Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as “Joe Exotic,” the focal point of the hit Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” is being observed for the COVID-19 virus, according to The Hill. Maldonado-Passage – who is serving a 22-year prison sentence in a murder conspiracy – was transferred from an Oklahoma County jail to FMC Fort Worth, a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, this week .

Maldonado-Passage’s husband Dillon Passage said in a radio interview this week that Maldonado-Passage had been transferred to a COVID-19 isolation area of ​​the prison because there were confirmed cases of the virus in the prison. institution where he was previously detained. It is not known if Maldonado-Passage has contracted the virus.

Earlier this year, Maldonado-Passage was convicted after being convicted of numerous charges, including organizing the murder of one of his competitors and several charges of animal abuse. Maldonado-Passage gained national fame thanks to the documentary series that explores her zoo, her way of life and her rivalry with Carole Baskin, the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue and the woman Maldonado-Passage wanted to have murdered. The documentary is the most watched program on Netflix since its release last month.

Kidnapping and homicide suspect Justo Smoker could have his first hearing on new charges next week, according to court records online.

Smoker is the prime suspect in the disappearance of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos and Smoke was charged with her homicide last week.

A preliminary hearing on the new homicide charge is set for December 30, according to court records online.

Smoker, 34, from the Canton of Paradis, has been in detention since July 11, when he was arrested for kidnapping and false imprisonment in connection with Stoltzfoos’ disappearance.

He became the prime suspect after witnesses saw Stoltzfoos get into a red Kia, which investigators were able to link to Smoker. Despite several extensive searches in Lancaster County, his body has never been found.

“Based on the evidence gathered over the past six months, our office has approved the filing of a complaint alleging that Smoker killed Linda after kidnapping her on her way home from church on Beechdale Road in Township of ‘Upper Leacock,’ the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Press release.

District Attorney Heather Adams said due to the circumstances surrounding Stoltzfoos’ disappearance, they still feared “she would suffer a tragic fate.”

Efforts to locate Stoltzfoos are ongoing.

Learn more about PennLive:

Paulo Gazzaniga in talks on loan transfer to La Liga Elche after falling lower in the pecking order behind Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart at Tottenham

• Tottenham stopper Paulo Gazzaniga could be loaned to Elche in La Liga
• The Argentine is the third goalkeeper since Joe Hart’s transfer this summer
• Defender Japhet Tanganga could stay despite three clubs investigation

By Simon Jones for MailOnline

Posted: 10:35 a.m. EDT, February 1, 2021 | Update: 10:35 a.m. EDT, February 1, 2021

Advertising

Originally published on Solar Love.

A few months ago, I wrote an article about SolarCity’s “Insanely High MyPower Prices” compared to competitor prices. The article was based on an analysis by Pick My Solar. There is a part 2 to the story, however. Unfortunately, it is not prettier.

Let me reiterate that I am long SCTY (which is difficult this week), have no plans to buy or sell any shares anytime soon, think SolarCity has good intentions and strong benefits competitive, and think I can even see why he sets up his loans the way he does (in particular, note that he’s not in financial heaven and is probably trying to make sure he stays alive. long-term).

Coming to part 2, the key point is that some of the fine print is not entirely (to put it mildly) consumer interest in the MyPower loan agreement. Here is a quote from Pick My Solar:

“MyPower does offer loan financing, but it sounds like a lot like a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Reading their 34-page contract won’t enlighten you (a concise solar contract should cover everything in 3-5 pages – this contract takes the fine print to the next level). Payments are made to SolarCity based on system output at an “equivalent rate per kWh” that increases 2.9% each year. These variable payments (due to the fact that they are production based) are applied to the loan as any mortgage payment would be. The variable payment structure is put in place with the aim of having the system fully amortized after 30 years. However, if the solar system does not meet the “expected annual production,” upon which the monthly payments are based, it is possible that thousands of dollars may still be owed after 30 years. The guarantee of electricity production is considerably lower than the ‘Planned Annual Generation’, making this a very possible scenario. The contract includes a clause called “loan term variance” which discloses this possibility. He explains that if there is a balance remaining at the end of the loan term, MyPower will offer a refinancing option for the outstanding balance. (added emphasis)

Catch this? Your monthly payments to SolarCity are based on the expected output of your solar power system. If the return is lower than expected, you may owe SolarCity money after 30 years. 30 years! In such a situation, SolarCity will offer to refinance the remaining loan. Oh joy!

Generally, one should expect to pay off their solar system within 5 to 15 years nowadays. Maybe 20 under the wrong circumstances. 30+ years? It doesn’t seem like a smart option. And that comes to another part concerning the MyPower contract….

“Funding has another ingeniously misleading twist. By charging yourself a low “equivalent rate per kWh” up front (and then increasing it by 2.9% each year), most of your upfront payments will go towards paying interest. As the rate increases over the years, you start to pay off more of the principal. Loan structures are usually set up this way, to pay more interest up front, but increasing payments with an escalator completely skews the dynamics of repayment. The client ends up paying a much larger amount in interest and ultimately thousands more than what would have been paid with a conventional fixed monthly payment financing option. With this payment structure, the effective APR ends up being almost one percent above the quoted 30-year rate. (added emphasis)

Anyone who has paid off a large loan should know that the upfront payments only cover interest to an absurd degree. When I was paying off my graduate loans, it was so irritating that I decided after a few years to just pay off the loans as quickly as possible. I ended up saving probably between $ 10,000 and $ 15,000. But many aren’t able or just don’t do the math and think about paying off a loan faster. If such a person is in a SolarCity contract, it will end up even worse than with many other loans. A ridiculous amount of their payments will be used to pay the interest.

As an investor and someone who cares about the ordinary consumer, I’m not happy to see either of these clauses. While they are probably there to try to make sure SolarCity makes a profit and doesn’t go bankrupt as the solar industry grows, they seem devious and unnecessary to customers, and they seem to have a good chance that ‘they backfire in the long run. Course.

SolarCity’s desire to bring solar power to more people via $ 0 or a small amount of money and low monthly payments is laudable, but if it requires fine print and poor repayment terms, I think we start to back down. Hope these issues will be resolved soon. And in the meantime, I encourage anyone looking to switch to solar power to take a close look at the fine print and compare the options.

In the end, here is what Pick My Solar came up with for a 6 kW system in California:

Cost of the SolarCity MyPower system: $ 33,150
Lifetime payments (tax credit used): ~ $ 50,550 (30 year loan)
Avg. Cost per kWh: 17.3 cents (30 years)
Avg. Payments: 140 $ (30 years)

Typical cost of the installation system: $ 23,400
Lifetime payments (tax credit used): ~ $ 22,310 (loan over 12 years)
Avg. Cost per kWh: 9.3 cents (25 years)
Avg. Payments: $ 155 (12 years)

It’s a shocking difference in my book.

Image via Shutterstock

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The Indian food regulator – the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reduced the percentage of trans fatty acid content in fats and oils to 3% for the year 2021 and aims to reduce it to 2% by 2022.

This decision which reduced the limit on trans fat levels in food through an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations is important because the current allowable limit is an unhealthy 5%. And what food products will this amendment apply to?

The revised FSSAI regulation applies to vanaspati oils which are partially hydrogenated oils, edible refined oils, bakery shortenings, in chilled doughs, such as cookies and rolls, cakes, biscuits, pies, margarine and other cooking mediums such as mixed fat spreads and vegetables fat spills out. Trans fats are also found in microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas, fried foods including fries, donuts and fried chicken, non-dairy creamer, and more.

These fats are notoriously unhealthy, associated with an increased risk of death from coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

What are trans fats?
Trans fats, or trans fatty acids, are a form of unsaturated fat. They come in both natural and man-made forms.

Natural trans fats, also called ruminant trans fats:
Meat and dairy products from ruminants, such as cattle, sheep and goats. And how is it formed? Trans fats in ruminants are formed naturally when bacteria in the stomachs of these animals digest grass. Studies show that moderate consumption of these fats does not appear to be harmful. The best known trans fat in ruminants is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is found in dairy fat. It is believed to be beneficial and is marketed as a dietary supplement.

Artificial trans fats or industrial trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats:
It is trans fats that are dangerous for your health. How is it formed? When vegetable oils are chemically modified to stay solid at room temperature, giving them a much longer shelf life, they end up causing a significant increase in LDL (bad cholesterol) without a corresponding increase in HDL (good) cholesterol. During this time, most other fats tend to increase both LDL and HDL. A diet high in trans fats increases the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in adults. The more trans fat you consume, the greater your risk of heart and vascular disease.

2 main types of cholesterol:
Low density lipoproteins. LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, can build up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow. You may have heard of brittle arteries or plaque on the inner walls of the arteries. LDL causes this build-up.
High density lipoprotein. HDL, or “good” cholesterol, picks up excess cholesterol and returns it to your liver. It is broken there and thrown out of the body.

Try to use more monounsaturated fat in your diet. MS fats are found in olive, peanut, and canola oils. It is a healthier option than saturated fat. Nuts, fish, and other foods containing unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids are other good food choices that contain healthy fats.

A document presented to SAGE called for an increase in the “perceived threat” of Covid using “hard-hitting emotional messages,” according to reports today.

Psychologists have accused Downing Street of using “secret psychological strategies” to highlight the threat of Covid-19 without contextualizing the risks, the Telegraph reported.

It was said to create “an increased state of anxiety”, adding that many people had become “too scared to go to the hospital”.

Experts fear the British have been the subject of experience in using tactics that operate “below their level of consciousness,” it has been said.

They have now filed a formal complaint with an organization that will rule on the guilt or not of the ethics of government advisers.

Downing Street denies this, saying he simply presented the facts.

Psychologists have accused Downing Street of using “secret psychological strategies” to highlight the threat of Covid-19 without contextualizing the risks. Pictured: Chris Whitty, Mr. Johnson and Patrick Vallance

The complainants refer to a document handed over to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies last March, when the pandemic began to develop rapidly in Britain.

The document, written by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviors, said: “A significant number of people still do not feel personally threatened enough; they might be reassured by the low death rate in their demographic, although worry levels may increase.

“The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, using hard-hitting emotional messages. To be effective, it must also empower people by clearly indicating what steps they can take to reduce the threat. ‘

The document, seen by the Telegraph, then reportedly offered 14 options to improve compliance, including “using the media to increase feelings of personal threat,” which they say would be very effective but may have “negative side effects.” “.

Members of SAGE have since claimed that the British public had been “subjected to an unrestricted psychological experiment without being told that was what was happening”.

They added that SPI-B reports are often not “disputed” by SAGE as many of those involved are “not very well equipped to assess it”.

“When someone from SPI-B said we need to escalate the fear and keep it going – there weren’t a lot of questions about it at the start and most of the questions came from outside sources, not from within. ”

The complainants refer to a document handed over to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies last March, when the pandemic began to develop rapidly in Britain. Pictured: Vallance

The government told The Telegraph it had given “clear instructions to the British people as our approach and knowledge of the virus developed”

SPI-B is described as providing behavioral science advice aimed at anticipating and helping people adhere to interventions recommended by medical or epidemiological experts.

They present independent and expert behavioral science advice to SAGE.

SPI-B is said to have relied on advice from behavioral scientists, health and social psychologists, anthropologists and historians in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last November, Sir Patrick Vallance admitted he had ‘regrets’ for scaring people with an apocalyptic record that predicted up to 4,000 Covid-19 deaths per day during the winter and has been used to justify a second national lockdown.

Number 10’s top science adviser made the comments alongside England chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty after the couple were taken to MPs to defend SAGE’s modeling which also predicted hospitals would be overrun by patients infected with the virus by the end of this month.

While grilling for members of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, Labor MP Graham Stringer asked Sir Patrick if he thought he had scared people with the grim death data presented at the Saturday night press conference.

The chief science adviser said: “I hope not and that is certainly not the point… I think I positioned it as a scenario from a few weeks ago, based on a hypothesis to try to “get a reasonable new worst-case scenario. And if that didn’t happen, I regret it.”

Defending the case, he added: “These numbers were compiled by large academic groups based on these assumptions and, in the spirit of trying to make sure things are shared and open, these are the things. that we saw [in the data so far], and it’s important and I think people see it.

Professor Whitty conceded that the prediction of 4,000 daily deaths was unlikely to come true because the modeling was the worst-case scenario based on a situation in which no additional measures were introduced.

He told MPs: “We would all say rates will likely be lower than this peak [of 4,000]’.

Professor Whitty added that a figure of around 1,000 deaths per day was “quite realistic” without harsher action.

The government told The Telegraph it had given “clear instructions to the British people as our approach and knowledge of the virus developed.”

A spokesperson added: “We are clear: we want this lockdown to be the last and relax the restrictions in a cautious, data-driven way.”

MailOnline has contacted the Department of Health for comment.

Small employers have more time to apply for paycheck protection program repayable loans now that Congress has extended the deadline to the end of March.

President Biden signed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 on Tuesday. The law gives small businesses two additional months to apply for federal loans that can be canceled – converted into a grant – if borrowers meet program requirements.

The new application deadline is May 31, and the US Small Business Administration, which manages the program, has an additional 30 days to process pending applications.

Paycheck Protection Program loans have helped many small U.S. businesses pay their employees and cover essential costs during pandemic-related shutdowns and a sharp economic downturn last year. Congress replenished funding for the program with an additional $ 284.5 billion in December and allowed more businesses to apply for first and second round loans.

To date, Maine employers have received nearly 43,000 loans worth over $ 3 billion from the program.

Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, helped draft the original loan program created last March and she introduced the extension law that was enacted on Tuesday.

Businesses that employ up to 500 people and have not applied for the program can receive a loan of up to $ 10 million, most of which must be spent on payroll.

Establishments with 300 employees or less that experienced a loss of income of 25% or more last year can apply for a second forgivable loan.

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April 7 — The arrival of a new store on McKinley Avenue in Tacoma is a dream come true for a local family.

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Parable is a family business, with Deatria (Dee Dee) Williams and her cousins ​​Lakecia Farmer and Le’Ecia Farmer all co-owned.

The family got the space last fall. Raising over $ 11,000 through crowdsourcing, they were able to pay for initial start-up costs and secure inventory to launch online sales, including books and plants.

Their goal is to raise $ 50,000 in total to renovate the interior space so that Parable can move from selling online to opening its doors in the summer of 2021.

They also applied for loans and grants for small businesses.

The location is 3502 McKinley Ave., Suite A, the former Tacoma Lamp Repair site.

The company’s bio on the company’s website indicates that it is a “family, community-owned, LGBTQ-owned, black-owned, female-owned.”

The store will feature plants, books, clothing, products from local artists and more. The family also plans that the store will also serve as a community space for live events, children’s programs and workshops.

The owners recently sat down with The News Tribune to describe their dreams for the store.

“We all had different entrepreneurial ideas, separately and together,” said Le’Ecia Farmer. “A long time ago, Lakecia and I were talking about opening a cafe. I know, I heard Dee Dee talk about some entrepreneurial activities like interior design or different services for people. always been the case our mind is what we want to do. We eventually want to work for ourselves and build our family and future generations.

“And then during the pandemic, a space opened up in front of where Dee Dee and Lakecia live, and where I lived.… Do? What would it be?” And we just started to dreaming about the potential business that it might be.And then the more we talked, the more excited we got.

“And we applied to this space and got it.”

She added: “I feel like companies usually do it the other way around where they have this fleshed out business plan and all the finances and then they find the space, where we just found the space and we’re like, let’s do it. “

Lakecia Farmer said Parable will focus on the community.

“You know, we say it a lot, ‘community, community, community’, but it means a lot to us to have space for people,” said Lakecia Farmer. “Dee Dee and I have been in this neighborhood for four years, so one of the things we just saw that was amazing was how the community comes together for the McKinley Street Fair, and the Farmers’ Market. and all these different things… But there’s not, like, a huge space where you can just, like, come with your family… come like yourself, and you know, maybe go shopping, maybe just be participating in the community. “

Deatria Williams said: “We were walking one day and it was empty, and it felt like everything had come into place like it was lined up for us. So it was pretty exciting.”

They envision reading circles and craft sessions for kids, poetry nights that people can join in, with seating areas to come in and read or listen to records and music, each member of the family will love. particularly interesting in every aspect.

“Technically, as an LLC, we are listed as a shop,” Le’Ecia Farmer said. “But we really want to… focus on a more lively space where people can interact. And so in addition to music and children’s programming, educational workshops… we have our business side. And then there’s the business side. kind of a mix of those two sides too, where it’s like we want to showcase independent designers and local artists. And we imagine a space where they can host events with us, they can have pop-ups , if they’re trying to start a small business … “

The launch of the store will take place in three phases. The online part expanded with sales focused on books and plants. The next phase is the interior renovation. The final phase will open the store to the public and focus on launching the community phase into its full vision when it can be done safely in regards to the pandemic.

While opening a business during a pandemic might seem daunting, the phased approach has given them a head start, Lakecia Farmer noted.

“We are developing our business in phases. And I think that builds resilience… we are innovative in selling online,” said Lakecia Farmer. “This is the story of Parable as an adaptation. We adapt.

“I don’t know if you’re familiar with ‘The Parable of the Sower,’ by Octavia Butler. That’s where the name comes from. But it’s all about resilience during hardship – just being resilient.

“And I think that’s… one of the reasons, ways that we can show ourselves in the community like, ‘Hey, that’s hope. It is strength. It is resilience. We can do it. You can do it. And we’re all in the same boat. ‘”

“I also feel like we are able to look ahead and be like, we want things to be different for future generations,” said Le’Ecia Farmer. “We don’t want them to have to fight tooth and nail to just have some sort of sense of security. Even though it seems really wild to open up during a pandemic, I think this seems like the best option for us. family right now. “

“I’m pretty excited about this,” said Deatria Williams. “I look forward to it. And not only that, we are leaving something for generations to come.”

For more information, visit parabletacoma.com.

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian government has secured a total of 570.6 billion shillings in loans from the World Bank for the construction of Phases 3 and 4 of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a senior official revealed yesterday.

Phase three of the BRT project includes the construction of infrastructure projects on the 23.6 kilometer stretch of the Nyerere road from Gongo la Mboto to the city center and parts of the Uhuru road from Tazara to Kariakoo Gerezani.

Meanwhile, Phase 4 includes the construction of a 16.1 kilometer stretch along the Bagamoyo and Sam Nujoma roads. Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart) Managing Director Ronald Lwakatare told the Citizen that they received $ 148.1 million for phase 3 and $ 99.9 million for phase 4.

“The funds obtained would facilitate the effective construction of the BRT infrastructure while the government will be responsible for compensating the people who will be affected by the project,” he said.

He said that after the offsets, the government would then announce tenders to start the construction process.

