHINGTON — More than $1.27 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments have been provided to the state of Florida and to households to help survivors jump-start their recovery after the Hurricane Ian. FEMA provided $595 million to households and $322 million to the state for emergency response, while the United States […]]]>

WASHINGTON — More than $1.27 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments have been provided to the state of Florida and to households to help survivors jump-start their recovery after the Hurricane Ian.

FEMA provided $595 million to households and $322 million to the state for emergency response, while the United States Small Business Administration provided $211 million in disaster loans and the National Flood Insurance Program paid $147 million in claims.

How FEMA helps Floridians:

  • Policyholders of Florida’s National Flood Insurance Program who suffered damage from the hurricane have 90 days to renew their policy. The extension applies to policies with renewal dates beginning August 25 through October 23. Policyholders with renewal dates within this range should contact their agent or insurance company. FEMA also extended the proof-of-loss requirement from 60 to 365 days for Florida flood insurance policyholders who suffered damage from Hurricane Ian. For more information on how to file a flood insurance claim, visit How to Start Your Flood Insurance Claim.
  • FEMA has made individual assistance available to 26 Florida counties. Residents of Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole , St. Johns and Volusia counties are eligible to request individual assistance.
  • FEMA meets with survivors where they are to help jump-start their recovery. Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialists are going door to door in Florida neighborhoods helping people register for help. These teams interacted with more than 46,900 survivors in counties designated for individual assistance.
  • Survivors can visit one of 16 Disaster Recovery Centers operating in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, Hardee, Highlands, Lake, Lee (2 locations), Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties. Other centers are expected to open in the coming days. Interpretation services and translated materials are available at these centers to help survivors communicate in the language with which they feel most comfortable. Disaster recovery center locations are chosen for their accessibility, with the aim of reaching as many people as possible. As centers are added, real-time locations will be updated on FloridaDisaster.org.
  • FEMA will pay hotel and motel expenses for eligible survivors. FEMA and the State of Florida have activated the Transitional Shelter Assistance Program, which allows FEMA to make payments directly to participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter. emergency to survivors. To date, the program provides housing for nineteen eighty one households with 5,055 members. Hundreds of FEMA inspectors have performed on 147,000 home inspections for survivors who have applied for federal disaster assistance.
  • Hundreds of FEMA inspectors have performed on 147,000 home inspections for survivors who have applied for federal disaster assistance.
  • The United States Small Business Administration approved $211 million low interest disaster loans owners, tenants and contractors. Disaster recovery centers are located in Collier, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee and Seminole counties.
  • FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has received more than 42,000 flood insurance claims and paid more than $147 million to policyholders, including $103 million in prepayments.
  • NFIP policyholders can receive up to $1,000 to reimburse the purchase of supplies such as sandbags, plastic sheeting and firewood. They can also receive up to $1,000 in storage costs if they move insured property. Policyholders must file a claim to avoid flood losses, whether or not they were successful in preventing flood damage.
  • Disaster unemployment assistance is available for eligible survivors. Floridians can file a claim for lost earnings caused by Hurricane Ian by going to Disaster Unemployment Assistance – FloridaJobs.org and selecting “Apply for Hurricane Ian DUA”, visiting a local CareerSource Career Center or calling 800 -385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
  • Low-income Florida residents recovering from Hurricane Ian may be eligible for assistance from the Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Survivors can find more information about Florida’s D-SNAP program by visiting the Florida Department of Children and Families’ Hurricane Ian Response & Recovery website.
  • Operation Blue Roof installed 9,637 roofs. This is a free service provided to homeowners and currently operates in Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Lee and Sarasota counties. Residents affected by Hurricane Ian can register at BlueRoof.us or call toll-free 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) for more information. The call center will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
  • If you or someone in your household uses adaptive or accessibility items that were damaged by Hurricane Ian, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance for those items. For homeowners, elements may include an exterior ramp, grab bars, and a paved path leading to the entry of the house from a vehicle. Rewards do not count towards your housing assistance or maximum personal property rewards. For more information for landlords and renters, see Updated Individual Assistance Program and FEMA Policy Guide.
]]> Brian Flores says return to face Dolphins isn’t about revenge – Pittsburgh Steelers Blog https://www.scuolainsieme.com/brian-flores-says-return-to-face-dolphins-isnt-about-revenge-pittsburgh-steelers-blog/ Fri, 21 Oct 2022 10:02:54 +0000 https://www.scuolainsieme.com/brian-flores-says-return-to-face-dolphins-isnt-about-revenge-pittsburgh-steelers-blog/ PITTSBURGH — It’s a cold, gray October day as Brian Flores stands on the sidelines at the Pittsburgh Steelers practice grounds and laughs at the question. A week and a half from then, he will return to Hard Rock Stadium for the first time since being fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in […]]]>

PITTSBURGH — It’s a cold, gray October day as Brian Flores stands on the sidelines at the Pittsburgh Steelers practice grounds and laughs at the question.

A week and a half from then, he will return to Hard Rock Stadium for the first time since being fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in January, despite the Dolphins’ first consecutive wins since 2003. He then filed a lawsuit against his former employer, three other teams and the NFL for discriminatory hiring and firing practices on February 1. Since he filed the lawsuit, two other coaches, Ray Horton and Steve Wilks, have joined as plaintiffs, and the NFL has argued to push the case out of the public eye and into arbitration.

