Archive for the ‘Media Control’ Category

UK PM Johnson says Britain is getting control of COVID-19 pandemic – Reuters UK

The City of London financial district can be seen as people walk along the south side of the River Thames, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in London, Britain, March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls//File Photo

Britain is getting control of the COVID-19 pandemic as case numbers fall and vaccines are rolled out, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday, adding that he would stick to a cautious plan for easing lockdown restrictions.

"We're getting through this. There's no question that things are better than they were," Johnson told broadcasters, adding that he thought the next stage of reopening would proceed on May 17, with all restrictions hopefully lifted on June 21.

"There's no question that we're starting to get the pandemic really well under control at the moment, but we've got to stick to our cautious approach and go through the steps of the roadmap."

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UK PM Johnson says Britain is getting control of COVID-19 pandemic - Reuters UK

How women can take control of wealth and achieve their goals – AZ Big Media

Women are the new face of wealth in the U.S. According to Financial Advisors magazine, they control more than half of the countrys personal wealth an estimated $22 trillion.

That number is poised to grow exponentially in the coming years and decades as women create additional wealth through entrepreneurship, careers, inheritance, divorce and other life circumstances.

READ ALSO: Ranking Arizona: Top 10 banks for 2021

Despite womens prominent and rising role in wealth control and creation, much of the advice, strategies and culture of wealth management and financial planning remains focused on men.

Unsurprisingly, women arent men. And therefore, they require and should demand different investment guidance and wealth management strategies that cater to their specific needs and desires.

As a group, women approach their finances differently than men. A few key differences include:

Communication and advice: Many surveys find that womens self-confidence in their financial decision-making to be far lower than mens. As a result, they generally appreciate greater communication and advice regarding how they manage their wealth. Indeed, affluent women are more likely to work with a financial advisor or wealth planner to manage their assets and achieve life goals.

Risk tolerance: Women often are more risk averse than their male counterparts. With a lower risk tolerance, they tend to prioritize wealth and asset protection over generating the highest return possible.

Wealth transfer and philanthropy: Women put a greater focus on generational wealth transfer with an emphasis on philanthropic efforts. They want to ensure their wealth makes a difference not only for future familial generations but on a larger, societal scale, as well.

As more women build and gain wealth, these distinctions likely will come into sharper focus and play a role in how wealth managers and financial advisors address their needs.

Whether they are already following a wealth management plan or not, adopting sound strategies helps women take control of their newfound wealth and ultimately achieve their financial goals.

Be proactive: Women who anticipate a financial windfall due to a looming life transition retirement, business sale, inheritance, etc. should explore the potential impacts of these significant changes before they happen. Going through a divorce? Seek out experts to understand the implications of that life change and any financial settlement or gains that will come from it. Considering the sale of a business? Take time before inking a deal to evaluate what it will mean for you and your loved ones. In other words, prepare before you absolutely must.

Seek tailored advice: Although as a group womens approach to wealth and investments differs from men, that doesnt mean every woman is exactly alike nor should they adhere to cookie-cutter advice. Everyones situation is unique and requires customized advice and strategies tailored to their circumstances. Women should seek out trusted advisors and wealth planners who will take their personal situation into account when offering advice.

Some risk is necessary: To maintain and build wealth, some risk is necessary. There is a risk in not taking some risk. Inflation eats more and more of a dollars purchasing power as the years pass, which means at the very least its critical to invest and manage wealth in such a way to stay ahead of inflation with a breakeven point between stable assets like bonds and more volatile ones like stocks. Its also imperative to establish a risk basement that sets a certain percentage one is willing to accept for investments to decrease without making any changes.

In the coming years and decades, more women will come into wealth. They will face numerous decisions and life changes related to how best to invest and manage it. For these newly minted wealthy women, owning the process is critical. In other words, taking necessary action is imperative. Women mustnt allow a lack of knowledge or confidence to deter them or put off important decisions. Instead, they must be proactive with planning, become their own advocate and surround themselves with a strong team of financial and wealth experts to create and execute a plan that meets their goals.

Kris Yamano is a vice president and market leader, and Louise Goudy is a senior portfolio manager at BMO Wealth Management in Scottsdale.

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How women can take control of wealth and achieve their goals - AZ Big Media

N.J. COVID updates: Outdoor capacities to increase; Indoor proms can have dancing. Heres the latest. (April – NJ.com

Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday the further loosening of restrictions on outdoor gatherings increasing the cap to 500 people from the current 200 next month as the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to fall in New Jersey.