He said that while the actual cost of construction will be determined based on the bids received, the amount to be spent on the project will remain within the same range. It was because the funds were in foreign currency.

Earlier last year, Dart said it had disbursed 5.7 billion shillings to 77 residents of Dar es Salaam to pave the way for construction of the 23.6-kilometer stretch of the BRT Phase 3 project.

Dart said the government had completed the compensation process but only 124.1 million shillings had yet to be paid to those who would be affected.

Dart is a bus-based public transport system connecting the suburb of Dar es Salaam to the central business district that began operations in May 2016. Construction of the first phase was completed in December 2015 at a total cost of 134 million euros, financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank and the Government of Tanzania.

Phase I of the BRT system has a total length of 21 kilometers and stretches from Kimara via Ubungo to end in Kivukoni, Morocco and Gerezani.

(Elkana, West Bank) – Most of Israel’s largest banks provide services that help support, maintain and expand illegal settlements by funding their construction in the occupied West Bank.

The 41-page report, “Bank Abuse: Israeli Banks in West Bank Settlements,” details new research on the scope of settlement banking activities and the violations to which these activities contribute. The seven largest banks in Israel provide services to the settlements. The report also documents the involvement of most of them in building housing units that expand settlements by acquiring property rights in new construction projects and carrying the projects through to completion. The transfer by the occupier of members of its civilian population to the occupied territory and the deportation or transfer of members of the population of the territory are war crimes. By facilitating the expansion of settlements, these banking activities facilitate illegal population transfers.

“Israeli banks are teaming up with developers to build houses exclusively for Israelis on Palestinian land,” said Sari Bashi, Israel and Palestine advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “The projects funded by these banks are helping to illegally displace Palestinians. Human Rights Watch searched online lists of settlement construction projects, Palestinian and Israeli land and municipal records, and construction company reports, interviewed landowners, visited settlement construction sites, and examined research on banking activities and land status by profiting Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Kerem Navot.

A map created by Human Rights Watch provides a partial picture of financial services provided by banks in West Bank settlements. In addition to construction projects, banks provide loans to regional and local settlement authorities and mortgage loans to home buyers in settlements and operate bank branches there.

Palestinian residents of the West Bank, barred by military order from entering the settlements, except as workers with special permits, cannot use these services. Palestinian and foreign banks provide services to Palestinian customers outside the settlements. The settlements are illegal under international humanitarian law. They contribute to a discriminatory regime in which the Israeli authorities restrict and delay Palestinian economic development, while subsidizing and supporting Israeli settlements built on land illegally seized from Palestinians. International humanitarian law prohibits an occupying power from using land except for military purposes or for the benefit of the local population living under occupation.

Banks that finance or ‘back up’ construction projects in settlements become partners in settlement expansion, overseeing every stage of construction, sequestering money from buyers and taking ownership of the project in the event of failure of the settlement. ‘construction company. Most of these constructions are on what the Israeli authorities have declared to be “state land,” which may include land illegally seized from private Palestinian owners. Israel uses this land in a discriminatory manner, allocating one-third of state or public land in the West Bank, not including East Jerusalem, to the World Zionist Organization and only 1% for the use of Palestinians. In the Palestinian village of Azzun, for example, Murshed Suleiman’s family lost regular access to their land when Israel erected its separation barrier between Azzun and the neighboring settlement of Alfei Menashe on the Israeli side. Bank Leumi, Israel’s second-largest bank, is teaming up with an Israeli construction company to construct five new buildings in the settlement, on land owned by Azzun.

Just outside the Palestinian village of Mas-ha, Mizrahi Tefahot, Israel’s fourth largest bank, is supporting two new housing projects, with a total of 251 housing units. The project essentially extends the settlement of Elkana towards Mas-ha, exacerbating the restrictions on access to land. The Aamer family largely lost access to what was approximately 500 dunams (50 hectares) of their land. Family members say part of the new construction is on land their father bought but which was seized without their permission and is now off limits to them.

In Mas-ha too, the Israeli authorities built the separation barrier to go deep into the West Bank, to locate Elkana and other settlements on the “Israeli” side.

Human Rights Watch contacted both banks for their response but received no substantive response.

Human Rights Watch believes that in order to comply with their human rights responsibilities, banks, like other companies, should stop doing business in or with Israeli settlements. They should cease locating or carrying out activities inside settlements, financing, administering or otherwise supporting settlements or settlement-related activities and infrastructure, and entering into contracts to purchase settlements. goods produced by the colonies.

“Banks cannot do business in settlements without contributing to discrimination, displacement and land theft,” Bashi said. “To avoid this outcome, they would have to end their settlement activities. “

With great fanfare, the Nairobi-Mombasa railway line opened in Kenya on May 31, 18 months ahead of schedule. It is the second major railway undertaken by China on the African continent recently, after the launch of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway in January. Chinese media have been enthusiastic about these investments in African infrastructure, often in the context of the One Belt, One Road initiative which aims to achieve economic development through greater transport connectivity. African leaders seem to agree, as many are taking massive concessional loans from China to carry out ambitious projects, such as the East African Railways master plan, in the decades to come.

But it is highly doubtful that African countries have the financial capacity to implement such ambitious plans. In the case of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, for example, its total construction cost of around $ 4 billion represents almost a quarter of the Ethiopian government’s 2016 budget of $ 12.57 billion. Even at concessional rates, servicing and repaying debt will be a significant burden on government in the years and decades to come. It is incomprehensible how the government will be able to undertake other infrastructure projects even if the economy and the government budget are growing steadily, as it has done in recent years.

Indeed, beyond flagship projects such as cross-border railways, infrastructure spending can weigh even more in proportion to local African economies. For the record, I have spent the last two years residing in the rural Iringa region of Tanzania, where Chinese companies have built various government office buildings and brand new paved roads connecting its various townships to major cities in the country. country. Although precise figures are not available, given the region’s economic dependence on commercial maize, timber and tea production as an economic pillar, it is conceivable that such constructions could represent a large part of local government revenue, in many cases unsustainable.

This then raises the question of how African governments will eventually reimburse the Chinese for all this infrastructure construction. Given the growing amount of debt resulting from more and more loans taken out to finance infrastructure developments in the future, African states are likely to need more than just portions of their limited budgets to complete repayment. More likely than not, many states will have to resort to in-kind payments.

The concept of “payment in kind” smacks of colonialism in some ways. The historical precedent of European settlers comes to mind. Europeans built infrastructure in Africa around the turn of the century, allegedly also for local economic development, but in essence the projects were used for the extraction of natural resources. The predecessor of the Nairobi-Mombasa and Addis Ababa-Djibouti railways can be classified as such. Both connect the interior regions with mineral deposits with the main ports of the Indian Ocean.

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And there is no doubt that some of the same natural resources sought after by European settlers a century or more ago are also sought after by the Chinese. While building infrastructure, the Chinese have also invested heavily in local mines and processing facilities. At least part of the cargo to be transported by the new railways and roads built with Chinese funding should be natural resources to fuel the Chinese industrial machine.

Yet the active participation of Chinese construction companies in Belt and Road initiatives around the world cannot mask the fact that the Chinese economy is gradually moving away from dependence on the resource-rich manufacturing sector. natural. The tertiary sector of the Chinese economy already represents more than half of the entire economy and is expected to continue growing as a proportion of the total economy at the expense of the primary and secondary sectors. And as inputs in China become relatively more expensive, low-end, resource-intensive manufacturing is expected to continue to shift to more price-competitive neighboring states, such as Vietnam.

In other words, while the infrastructure developments in Africa associated with the One Belt, One Road project will mainly benefit China through faster and cheaper transport of African natural resources to the Chinese economy, these benefits, in especially compared to loan costs, may be much less than anything European settlers have obtained from their businesses in the past.

Seen in this light, there may be doubts about the financial viability of providing loans to African states for infrastructure construction. However, the public may be underestimating the potential political influence the Chinese government gains by holding billions of dollars in sovereign debt around the world. By ensuring that these debts are paid in one form or another, be it economic concessions, political agreements, or a combination of the two, China can in the long run formulate a new kind of relationship. diplomatic with these foreign countries.

This is especially true in much of the sub-Saharan Africa region. Given the low level of industrialization of local economies, weak economic governance, dependence on commodity exports and unsophisticated financial systems, if the Chinese, through individual actors and state, want to seek majority stakes in finance, real estate, and resource management sectors, China could reap magnified benefits from any future economic development in these countries, far more than can be calculated alone. in terms of debt repayment.

While the almost monopolistic control of the economies of Southeast Asia by the ethnic Chinese serves as a benchmark, the domination of the local economic infrastructure through the control of banks, real estate, commercial networks and retail spaces is essential to ensure that wealth remains concentrated within Chinese families despite successive waves. wave of anti-Chinese regulations, protests and violence. China’s leverage on sovereign debt from infrastructure investments can dramatically accelerate this process and deepen economic control to a less politically toxic level than the case of Southeast Asia.

Either way, it is still a little too early to say that African infrastructure projects are money losing businesses. Yes, impoverished countries where investments will be received will not be able to repay cash loans even decades later. But equating success with financial returns is short-sighted. The Chinese government and its arsenal of state-owned enterprises certainly don’t think so. Historical experiences have equipped them with the expertise to leverage economic positions for political gains that will prove to be far more important than money in the long run.

Xiaochen Su currently resides in Iringa, Tanzania, and works for an NGO that helps smallholder farmers increase their productivity through the provision of high quality agricultural inputs and microcredit. Su previously studied international political economy at the London School of Economics.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the creators of Cut and Guacamelee, but on Friday DrinkBox Studios presented their latest project, Nobody saves the world. Revealed during Microsoft’s ID @ Xbox showcase, the studio is pitching the game as an action RPG that includes everything people love about the genre, without any gimmicks like grinding. Oh, and Jim Guthrie, the composer behind the music of Indie game: the movie and Superbrothers: Swords & Sworcery EP, writes the game’s soundtrack.

In an interview with PolygonDrinkBox co-founder Graham Smith said part of the inspiration for the game came from Final Fantasy Tactics and its Job system. You can see the influence of Square’s 1997 PlayStation classic on how your playable character, Person, has the ability to take on different forms. You will be able to become a mouse, a horse, a slug, a turtle and more, and you will have to use all the forms at your disposal to complete the game and its many dungeons.

Nobody saves the world will release later this year on Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, and PC, where it will be available on Steam and the Microsoft Store. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also have the chance to play the game over lunch on console and PC.

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles were the first NFC East team to be knocked out of the playoffs last week, and they’re the only one of four teams in the division not to have a chance to win it until Week 17.

But the Eagles have some element of control over who wins the division. The Washington football team must beat the Eagles on Sunday night to win the NFC East. If the Eagles beat Washington, the winner of the Cowboys-Giants game earlier today will go to the playoffs.

The Eagles can change the playoff image from position at the bottom of the division. And while defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has spoken of a “hatless rule” – Washington not having the chance to wear its divisional championship clothes at Lincoln Financial Field – coach Doug Pederson doesn’t see Washington out. of the playoffs as the main driver on Sunday.

“I don’t necessarily use the spoiler as a motivation,” Pederson said Friday morning. “I use the fact that we had another opportunity to go out and show our talents and try to put together a four quarterback game and try to win a game. It’s the motivation, and it’s the division opponent, and that’s our goal. We planned the game, we trained this week that way, and I expect our team, my team to come out and play hard and aggressively. Yes, we understand that for them, if they win, obviously they are entered, and so we know those ramifications as well. We’ve been on that side, so we understand that. But I’m not using the spoiler as a motivation for a football game in any way. “

Read more: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Football Team: 5 games to watch in week 17

The Eagles are also in a difficult position to spoil things for Washington. On Friday, the Eagles ruled out nine players for Sunday’s game, including left tackle Jordan Mailata (concussion), defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (neck) and defensive end Derek Barnett (calf). The Eagles, already battered by injuries this season, will be even further shorthanded.

But over the past two weeks, quarterback Jalen Hurts and center Jason Kelce have said their main goal whenever they step onto the field is to win games. Young players are always trying to make impressions. The waiting free agents are trying to put together a movie for the rest of the league. The personal stakes remain, even if the draft position remains the only outcome still uncertain for the Eagles. The Birds could pick anywhere from No.3 to No.10 in the 2021 NFL Draft, depending on the result.

Read more: Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson: “I expect to be here in 2021”

Defensive end Brandon Graham reiterated that point this week.

“You know, you have to go out there to win,” Graham said. “We have to end this thing with a great taste in the mouth, at least. I understand it’s a business at the end of the day, but when we’re in this field, we put our careers and our lives on the line, every time we step into this field. No one just says “Oh, they let him win because they wanted to get this spot.” No, BG looks bad when he looks bad on the movie, so you want to go with that mindset every time to win.

The Eagles are well aware of what is at stake. At the start of Week 16, they were hoping Sunday’s final would be a win-win game for them. But the pieces didn’t fall off that way. And while they can still exert their influence on the NFC playoff image, the Eagles are more focused on themselves.

“It’s a matter of pride,” said security Marcus Epps. “We don’t want other teams celebrating on our field, celebrating the division’s victory on our field. So most of the time it comes down to having pride, heart. We know it’s going to be a tough game because they’re a very good team. But you know, it’s kind of like that every week. I mean, every team – it’s the NFL, every team is going to be a tough game, so we just have to bring it in this week.

Read more: Eagles’ Jalen Reagor reflects on ‘trials and tribulations’ of rookie season

Daniel Gallen covers the Philadelphia Eagles for PennLive. He can be contacted at [email protected]. You can follow it on Twitter and Facebook. Follow PennLive’s Philadelphia Eagles coverage on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

ANN ARBOR, MI – Washtenaw County District Attorney Eli Savit is adding a drug used to treat opioid addiction to the list of things he won’t sue people for.

Savit, who took office Jan. 1, announced the new policy on Wednesday, Jan.13, saying America remains in the midst of a devastating opioid epidemic.

The prosecutor’s office will no longer charge cases related to the unauthorized use or possession of buprenorphine, often known by the brand name Suboxone, a drug that helps people struggling with opioid addiction, Savit said. .

Further, Savit’s policy calls for “a general presumption against the laying of criminal charges relating to the unauthorized sale or distribution of buprenorphine.”

Washtenaw District Attorney Won’t Charge People With Marijuana, Mushrooms, Other Psychedelics

Many people who illegally sell buprenorphine sell life-saving drugs to others with addiction and it is not in the interests of justice, public safety or public health to lay criminal charges against them, said Savit.

“Today’s political announcement is about saving lives,” Savit said in a statement, saying people generally use buprenorphine to help recover.

“When we charge cases related to buprenorphine, we increase the likelihood that recovering people will end up using drugs like heroin or fentanyl. Data from other communities clearly confirms this. Refusal to continue with buprenorphine is associated with a significant reduction in overdose deaths. This is the outcome we should all wish for.

Savit is sworn in as a Washtenaw County District Attorney and begins work to reshape the court system

Experts helped create the new policy, including doctors, law enforcement, recovery professionals and opioid policy specialists, Savit said.

The use of buprenorphine stabilizes the neurochemistry of people addicted to opioids, relieving intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms, says Savit’s new policy guideline, citing research from health experts.

Although buprenorphine is an opioid, it does not cause the same physiological effects as drugs like heroin that fully activate opioid receptors in the brain, and patients usually do not become intoxicated, he says. On the contrary, they demonstrate significantly improved cognitive function and are generally safe to drive, he says.

Buprenorphine remains a controlled substance in Michigan, which means its use or possession without a prescription can expose a person to criminal charges, Savit noted, although he vows not to let that happen here.

Under Savit’s policy, charges can still be brought against manufacturers or large-scale distributors engaged in the black market sale of buprenorphine for profit, or against people who sell or manufacture “designer” drugs. »Dangerous product containing both buprenorphine and fentanyl.

There were 41 opioid-related deaths among residents of Washtenaw County between January and August last year, according to the county’s health department.

MORE NEWS FROM ANN ARBOR:

Ann Arbor Explores Bribe Reporting Policy After City Councilor Allegation On Blog

Find out which of Ann Arbor’s 144 miles of sidewalks will be filled first

Police shooting Aura Rosser highlighted in new Washtenaw district attorney policies

Q&A: How Eli Savit plans to reform criminal justice in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County District Attorney Deploys New Policy To End Use Of Cash Bond

KALAMAZOO, MI – While many restaurants in Kalamazoo and across the state were forced to temporarily close in March due to the coronavirus, a downtown Kalamazoo sandwich shop stayed the course.

Artisan Sandwich Co., located at 348 S. Kalamazoo Mall in downtown Kalamazoo, “never really” closed, store owner Ryan Schmidt said.

As Michigan’s stay-at-home order on March 16 stifled downtown walking traffic and led to a decline in business in March, Schmidt, 30, said his store’s food orders had in fact increased due to the pandemic.

After losing all of his staff, Schmidt kept his restaurant open and operated the store himself, offering take-out service, until the stay-at-home order was lifted in June. It has since added new and returning workers and currently has five employees, Schmidt said.

Since opening in August 2017, Artisan has been serving hot and cold deli-style sandwiches that emphasize fresh, homemade ingredients. Schmidt says his restaurant’s philosophy stems from two ideas: eat well and live better.

Related: Artisan Sandwich Co. opens in downtown Kalamazoo

Popular specialty sandwiches include: the Kalamazoo Club, with bacon, ham and turkey; the albacore tuna salad sandwich, with fresh albacore tuna prepared daily in small quantities; a turkey and avocado BLT, with fresh avocado sliced ​​to order and hickory-smoked bacon; and the Veggie, which offers a spread of hummus, cheese and vegetables.

After working odd jobs after graduating from Western Michigan University, Schmidt said he decided it was time to take a risk.

“I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do after I sort of tried to figure out life, I said, ‘I’m an entrepreneur and I just have to do it,'” Schmidt said.

After laying the groundwork and assessing the feasibility of making his idea a reality, Schmidt said, he was able to secure a loan from the bank and has since made Artisan Sandwich Co. his passion.

“We really scratched it together, but we got there and in a way that looks mature and professional,” Schmidt said.

Inside the 980 square foot space, guests will notice a modern yet rustic feel. Schmidt said that one of the main influences behind the design of his store was the name “Artisan” itself.

“If you look up Artisan in the dictionary it means handcrafted, specialized made, in smaller batches, so that’s the idea when I built the space, I said, ‘I’m going to handcraft everything ”and literally put the brick on the wall, built the counter myself, painted the ceilings on my birthday in 2017.”

Related: 12 restaurants opened in 2017 in the Kalamazoo district

All of the store’s sandwiches come wrapped in packaging designed to look like an old-school newspaper – which has been a somewhat unexpected hit with customers, Schmidt said.

You can find Schmidt, the new father of a four-month-old son, inside the Artisan Sandwich Shop on most days the Artisan doors are open.

