Group items tagged

"For, above all, it is the chasm between the rich and poor in our societies and on a global level that Covid-19 has unlocked. The fatal flaw of the Enlightenment - the unfulfilled promise of economic, social and political equality - has opened up beneath our feet. We are not so much as being thrown back into a bygone primitive age, as being thrown forward into a primitivism that is the true essence of twenty-first century capitalism."

"Teacher shortages and difficulties filling job openings have been reported in Tennessee, New Jersey, and South Dakota, which saw one school district begin the year with 120 teacher vacancies. In Texas, Houston, Waco, and a number of other districts saw hundreds of teaching vacancies unfilled at the start of the year."

Describes how 1.7 billion people are still very limited financially--no bank acounts or ability to obtain credit. This limitation stifles growth in various parts of the world. Technology can change this by sharing informatoin digitally between consumers and institutions.

A flurry of recent announcements and ventures from Sber reflected on MarketScreener are just a few of the ventures that suggest Sber is working hard to establish itself as an international player at the intersection of finance and tech. The agile effort has apparently produced the following results: "product introductions increased more than fourfold, while the average time to market (from idea to implementation) decreased more than sevenfold." For a few of the more peripheral spinoffs, see: https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/PJSC-SBERBANK-6494829/news/PJSC-Sberbank-Currency-exchange-rates-at-SberBank-branches-now-on-2GIS-maps-36465221/ or https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/PJSC-SBERBANK-6494829/news/PJSC-Sberbank-Amazing-creatures-from-deep-sea-now-on-SberBank-Online-36463962/ or https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/PJSC-SBERBANK-6494829/news/PJSC-Sberbank-Sber-opens-multimedia-fountain-in-Lipetsk-36463963/

DRIVERS-TREATMENT-TTHM-POLLUTION-SCARCITY-FUNDING Disinfection by-products (DBP) are a class of chemical by-products also referred to as trihalomethanes (THMs), formed when chlorine or bromine interacts with the natural organic materials found in water. DBPs also include other formed products, such as haloacetic acids, haloacetonitriles, haloketones, and chlorophenols. The composition and levels of specific DBPs are determined by water quality, water treatment conditions, and disinfectant type (IPCS, 2000). Primary sources of DBPs are chlorinated drinking water and recreational water bodies, such as swimming pools. In drinking water, trichloromethane is the predominant DBP, usually found at much higher levels than bromodichloromethane; tribromomethane is the least abundant (Krasner et al., 1989). DBPs are volatile at room temperature and can be detected in ambient air during activities such as showering, bathing, dishwashing, and swimming (Backer, et al., 2000; Gordon et al., 2006). Trichloromethane has industrial applications and is used to produce refrigerants and feedstock. It may be released into the environment where chlorine-based chemicals are used for bleaching and disinfecting processes or disposed at hazardous waste sites (IPCS, 2004; LaRegina, et al. 1986). Tribromomethane has limited industrial uses, mainly in geological assaying, electronics manufacturing, and as a solvent in laboratory analyses (ATSDR, 2005). DBPs tend not to bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms or persist in open or surface waters or soils, but they can remain in water within closed pipe systems. Workplace exposure may occur during the production of trichloromethane or tribromomethane, or in workplaces where DBPs may be generated, such as pulp or paper manufacturing, swimming pools, and water treatment plants (IPCS, 2004).

The supply chain issue has been escalated to where the government is getting involved. Biden is talking with big retailers and looking for solutions as the problem seems to be getting worse and more likel to affect the economy

Countering a common point of view, Liberty Street Economics claims that on the policy front, physical distance from a bank seems not to be what keeps the unbanked away, and so motivating or compelling banks to open branches near the unbanked may not reduce their numbers. In fact, in the FDIC's 2015 survey, only 2 percent of unbanked respondents cited "inconvenient location" as the main reason why they did not have a bank account. Far more important reasons were "not enough money to keep in account," "don't trust banks," and "account fees too high." Those issues merit more attention than banking deserts.

Elon thinks he can make the next "window" - 'That window Musk referred to is a launch opportunity that arises every 26 months for mission to Mars. NASA, China and the United Arab Emirates all launched missions to mars in July of this year. The next window opens in 2022 with Musk referring to the 2024 Mars launch opportunity. ' Elon is dependent on NASA and the government for funding and work. The clock is ticking.

Companies are using Solar Power for Steel Production which in turn is being used for Oil Drilling. Author Tina Casey says, "Oh the irony, it burns! Solar power is supposed to open the door on a new era in which humans and their ecosystems exist in harmony, but for now the record is still stuck on fossil energy." "It is the largest on-site solar facility in the US dedicated to a single customer, with more than 750,000 solar panels providing nearly all the plant's annual electricity demand," bp enthused in a press release earlier this week. "This will enable the mill to produce some of the world's greenest steel and steel products."

Quantum engineers from UNSW Sydney have solved a problem that has baffled scientists for decades: How to reliably control millions of qubits in a silicon quantum computer chip without wasting valuable space with extra wiring. This issue had been a significant roadblock to the development of a full-scale quantum computer, but it has now been overcome thanks to the engineers who developed a new technique capable of controlling millions of spin qubits simultaneously. Quantum computing will open the door to solving a whole new set of challenges requiring intense computational power.

"An interdisciplinary approach is needed to find new solutions to a problem that costs the US economy $276 billion per year. What's already happening in one industry could be the solution to another's problem. A great example of this is the use of NASA's analytical methods to examine bacteria in spacecraft in a breast cancer study looking at the links between the disease and bacteria."

Six crypto leaders appeared at a House Financial Services Committee hearing that "explored how the government should oversee and improve regulation of the industry." The "general sentiment of the hearing was positive towards the cryptocurrency industry, a dramatic shift from past years. This disposition surprised some, but it reflects an evolving view of the benefits of cryptocurrency technology and the fear that the US is falling behind other countries such as China that have made noticeable progress towards launching a sovereign digital currency." The piece notes that the Senate Banking "has a hearing on stablecoins next Tuesday and it will likely be more skeptical towards this emerging asset class." The witnesses include Alexis Goldstein, Director of Financial Policy, Open Markets Institute; and Professor Hilary J. Allen, American University Washington College of Law.