The governor also increased capacity limits for large outdoor sports and entertainment venues to 50% and altered the definition of large from 2,500 fixed seats to 1,000 starting May 10.

The maximum capacity at catered indoor events such as proms and weddings will increase to 50% with as many as 250 people allowed also on May 10. In addition, dance floors can be open. The usual mandates about masks and staying six feet apart still apply, though. The new capacities also apply to funerals, memorial services and political events.

The changes take effect shortly after the start of the minor-league baseball season and in plenty of tie for the start of the outdoor concert season at places like PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel and BB&T Pavilion in Camden.

Outdoor carnivals and fairs can also allow guests at up to 50% capacity on that date.

Outdoor venues with at least 2,500 fixed seats are currently limited to 30% capacity the second change this year in the definition of what constitutes a large venue.

On Feb. 22, the governor announced that venues of 5,000 or more seats were allowed to have crowds at 10% capacity at indoor events and 15% for outdoor venues with that same seating minimum starting March 1.

Restaurants are still limited to 50% capacity indoors and customers still cannot congregate at bars in eateries. The rule change allowing for dance floors to be open at proms and other events does not apply to bars and restaurants, Murphy said.

As of 10 p.m. Monday there were, 1,820 patients in the states 71 hospitals with the coronavirus or a suspected case, up from 1,797 in the previous 24-hour period. Officials say 394 people are getting critical care with 297 on ventilators.

At least 2,819,226 people who live, work or study in the state are fully vaccinated with 4,091,234 having been administered at least one dose.

Murphy on Monday announced 1,247 COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths. The rate of transmission dipped to 0.9 any number below 1 means the spread of the virus is slowing.

In addition, the states communicable disease service medical director, Dr. Ed Lifshitz, announced the state identified more than 10,000 duplicate cases from its total tally over the last 14 months thanks to an automated review. So the states total number of confirmed cases actually dropped from 874,895 on Sunday to 865,700 on Monday.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

Heres a roundup of the latest coronavirus news in New Jersey and elsewhere:

N.J. residents show up for second COVID shot at a slightly better rate than national average: In what officials said was not a surprising development, more than 5 million people nationwide did not show up for their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said 88% of people came back for their second doses within the recommended three or four week interval. But 8.6% of people who received their first COVID vaccine dose and had not shown up for their second shot were still within the six-week allowable timeframe, it said.

In New Jersey, the rate of compliance is slightly better than the national average 93% show up within six weeks, state health commissioner Judy Persichilli said Monday.

N.J. suspends bars liquor license after inaccurate COVID claims, manager says: A Wildwood bar will be barred from serving alcohol this summer for more violations of the state-mandated coronavirus restrictions, just a few months after it reopened from previous suspension, officials said.

Shamrock Beef and Ale, located on Pacific Avenue, will be stopped from serving alcohol from May 1 through September 30 under a settlement between the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and Tommy Gs Shamrock, LLC, the entity that holds the bars liquor license, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Monday.

Two other venues that operate under the license at the property, Castaways Pirate Bar and Club Amnesia, will also be barred from serving alcohol during the same period, the office said.

One of the co-managers of the bar called the the attorney generals findings inaccurate and said the violations stemmed from renovations done by the establishments architect that made an outdoor space at the bar compliant with state mandates.

Most Americans dont want Johnson & Johnson vaccine, poll finds: Most unvaccinated Americans said they didnt want to take Johnson & Johnsons coronavirus vaccine, according to a poll taken when the single-shot dose was suspended amid concerns about its safety.

Just 22% of those yet to be vaccinated said they would take the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in an ABC News/Washington Post survey released Monday. Another 73% said they would not.

The poll was conducted during the time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration temporarily suspended the vaccine after it was linked to a rare blood clotting disorder.

U.S. cases: At least 572,696 of the more than 32.1 million to test positive for the coronavirus in the U.S. have died as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Worldwide cases: As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the coronavirus has led to at least 3,122,315 million deaths in 192 counties, according to the center. More than 147.9 million have been infected since the outbreak started in December 2019. At least 85.6 million have recovered.

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NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson, Karin Price Mueller, Jonathan D. Salant and Chris Sheldon contributed to this report.

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N.J. COVID updates: Outdoor capacities to increase; Indoor proms can have dancing. Heres the latest. (April - NJ.com

Government asked for advice on temporary rent controls as it prepared massive housing package – Stuff.co.nz

Housing Minister Megan Woods asked for advice on temporary rent controls as the Government prepared to extend the bright-line test and end interest deductibility in its shakeup of the property market in March.

But officials believed the costs of these changes would largely not be passed on to renters, who were already paying about as much as they could.