“At first I said, ‘OK, I’m going to be here and let each of my clients know how special they are,’ because customer service is such a huge thing,” Schmidt said. “I remember when we first opened I had a customer ask me, ‘Why are you so nice? And that’s just who I am, but you realize nobody does it like us.

Those wishing to place an order in advance can contact Artisan Sandwich Co. at 269-220-5665.

Also on MLive:

Local Eats: Food Dance in Kalamazoo Adapts to Coronavirus Restrictions with Outdoor Seating and Cocktails to Go

Local Eats: Black-owned restaurants feature community favorites in Kalamazoo

Local Eats: Blue Dolphin owner grateful for support from Kalamazoo community during pandemic

The company that brought us hard lemonade has now created a hard lemonade seltzer.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is available now and comes in four flavors: Lemon, Strawberry, Mango and Pineapple.

“Made by THE hard lemonade experts who created the category on April 1, 1999, hard lemonade fans can rejoice and cheer with the new superior tasting hard lemonade seltzer,” Mike’s said in a press release.

“Made from the ultimate lemon trifecta – a proprietary blend of three specialty lemon grapes – Mike’s lemonade flavor delivers a unique taste and crunchy finish.”

Mike’s said he used “a special cold pressing method” to extract more flavor from the lemons. Seltzer has 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and is gluten free.

“We’re obsessed with making the tastiest hard lemonades, which we’ve perfected over the past 21 years,” said John Shea, Marketing Director, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. “Other companies are doing other things. , Mike makes lemonade. Mike’s has been the # 1 hard lemonade for over two decades to deliver superior taste, and now we’re excited to introduce Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer, the best hard-tasting lemonade seltzer.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer comes in a 12-box pack of four flavors.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is now available nationwide.

READ MORE

• Krispy Kreme’s new donut is out of this world and available for one day only.
• Popeyes unveils a new Cajun plaice sandwich and offers insurance, just in case you don’t like it.

Knock, a startup that helps people buy new homes before selling old ones, is the latest proptech company to consider going public.

The company hired Goldman Sachs to help advise it on a possible IPO, Bloomberg News reported. Knock is considering both a traditional initial public offering or a merger with a specialist acquisition company, and hopes to raise between $ 400 million and $ 500 million with an IPO. He is aiming for a valuation of around $ 2 billion.

Knock has raised $ 600 million in equity and debt to date, with investors such as Foundry Group, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Redpoint and Greycroft, according to Crunchbase.

Knock was originally launched in 2015 as a traditional iBuyer and has marketed homes directly to consumers. It has evolved since: last year it launched its Home Swap program, which allows consumers to buy new homes before selling their old ones by pre-financing mortgages. It also offers interest-free bridging loans to allow sellers to make repairs. The program is now available in nine states.

The startup was founded by former Trulia executives Sean Black and Jamie Glenn, who are CEOs and COOs of Knock respectively, as well as Karan Sakhuja, who is the company’s chief architect.

In recent months, Knock has been expanding its C suite. In January, it hired Michelle DeBella, who previously worked at Lyft and Uber, as its senior CFO.

[Bloomberg News] – Amy Plitt

RICHMOND, Ind. – A program set up to help small businesses in Wayne County survive the novel coronavirus pandemic distributed $ 331,000 to 15 businesses in the first round of applications.

Wayne County, the City of Richmond, the Wayne County Revolving Loan Fund Board, the Wayne County Economic Development Corporation and the Economic Growth Group came together a month ago to create a $ 900,000 fund to distribute under form of zero rate loans of up to $ 25,000 to qualifying small businesses.

The money can be used to pay for rent, mortgage, utilities, supplies, equipment, insurance, inventory, labor costs, and other operating expenses.

► RELATED: 8 Downtown, Depot District businesses chosen for COVID-19 relief funding

► RELATED: Over 80 Wayne County Businesses and Nonprofits Get P3 Loans

There are no loan origination fees and payments are deferred for six months. Businesses then have up to 54 months to repay the borrowed amount. Monthly payments that are 30 days past due will incur a late fee of 5% of the overdue amount.

“Our small business community is fighting just to survive the economic impact of this pandemic. We are proud to know that they will survive and continue to be the lifeblood of our communities, ”said Wayne County Commissioner Denny Burns, President of the Wayne County Revolving. Board of the Loan Fund.

In the first round of applications, 22 companies applied for loans, 15 of which were granted by the board of directors. Of the seven who did not receive loans, only one was outright rejected. Two others withdrew their applications on their own and four were suspended for a second round of funding.

Those who received the money included:

• Allen Antiques and Curiosities, $ 10,000;
• Armstrong Cleaners, $ 25,000;
• Cochran and Associates, $ 25,000;
• 5th Street Coffee and Bagel, $ 25,000;
• Galo’s Italian Grill, $ 25,000;
• Grace Sales and Marketing, $ 20,000;
• Handmade Halo, $ 6,000;
• Heartbreaker Entertainment, $ 25,000;
• Infinite Print, $ 25,000;
• Luxury Lizzies, $ 25,000;
• Molina Properties, $ 25,000;
• Olde Richmond Inn, $ 25,000;
• OnVine Media, $ 20,000;
• Swagatam hospitality, $ 25,000; and
• Warm glow candles, $ 25,000.

Second round of applications, funding

Applications for a second round of funding are being accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 19, with some changes to the eligibility criteria.

Previously, the business owner had to live in Wayne County. Now, companies that can prove that at least 75% of their employees are county residents can apply.

In addition, the maximum number of employees has increased from 50 to around 100.

“I say ‘around’ because we don’t want to overlook a candidate who might have 104 or 108 employees,” said Valerie Shaffer, president of EDC. “We want to be a little flexible on that number of 100 to make sure that we are supporting businesses that are in desperate need of this loan in order to continue their operations.”

Businesses must always be for-profit, be physically located in the county, be subject to county taxes, be up to date with all property and social taxes, and meet the eligibility criteria of the US Small Business Administration.

“It’s quite a process we’re going through,” Shaffer said. “However, now that we’ve gone through the process once, we hope it will be a lot easier the second time around.”

Interested parties can visit EDC’s website, whywaynecounty.com/covidloan, for more details and to complete an application.

Jason Truitt is the team leader and senior reporter at Palladium-Item. Contact him at (765) 973-4459 or [email protected]

Revolving credit vs installment credit: an overview

There are two basic types of credit repayment: revolving credit and installment credit. Revolving credit allows borrowers to spend the borrowed money, pay it back, and spend it again. The lender advances them a fixed credit limit that can be used in whole or in part.

On the other hand, borrowers repay installment loans with scheduled periodic payments. This type of credit involves the gradual reduction of the principal and a possible full repayment, thus ending the credit cycle.

Revolving credit and installment credit come in both secured and unsecured forms, but it is more common to see secured installment loans.

What is revolving credit?

A credit card and a line of credit (LOC) are two common forms of revolving credit. Your credit limit does not change when you make payments to your revolving credit account. You can come back to your account to borrow more money as often as you like, as long as you don’t go over your limit.

Because you don’t borrow a lump sum when you open the account, there is no fixed payment plan with revolving credit. You can borrow up to a certain amount. However, this flexibility often results in lower loan amounts and higher interest rates. Borrowers owe interest on the amount they draw, not the entire credit limit.

What is installment credit?

The most distinctive features of an installment credit account are the predetermined term and end date, often referred to as the loan term. The loan agreement usually includes an amortization schedule, in which the principal is gradually reduced by installments over several years.

Common installment loans include mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and personal loans. With each of them, you know how much your monthly payments are and for how long you will be making payments. You need to apply for more credit to borrow more money.

A notice and request for comment has been issued for further interagency questions and answers regarding the acceptance of flood insurance issued by private insurers, as required by regulations implementing the Reform Act 2012 Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance.

On July 1, 2019, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Farm Credit Administration and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the Agencies) amended their regulations regarding lending in areas of particular flood risk to implement the private flood insurance provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. The regulations require lending institutions to accept policies that meet the legal definition of “private flood insurance” in the Biggert-Waters flood law. Credit institutions may also exercise their discretion to accept flood insurance policies issued by private insurers and plans offering flood coverage issued by mutual aid societies that do not meet the legal definition. “private flood insurance”, subject to certain restrictions.

The 24 proposed Q&A are “broadly applicable to lenders and supervised service providers” and provide clarification on three consolidated topics:

• Compulsory acceptance of private flood insurance;

• The circumstances under which discretionary acceptance or denial of private flood insurance is acceptable; and

• Additional general compliance issues related to regulations implementing the Biggert-Waters Act.

Comments on the proposed questions and answers must be submitted no later than May 17, 2021. Instructions for submitting written comments are available here.

The UK housing market will remain open during the lockdown, allowing property viewing to continue and people to move out. This is in stark contrast to the first foreclosure, which saw the market halt for seven weeks.

Realtors and other staff will continue to perform their jobs while adhering to coronavirus guidelines, such as wearing face coverings and social distancing.

Tomer Aboody of bridge loan specialist MT Finance said: “We believe that the market will not be disrupted as it was last year because the end is in sight, thanks to the roll-out of the vaccination program.

“This, together with the fact that appraisers and lawyers can still work and there is still access to properties, should boost confidence in the market as a whole. Borrowers, in turn, will feel more confident in completing their transactions. “

Government guidelines for the move remain the same, including:

• Initial visits should be made virtually whenever possible
• Members of the public visiting an agent’s office or touring property should wear appropriate face coverings, unless they are exempt from this requirement. This must be confirmed with the agent prior to arrival. Anyone with concerns should contact the agent prior to their visit to discuss appropriate action.
• Visits must be organized by appointment only and “open house” visits must not take place. When visiting properties in person, you should avoid touching surfaces as much as possible, wash your hands regularly, and / or use hand sanitizer. If you must be with young children, you should try to prevent them from touching surfaces and make sure they wash their hands regularly.

Industry calls for extended stamp duty holiday

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in July last year that for residential properties in England and Northern Ireland buyers would not have to pay property tax (SDLT) on the first £ 500,000 of the purchase price until March 31, 2021.

In Wales and Scotland the first £ 250,000 of the transaction value is exempt from property tax until the same date.

However, there are fears that the end of the SDLT holiday will cause the housing market to decline after March, with some industry experts calling for an extension of the deadline.

Mr Aboody said: “What this lockdown means is that the stamp duty holiday will have to be extended, if not made permanent. The Chancellor must review the deadline, in light of this unexpected lockdown. stamp duty holiday should be either postponed or removed from the agenda for the time being, in order to avoid any further shutdown or disruption to the already struggling economy. “

David Hannah of real estate tax consultancy Cornerstone Tax suggests that more should be done to help first-time buyers access the real estate ladder and give more security to the housing market: or change the date of payment of taxes so that buyers can still enjoy the holidays even if they cannot complete before March 31.

“The most preferable option would be a phasing out of vacations, to prevent those who are currently buying their properties from essentially being thrown onto the edge of a cliff.”

Situation in Scotland

New foreclosure regulations in Scotland state that you should only leave your home for a reasonable excuse. This includes: “moving or undertaking activities relating to the maintenance, purchase, sale, rental or rental of residential property that the person owns or is otherwise responsible for”.

Whenever possible, people, including those in the real estate industry, should be working from home until at least the end of January.

The market goes digital

Many real estate agents have stepped up or introduced innovative methods to carry out day-to-day operations to accommodate social distancing measures, such as live auctions and virtual viewings.

Utsav Goenka of VYOMM, a real estate portal for sellers, said: “There is no doubt that buyers and sellers want to do more digital and limit physical meetings to those that are essential. Unfortunately, most real estate agents have little to offer beyond virtual tours, which, while welcome, are only partially and occasionally useful.

“The industry needs a completely different level of clearance where sellers can appoint agents who can market and sell homes effectively, without requiring repeated physical exposure to each other. “

On August 31, the USDA announced the implementation of the agency’s OneRD guarantee loan initiative and released new information on rates and terms that will help lenders apply for loan guarantees to support rural businesses, community infrastructure and equipment.

The agency released a final rule on the initiative on July 13, noting that the program aims to facilitate lenders’ access to four guaranteed loan programs, including the Rural Energy for America program, the loan guarantee program for water and waste disposal, community facilities guaranteed. Loan Program and the Guaranteed Loan Program for Business and Industry.

The REAP program is particularly interesting for players in the biofuels and bioenergy industry. It provides loan guarantees and grants to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency. Solid biomass, biogas and biofuels projects are among the renewable energy systems eligible for the program.

As part of the OneRD Guarantee Loan initiative, the USDA said it is standardizing requirements for credit reviews, loan processing, loan services, and loss claims. The agency said these measures will make the application process simpler and faster for lenders. The changes include a common loan guarantee application and consistent forms that lenders can use across all four programs.

In July, the agency also said it plans to issue loan note guarantees to lenders within 48 hours of providing documentation proving that the requirements of the conditional commitment have been met. USDA will also provide percentage collateral and fee requirements to lenders through a single annual notice at the start of each fiscal year and allow lenders to obtain loan guarantee approval before projects start. of construction. The agency will also provide automatic approval to lenders in good standing who are overseen or created by state or federal regulators to participate in the four programs, while unregulated lenders can apply for approval to participate through a unique certification process that will be valid for five years.

In the announcement released Aug. 31, the USDA said it was providing guarantee percentages, annual fees, periodic retention fees, and optional construction fees before fiscal 2021 to help lenders apply for the four loan guarantee programs involved.

For the REAP program, the loan guarantee fee is set at 1%, the periodic guarantee retention fee is 0.25%, the loan guarantee percentage is 80% and the guarantee issuance fee loan before the completion of construction is 0.5%. The fees in the notice are effective October 1.

Additional information is available on the USDA website.

Half of all micro and small enterprises (MSBs) in Indonesia are either owned by women or women play a key role in their operation. Including small traders, street vendors and others, these businesses form the backbone of Indonesia’s economy.

The ills of the pandemic, however, have resulted in declining incomes and the female MSB owners are disproportionately ill-equipped to cope. This highlights the need to support women owners of MSBs and in so doing contribute to the overall economic recovery of the country.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), MSB women are at the forefront of adopting digital tools to stay afloat during the pandemic. But what does it actually mean for them to use these tools to deal with challenges, such as limited income streams due to physical distancing measures?

UN Women and Pulse Lab Jakarta recently released a research report that investigates this issue, titled “Optimizing Digitization to Address COVID-19: An Indonesian Case Study of Women-Owned Micro and Small Businesses”.

Funded by the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund for COVID-19 Response and Recovery (MPTF COVID-19) and conducted in partnership with Gojek and with the support of the National Council for Financial Inclusion of Indonesia (S-DNKI ), research has found that using digital platforms to sell products and services helps women-owned MSBs in the food and beverage industry keep their businesses afloat and support themselves. of their families.

In addition, 82% of female MSB owners surveyed indicated that using digital solutions, such as GoBiz, Selly and MokaPOS, allowed flexible hours to better balance work and household responsibilities at a time when care work is crucial. .

Most importantly, the benefits of digitization are not felt equally by all ESM women. The analysis showed that digital tools were particularly useful if the company was less than a year old. Inequalities in infrastructure, digital skills, affordability and time availability also inhibit the ability of some women to adopt and navigate new digital tools.

As the Indonesian government will continue to focus on economic recovery in 2021, now is the time to create synergies between boosting economic growth and advancing gender equality. So what can we do to help female MSB owners take advantage of digital tools to keep the lights on at work and at home?

Filling the data gaps is one of the essential first steps to understanding the full impact of the pandemic, especially the gender dynamics within the MSB sector. Investing in sex-disaggregated data collection and gender analysis can better inform targeted policy interventions, including monitoring the implementation of social protection and stimulus programs.

For example, information from the data highlighted that women who had informal MSBs were the least likely to access benefits such as those provided through government programs, including the National Economic Recovery Program ( PEN) from Indonesia, the Keluarga Harapan (PKH) and Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) program. This evidence can and should be used to tailor stimulus packages and ensure that effective measures are in place to support these groups of women entrepreneurs.

Second, women are more likely than men to be employed informally, and many depend on MSBs for their livelihoods. Cash transfers, fiscal stimulus packages, and working capital loans or credit guarantee programs for MSBs, including informal MSBs, can help them cope and revitalize the economy. Targeting female-owned MSBs, especially those operating informally, should be a key priority in the response to COVID-19 to ensure equal opportunities and accelerate economic recovery.

Third, tackling the unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work is key to removing barriers to women’s economic participation, especially in the context of the COVID-19 recovery. Digitization and the use of technology will be more useful if it can help entrepreneurs and / or MSBs to better balance their family and work responsibilities. The promotion of digital literacy among female MSB owners is also necessary to support this change.

Fourth, supporting women entrepreneurs will require a multi-stakeholder approach. Public policy must be complemented by actions resulting from intersectoral partnerships between the government, civil society organizations and the private sector. While 43% of new merchants who join GoFood are first-time business owners, technology or funding alone is not enough to help these young businesses thrive. Instead, a multidimensional approach including access to capacity building, markets and loans can have a more lasting and meaningful impact.

There is no single answer to the COVID-19 crisis, and therefore none of these four solutions is more important than the others. The different characteristics that define men and women entrepreneurs, from their gender and location to the size of their company and their level of formality, have motivated them to adopt different solutions to face the crisis.

The coping strategies deployed by Indonesian companies vary widely based on their different characteristics, which can be visualized by moving these seesaws.

Ultimately, these recommendations indicate a more inclusive strategy for the PEN program that should be based on gender-specific data and evidence, stronger targeting of female-owned MSBs, addressing inequality of unpaid care. and domestic responsibilities, and multisectoral partnerships to promote a strong and sustainable environment. economic recovery.

***

Jamshed M. Kazi is UN Women Representative in Indonesia, Maesy Angelina is Social Systems Manager at Pulse Lab Jakarta, Nila Marita is General Affairs Manager at Gojek.

Está historia is available in Spanish in La Noticia

Reatna Taylor had big dreams of becoming a primary care physician when she entered Johnson C. Smith University. In 2015, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology. A partial scholarship covered most of her tuition, but she still had to take out $ 54,000 in student loans to cover all other expenses related to being a student.

Both of Taylor’s parents are from Panama. Because she was the first in her family to attend a four-year college, they didn’t understand how expensive it was going to be.

“I don’t think they understood how much college was either,” Taylor said, “because my mom set up a college fund for me and my brother, but maybe it was. be $ 2,400 when I graduated. “

Taylor continued his education at UNC-Chapel Hill, earning a master’s degree in public health. It cost him an additional $ 52,000 per year. By the time she graduated, she had accumulated $ 185,000 in student loan debt.

This was in part because she had paid tuition fees out of state and missed payments on previous loans. Because she had not consolidated them, her interest varied from lender to lender. This debt is part of the reason she put her dream of becoming a doctor on hold.