But does this recent story, which has become a flashpoint for discussions around racing and training opportunities, give Flores a bit more juice going into Sunday night’s game? Could it be, perhaps, a game of revenge?

“No, no,” Flores said with a small laugh. “That’s not how I see it now.”

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who hired Flores as a senior defensive assistant in February after Flores called Tomlin for advice, also played down Flores’ lawsuit and return to Miami.

“It’s a non-factor,” Tomlin said of the ongoing lawsuit. “It’s irrelevant to what we’re doing here today in preparation for this game. It’s non-story for us. It really is.”

Like Tomlin, Flores approaches this game with a professional mentality, but he also recognizes that there are memories that will come back when he gets off the bus in Miami Gardens. His history with the organization is complicated and his feelings about returning for Sunday’s game are likely the same. Still, he smiles as he talks about the relationships he formed with Dolphins athletic trainers Kyle Johnston and Troy Maurer and equipment manager Joe Cimino in Miami, and how he looks forward to seeing them again.

“I don’t have bad memories of the place,” said Flores, who went 24-25 in three seasons as Miami’s head coach. “I have a lot of good memories, but I’m concentrating here right now.”

“When I think of this place, I think of all the relationships that have been built there that are bigger than football and will go far beyond football. There are a lot of people who like it there, players , coaches, support staff. That’s kind of where my thought process goes.

Flores, 41, arrived in Pittsburgh in February. Along with Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Flores helps develop a defensive plan each week, and he also spends time coaching linebackers. Among the players he coaches is former first-round inside linebacker Devin Bush, much scrutinized and criticized for his inconsistent play after a 2019 ACL tear that derailed a promising start. In Flores, Bush has found a coach who is direct in his instructions and gives feedback in weekly score sheets. Having tangible measures of one’s progress and explicitly verbalized expectations is helpful, Bush said.

“He expects us to be Superman,” said Bush, who added he had his best game after the Steelers’ win over the Buccaneers. “If you’re not Superman, you’re not playing to your abilities.

“Monday, you know you’re going to get a grade sheet, and if you’re not Superman, you’re going to get a bad grade. … Feedback is always good. Whether it’s good, not positive or negative.

Flores enters this week after defeating a familiar old face. With his help, the Steelers’ shorthanded defense upset Tom Brady and the Buccaneers as near-double-digit underdogs. And while Flores doesn’t know the Tampa Bay system intimately, he provided a crucial window into the quarterback’s mind, the knowledge he gained in 10 seasons on the Patriots’ coaching staff from the New England.

In practice ahead of the Steelers’ 20-18 win, Flores meticulously reviewed a play where he expected Brady to watch from linebacker on the strong side before throwing him on the weak side. That Sunday, Brady targeted receiver Chris Godwin on a cross road in the second quarter. Jack recognized what was happening, but he was only one step away from Godwin. Brady tried to exploit the situation, but he missed the throw for an incomplete pass.

“He was perfect, man,” inside linebacker Myles Jack said. “He was like, ‘It’s going to play out like this, I’m telling you.’ And that same piece happened. He just has a really, really good understanding, especially when we were playing Tom. He was like, ‘We have to be where we’re supposed to be, and if we’re misaligned or miscommunicated, he will find it.'”

And yet, the Steelers were rarely misaligned. Even with a number of new faces, communication was almost seamless.

Playing for Flores was one of the things that made Jack sign with the Steelers in free agency. During the offseason and the six weeks of the regular season, Jack and Flores developed a stable relationship. Flores calls Jack, the most veteran inside linebacker in the room, the “voice of reason.”

“I think it’s funny,” Jack said. “I think I’m just the guy who kind of played the most snaps. Everyone has their own point of view. We are collaborating on something and some people may feel one way, some people may feel another. I’m just going to give my opinion in there.

Jack said Flores was meticulous in detailing his plans and direct in his comments, as Bush said he cut the “fluff”. and is a communicator.

This is one of Flores’ main coaching principles, and he frequently brings the ideas discussed in the inside linebacker room to other position group meetings to make sure everyone is speaking the same language.

“He’s a great communicator,” Tomlin said. “You don’t get into this business like he did without having certain tools. And he’s been posting those tools constantly since he’s been here.

But as open as he is to communication, Flores always keeps the details of what happened in Miami to himself.

“Obviously you hear the headlines and everything on TV and stuff like that, but we don’t really get his perspective yet,” Jack said. “Like we try to get him to play with him and tell little jokes. … Even if we bring it up, he’ll dodge it and won’t even talk about it, keep it on the football, beating the Dolphins. One day I’m sure we’ll have a conversation about everything, but it’s still strictly business. It’s going to be a cool week for him.

While Flores sees Pittsburgh as a temporary stop on his way back to a head coaching job, he isn’t sharing his plans publicly. Shortly after accepting Tomlin’s job offer, Flores bought a house in a Tomlin neighborhood in the heart of Pittsburgh.

“I focus on the moment,” Flores said. “We have a good group. I love coaching these players and learning with Mike T. It’s fun. It was great fun. It’s been a great learning experience for me and that’s kind of where I’m at.

As for buying a house instead of renting and what might that say about his future with the Steelers?

Flores laughs.

“Talk to my financial advisor.”

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