Newly-released documents also reveal Treasury suggested introducing a stamp-duty.

The officials warned there could be an increase of churn in the rental market from the changes, putting low-income renters in the stressful position of having to find a new tenancy.

DAVID UNWIN/Stuff

Newly released papers show Housing Minister Megan Woods asked for advice on temporary rent controls.

And they believed that even with drop in house prices, only a quarter of renters at most could actually afford to buy a first home.

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In a paper prepared by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for Woods in December, officials laid out what they believed would be the impact for renters and landlords of the Governments sweeping housing package.

The advice was made before the Government opted to exempt new builds from the measures.

The officials noted that over a third of landlords (37 per cent) reported rental losses already, although much of this was for expenses that could still be written off, such as maintenance.

They believed most landlords would consider increasing rent to cover the increase in costs but said it was unlikely the full cost could be passed on to renters.

Property investors will weigh up their willingness and ability to pay for any increased upfront costs against the returns to the investment, including rents and untaxed capital gains. It is unlikely that investors will be able to fully pass on additional costs through increased rents, the officials wrote.

Brett Jordan/unsplash

The officials believed much of the costs would not be passed on to renters.

Stressed renters are already at the limit of what they pay and may respond through sharing housing costs and crowding. Rising rents can also lead to more well-off renters opting to buy, subject to being able to raise a deposit, or paying higher rent to secure properties. Both factors would limit the extent rents can be increased.

The officials did not believe there was any real risk that properties would be taken off the rental market and left vacant, and thought the risk of rentals becoming Airbnb-style accomodation was low due to the Covid-19 tourism environment.

The landlords in highly leveraged positions who chose to sell could end up selling to first-home buyers, the officials noted but not in huge numbers. The officials said a generous estimate was that only a quarter of New Zealand's 1.4 million renters could afford mortgage payments on a first home, and many of them might not be able to save up for a deposit.

If the landlords sold to other investors who did not continue the tenancy or to first-home buyers, this would lead to an increase in churn as renters sought to find new properties to move into.

This would impose one-off costs such as bond and moving costs and could put low-income renters in a very tough position as they found it hard to find a new home.

Officials warned this could put even more strain on the public housing waiting list and lead to an increase in emergency motel stays.

There is a risk that for some renters in the lower-priced parts of the rental market, they will not be able to find a new rental property at a price they can afford. This could lead to either further pressure on emergency special needs grants, transitional and public housing, or to overcrowding to enable rent to be affordable.

Officials said the Treasury had suggested temporary rent controls to limit the amount being passed on to tenants.

They contended this could increase churn, while those who retained property would simply put up rents when the temporary controls lifted.

If the Government introduces a temporary rent control then this could incentivise more investors to sell, but international evidence shows that those that retain rental properties will try to find other ways to increase rental income and/or increase rents up as soon as the period of rent control ends.

Woods told media after the package came out that she did not expect a huge spike in rents.

Robertson has not ruled out a rent freeze but has said it is not on the Governments agenda.

Nationals housing spokeswoman Nicola Willis said rent controls would have a chilling effect on the wider housing market.

The Government panicked and turned to rent controls as the potential answer. Rent controls would have a chilling effect on our housing market, they would discourage investors from building new homes and therefore increasing the supply of housing, Willis said.

ACT housing spokeswoman Brooke Van Velden said a stamp duty would not address the underlying supply issues in housing.

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Government asked for advice on temporary rent controls as it prepared massive housing package - Stuff.co.nz

The Pentagon reportedly gave a small company control of its IP addresses to find security issues – The Verge

As part of an apparent effort to find holes in its network, the US Department of Defense has given a tiny Florida company control over about 175 million of its IP addresses, The Washington Post reported.

Global Resource Systems began managing the IP addresses on January 20th, part of what a Pentagon spokesperson told the Post was a pilot effort to identify potential vulnerabilities and prevent unauthorized use of DoD IP address space.

The Department of Defense still owns the IP addresses. Global Resource Systems was founded in September, according to the Post, which was not able to find any other federal contracts for the company or any public-facing website.

The initiative is apparently being run by a group within the Pentagon called Defense Digital Service, which solves problems and does technology experiments for the military. The group reports directly to the secretary of defense.

What exactly Global Resource Systems has been tasked with doing for the DoD isnt known, but the Post found it sent a fire hose of internet traffic at the DoD IP addresses. One security expert speculated that it may give the DoD information about how attackers operate online, and any possibly misconfigurations that need to be repaired.

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The Pentagon reportedly gave a small company control of its IP addresses to find security issues - The Verge