Taylor now works as a nutritionist for Mecklenburg County. She’s also a new mom currently on maternity leave, so she took advantage of the break on federal student loan payments to have more money to care for her family.

“It was like a huge relief not to have to think of, say, $ 1,500 more to go somewhere that could pay for other things we need,” she said.

The Department of Education suspended payments and interest on federal student loans at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Borrowers do not need to register and will not be penalized if they miss payments. The recess was scheduled to end on January 31, but shortly after taking office, President Biden extended the deadline to September 30.

There is $ 1.5 trillion in student debt nationwide. North Carolina borrowers alone owe $ 44 billion, according to Rochelle Sparko, North Carolina policy director at the Center for Responsible Lending.

Sparko says North Carolina mirrors what’s happening in the United States, with black and Latino students borrowing at higher rates. Ninety percent of black students and 72% of Latino students nationwide take out student loans, compared to 66% of white students. Sparko says it’s because they tend to lack generational wealth to help pay for school.

“Due to the lack of intergenerational wealth, black borrowers start their careers at a disadvantage, tending to take on more debt,” Sparko said. “They face lower incomes than their white counterparts in the workforce, and therefore, their ability to repay their student loan debt may also be affected by institutionalized racism.”

In fact, the Student Borrower Protection Center, a consumer advocacy group, analyzed zip codes in major US cities and found that the median income of white households is at least 10 times greater than the median income of black and Latino households. , which makes white students more likely to receive help from their families to pay for school.

Once it’s time to pay off their loans, black and Latino borrowers have a harder time keeping up with their payments, especially if they live in communities of color. Black and Latino borrowers who live in predominantly black and / or Latino communities are five times more likely to default on their loans. Sparko says it may prevent them from getting a house, a car and even more business loans.

“In the case, for example, of P3 loans, which were intended for small businesses during the pandemic, if you had a student loan that you missed payments for, you might not have been eligible to get a loan to keep your business afloat, ”she said. noted.

This downward spiral is what Joshira Maduro worked hard to avoid. For eight years, she lived with her parents, on a tight budget, paying off her $ 132,000 in student debt.

Maduro graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania with a degree in finance and marketing. She is the first in her family to attend a four-year college in the United States. Her mother is from Curaçao in the Caribbean and her father is from the Netherlands. He went to school abroad, where higher education was not as expensive. So when Maduro finished high school, she and her parents had no idea how to pay for college.

“His colleagues had children who were going to law school with $ 200,000 in debt,” Maduro said of his father. “And so to him he was like, ‘Okay, well, if you have to take a loan of $ 100,000, that just seems natural. You take six figures off the debt, as if that wasn’t uncommon.

Tuition at Lehigh was almost as high as at Harvard – nearly $ 55,000 a year in 2020 – but she fell in love with the campus after visiting while in high school. One of the reasons student debt is so high among black and Latino borrowers is a lack of financial literacy, experts say. Maduro says his family didn’t know federal loans were an option, so his father told him to take out a loan from a bank. With private loans, she was unable to take advantage of the pandemic payment freeze.

However, after eight years, she has paid off almost $ 120,000 of her student loans, increasing her payments from $ 1,300 per month to $ 500.

“Now I have a payment that doesn’t seem so emotionally draining to me every month,” Maduro said. “It still hurts to have so much money in debt for education that happened eight years ago, but it certainly doesn’t seem as emotionally intense.”

Although Maduro majored in finance, his loan customer service agents were some of his best teachers.

“I knew some of them by first name because eventually I would call around the same time and get them and they would say, ‘Oh, that’s a great question, actually. Here is what you can do, ”she said.

She took everything she learned and made a career out of it. Maduro now works at Lending Tree, helping others manage their credit card debt and personal finances. She says she makes a point of telling her clients that once they can reduce their debt to a point, they need to start investing in their future again.

Because making those personal investments will help them in the long run.

Additional resources for those who need help

GreenPath provides tips for managing your debt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers information on how to take out a loan and advice on repaying it.

Calculate your payment options with the Federal Student Aid simulator.

All over the world, people have had to deal with many new fitness challenges brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Closed gyms, working from home, and generally more stationary lifestyles have become commonplace. From a mental perspective, 2020 has seen an unprecedented acceleration in awareness of the impact of physical exercise on well-being.

Every year since 2007, ACSM – American College of Sports Medicine – publishes the results of the ‘Global Fitness Trends Survey’, a comprehensive review that involves thousands of fitness and wellness professionals from around the world, including experts such as personal trainers, body physiologists ‘exercise, health professionals and gym club owners.

The final report aims to monitor, assess, predict and introduce new trends in fitness that impact the evolution of the industry itself, according to a press release.

Here’s a look at the fitness trends that are expected to continue in 2021.

• Online training
• Wearable Technologies – Fitness trackers, heart rate monitors and smartwatches.
• Bodyweight training
• Outdoor training
• High Intensity Interval Training – high intensity exercise followed by medium to low intensity breaks.
• Exercise is medicine – health care initiative that aims to encourage primary care physicians and other health care providers to include physical activity assessment and associated treatment recommendations as part of each patient visit and refer their patients to exercise professionals.
• Virtual training
• Strength training with free weights
• Fitness programs for seniors
• Personal training

By Bennett Oghifo

Autochek, a company focused on automotive technology, has announced the launch of its online truck lending marketplace in Nigeria and Ghana.

This is about migrating the trucking industry to online transactions and increasing financing penetration, according to a statement from the company which said it aims to create solutions for the African market.

This good news allows the company to offer the same services to trucks as to cars already registered on its platform. Autochek’s 360 degree solution provides truck financing through financial partners with core expertise in financing fleets such as Baobab Group and FundQuest Nigeria, spread across Africa and at competitive rates .

Described as the first truck loan market of its kind in Africa, the launch follows Autochek’s recent expansion into Ghana, one of Africa’s most advanced auto markets.

With hundreds of truck dealers across Nigeria and Ghana on its platform, the fleet includes flatbeds, semi-trailers, tankers as well as heavy, garbage and panel trucks. As part of the rollout, Autochek is partnering with key logistics players in Nigeria and Ghana, including Kobo360, to fund trucks for electronic logistics carriers and African truck owners.

This means that customers interested in owning a truck can do so with financing at the best rates.

The new platform is available through the Android app or the Autochek website and all trucks go through a 150-point screening inspection process before being listed to guide customers on the exact condition of the trucks.

To ensure trucks are kept on the road in good condition, truck owners also benefit from affordable and expert maintenance services from standardized workshops and technicians from the Autochek partner network.

John Egwu, Autochek vice president of operations, said: “Autochek’s goal has always been to transform the auto business on the continent. Now is the time for us to extend our services to trucks, as we expand our network and support our partners by providing them with a structured market for the purchase and maintenance of their fleet.

According to Egwu, “Financing penetration for trucks is less than 1% in Africa and our ambition is to migrate what is known to be a basic offline market to a digital platform, in order to increase the penetration of the market. financing and create a one-stop shop. this will not only meet the needs of partners, but will also increase earning capacity and job creation along the value chain.

Launched in 2020 by Etop Ikpe, serial entrepreneur and Chairman / CEO and supported by TLcom Capital, 4DX Ventures, the thriving automotive online marketplace combines technology and data to improve the buying and selling experience for African consumers , by creating a single market for all automotive needs.

To date, the Autochek application already has 20,000 unique vehicles listed on its platform, and more than 12,000 dealers and private sellers as well as a range of partners and professional customers.

Autochek is an automotive technology company created to create digital solutions aimed at improving and enabling automotive trade across Africa.

The company aims to transform the automotive buying and selling experience of African consumers with its digital applications and solutions.

TIPS OF THE WEEK

By Bennett Oghifo

It’s not uncommon for people to mix or use the wrong fluids in their cars, and if they do, the results can range from irritating to fatal. Consumer Reports describes the potential damage you can cause to yourself or your car in an article published in the November issue.

“Adding antifreeze to the washer fluid reservoir could just create a slimy mess,” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ automatic test center in East Haddam, Connecticut. “But a UK health study found that filling the tank with just water creates good breeding ground for the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease.

Consumers should consult their owner’s manual before filling fluids under the hood of their cars, Champion said. People should check with a mechanic, or even people behind the counter at the local auto parts store, if they have any doubts.

The story appears in the November issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale October 5. It is also available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org. Updated daily, ConsumerReports.org is the go-to site for the latest auto reviews, product news, breaking news blogs, and car buying information.

Here is what else could happen if you use the wrong fluids:

1. Lack of engine oil. The brand of engine oil does not matter, but its viscosity grade (10W-30, for example) is important. Use only what the owner’s manual specifies. Using the wrong oil can result in reduced lubrication and shorter engine life. If the manual says to use synthetic oil, then do so. Contrary to what some believe, adding synthetic oil to regular oil will not damage the engine, but there is also no benefit to doing so.

2. Battery fluid. Some car batteries have single accessible cells that may need to be replenished with a little water to cover the lead plates. Use only distilled water, which does not contain salts or minerals. If tap water is added to a battery’s liquid electrolyte, it can allow minerals in the water to build up on the battery’s internal lead plates, which will reduce battery power. and shorten its lifespan.

3. Be cool with the water. A car’s cooling system uses a mixture of water and antifreeze; properly called coolant, at concentrations (typically 50/50) designed to prevent it from freezing in cold weather and boiling in hot weather. Adding too much water to the mixture can make it more susceptible to freezing and boiling. It can prevent the car from starting when it is freezing and cause overheating in hot weather. Tap water can also lead to a build-up of minerals in the cooling system, reducing its efficiency.

4. Adding diesel fuel to the tank of a gasoline car. This will cause the engine to trip and knock, if it is running. Fortunately, diesel pumps have oversized nozzles, so this mistake is hard to make. Depending on the amount of gasoline added to a diesel vehicle’s tank, it could do little harm or damage the fuel pump, injectors and other parts. If the confusion is detected early enough, a technician can limit the damage by draining the contaminated fuel. During this time, do not run the engine.

5. Special sauce for your brakes. Brake systems use hydraulic fluid specially formulated for this purpose. Replacing the transmission or power steering fluid, which are similar to each other, can affect the seals, damage the system, and possibly cause brake failure. Note that if the brake fluid level is low, your vehicle probably needs brake system service anyway. Either the brakes are worn or there is a leak.

6. Gears stuck. Automatic transmissions should only use the fluid specified by the automaker, such as the Dexron series from General Motors or the Type T from Toyota. Using the wrong fluid can lead to poor lubrication, overheating, and possibly transmission failure. A mechanic might not be able to reverse the damage, even flushing the transmission. Adding engine oil or brake fluid by mistake can destroy your transmission as well.

7. No-nos windshield washer fluid. Besides creating the perfect environment for deadly bacteria, water doesn’t clean as well as washer fluid and is prone to freezing. Using household glass cleaners or ammonia can leave foam on the windshield, damage a car’s finish, enter the air intake system, and create a potentially harmful environment in the car. passenger compartment. (Source: Noria newswire)

Starting today, businesses will be able to apply for new government-backed Covid-19 ‘recovery loans‘ through a £ 75 billion scheme.

The new loan scheme will allow businesses to apply for loans between £ 25,001 and £ 10million, with the government assuming 80% of the default risk on each loan.

The new loan program, announced by Rishi Sunak in his budget last month, comes as England prepares to reopen much of its economy on April 12.

Non-essential retail businesses, gyms, hairdressers and outdoor hospitality will all be allowed to reopen next Monday.

Open-air hospitality, theaters, cinemas and museums will be allowed to reopen on May 17.

“As we safely reopen parts of our economy, our new stimulus loan program will ensure that businesses continue to have access to the finance they need as we emerge from this crisis,” Sunak said.

The loan scheme comes with new grants of £ 18,000 for businesses hit by the latest nationwide foreclosure.

Rain Newton-Smith, chief economist at the CBI, said: “This is vital support that remains as restrictions ease and demand returns to normal, allowing businesses to recover, save jobs. and support the reopening. “

As the head of the Small Business Administration that oversaw the Paycheck Protection Program, I’m often asked, “Has PPP really worked?” “

The PPP was a response to state and local governments imposing shutdowns as a way to slow the spread of COVID-19. The premise was: Encourage lenders to provide small businesses and nonprofits with SBA-guaranteed forgivable loans over an eight-week period as a payroll support measure. This financial support for small businesses was designed to help prevent mass unemployment while Americans were confined to their homes.

The PPP was initially funded for $ 349 billion. Talk about distortion speed – SBA and PPP lenders processed 14 years of SBA loans in less than two weeks and over $ 500 billion in less than a month. Congress authorized more P3 funds in April, December and most recently in March. The program continues to enjoy broad bipartisan support, as evidenced by the recent 415-3 House vote to extend the program for a few more months. The Senate is preparing to approve the same extension in the coming days.

But has the paycheck protection program kept its promise? Evidence shows he did – and in more ways than most realize.

As the economy shut down a year ago, there were dire warnings of unemployment rates exceeding 20%, maybe even 30%. Data from the Ministry of Labor from March 2020 to April 2020 shows that unemployment rose rapidly from 4.4% to a peak of 14.8% in the COVID era before gradually declining over the following months.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario never happened. A Herculean effort by Congress and the Trump administration allowed dozens of small business workers to preserve both their jobs and their health.

Any lucid assessment of these efforts would recognize that the program was not perfect, like no government program that had to be in place in less than a week and distribute more than $ 700 billion could be. However, recent academic studies have suggested that the program is ineffective, if not unnecessary. However, much of this snapshot analysis has only focused on the past year.

Here’s another scenario to consider: As noted above, DOL data reveals that PPP and other measures have stemmed the economic free fall. Economists and other experts have not reflected on how these programs have prevented longer-term “deaths of despair”. Such horrific events have many contributing factors, but too often job loss and economic dislocation are the trigger.

Some studies suggest that the opioid epidemic accelerated in the wake of the Great Recession. Humans naturally understand how economic hardship can lead to desperation: a person loses their job as well as their employer-funded health care, then ends up getting injured or ill, is unable to access proper care, and ultimately becomes fatal opioid addict in just a few minutes. short years.

The true value and lasting legacy of PPPs and other COVID relief programs will lie in their mitigation of economic and human tolls over time.

It will only become clearer over time that the Paycheck Protection Program has averted mass unemployment and restored calm to labor and small business markets while balancing the need for nationwide social distancing. . These measures avoided a death toll with a longer tail that could have amounted to millions more deaths over several years.

The little agency that could at SBA has done a lot of good under historically horrific circumstances, so that heroic small business engineers can continue to keep America on track.

Bill Briggs most recently served as Acting Associate Director for the SBA Capital Access Office. He oversaw the launch of the current cycle of the Paycheck Protection Program and served as the liaison between the SBA and financial institutions.

SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers introduced a new autonomy bill that, if passed, would allow the city to step up efforts to remove all-terrain motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from city streets in order to protect public safety.

The bill was introduced last year but expired without adoption at the end of the year.

State Representative Orlando Ramos, D-Springfield, introduced the bill, and he was also supported by State Representative Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield. Gonzalez is chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno praised the two lawmakers and the new bill, saying the city is already witnessing illegal and sometimes dangerous activities with bicycles and vehicles as warmer weather approaches.

The bill, which allows police to impound such vehicles, is needed “to quell the lawlessness and disrespect shown by the illegal group of off-road motorcycle marauders who terrorize our downtown streets.” city ​​and neighborhood ”.

The bill was approved in 2019 by Sarno and the city council, and must now be approved by the Legislative Assembly and Governor Charlie Baker. As a self-reliance bill, it only affects Springfield.

The bill would allow police to impound off-road motorcycles and off-road vehicles, and allow the city to request a Superior Court hearing to seek confiscation of the vehicle.

Council and the mayor approved a city ordinance in 2019 that allows police to issue a $ 300 ticket for those caught driving off-road motorcycles and other recreational vehicles on the streets and sidewalks of in the city and in parks.

“These illegal bikers are not only putting their own lives at risk, but the lives of others on the road,” Ramos said in a prepared statement. “We need to do everything we can to get these illegal vehicles off our streets before more people are injured. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get this self-reliance petition passed.

Gonzalez joined the call for the passage.

“This is a public safety and quality of life issue and I will continue to work with my state and local government colleagues to impose appropriate legislation,” Gonzalez said.

MLive spends the spring checking out Michigan’s top 2021 football rookies. Each weekday, MLive will feature a new athlete and receive updates on their recruiting, goals and more. Today, the safety of River Rouge Armorion Smith is in the spotlight.

ARMORION SMITH, RED RIVER

Height: 6 feet 2 inches

Weight: 190

Position: Security

Year: 2021

Rated: # 23 on MLive Top 50; 3 stars by 24/7 Sports

Commitment: Cincinnati

Offers: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Iowa State, Liberty, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Syracuse, Temple, Toledo, Western Illinois, Western Michigan

RED RIVER, MI – River Rouge moves Armorion Smith from one location to another.

But this is not to hide it.

It’s about highlighting the sheer amount of talent he brings to a wide range of defense challenges.

“He’s an explosive player,” said River Rouge coach Corey Parker. “We had him play three different positions on the pitch. If you asked him what position he was playing in, he would probably just say “Defense” because we move him all over the place. “

Whether he’s lined up for cover, running through high school, or right in the middle of the field, Smith is a threat to deliver great defensive play with every snap of the ball for the reigning Division 3 state champions.

With a versatile skill set and a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Smith is a higher level player. And he announced on April 17 that his next level would come to the University of Cincinnati.

Its time to lead

Smith played a pivotal role in running the state championship last fall, but the Panthers are counting on him to take on even more responsibility as a senior.

He is called in as a captain, a leadership role that he should have no difficulty in accepting.

“He’s the dominant male,” Parker said. “If it was a pack of wolves, he would like to be the toughest. He’s an extraordinary guy. He won’t leave anyone behind. “

Smith said he didn’t want it any other way. He takes his leadership role to heart on the field, in the study room and in the weight room.

“I’m not forcing it, but it’s a good feeling to know that people depend on you,” he said. “I like to lead the way and help everyone be better.

“As a defensive captain, I have to play a leading role so that the defense can follow me. I have to do everything right for them to do everything right.

Wherever he can roam

In the field, Smith’s responsibilities are deep and constantly evolving.

Depending on the situation, River Rouge’s braintrust bounces Smith from the corner to safety to the linebacker and sometimes lines him up on the edge. He has shown his ability to handle anything, with a combination of strength and speed and the football sense to adapt to whatever is thrown at him.

“I consider myself to be a hybrid player,” he said. “I just play the game and focus on that call no matter where I play.

“It’s fun (lining up in different positions) and I have the ability to do it. I don’t struggle when I move. I can do all of this and I love to do it.

As a result, Smith’s flagship reel is an array of slaps, quarterback sacks, and hits.

“He’s one of those guys you never know what’s going to happen when he’s on the pitch,” Parker said.

Look of a champion

At a school known for its 14 State Boys Basketball Championships, the Panthers were hungry to put their football team on the map. After reaching the semi-finals for the fourth time in five years, they were able to reach the top with the program’s first crown.

And they did so by completely dominating Muskegon – the state’s No.1 ranked team led by State No.1 ranked player Cameron Martinez – for a stunning 30-7 victory.

“It was good to be the first in history,” Smith said. “We were there to make a statement. We were the underdog and we wanted to prove everyone wrong. This is what we have been doing all season.

Smith recorded four solo tackles on the big Ford Field stage, but more importantly, did his part to keep Martinez bottled. After Muskegon scored the first touchdown of the game, River Rouge’s defense was unbreakable the rest of the way.

“Everyone was so excited we couldn’t wait to get on the pitch,” said Smith. “It was taking (the previous team) so long to get their trophies, and we couldn’t wait. Then we came out too excited, and that’s why we got penalties and why they scored.

“We had to calm down as a team and get there. Once we did, they never scored again.

First of all

Smith was offered by virtually every mid-American conference school – as well as Michigan State University under then-coach Mark Dantonio – but settled on Cincinnati. He made his announcement on Twitter on April 17.

“It’s not too far and it’s not too close,” he said.

Smith said he had a good relationship with the Cincinnati coaching staff, liked the way he fit into the Bearcats’ defensive style and believed he might have a shot at make an impact as a rookie. But he doesn’t want to discuss his college future yet.

His senior season and state title defense command his attention for now.

“It’s at the top of the list,” he said. “We can’t let anyone take that away from us.

“We have a lot of guys coming back and we can’t wait to get back on the pitch and get down to business. “

The Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Dream Teamer and his team won’t have to wait any longer for a high-level challenge. River Rouge opens the 2020 season on August 28 against Division 2 State Champion Muskegon Mona Shores in the Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University.

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Financial institutions have restructured nearly half of their loan portfolios, signaling the devastating effect of Covid-19 on the economy.

Bank of Uganda research director Dr Adam Mugume told Daily Monitor that in January banks restructured almost half of their loans, which represented 46% of the total loan portfolio in the banking sector.

This is an increase from the 40.5% recorded in September, which translated into Shs 6,700 billion in restructured loans.

However, according to a Stanbic Bank banking sector market report, in December 2020, restructured loans amounted to Shs.7.7 trillion, or 44.6% of gross loans in the sector. At least Shs 764.5 billion worth of loans among those that had been restructured were in arrears at that time.

The Central Bank last year asked financial institutions to restructure loans to customers on a discretionary basis in order to protect the economy from the effects of Covid-19.

The credit relief period, which was scheduled to end in April, was extended by the Bank of Uganda for a further six months from April 1.

Ms Anne Juuko, managing director of Stanbic Bank, said the central bank’s credit relief measures had helped moderate the rise in non-performing loans. The increase in non-performing loans affects the quality of banks’ assets, which in turn has an impact on the economy.

Stanbic CFO Sam Mwogeza revealed that these pending major restructurings, especially in education and tourism, were due to the fact that they were still on lockdown, noting that while the quality of banks’ assets was ‘had deteriorated before Covid-19, it was getting worse now. .

The ratio of non-performing loans rose to 5.3% in December from 5.1% in September.
However, Juuko said there was hope as the number of restructured loans began to decline due to the resumption of economic activities.

“For the first time, 40% of the total outstanding bank debt was being restructured. Now I’m happy to report that these numbers are getting better and better. With each wave of restructuring, we see a smaller restructured amount, which indicates that companies are recovering and are able to meet their loan obligations, ”she said.

Ms Juuko, who was speaking before Stanbic’s financial results were released, also predicted that the quality of banks’ assets will continue to weigh on the industry for about three years and will determine the performance of the financial institution.

Lost interest
Before releasing the bank’s results for the fiscal year ended December 2020, Stanbic, Mr Mwogeza said he waived Shs26b in interest payments due to an 18% average prime rate cut to 16.6%.
In 2020, the Bank of Uganda maintained a low lending rate of 7% and asked commercial banks to respond by reducing the prime rate.

The move is intended to stimulate an increase in the use of credit in the private sector which had fallen during the lockdown period.
Stanbic believes Uganda’s economic recovery will be driven by the oil and gas sector, among other factors.

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Over time, Chang developed a close bond with Takeda and introduced him to his sister. They also played golf together at the TERI Golf Club. “She said she would take care of me while I was in India and help me in any way she could,” Takeda said in her complaint.
In early 2020, Takeda traveled to Japan, but returned to India in March. A few days later, Chang reportedly emailed him asking for a loan of Rs 7.5 lakh. She told him that the money was needed to receive a package from the United States that had been lying around for a long time at Bengaluru airport.
“She invited me to her apartment to explain why she needed the money. Her younger sister and brother were also present and said they were students. She asked for Rs. 7.5 lakh and told me that she had to pay a remittance fee for an international package. The package had been sent by his cousin from the United States and it contained diamonds, gold and some documents, ”Takeda told police.
Chang reportedly told Takeda that the package was extremely important to her. Although a little hesitant, Takeda transferred Rs 5.5 lakh to her bank account. Chang told her that she would return the money once her cousin from the United States, who worked in Turkey, sent her 50 crore rupees in a few months.
In an attempt to make Takeda believe that Chang’s relationship with her cousin was indeed true, she allegedly asked someone to pose as a senior RBI official and send her messages.
“She also showed me documents indicating that the amount she would now receive was over Rs 8 crore,” said the complainant.
Chang allegedly showed Takeda a few other papers and begged him to ask for more money to have the package released from Bengaluru airport. One such document, which mentioned the Union Finance Ministry, stated that Chang was to deposit another Rs. 12.2 lakh. Between March and July of last year, Chang allegedly made Takeda pay off several of these loans, each time assuring the Japanese national that she would return the money once she got the funds from her cousin.
“I believed that the story projected before me by Ms. Asang and the documents she showed were correct and in friendly faith loaned her a huge sum of money to the tune of Rs 1.85 crore,” wrote Takeda in his complaint.
Takeda said he fell into depression after learning he had been cheated and was unable to approach police during the lockdown. He eventually lodged a written complaint with the Police Commissioner, as a result of which a case was registered under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC, explaining a sanction for breach of trust and cheating and dishonest incitement to delivery of goods.
A senior police officer said, “We have registered a case in this matter and an investigation is ongoing. ”

The Santa Rosa Housing Authority has approved the use of approximately $ 38 million in federal disaster relief funds to build hundreds of new affordable homes over the next few years.

On Monday afternoon, a shorthanded housing authority voted the loan of $ 38,353,107 to developers of five projects in Santa Rosa that initially offer the pledge of 377 combined units, almost all of which are reserved for low-income residents.

The top prize, notable both for its circumstances and for its size, went to the first phase of the 3575 Mendocino Avenue project, which, when fully constructed, provides for 532 homes on the site of the former Journey’s mobile home park. End. Linda Adrian, a former park resident and staunch supporter of the redevelopment effort, praised the $ 11.9 million price tag for the project, which would create 370 apartments at market rates as well as 162 units in an affordable development to replace the 160 Journey’s End homes, most of which were destroyed in the Tubbs fire in 2017.

“At the moment, I still live in a temporary apartment of only 320 square feet, and I was waiting for this – for Journey’s End to be rebuilt so that I can go back there,” said Adrian, who had lived at the park for 25 years.

The funds represent a bittersweet boon to a city in desperate need of additional affordable housing. While the money offers a rare chance to spur several large projects simultaneously, Santa Rosa would not have had access to the funds had it not been for the massive Tubbs fire disaster.

The city received money last year through state officials from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development because of the damage inflicted on Santa Rosa by the Tubbs fire, which exacerbated the current shortage of affordable housing by destroying more than 3,000 homes across the city. The city officially opened the fundraising process in November, less than a month after reaching an agreement with state officials to release the money.

The city received 17 applications, four of which were deemed incomplete. Two were subsequently withdrawn. The remaining 11 claims, representing claims of around $ 80.3 million – more than double what the city had to offer – were reviewed by a panel of two Housing Authority members, Vice President Diane Test. and Commissioner Steve Burke, and two members of the town. Council, John Sawyer and Tom Schwedhelm, guided by city staff.

Their unanimous recommendations went in support of five projects, three of which are supported at least in part by Burbank Housing, the affordable housing developer based in Santa Rosa. According to city documents, the projects, along with their loan amounts, total costs, number of units and estimated month of construction completion, are:

• The first phase of 3575 avenue Mendocino; Loan of $ 11.9 million; Development cost of $ 56.7 million; 94 units; March 2023.
• The Railroad Square Cannery; $ 10.3 million; $ 86.8 million in development costs; 129 units; June 2023.
• The first phase of Caritas Homes; Loan of $ 8.9 million; Development cost of $ 39.8 million; 64 units; December 2022.
• Burbank Avenue Apartments; $ 5 million loan; Development cost of $ 38 million; 64 units; July 2023.
• Senior Linda Tunis Apartments; Loan of $ 2.1 million; A development cost of 9.4 million dollars; 26 units; March 2022.

The loans include affordability guarantees for 55 years from the date of original occupancy and annual interest rates of 3% deferred for the same term, according to city documents.

Burbank Housing is a development partner in the 3575 Mendocino, Caritas Homes and Burbank Avenue Apartments projects. The Cannery Project was presented by the John Stewart Company, and the Linda Tunis Project – named after a former Journey’s End resident who perished in the Tubbs fire – is supported by Petaluma Ecumenical Properties, or PEP Housing.

“This is actually a major step forward in reducing the housing units that are needed and in demand, especially affordable units, for the city of Santa Rosa,” said Efren Carrillo, director of housing development and development. government affairs for Burbank Housing.

The two non-Burbank housing projects have both agreed to reduce the amount of loans they requested from the Housing Authority, according to city staff. There was no indication that the three Burbank Housing projects had to do this.

The Housing Authority usually has seven members, including two tenants’ commissioners. However, at its Monday meeting, the administration did not have the two tenant positions, two of its current five commissioners were serving expired terms and one had to recuse himself to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

All units except one for each project, for a total of 372 units, are limited to some extent to income. The other five units are unrestricted and are intended to accommodate on-site project managers.

The pre-award review took into account the projects’ ability to obtain planning approval and other committed funding sources, conduct environmental reviews, total costs per unit, and start dates and construction completion, said Nicole Rathbun, the city’s housing program specialist.

“We really focused on preparing for the project and we wanted to get these units into the community as quickly as possible,” Rathbun said.

You can contact editor Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or [email protected] On Twitter @wsreports.

Editor’s Note: Efren Carrillo was misidentified in an earlier version of this article.

CHICAGO (WREX) – A group of attorneys general across the country, including Illinois, is calling on the federal government to provide more relief to student borrowers.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general, today wrote to U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona urging him to adopt reforms to facilitate the process of education. repaying student loans and preventing student borrowers from repaying their debts. for-profit and missing colleges.

In the letterRaoul and Attorneys General are urging Secretary Cardona to consider several actions that could help student borrowers, including:

• Continue the policy of suspending student loan payments and waiving interest for as long as necessary to support distressed borrowers.
• Continue the policy of suspending involuntary collection activities and allowing suspended payments to count for both utility loan forgiveness and income repayment scheme (IDR) remission.
• Enact reforms to allow student loan borrowers to access and stay in the IDR plans to which they are entitled, allowing borrowers to have more affordable monthly payments, avoid the severe consequences of default and to obtain the cancellation of the loan if necessary.
• Enforcement of the higher education law’s paid employment requirement, which would protect borrowers from for-profit programs that do not prepare students for a career.

“For millions of student loan borrowers, the struggle to repay loans has been exacerbated by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and these borrowers need relief,” said Raoul. “I encourage the US Department of Education to support borrowers by enacting reforms that will help them repay their loans and avoid defaults.”

Attorney General Raoul is also working with Illinois lawmakers to pass legislation to protect student borrowers and those considering taking out student loans.

Raoul Know Before You Owe’s legislation was passed by an Illinois House of Representatives committee earlier this month and will ensure student borrowers have information about their eligibility for federal aid before they go. turn to more expensive private loans.

The measure is also pending in the Illinois Senate.

Additionally, an Illinois House committee recently passed Raoul’s legislation to protect student borrowers from student debt relief companies, or SLDRs.

SLDRs often prey on student loan borrowers by charging high fees for services they cannot provide, such as loan forgiveness and cancellation. Borrowers can apply for these benefits free of charge from the federal government or their loan manager.

Student borrowers who have questions or need assistance can call the Attorney General’s Student Loans Helpline at 1-800-455-2456. Borrowers can also file complaints on Attorney General’s website.

Attorneys General of California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey , New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon join Raoul. , Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

You can read the full letter below.

Mars_2021_AGs_Policy_Letter_to_Sec_Cardona

Westwood school officials cited an unmasked indoor Halloween party as the source of a high school COVID-19 cluster that caused at least five positive cases of the coronavirus.

Westwood Superintendent Emily Parks and Westwood High School Principal Amy Davenport said on Sunday that Westwood’s Director of Public Health, the school doctor and the COVID-19 medical advisory team recommended to unanimity that the high school is switching to distance education this week as a result of the cluster. .

Two positive tests of first-year high school students on Sunday prompted school officials to move. The two new cases bring the total to five last week in high school.

School officials said the switch to distance learning would give them time to complete contact tracing, receive close contact test results and “hopefully shut down the cluster.”

On Sunday, contact tracers at Westwood identified around 20 students considered close contacts of those who tested positive. They will be quarantined for at least 14 days.

School officials said during the contact tracing, “There were inconsistencies in reporting and varying levels of cooperation with the contact tracing process.

“We strongly recommend that parents have frank and honest conversations with their children about their social behavior over the past week, including attending indoor gatherings and socializing without following other measures. required safety, such as wearing masks, ”a letter to families from Westwood High School said. “If you have reason to believe your child has engaged in these behaviors, our Westwood Public Health Director recommends that you contact your child’s doctor and get them tested for COVID-19.”

The district contacted DESE for support from the state mobile testing unit. School officials said the unit may be able to provide free tests to a limited number of students and staff this week.

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For seven years, Maxine Sheaffer owned an art studio in Philadelphia Manayunk Section, where budding painters went to take courses and workshops. Her studio, Art on Main, was a gathering place to explore creativity, said Sheaffer, 39, who ran the business with her husband and a part-time worker.

Sheaffer’s studio closed in mid-March after Governor Tom Wolf ordered temporary shutdowns of businesses deemed non-essential because the spread of wildfire-like COVID-19 made gatherings unsafe. Sheaffer lost his clients and couldn’t earn enough on art commissions to pay the bills. She made the difficult choice in May to shut down Art on Main forever.

“It was very difficult,” said Sheaffer. “All you can do is hope that in the future this is not going to continue.”

Sheaffer’s studio is among thousands of small stores, salons, studios and restaurants that could not survive the pandemic. In the Philadelphia area, at least 252 businesses closed permanently between March 1 and July 10, according to Yelp, the business listing and rating website. This tally is almost certainly an undercount, as it only includes businesses that have reported their closures on Yelp.

More small businesses are expected to go bankrupt after resisting the first five months of the pandemic, said the experts. Running a small business is tough enough in the good times, but now they are navigating government restrictions, cautious consumers, and widespread remote working that has reduced foot traffic in the city center, experts have said.

“LEARN MORE: What happens to the attractiveness of the neighborhood if the coronavirus permanently shuts down small businesses?

The widespread loss of so many small businesses is not only a concern for individual owners, but will also slow a broader recovery, said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economics, a Bucks County consultancy firm. “It will contribute to the problems of trying to grow the economy at a rapid rate, because it will increase the unemployment rate.”

Small businesses collectively employ nearly half of all private sector workers nationwide and account for 44% of economic output, according to the Small Business Administration. In 2017, a large majority of businesses in the Philadelphia area were classified as small, with 99.7% employing fewer than 500 people, while 53.7% employed fewer than five people, according to the Greater Philadelphia Economic League.

Jennifer Kinka saw her staff grow from 21 to seven after closing two of the three storefronts at Nesting House, a retail business she started in 2010 to offer cloth diapers, wooden toys and baby clothes. other durable childcare items for new parents. Although the company has an online presence, most sales are done in-store and foot traffic was suddenly only a fraction of what it was before the pandemic, she said. Kinka made the difficult choice to shut down its South and West Philly locations in mid-May, leaving only one Mount Airy store.

“I woke up with a stomach ache when I realized I was going to have to remove them from the communities,” she said. “There were many, many people relying on them, but our hands were tied.”

“LEARN MORE: Coronavirus forces small businesses to shut down permanently: ‘There is nothing we can do’

It is impossible to get a definitive tally of local businesses that closed during the pandemic. Representatives of state and city government agencies, chambers of commerce and local trade associations said no agency or group was keeping the numbers.

And any count of failed businesses will likely be missing from those operated only by owners. Consultants, independent contractors and “solopreneurs” – who run stores themselves – are often not considered small businesses because they have no employees, said Maura Shenker, director of the Small Business Development Center. of Temple. In addition, there is an informal economy of businesses that operate without a license, such as those that lack their owners, she said.

Yet some companies have tried to quantify the damage. Including the temporary closures, there were 2,053 businesses in the Philadelphia metro area that were still closed as of July 10, Yelp said. Yelp declined to share the total number of Philadelphia-area businesses in its database.

The number of small businesses opened in the Philadelphia metropolitan area fell 15% between January and July 24, according to data from San Francisco software company Womply, released by Opportunity Insights, a Harvard-backed research group.

Womply has tracked the transactions of just under 9,000 businesses in the Philadelphia area and counts the businesses as closed if they haven’t seen a debit or credit card transaction for at least three consecutive days. The 15% drop represents about 1,350 businesses in the Philadelphia area that have remained closed since January.

The leisure and hospitality industry has been hit hardest, with the number of businesses opening in this sector falling by almost 21%. Education and health services activities have fallen 33% since January.

Retailing and restaurants were the worst during the pandemic, according to national data from Yelp. Between March 1 and June 15, more than 27,600 retail stores closed temporarily or permanently, followed by nearly 24,000 restaurants. About 20% of all closures were retail, and 35% of them are permanent, Yelp said.

Small businesses face the additional challenge of having fewer resources than large businesses. Small businesses often carry enough cash to last a month and don’t have as much access to credit or loans as large businesses, Temple’s Shenker said.

Government grants and loans – like the federal paycheck protection program – have kept many small businesses afloat. Over five million PPP loans totaling over $ 521 billion have been approved as of July 31, according to the SBA. But once that money is used up, more small businesses will close, said Naroff, the Bucks County economist.

“LEARN MORE: Small minority-owned businesses have largely been excluded from Pennsylvania’s first coronavirus loan program

Not everyone has the same access to these vital loans, some advocates have said. Jennifer Rodriguez, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, has worked with companies that have struggled to apply for loans or grants and struggled to transition to virtual platforms. Rodriguez notes that low- and middle-income communities “are not turning to technology and online shopping at the same rate as better-off communities.” This means that their business models still have a strong need for in-person interaction.

She is also concerned about the impact of the pandemic on the local hospitality industry. “The Latino is the backbone of this industry, with both workers and owners,” she said. “For our community, it would be really, really devastating to see these businesses fail.”

National data from Yelp shows the biggest peaks in permanent closings were in March, followed by May and June. This suggests that businesses that were already struggling to shut down right away, and then businesses that tried to hang on, have been forced to shut down in recent months, Yelp said in a recent report.

Shelley Marine and Karen Cooke are affectionately known to their clients as the Shiva Ladies. They own In Time of Need, a two-person business that helps plan shivas, funerals, and memorial services in the Philadelphia area.

Marine said they were getting two or three calls a week before the pandemic, but their phones stopped ringing once restrictions were placed on large gatherings. They have been out of work since March 11.

In Time of Need has been in business since 2010, but Marine isn’t sure how long it can last. What bothers Marine the most is not the potential loss of the business, but the inability to help the community.

“This is the time when everyone needs it, and there is nothing we can do about it,” she said.

Eden Multifamily and Cypress Equity Investments have started building a Tamarac multi-family complex, having secured a $ 23.7 million construction loan and a $ 8.6 million preferred stock investment.

The joint venture, which works as CE Development Partners, is developing the 212 Eden West units at the northeast corner of West McNab and North Pine Island roads. The garden-style project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022.

Wells Fargo issued the senior construction loan and Chevy Chase, a Maryland-based private real estate investor, FCP, provided $ 8.6 million in preferred stock, according to press releases.

Property records show that Eden Multifamily-related CE Tamarac purchased the 6.2 acres at 8501-8795 West McNab Road in September 2019 for $ 3.4 million.

Coconut Grove-based Eden Multifamily led by Jay Massirman and Jay Jacobson in November 2018 offers replacing the existing Colony West Shopping Plaza with an apartment complex. The previous owner had already demolished part of the mall.

Eden Multifamily, founded in 2015, is a residential developer and investor that has built more than 24,000 units and, through a subsidiary, manages nearly 25,000 units in six states, according to the release.

Los Angeles-based Cypress Equity, led by founder Michael Sorochinsky, is a commercial real estate investor that focuses on multi-family, according to its website. Since its creation in 2001, it has developed or invested in more than 12,000 units nationwide.

Eden West will have two four-story buildings offering studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments, ranging from 598 square feet to 1,388 square feet, the statement said. Units will have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, washers and dryers, white quartz countertops in kitchens and bedrooms, and wood plank floors in kitchens and living rooms.

Community facilities will include a 24-hour gym that will show exercise videos, a saltwater swimming pool and a veranda with an outdoor kitchen and grills.

Also in Tamarac, Plans of the houses on the 13th floor 397 detached houses on both Woodlands Country Club golf courses at 4600 Woodland Hills Boulevard.

Financing for multi-family construction has increased slightly. Last week Terra and New Valley scored a $ 64.8 million ready for 460 Natura Gardens units in northwest Miami-Dade County; and affiliate development grabbed a $ 34.1 million loan for her mixed-income 200-unit bohemian in Lake Worth Beach.

PORT HURON, MI – An Ohio man was arrested after allegedly threatening to burn down an elementary school in Port Huron.

Dominik Hricovsky, 32, of Ohio, was arraigned Sunday February 28 for threat of terrorism, use of a firearm in or in a building, two counts of firearm, felon in possession of ‘a gun, resistance and obstruction and repeat offender. notice of fourth offense.

Cleveland Elementary School in Port Huron was put under lockdown on the morning of Wednesday, February 24, after police received several calls from a man threatening to burn down the school.

About an hour after the school was closed, police discovered it was Hricovsky who had called from the 2700 block of Nern Street. When officers attempted to place him under arrest, Hricovsky attempted to flee and fight the officers, police said.

Officers deployed a Taser and took him into custody. During Friday’s investigation, detectives learned that Hricovsky also shot through the apartment window, police said.

Lockdown on Cleveland Elementary School ended after Hricovsky’s arrest.

Hricovsky received a bond of $ 250,000. The date for its probable causes conference is set for Tuesday, March 9, with a preliminary review scheduled for Tuesday, March 16. He is also on parole in Ohio.

Anyone with information on the situation is asked to call CAPTURE at 810-987-6688. Anonymous advice can be provided by texting CAPTURE and a tip to 847411 or downloading the Port Huron PD app. Advice can also be emailed to www.porthuronpolice.org.

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It’s a good time to sell a house, but a really frustrating time to buy.

In red light districts around Philadelphia and nationwide, single-family homes are selling fast – often with multiple offers driving the price up. In one extreme case, a four-bedroom home in a Washington, DC suburb received 129 bids and sold for nearly double its list price of $ 275,000, Redfin reported. A four-bedroom rancher in Boston recently drew 71 bids.

“If the house is even relatively decent, it will sell in two days,” said Andrew Black, a Redfin agent in Philadelphia.

Nationally in March, 59% of homes under contract had accepted an offer within the first two weeks of being on the market, according to a Redfin sales analysis in over 400 metropolitan areas, including Philadelphia.

“It’s definitely a sellers market,” said Holly Garber, a BHHS Fox & Roach agent in South Jersey. “If you have the space, if that’s what the locals want, you’re going to have bidding wars, multiple bids. … This is definitely a time of madness.

Garber, who focuses on Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Moorestown and the Jersey Shore, has worked with around 10 eager buyers who are struggling to find homes.

A “seller’s market»Means that demand exceeds supply. The area’s housing stock was low even before the pandemic, so COVID-induced reluctance to sell, combined with the slowdown in new construction since the Great Recession, has left many interested buyers competing for very few homes.

Philadelphia has about three times as many buyers for each home as it does in a balanced market, said Bill Lublin, CEO of Century 21 Advantage Gold in Philadelphia. The suburbs of Pennsylvania and South Jersey have about six times as many buyers for each home.

“When the supply is low and listed homes are contracted quickly, it gives potential buyers not only to bid quickly, but also to bid higher than they would otherwise before a no other buyer beats them, ”Drexel University economist Kevin Gillen writes in Q4 2020 Market Report released in February.

“LEARN MORE: Philly area homebuyers will likely have more choices this spring, but competition will remain fierce

Cramped in tight quarters this past year, many buyers are looking for more and different spaces, including backyards, swimming pools, offices, gyms, and in-laws apartments. And “people who used to be happy with rentals aren’t happy anymore,” Black said.

For buyers, “mentally it’s a roller coaster,” he said. They can’t just love a house; they must be prepared to fight for it.

“You can make an amazing offer and lose,” Black said. “And then you have to start all over again next weekend. It can get very overwhelming.

Buyers who can bid for cash have a distinct advantage in this market, but most people need the product from one home to buy another. Agents help buyers craft flexible bids to maximize their chances of winning an auction war. Here are the strategies recommended by officers in the region.

Get pre-approved for your mortgage. “In fact, we don’t show properties now until people have requested and approved,” Lublin said. You can’t make an offer until you’ve been pre-approved, Garber said.

Work with a professional. Realtors have access to more detailed data than buyers can find on the internet regarding recent and comparable sales, upcoming homes on the market, the results of recent auction wars, and more, Lublin said. , who is also a board member of Bright MLS, which has 95,000 subscribers. In today’s market, buyers need to know the selling prices of six days ago, not six months or a year.

“Consumers are best served by choosing someone who they are really comfortable with, who is knowledgeable, who will work for them,” he said.

Adjust your budget. If homes are selling for 2% or 3% above asking price in a neighborhood you love, consider buying a home slightly below your maximum price, so you can participate in a bidding war.

“LEARN MORE: Demand is high for newly built homes, but pandemic delays continue to hamper builders

See the house in person as soon as possible. “You have to come in to view the property as soon as possible,” said Black. “You only have a few days.” Watch for “coming soon” announcements and be ready to jump.

While virtual tours replaced by a tour during the pandemic, agents now agree that buyers should visit in person. Sellers would be less likely to choose a bidder who viewed the house only online, Black said, fearing the buyer would return later.

Consider an escalation clause. For competitive situations, agents can structure a “climbing auctionThat automatically increases a buyer’s bid in defined increments from the highest bid – by $ 5,000, for example – up to a maximum price. This keeps a buyer in the game while minimizing exposure, Black said.

Modify the home inspection. Officers interviewed said they would never recommend forgoing a home inspection. It’s too risky, they said. Buyers might say, however, that they won’t order repairs below a certain cost, say $ 20,000, or they might limit the inspection to structural issues such as the foundation or the roof. Some buyers will agree to accept the house as is or to walk away if the inspection reveals something important.

“We tell our buyers not to be so picky these days,” Garber said.

“LEARN MORE: Home inspections are a bargaining chip in the hot Philly area real estate market

Forgo the possibility of evaluation. Buyers financing their purchase must have an evaluation before closing the sale. If the offer is greater than the listing price and the evaluation is at or below the listing price, the buyer may agree to compensate all or part of the difference in cash at the time of payment.

“If you plan to live in the house for 20 years and love this house, then it doesn’t matter” if you pay a little more, said Maria Quattrone, CEO of Maria Quattrone & Associates at RE / MAX in Creme Philadelphia. Especially with such low mortgage interest rates, you will get your investment back over time.

Increase your deposit. Serious money is a deposit that buyers put down to show that they are serious about a home. Typically, it is placed in an escrow account and applied to the purchase price at closing. Some buyers release these funds early as a non-refundable deposit within days of signing the contract. Others increase the amount. The risk for buyers is that if their financing fails, they will lose money.

Be flexible with the closure. Accept a settlement date that works for the seller, agents advise. Offer extensions or a rental option, if the seller needs time to find accommodation.

Buyers often become more flexible after going through one or two bidding wars, Garber said.

“Once they’ve lost a few houses, they’d be more willing to say, ‘You know what? We are going to go above the asking price ”or“ I will put more ”,” she said.

But Garber said she also warns customers when she thinks the price is too high. “If you have to sell it in five years,” she said, “you might be in a whole different position where you’re not going to take that money out.”

Some buyers will stop looking, at least for now.

“The typical family who are always on the hunt for an affordable home may have missed the boat,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. “First-time homebuyers who were already stretching their budgets will have to make bigger compromises on size and location or forgo renting for another year.”

If you buy now, said Lublin, “don’t take risks that you can’t absorb. Just make the best offer you can. “

“There will always be another house, you know?”

The Texas Senate unanimously approved a two-year, $ 250 billion state budget on Tuesday, although questions remain about how tens of billions of dollars in expected federal aid will be used. – and whether it will arrive in time for lawmakers to use it. legislative session.

“This budget … meets our basic needs in this growing state [and] it is true to the principles of fiscal responsibility that make Texas a strong and prosperous country, ”said the senator. Jane nelsonRepublican Flower Mound, who chairs the Senate finance committee responsible for drafting the budget, told senators Senate Bill 1.

The Senate budget as passed includes $ 117.9 billion in general revenue, or approximately $ 5 billion on the amount Texas Comptroller Glenn hegar proposed lawmakers should work with it. But that doesn’t take into account over $ 35 billion in federal funding. in coronavirus aid, much of which will go to state government. Senators acknowledged during Tuesday’s debate that these funds could be difficult to appropriate, depending on when they arrive and the conditions that may be attached to them.

Nelson, requested by the State Senator. Royce WestD-Dallas, if those federal dollars would be allocated before the end of the regular legislative session in May, said she “certainly can’t say they definitely will.” If those dollars arrived during the interim, Nelson said, there was wording in the spending plan that would allow lawmakers to give their opinion on how that money is being allocated.

The bill is now heading to the House, which tabled its own biennial budget proposal in January. The House’s proposed budget as tabled would spend $ 119.7 on general revenue, which is also higher than Hegar’s projection. The comptroller made the forecast in January, but warned his projection was “clouded in uncertainty” due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the state’s economy. He could change his estimate of income before the Legislative Assembly adjourns.

Yet the legislature must pass a balanced budget before lawmakers speak out. Both chambers will have to reduce their proposed spending plans or rely on accounting maneuvers, such as pushing back certain items or dipping into the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund, to help offset some of that spending.

The Senate spending plan as passed would not take dollars out of the fund – also known as the Rainy Days Fund – which ended 2020 with a balance of nearly $ 10 billion and is expected to end the fiscal year 2023 to $ 11.6 billion if lawmakers don’t use it, according to Hegar’s Update in January.

The Senate budget continues to spend the most on public education and health care, with the plan fully funding public schools in the state as part of a school funding system. Lawmakers overhauled this funding system during the 2019 session by increasing funding, which included salary increases for teachers and slowing the growth of local property taxes. The current budget plan also adds $ 1 billion to property tax cuts on which the legislature spent more than $ 5 billion in 2019 and an additional $ 453 million to spend on pensions for retired teachers.

State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., a Brownsville Democrat who serves as vice chairman of the finance committee, said his “worst case scenario” this session would have been massive budget cuts to public schools like the cuts lawmakers made in 2011 after a recession .

“I most sincerely hoped that we wouldn’t have to adopt another such devastating cut 10 years later with the budget,” he said, referring to last year’s economic fallout from the pandemic. . “I’m glad we didn’t.”

In addition to drafting the 2022-2023 state budget, lawmakers will also need to pass legislation covering spending from the current budget. In January, Hegar predicted that the Legislature would face a deficit of nearly $ 1 billion for the current budget – an improvement over the $ 4.6 billion projection he made in July 2020. Hegar’s estimate, he said, did not include savings resulting from 5% reductions in some states. agencies.

Before the Senate finally approves its draft expenditure plan, the State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, read a statement to the chamber explaining why she was voting for the bill.

“After the year we have had,” she said, “it is miraculous that we have produced a bill that we can all support”.

And in a statement after the vote, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick applauded Nelson for his leadership, saying the lawmaker “had done a masterful job.”

“Like all budgets passed by the Senate since I have been lieutenant governor, SB 1 is within the spending limit set by the Texas Constitution and, once again, the growth rate does not exceed population multiplied by l. ‘inflation,’ said Patrick. “SB 1 will help ensure that the economic outlook for Texas continues to be bright.”

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, non-partisan media organization that educates – and engages with – Texans about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues.

We often see insiders buying back shares of companies that are performing well over the long term. The flip side is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stocks before a period of poor performance. Shareholders may want to know if any insiders have bought or sold shares of Manhattan Bridge Capital, Inc. (NASDAQ: READY).

Are Insider Trading Important?

Most investors know that it is okay for business leaders, such as board directors, to buy and sell company stock. However, these insiders must disclose their business activities and not trade on inside information.

We don’t believe shareholders should just follow insider trading. But it makes perfect sense to keep an eye on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that “insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stocks when the company is about to reveal new deals with customers and suppliers.”

Discover our latest analyzes for Manhattan Bridge Capital

The Last 12 Months of Insider Trading at Manhattan Bridge Capital

Over the past year, we can see that the biggest insider buy was made by independent director Lyron Bentovim for $ 135,000 in stock, at around $ 4.19 per share. We love to see the purchase, but this purchase was made at a much lower price than the current price of US $ 6.18. Because this happened at a lower valuation, it doesn’t tell us much about whether insiders might find today’s price attractive.

Over the past year, we can see that insiders bought 39.79k shares worth US $ 166k. But they sold 31.89k shares for US $ 134k. Overall, Manhattan Bridge Capital insiders were net buyers over the past year. You can see insider trading (by businesses and individuals) over the past year shown in the graph below. If you click on the chart you can see all of the individual trades including the stock price, individual and date!

Manhattan Bridge Capital isn’t the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider buys, might be just the ticket.

Manhattan Bridge Capital Insider Ownership

I like to look at the number of shares held by insiders in a company, to help inform my perspective on their alignment with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will have an incentive to build the business for the long term. It appears that Manhattan Bridge Capital insiders own 29% of the company, worth around US $ 17 million. This level of insider ownership is good, but just nowhere near remarkable. It certainly suggests a reasonable degree of alignment.

What could insider trading at Manhattan Bridge Capital tell us?

There haven’t been any insider trading in the past three months – that doesn’t mean much. On a more positive note, last year’s transactions are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Manhattan Bridge Capital and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So these insider trading can help us build a thesis on the stock, but it’s also worth knowing the risks this company faces. Be aware that Manhattan Bridge Capital watch 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of these doesn’t suit us very well …

But note: Manhattan Bridge Capital may not be the best stock to buy. So take a look at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are the people who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private assignments, but not derivative transactions.

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This Simply Wall St article is general in nature. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take into account your goals or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term, targeted analysis based on fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not take into account the latest announcements from price sensitive companies or qualitative information. Simply Wall St has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.
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Do you have any comments on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. You can also send an email to the editorial team (at) simplywallst.com.

The total value of delinquent loans from Romanian households and businesses in local currency amounted to 4.42 billion RON (910 million euros), at the end of December 2020, down 4.83% compared to the end of November and 3.4% compared to the end of 2019.

Foreign currency loans in arrears fell 3.6% month-on-month while plunging 22% year-on-year to the equivalent of RON 1.61 billion (€ 330 million), according to data from the National Bank of Romania (BNR), Agerpres reported.

However, debtors affected by the crisis have benefited from a 9-month moratorium on repayment of loans which they can still apply, if they have not already done so, by the end of March. This is a key element that has made it possible to control the rate of nonperforming loans.

Total local currency loans reached 197.0 billion RON in December (+ 8.7% year-on-year), of which 74.0 billion RON were contracted by economic agents and 118, 7 billion RON per population. This brings the share of overdue loans to 2.2% of the total loan stock at the end of December 2020, from 2.5% a year earlier. The share fell to 1.8% for foreign currency loans, from 2.4% a year earlier.

The numbers are different from the Non Performing Loan Ratio (NPL) as reported by banks, as delinquent loans are defined as loans with monthly payments that are more than one day past due at the end of the month.

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(Photo source: Dreamstime.com)

In 2011, the city of Dallas regulated payday lenders and auto title lenders, forcing them to register with the city and structure loans so they can be repaid more easily.

This was in response to an explosion of lenders offering small, short-term loans with very high fees to low-income people with poor credit, often sparking a spiral of debt.

Today, city council voted unanimously to expand the regulations to include more types of low-cost, high-cost loans, closing what council members called a “loophole.”

At the meeting, board member Cara Mendelsohn said she first attended a Dallas city council meeting to defend the original payday loan and title rules in 2011. She was part of the meeting. of the Greater Dallas Anti-Poverty Coalition. lending practices that overwhelmed people with debts they couldn’t afford.

“We were trying to enact this legislation to protect the people in financial distress in Dallas who were being taken advantage of. And [expanding the ordinance now] is just our way of making sure this continues, ”she said.

Personal and signature loans

The updated ordinance targets low dollar unsecured personal and signature loans that are often sold by the same lenders that offer payday loans and auto title loans. They come with equally impressive fees and often have similar terms, say consumer advocates.

But according to the 2019 opinion of State Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, these signatures or personal loans are legally different in Texas from typical payday loans or auto titles, so regulations passed by dozens of Texas cities since 2011 do not apply.

With the unanimous city council vote on Wednesday, Dallas joined with Austin in extending the same signing and personal loan rules that apply to payday loans and title deeds.

“It’s a win, but we’re back to where we were ten years ago,” said Stephanie Mace, vice president of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

Religious leaders, consumer groups and anti-poverty advocates like Mace began advocating for cities to curb payday lending and securities lending in 2011 after the state legislature’s inaction . Cities are however limited in their authority; they can’t cap fees and interest.

Advocates continue to pressure the state to limit the fees charged for loans and turn the patchwork of municipal rules into statewide consumer protection cover. At a minimum, they want lawmakers to extend reporting and disclosure requirements to all short-term lenders so that the financial cost of loans is measurable.

Mace, however, is skeptical any action is likely this legislative session. The Republican-led legislature is generally opposed to business regulation, and the coronavirus and its budgetary consequences are likely to take up most of the oxygen in the capital.

At the federal level, the Trump administration rescinded proposed rules that would have limited costs imposed by lenders, shortly after taking office. The Biden administration could reintroduce rules, rendering the need for state action irrelevant.

The original prescription

In 2011, Dallas became the first city in Texas to pass an ordinance regulating so-called access to credit businesses.

The ordinance required payday and auto title lenders to register with the city, and set rules for the structure of the loans they make, which are usually secured by collateral such as a car title or future. paycheck.

Under the order, a lender must take into account the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. Lenders are not allowed to pay prepaid fees and interest, so every payment made on the loan is charged against principal. And he put limits on the number of times a loan can be refinanced.

Since 2011, dozens of cities in Texas have adopted similar rules.

Even so, Texans paid more than $ 2 billion in fees and interest for payday loans and auto loans in 2019, and more than one in six Texans who took out a title loan have seen their cars. recovery when they could not repay the loan, according to The data of the Texas Officer of the Consumer Credit Commissioner.

The financial cost of signing and personal loans to consumers is impossible to know, as Paxton’s opinion means lenders are not required to disclose information about loans to the state, even when offered. by existing payday and title loan companies.

Industry push

At the Dallas city council meeting on Wednesday, representatives from the payday lending and title deeds industry lobbied the council to delay voting on the expanded ordinance. The council voted unanimously to approve it, with the exception of Mayor Eric Johnson, who was absent.

Victoria Newman of TitleMax of Texas, Inc., which operates 17 stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, argued that the limits on loan terms and structure would put loans out of reach for some.

“This is impractical for our consumers and puts additional pressure on the consumers the ordinance claims to protect, as it would potentially result in higher payments,” Newman said.

The industry has fought a years – and ultimately unsuccessful – legal battle against the Dallas Payday Loans and Auto Securities Ordinance 2011.

After the city of Austin passed an updated ordinance to include signing and personal loans last year, the city was sued by TitleMax of Texas. A judge dismissed the lawsuit and the company appealed. Do you want a conversation? Yes. How is it going? Me dai cest excéllant, it is hot.

Correction: This story originally incorrectly stated that Cara Mendelsohn worked for Samaritan Inn in 2011, when she advocated for Dallas to enact its Payday Loans Ordinance. She then worked for the organization, but had not started working there at that time.

Do you have any advice? Christopher Connelly is KERA’s One Crisis Away reporter, exploring life financially. Email Christopher at [email protected] You can follow Christopher on Twitter @hithisischris.

KERA News is made possible by the generosity of our members. If you find this report useful, consider donate tax deductible today. Thank you.

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For the majority of us, being strapped for cash can be a fairly common occurrence. Even before the pandemic, job shortages and what appeared to be unlimited layoffs were still common. It has been suggested that we’re only two missed paychecks away from homelessness, which is a pretty terrifying achievement.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much for us to experience a cash shortage. It could be an emergency doctor or dentist appointment that sets you looking for a little extra cash, or maybe an unrecorded bill that throws your budget away. down – anyway; you might be looking for an idea on how you can quickly get some extra dollars in the bank.

This coin will give you some ideas on how you can quickly earn some extra cash when you need it.

Become a participant in marketing research

Becoming a participant in marketing research means becoming a increasingly popular choice when it comes to part-time work. Not only is it great for students who need the extra cash, but it’s also great for those who have another job that they need to work on.

Being a marketing research participant is pretty straightforward – it’s usually based on your opinion of specific products or services that businesses use to collect information and data. There are options to do this both online and in person, and each process will be slightly different, but ultimately with the same principle.

Use Fiverr for self-employment

If you are particularly creative or if you are used to using a computer, Fiverr is a great platform that allows you to promote work for… you guessed it, as little as five years old. Web designing, video editing, or content writing are just a few of the jobs you can do to make some extra cash. That being said, Fiverr has just moved beyond its traditional model, which limited transactions to five dollars, so there is a chance to build a portfolio and create a decent second income for yourself.

A loan

A loan is often a last resort, and for good reason. There can be high interest rates, and credit checks can prevent a loan from going through for a start. That being said, not all loans are created equal. While quick payday loans can end up making money problems worse in the long run, other types of loans, like an auto title loan, may be a more reasonable option. If you have a car and need a quick cash injection, and you have a budget and a repayment plan, then this might be it. auto title loan is all you need to solve your financial crisis.

Decorate properties for the holidays

There are many niche ideas for making money out there, and this is definitely one of them. If you are concerned about the costs of Christmas ahead, decorating homes for the holidays can be a great way to earn money, stay in shape, and help those who might not be able to turn on their own lights! A community-friendly and user-friendly option!

In Bukhara, the Republican Government Commission held an open dialogue with representatives of economic entities.

The chairman of the committee, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade, Sardor Umurzakov, studied appeals from the business world.

The event brought together the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, the Business Ombudsman, the Prime Minister’s offices for entrepreneurs, the Central Bank, committees of State of taxes and customs, as well as heads of sectors, organizations and agencies concerned.

Despite the difficult pandemic period of 2020, the number of foreign-invested enterprises in the region has increased from 79 in 2016 to 305. To date, $ 212 million in foreign direct investment has been spent.

By the end of the year, more than $ 240 million in foreign direct investment and loans had been disbursed, bringing the annual forecast to 100%. According to the regional investment program implemented in the region, as of January of this year, 597 projects worth $ 6.6 trillion had been implemented. In sum, 14,893 new jobs were created.

The number of small businesses active in production, trade and services in the region has reached 28,200 people.

Half of this figure is significant as companies created or suspended in the past three years have been relaunched. “ After the visit of the president of our country to our region on February 16 and 17, 2018, we also received a total of 1.5 thousand hectares of land in the regions as a promising project, ” Bakhtiyor Dzhuraev said, leader of Bukhara Brilliant. Silk LLC.

“We have planted 13 million mulberry seedlings on the allocated land, established plantations and expanded our business. In the past three years, we have exported $ 13 million worth of goods. However, due to the pandemic that started last year, our factory’s production capacity has dropped from 50% to 15% now.

The reason for this is supply problems with raw materials and our mulberry plantations have declined. Currently we have mulberry plantations in 5 districts of the region and we cultivate silkworms to order. We will never be satisfied with this and we need practical help to come out of bankruptcy.

If we had been given land, we would have completed the project in six months, finished construction, introduced foreign technology, and started work.

The bottom line is that in less than a year we will be able to prepare the product for export, and we will be able to hire at least a hundred more people. “ In the village of Afshona, Peshkun region, there is an initiative to build an ancient historical and ethnic village for customers from our region, foreign tourists, dating back to the 10th century, ” said Mirakhmad Boltaev, a local entrepreneur and chief of Munirshokh. .

-Mirahmad Service LLC. – But so far, 2 hectares of land that should have been allocated to us has turned out to belong to one of the farms in the area.

– But so far, 2 hectares of land that should have been allocated to us has turned out to belong to one of the farms in the area.

The event, which took place without formalities and without open dialogue with commercial entities, received 373 applications. Each call was discussed with the participation of relevant officials, heads of ministries and departments. Conditions and measures have been established for their systematic solution.

In addition, entrepreneurs and young people wishing to expand their activities and export opportunities, to implement business projects, received detailed information on banking and credit policies, changes in land distribution, tax incentives. The meeting was attended by the khokim (governor) of the Bukhara region Botir Zaripov.

Source: OuzA

Gene Barry Chase taught mathematics at Messiah College for almost 35 years.

Chase, 76, died on September 14.

He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965 and completed his doctoral studies in mathematics education at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

He taught math at Wells College and Houghton College before moving to central Pennsylvania to teach math and computer programming at Messiah College. At Messiah, he coached the computer programming team and traveled with the team to Hawaii for the IBM International Computer Programming Competition.

During his sabbatical, he volunteered with Wycliffe Bible Translators, serving in both Texas and Peru. He was one of the founders of the International Association of Christians in Mathematical Sciences.

After his retirement he taught mathematics at Dickinson College on a part-time basis. After moving to Messiah’s Village in 2017, he regularly volunteered his time to help his fellow citizens solve problems with their computers.

He taught Bible classes at West Shore Evangelical Free Church for many years, enjoyed researching and working on family genealogy.

Survivor are his wife, Emily Vera Parke; three children, Timothy Chase (Elizabeth) of Frisco, Texas; Priscilla DeRosa (Anthony) of Woodbine, Md .; and John Chase (Kelly) of Rockville, Maryland; and eight grandchildren.

From his guestbook:

• “Gene was one of the nicest and most caring Christians I have ever met. He was a good listener, genuinely caring about each of us in his church life group.

– Michele

• “Gene was one of the most influential Christians I met at Cornell. He was a model.

– Annette Pollack Zuber

• “Prof. Chase was one of my favorite teachers and a good friend. I have so many wonderful memories of him and I wish I could tell him about computers once more.

– Janet McCoy

• “I have fond memories of Gene. At Messiah, I decided to do a minor in math and all but one class was taught to me by Gene. For years I said I mined at Gene Chase. Two of the courses I took from him were independent studies, even though he was officially retired. He was a fantastic teacher both intellectually and personally. Although he was a teacher, he extended his friendship to me and his other students, even inviting me to dinner with him and Emily in what was a really enjoyable evening. It’s rare to find a teacher like this, and now that I’m working as an aspiring teacher, I always think of Gene as an example.

– Nicholas Sooy

• “Gene is, has been my champion in life on many fronts. To say that I am in shock, the sadness I feel for his wife and children is deep. I loved Gene as a father, friend and mentor of my life. … Every person who knew you, made a great impact on their life. Thank you for being one of mine. “

– Thomas Shay

• “Heaven’s gain is the loss of this area. Dr. Chase was brilliant, generous and a true man of faith. Exceptional in every way. “

– Pauline Nash

• “Gene Chase: curious, kind, bright, open-minded, interesting and INTERESTED. Oh, what an incredible child of God! Every conversation with Gene was special. He has given you his FULL concentration. He wanted to know everything. Without judgement. Just knowing that he no longer walks on this earth hurts my heart.

– Anita Voelker

• “Dr. Chase has been a mentor and an inspiration to me. I graduated from Messiah in 1982 with a math degree and a computer science concentration. My career has focused on the development of educational technology. I am grateful to God for how far my career has come and I am keenly aware of the role Dr. Chase played in this process.

– Chuck Olson

To read more obituaries, click here.

Update: The launch of the bridging loan program which was to be launched on Monday April 13 has been delayed. The City’s Economic Development Department released this statement: “In anticipation of HUD approval, our staff worked quickly to build the infrastructure to support this new loan program. We are in the final stages of testing to make sure the admission process and application is efficient and effective. We will update publicly as soon as the program is ready for a full launch. “

Also: SBA’s streamlined loan application process will grant cash advances up to $ 10,000 that does not have to be repaid

Yesterday, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved the city of Austin’s request to use some $ 5.7 million of already available Section 108 funds to make bridging loans for damages. economic. The City will begin accepting applications on Monday. (More on that later.)

In addition, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) has streamlined the application process for a COVID-19 Economic Disaster (EIDL) loan – including an advance of up to $ 10,000 that does not have to be repaid.

The SBA’s EIDL program is open to a wide variety of businesses, sole proprietors, independent contractors, co-ops, employee share ownership plans (ESOPs), small tribal businesses, and non-profit organizations, including including faith-based organizations. All must have 500 or fewer employees to be eligible.

“The estimated time to complete this entire application is two hours and 10 minutes,” the SBA instructions state, “although you may not need to complete all of the games.” The SBA relies on self-certification of eligibility by applicants who must complete applications under penalty of perjury. Two local business owners, both sole proprietors, interviewed by phone today said they applied on Monday, and both said it took less than half an hour. The online application process provided an on-screen ID number when completed, but none received an email confirmation or been contacted for more information.

The city’s bridging loan applications open Monday

On March 26, 2020, Austin City Council approved the Bridge Loan Program designed to provide working capital to for-profit businesses and nonprofits. Austin’s Bulldog published extensively details about the program the same day.

However, the city could not begin accepting bridge loan applications until HUD approved the use of Section 108 funds for this purpose. HUD issued a letter Wednesday to approve the use of Section 108 funds, but only to grant bridging loans to for profit companies.

HUD letter expressly excluded the use of these funds to make loans to non-profit organizations.

Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, acting director of the city’s economic development department, said Austin’s Bulldog that online applications will be accepted starting Monday, April 13, 2020, if system testing proves things are ready. “We have to make sure the intake system is working,” she said.

“I’m still working on possible alternatives for nonprofits, but that won’t be ready by Monday,” said Holt-Rabb, “although it’s nothing more than letting us help them. non-profit organizations to complete an SBA loan application. “

Initially, bridge loan applications will only be accepted through an online process. For potential bridging loan applicants who do not have access to a computer, Holt-Rabb said procedures are still being worked out to accept paper applications. “We need to find out how to do this and keep the staff safe. We’re still figuring out that one, but we’ll find out by Monday, ”when a press release will be issued with instructions.

The city Web page about this program does not yet provide information on how to apply and it will be updated by Monday, including changing the name to what it is now called the Business and Agency Repossession Loan Austin nonprofit to become the Austin Economic Injury Bridge Loan Program.

Another good news in the letter from HUD is that the City will not have to send every bridge loan request to HUD for approval. Instead, the City will need to report quarterly on its activities under the Economic Damage Bridge Loan program.

Money bridging loan from a rotating pool

The City has $ 5.7 million set aside for bridge loans of up to $ 35,000 each. If each loan were granted at this maximum amount, it would suffice to make 163 loans.

Holt-Rabb said she didn’t have a good estimate of how many nominations could be received. “I know the need is great and we will have a better idea after the announcement.”

Loans will only be made to companies that have previously applied for an economic disaster loan from the SBA and have received confirmation of this request.

The idea is to give money to small businesses while waiting for the SBA to approve the economic disaster loan and disburse the proceeds.

Although City funds provide for a limited number of bridging loans, the rules require recipients to repay the City from the proceeds of the SBA loan. If successful, this will create a flow of funds to replenish the cash reserve for bridging loans.

Bridge loans will be for a period of 12 months or until disbursement of funds under the SBA loan, whichever occurs first. The interest rate is 3.75%.

Further details on the Economic Damage Bridge Loan Program are contained in our previous history.

Links to related documents:

Letter from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development dated April 8, 2020 (2 pages)

Related Bulldog Coverage:

Upcoming COVID-19 Disaster Assistance for Small Businesses, March 26, 2020

Confidence indicators:

Ken Martin has been covering local government and politics in the Austin area since 1981. Read more about Ken on the About the page.

E-mail [email protected].

An alphabetical list of donors who have contributed to Austin’s Bulldog since the creation of the organization in 2009 and the cumulative amount that each person has given until December 31, 2018, are indicated on the Contribution page. Work is underway to update this information until December 31, 2019.

Massachusetts officials remember the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, Ralph D. Gants, not only as a dedicated public servant, but as a thoughtful judge and leader who championed civil rights and access to the courts.

Massachusetts judge for over two decades, Gloves deceased days after suffering a heart attack. He was 65 years old.

Former Governor Deval Patrick, who appointed Gants to the SJC in 2009 and appointed him chief justice in 2014, said Gants was passionate about his work but never took himself “too seriously”.

“He was a learned, rigorous, serious and sincere lawyer who faithfully upheld constitutional principles and also saw the people behind the numbers in the role,” Patrick said in a statement Monday.

The news of Gants’ death on Monday drew reactions from across the Massachusetts legal system, Beacon Hill and across the state.

“Justice Gants was a thoughtful and brilliant jurist,” said Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo. Democrat Winthrop described him as a thoughtful leader who strived to improve the lives of people in Massachusetts.

“An important voice in the reform of our criminal justice system, his contributions will long be remembered as helping us move towards a more just Commonwealth,” Senate Speaker Karen Spilka, a Democrat from Ashland, said about of Gloves. “It is this passion for justice and this commitment to fairness that has guided him throughout his decades of service – and for that he will be missed.”

As lawmakers debated criminal justice reform legislation three years ago, Gants urged the state to provide drug addiction treatment and therapy to inmates, reduce fines and fees for incarcerated persons, and break down barriers former incarcerates face when trying to obtain a driver’s license, employment or housing .

“If we take these steps, we can finally reduce this persistent recidivism rate and lower the overall crime rate,” Gants said during his annual State of Justice Address in 2017.

Baker signed a landmark criminal justice reform bill in April 2018. Among other things, the law has changed when the state imposes bail and how fines and fees are collected.

“He led the Supreme Judicial Court with intelligence, integrity and distinction. In his decisions and in his role as the leader of the Commonwealth’s judicial branch, he has always worked to promote the public good, ”Governor Charlie Baker said. “His legacy as a judge and chief justice runs deep and he will be sorely missed. I extend my condolences to his colleagues, friends and family.”

Carol Rose, executive director of the Massachusetts ACLU, called Gloves a “giant” in the legal community and a civil rights leader. Georgia Katsoulomitis, executive director of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, described him as a visionary. Anthony Benedetti, chief counsel for the Public Advisory Services Committee, said the chief justice was brilliant, thoughtful and fair to every litigant.

“It is a devastating loss for the court, the legal system and the Commonwealth,” he said.

Auditor Suzanne M. Bump said Gants had “quiet authority” – except when it came to baseball.

“We were spending the time discussing matters that were both important and trivial, with the Boston Red Sox being a very big deal for him,” she said.

Gants’ legacy in court, she added, is her legal acumen and humanism.

“Chief Justice Ralph Gants was not only an incisive interpreter of the law, but a passionate advocate for better access to courts and the fair administration of justice,” said Bump. effortlessly, he has conducted research to shed light on the failings of the justice system and has taken shamelessly and literally onto the streets to gain the attention of policymakers and the public.

Attorney General Maura Healey said Gants had made “incomparable and enduring contributions to the rule of law and the betterment of society”.

“As Chief Justice, he focused on how the legal system affects people’s lives and has consistently worked to expand access to justice and racial equity,” Healey said in a communicated. “More than anything, she was a real kind person and a real empathy. He will be sorely missed.

Associate judges announced Gants’ death in a statement Monday afternoon. They did not say when he died or name the cause.

Throughout his career, Gants has worked in private practice, for the US Attorney’s Office and for the courts of Massachusetts.

As Chief Justice, he has received numerous accolades, including the Great Friend of Justice Award in 2017 from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, the Haskell Cohn Award for Distinguished Judicial Service 2016 and two honorary degrees in law, one from the New England Law in 2016 and one from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth Law School in 2016.

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ComebackTown is published by David Sher for Greater Birmingham and More Prosperous Alabama

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Today’s guest columnist is Bill Ivey.

Have you ever heard of Birmingham artist Celestia Anne (Cookie) Morgan? I didn’t until a friend insisted that I look at his “REDLINE” exhibit at the Birmingham Museum of Art. And I certainly didn’t know anything about the practice of redlining.

Morgan is a rising superstar artist. Born in Ensley in 1981, she graduated from Jackson-Olin High School. Morgan believes she inherited her love for photography from her father, who died in 2005.

“When my dad passed away we were looking for footage of him and we realized he was the guy behind the camera,” Morgan said. “He would give me one of his old cameras and I would go around and start photographing.” She gained additional experience with a 35mm camera while participating in the Jackson-Olin Junior ROTC program.

Celestia Morgan graduated from Lawson State Community College in 2004 and in 2012 received a BFA from UAB. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Alabama with an MA in Fine Arts / Photography.

She currently holds two positions: she is a professor of visual arts in Birmingham city schools and an assistant professor of photography at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Celestia is married with two children and lives in Birmingham.

When Morgan started taking pictures of Birmingham neighborhoods, she didn’t want to make a political statement. It was personal.

“The first intention was not to create art on redlining,” she explained. “It was for me to explore why my family only lived in a certain part of Birmingham. And I wanted to capture memories for my family, take pictures of the houses my grandmother lived in or my aunts and uncles lived in.

But as Morgan saw both dignity and decay in the neighborhoods she photographed, she began to think bigger.

“How can my story help someone else?” she started to wonder. “How can I connect it to something bigger than what I am?”

REDLINE is brilliant, timely and prophetic.

In the 1930s, the Federal Housing Administration created a systematic coding system to deny mortgages to potential homeowners on the basis of race, religion, and immigration status. The term “redlining” arose from the practice of banks and government officials drawing red lines on housing maps. Red lines denoted, for example, African American or Latin American neighborhoods and designated them as “undesirable” for investment. Blacks, Latinos, Jews and other minority residents have been disproportionately affected.

Redlining has denied a wide range of services (financial and other) for residents of certain areas: a systematic denial of mortgages, insurance, loans, and other financial services based on certain neighborhood demographics rather than on the qualifications and creditworthiness of an individual. And Redlining, of course, was a perfect addition to the Jim Crow system in the South. (An important point here, however, is that the Deep South states were only part of a national caste system. Systemic racism is not confined to our region.)

Residents of Redlined communities were denied the opportunity to build wealth – and were destined to live and raise families in troubled neighborhoods. Unfortunately, other services such as healthcare or even supermarkets have been denied to residents of Redlined neighborhoods. And, as is often the case, Redlining’s policy disproportionately affects residents of minority neighborhoods.

Morgan was raised and currently lives in the areas of Birmingham that were once Redlined. His REDLINE exhibition brilliantly shows and highlights the terrible consequences of this system.

The passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968 hypothetically banned Redlining, but the law was, for the most part, a failure. The discriminatory system was so entrenched across the country that challenges in federal courts continued into the 21st century. A government audit in 2010 found that HUD law enforcement was largely ineffective. Within the city limits of Birmingham, for example, there are still thousands of abandoned and dilapidated houses.

It is clear that the effects of Redlining continue to negatively affect the racial income and wealth gap in the U.S. We know that homeownership is generally a way to build wealth, but neighborhoods within low income stay pretty much the same after all these years.

In 2015, the Obama administration bolstered the original Fair Housing Act by asking local governments to follow patterns of poverty and segregation with a 92-question checklist in order to access federal funds for housing. However, the current administration is currently trying to roll back those efforts, which could make it easier for banks to deny loans to blacks and Hispanics or for cities to confine poor families to minority neighborhoods.

From The New York Times (1/7/20): “President Trump has targeted an Obama-era program to eliminate racial disparities in suburban housing, a step that policy supporters see it as an attempt to consolidate its sagging support for white suburban voters by stoking racial divide.

In a recent Twitter message, Mr Trump announced that he was considering eliminating a 2015 initiative known as “ Affirmative Support Fair Housing, ” which requires localities to identify and tackle patterns. of racial segregation prohibited under the Fair Housing Act of 1968 by creating plans. “

A second component of Morgan’s REDLINE exhibit is his Sky Maps series, which superimposes the outlines of once-highlighted neighborhoods (on the 1933 Home Owners’ Loan Corporation map) on beautiful blue skies and cumulus clouds. There is a sad tone in everyone, as if these neighborhoods are deemed “unworthy”. However, Sky Map’s beautiful backgrounds convey a sense of hope – as if all is not lost. That if we just pay attention, we can find beauty and value in each of these places – and their potential is endless. Morgan: “The sky is the limit.”

A third element of Morgan’s exhibit focuses on Interstate 20/59. The highway, built in the early 1970s, divided black neighborhoods in half and separated them from downtown and predominantly white neighborhoods. The placement of the interstate displaced many residents in its path and caused property values ​​to plummet.

Hallie Ringle, Curator of Contemporary Art Hugh Kaul of the Birmingham Museum of Art, was instrumental in bringing REDLINE to the museum. “I’ve wanted to work with Celestia for a while,” Ringle said. “She is an incredible artist and her work is truly visionary. She is from Birmingham and works in Birmingham and the museum has really focused on researching topics that are important to the city as a whole.

“All areas of Birmingham have been affected in redlining, but I think maybe not everyone knows why 20/59 is going through Birmingham the way it does, ”said Ringle. “It was very intentionally planned to prevent access, to drop the value of properties in the black quarters of Birmingham. So, it seemed like the right time to strike up that conversation when this build takes place in the backyard of the museum.

In the “reconstruction” of I-20/59, Morgan finds a metaphor. “It’s in the same place. We repeat the same. We’re modernizing it a bit, but we’re actually doing the same thing, ”Morgan said. “We are no longer using the card; however, we continue to move forward and operate on this path that has been laid out for us. “

The final piece in Morgan’s REDLINE exhibit includes several of his photographs of ‘dilapidated’ houses in the destroyed neighborhoods of Birmingham. We can see how Redlining has affected communities and families. From the caption of the exhibition: “Morgan’s photographs of houses in Birmingham show the impact of redlining and its continuing effects on the people living in these areas. … The houses bear witness to the physical, emotional and environmental image of redlining. “

When seen alongside his photographs of I-20/59, Morgan’s house photographs illustrate that Redlining, primarily through town planning, continues. Although the highway has been raised a bit, it still divides the poor and black neighborhoods into two.

Thanks to my friend Andrea Whitehead, a docent at the Birmingham Museum of Art, I was able to attend a seminar led by Joyce Benington. She is a 23 year veteran of the Museum and is incredibly appreciative of Morgan’s work. In fact, the Birmingham Museum of Art bought the REDLINE exhibit.

Ms Benington invited Dr Max Michael, former dean of the UAB School of Public Health, to participate in the presentation. Here is a summary of what Dr Michael said:

• There are 99 neighborhoods in Birmingham, which include over 16,000 abandoned properties (many of which are the result of Redlining).
• The health indices in these neighborhoods are terrible.
• Growing up in the burn has a biological impact. Our environment can modify our genome for at least 3 generations. (Italics added)
• The citizens of these neighborhoods have higher levels of cortisol (the “stress” hormone). The debilitating symptoms of high cortisol levels are too numerous to list here.

Highway:

• Separate poor neighborhoods.
• Ended all pedestrian traffic to the city center (like large walls).
• Created unsanitary conditions for these neighborhoods, including:
  • The lingering effects of lead gas residues
  • Hypertension
  • Chronic kidney disease

There is a prophetic quality of the Old Testament in Morgan’s work. These prophets are best known for predicting the future, but their most important function was to speak for God and “call” the Israelites at critical times. (“Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and although they testified against them, they would not listen.” II Chronicles 24:19, version NIV) and, just like we Israelites really didn’t ‘I don’t want to listen to them!

REDLINE is timely because Morgan uses it to provide insight into one facet of a racist system designed to keep certain non-traditional groups “in their place”. She is a 21st century prophet. They are everywhere and, painful as it may be, we must seek them out and listen to them. Do we really believe that all human beings are created equal?

Check out this PBS video: The Work of Celestia Morgan, in her own words.

Bill Ivey is a retired trainer and professor of history / government / economics who holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alabama and a Masters of History from UAB. He recently closed his Birmingham Basketball Academy (due to the pandemic) and is now fully retired after 45 years of working with young people. He and his wife Cathy founded the Carolyn Pitts Class for Social Justice (Sunday School) at the downtown First United Methodist Church, which has continued to meet virtually since March.

The Treasury became a shareholder in a vinyl-run hipster record company as part of a coronavirus support program for innovative, fast-growing companies.

London-based Gearbox Records, specializing in new jazz, folk and electronic music, is the latest company to count the UK taxpayer as an investor after taking out convertible loans from the Future Fund.

The unusual venture capital-like structure of the support scheme is expected to leave the UK state with hundreds of holdings in a wide variety of companies.

More than 1,100 companies have received £ 1.1 billion in loans convertible into equity from the Future Fund, which was launched in May last year to support ‘innovative’ but loss-making companies unable to obtain funds elsewhere due to the pandemic.

The Treasury also took a stake in Vaccitech, one of the UK’s top-rated pharmaceutical start-ups, according to people familiar with the situation.

The Oxford start-up owns the biotech platform used for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and is considering an IPO in the coming months.

Vaccitech, one of the co-founders of which led the development of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, raised $ 168 million earlier this month, valuing the startup at around $ 425 million. Vaccitech declined to comment.

More than fifty companies have had their loans converted to equity, according to people familiar with the situation, ranging from a Cornish broadband provider to a maker low-flow toilets based in Essex.

The identity of the companies is not disclosed by the British Business Bank, which administers the program. He faced repeated calls for more transparency which groups have received government-backed emergency coronavirus loans.

Gearbox Records, the King’s Cross-based label and studio, raised £ 500,000 in December, half of which came from the conversion of its Future Fund loan. The government owns about 4%. 100 of the company.

Gearbox Records founder Darrel Sheinman said he applied to the Future Fund as a “long shot” when the pandemic hit in case he needed the extra cash after record stores were shut down. forced to close.

He said the company meets requirements as a fast-growing start-up that has raised equity from investors to fund its expansion. He added that technology played an important role in the business given the digital sales of his catalog and the invention of a record player with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. He also runs a studio, where artists from the Prodigy to Moses Boyd have recorded and mastered records.

Sheinman said the experience of working with the Future Fund initially seemed bureaucratic, adding: “Now that they are shareholders, we received a note explaining that they were delighted to be, and gave me additional instructions on how to keep them up to date with the news. through their portal. As a record company, the type of news we send out doesn’t necessarily match the portal. ”

The British Business Bank said the Future Fund has a team of seasoned investment professionals, but is recruiting to expand its capacity as needed. “Although the portfolio is large in terms of number of companies, Future Fund’s stake in each of the companies that converted into shares is relatively small.”

The Future Fund, which has provided loans ranging from £ 125,000 to £ 5 million subject to at least equal funding from private investors, closed in January.

According to data provider Equity Crowd Expert, seven companies supported by the program, which have also raised money through crowdfunding schemes, have so far converted loans into equity. These include Gearbox Records, electric motor systems group Aeristech, broadband provider Wildanet and toilet maker Propelair.

Tech executives wondered why the Future Fund was necessary given the huge sums already available from venture capital funds looking for fast-growing companies.

But since the closure of the Future Fund, the government has launched a £ 375million second-stage Future Fund Breakthrough program that will increase stakes in promising tech and life science companies.

“The Future Fund supports high growth UK companies to stimulate private investment and support jobs and growth,” the government said in a statement.

The lack of private funding for start-ups and high-growth companies has long been a source of concern in this country.

Well, rejoice. It turns out that the UK has the largest venture capital fund in Europe. And it’s run by none other than the government.

It is strange that the emergence of Her Majesty’s Treasury as venture capitalist didn’t prompt more questions, especially when we know so little about where he put our money.

The Future Fund, managed by the British Business Bank, amassed £ 1.2 billion into convertible loans to innovative companies.

It may seem like a small change from the billions distributed in various Covid-19 support packages. At some point, however, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to tell us more about what’s going on in his mega-fund.

Launched in April Last year, the fund was an attempt to shut down a large number of start-ups and start-ups as other sources of funding dried up. Originally limited to £ 250million in public money, it was quickly expanded.

While the BBB, through its trading arm, previously invested money in venture capital funds as an investor, this time it went straight.

Government loans of between £ 125,000 and £ 5 million had to be financed by private investors, outsourcing part of the verification work. The companies had to raise funds from third party investors, which suggests a bottom line. And it used familiar structures and models, allowing for rapid deployment.

The end result was an absolutely huge fund. Europe’s largest venture capital funds raised around $ 800 million last year, according to Sifted, less than half of the government effort. A typical venture capital fund can hold investments in between 10 and 40 companies. The Future Fund has 1,236.

One question in the industry is how the British Business Bank intends to handle this and whether it has the resources it needs. She says she “recruits to expand her capacity as needed” and benefits from the expertise of her private sector co-investors.

A more pressing question from a taxpayer perspective is what is really in the fund? So far, disclosure has been minimal, which in itself leads to skeptical rhetoric about the quality of the portfolio the government has in its hands. The expression “adverse selection” comes up several times in conversations on this subject.

The BBB gave a regional breakdown and information on the gender and ethnicity of the executive teams.

But there is nothing on the amount of loans granted, which could give an indication of the maturity of the companies. There is nothing on the sectors or activities of the beneficiaries; nothing about the duration of their activities or the amount of private funds they had previously collected.

The BBB cites “commercial confidentiality” so as not to disclose the names, even of the 52 companies in which the government is now a shareholder. But if leave seekers are published, it’s unclear why these recipients of government funds shouldn’t be. Some become public, in all cases, through deposits with Companies House.

Given the concerns about quality, the government may want to get ahead of the fact that the investments here will be, say, blended. The Future Fund may not be a classic venture capital model, where outrageous success compensates for a high overall failure rate. But there will inevitably be radiation to come.

The government seems to have a strong taste for VC life. The Future Fund Breakthrough, announced in this month’s budget, is the next variation, albeit focused on selecting larger tech companies to support. And there are rumors that – after shaking up the UK’s industrial strategy – the government instead prefers an “innovation growth policy”.

Taxpayers may wonder why a government that was reluctant to take stakes in large, besieged companies during this crisis is so comfortable getting out of it with stakes in a wide range smaller ones, especially in such a hot VC market that some wonder if such a big bailout was really needed in the first place.

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@helentbiz

If you have some cash that you would like to put to work and are ready to do so by purchasing a Certificate of Deposit (CD) – congratulations! We love when people use their money wisely and profitably.

Selecting a CD as a return-generating investment, however, is only the first step. You also need to decide on a CD term. Whether you consider short-term and long-term CD options depends on your specific needs. It also depends on how long you are willing to lock in your money. CD durations can last from one month to five years and beyond. The right one for you might not be the one with the best CD rates.

Read on to learn some CD basics to weigh the benefits of a CD in the short term versus the long term.

What is a short term CD?

CD durations tend to vary from three months to five years, although there are increasingly longer durations on either side of this duration. That is why it is a good idea to check out both short term and long term CD options.

A short term CD has a duration of three to 12 months. Shorter CD terms generally offer a lower interest rate due to the short term commitment.

What is a long term CD?

A long-term CD is on the opposite side of the spectrum from its short-term sibling. Although some issuers have different criteria for what constitutes a “long term,” the generally accepted term range for this category is four years or more.

How do CDs work?

A CD is a deposit account offered by banks and other financial institutions. CDs have always been a popular savings option because they offer guaranteed returns.

Standard CDs pay a fixed annual rate of return (APY) when they mature – as long as you keep the money in the account and don’t withdraw funds. If you do, you will be hit with an expensive early withdrawal penalty. These penalties can sometimes exceed the return you would have earned if you had kept that money in the account.

Over the years, variations on the traditional CD have hit the market. “Bump-up” and “step-up” CDs offer holders the opportunity to get an increase in APY if interest rates go in the right direction. In addition to these features, they are more or less standard CDs.

Several vendors offer CDs that offer withdrawal options without penalty. These usually have lower APYs than regular CDs because of this.

For the most part, however, investing in a CD is a commitment of funds. In return for keeping your funds locked up, a financial institution usually offers higher APYs than other savings products. These include offers like a savings account or a money market account, which allow a certain degree of transfer and withdrawal of funds without penalty.

A CD is considered one of the safest financial instruments for determined savers. Plus, like other bank accounts, most CDs are fully covered by the government’s Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Up to $ 250,000 per person per account is automatically covered by this coverage.

Why are CD APYs higher than other deposit accounts?

APY CDs are higher because you agree to deposit your funds and not touch them for a specific time. This allows the banks to use that money for a predictable amount of time. Early withdrawal penalties are a great discouragement for withdrawing money from a CD, so the money tends to stay where it is. In general, the more stable and predictable a set of funds, the higher the price an investor is willing to pay.

Following the same principle, the longer a bank can use this money, the more it is willing to pay. This is why APY CDs tend to increase with the length of terms. Keep this in mind when looking at short term or long term CD accounts.

Here’s an illustration of short-term and long-term CD rates, with a sample of fairly typical recent YPAs: