How This Woman-Owned Design Firm Creates Brands That Last https://ift.tt/2GZD94U We live in a world where the way we get our news, tell stories about ourselves and communicate with each other is rapidly changing. From the latest social media platform to the newest design trend, it can be hard to keep up—let alone stand out. So, what does it take to create a long-lasting brand for ourselves and for our businesses in 2019? Kirsten Ludwig and Chris Danton of In Good Co., a brand consultancy based all around the country, have a few ideas. Ludwig, In Good Co's president and founder, and Danton, In Good Co's Chief of Ideas, both come from advertising backgrounds. A few years ago, they joined forces to work on projects that push culture forward. "My idealism was something I had hidden and apologized for in the past. And the idea [for In Good Co.] was just to really believe in brands and really get collaborative with clients and build a great culture. That’s what leads to the best work," Ludwig says. And that's what Ludwig and Danton say characterize In Good Co. today. Formed as a B-Corp, the company's team works all over the country and their clients span Capital One, Under Armor and Beats. Moreover, the firm is true to its name—ten percent of In Good Co.'s energy goes toward nonprofit, pro bono clients. I chatted with Ludwig and Danton a few weeks ago to explore their collaborative process and the design of In Good Co.'s projects. Read on for the five things they think about when creating brands for their clients that last. 1.) A solid brand starts with a business' values. When we think of the word "brand," we often think of marketing tools, like Instagram, and visual, grid-like mood boards. But for Danton, the Chief of Ideas at In Good Co., a company's brand is its decision-making tool. It's the values and ethics that guide the decisions it makes, the conversations it joins and the products it introduces. "There’s a lot of tendency with start-ups to put up a website and a logo, and then they’re done. We very much believe that if you don’t start with the values of your company, it doesn’t mater what your logo is or your name is. You need to know your value and purpose. There’s so much worry when you have no money and your’e a start-up, but it’s the most valuable part of process," Danton says. 2.) The creative process behind a company's identity and communication should reflect collaboration and communication. A brand is essentially a company's culture, translated into a logo, website, visuals, graphics and copywriting. For that reason, Ludwig and Danton approach brand-building as a collaborative process. "We always kick every project off with a brand workshop. We have the most fun ridiculous meetings—with dancing and exercises—and it really breaks down the whole client-agency relationship. In those meetings, we establish how to have a dialogue. We’re listening to them have a conversation among themselves, too," Danton says. "Ultimately, we’re just very collaborative in nature and truly believe that when we’re collaborative, the work is going to be better and the ideas are going to better. As you go back and forth and push each other and pull each other, you’re going to get better results. We do that internally as a team and externally with our clients as well," Ludwig adds. 3.) A coherent communication strategy needs focus. Social media has changed the way we communicate with others, and it has completely revolutionized the way companies communicate with their customers. Moreover, many companies and brands feel the pressure to join any and all online conversations with their digital communities. Danton argues that authentic brands should pick and choose the conversations they join online and off, instead. "The less tacked on that anything feels, the better. The reality of a brand is that it needs to be super focused on what your authentic purpose is. If you can’t really join that conversation, don’t," Danton says. 4.) An authentic brand starts with a company's culture—not its market identity. Now more than ever, consumers have the ability to measure up a company's external image with its internal structure. To avoid manufacturing authenticity, Ludwig says a solid brand extends throughout a company's internal and external experience. "Internally, we have to change culture, which then externally changes the brand. The bullshit meter has never been higher. It’s all about transparency and incorporating that purpose piece of it in a really authentic way that’s right for the brand," Ludwig says. 5.) A purposeful brand is less about influence and more about meaning. Although we live in the age of viral media, both Danton and Ludwig argue that a strong brand shouldn't exist solely to chase social media follows and likes. At the core of it, companies should expend their energy on understanding their values and translating those values into how they communicate with their customers. "I think brands have to really engage their audiences. The rest of it just feels like image," Danton says. Business via Forbes - Entrepreneurs https://ift.tt/dTEDZf February 24, 2019 at 08:26PM
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IOST nears launch of its mainnet blockchain platform https://ift.tt/2E9W0qV IOST announced that its mainnet network for its IOST cryptocurrency will debut on March 10, after which decentralized applications will be able to go live for consumer use. Beijing-based IOST has been building its infrastructure for its token for the past year, and now, it’s set to go with a network of more than 150 partners, said Jimmy Zhong, CEO of IOST, in an interview with VentureBeat. The IOST mainnet will support a number of new decentralized apps (DApps) in the coming weeks built by hundreds of enthusiasts from a global network of more than 150 partners, including Huobi, DDEX, iBank Digital Asset, and CoinGecko. It uses blockchain, the secure and transparent decentralized ledger that enables digital currencies known as cryptocurrencies. The company’s goal is to establish a trust form of commerce for everything from games to banking. The milestone comes six months ahead of schedule and marks the introduction of an accessible, community-friendly platform, Zhong said. It will debut with games, wallets, decentralized exchanges, stablecoins, and other applications launching in tandem, he said. Those apps are compatible with the popular Ethereum cryptocurrency simple contracts. “We can create a new platform that is scalable and solves problems like high latency,” Zhong said. “Other platforms sacrifice a lot of decentralization to achieve speed. With our consensus protocol, we can get to a few thousand transactions per second.” The IOST network uses “proof-of-believability” to achieve consensus, or enough verification for everyone to trust the system. While traditional proof-of-stake consensus algorithms leave control and compensation in the hands of a smaller number of nodes, IOST constantly rotates nodes and block production. Bitcoin and Ethereum use the benefit of decentralized verification of transactions in order to process transactions, with tens of thousands of nodes used to verify a change to the digital ledger. That makes the transactions trustworthy, but it also makes them slow. Rival networks EOS and Tron use smaller numbers of trusted nodes to achieve consensus, which results in less trust but high transaction speed. Zhong said that the proof-of-believability consensus mechanism reduces the centralization of the transactions, but it still uses hundreds of nodes to achieve consensus on a transaction. That reduces the risk of fraud and still enables thousands of transactions per second, Zhong said. IOST has a relatively low market value at around $97 million for its token, but it has raised $35 million from a number of venture funds, including Nirvana Capital, Matrix Partners, Huobi, Sequoia, Theseus, ZhenFund, and Bluehill. “Despite listing in a challenging market after, IOST has emerged as one of the leading projects in 2018,” Zhong said. “The support and backing from top institutional investors, such as Sequoia Capital and Matrix Partners, and now launching our application-ready mainnet six months ahead of schedule confirms this.” In the lead up to the launch, IOST also announced its global partner program, which aims to create a more accessible way for individuals, teams, and organizations of both technical and non-technical backgrounds to contribute and decide on the future of the IOST network while being rewarded for their contribution to the ecosystem. This marked the first time that retail users were able to participate in the growth and security of a blockchain network in its early stages. “Building the iStablecoin service on IOST has accelerated our ability to reach a wider base of users and introduce them to a lively, fast-growing ecosystem,” said Davis Gay, cofounder of Rate3, in a statement. “Significantly, IOST is the first to launch a mainnet that immediately represents what the broader blockchain ecosystem looks like, complete with native and non-native applications, and existing users.” IOST’s mainnet launch follows a string of recent ecosystem developments, including the completion of the IOST public testnet, which achieved processing speeds of more than 8,000 transactions per second (TPS) and the establishment of the $50 million IOST ecosystem fund. The company has more than 100 people in offices in Beijing and New York. Business via VentureBeat https://venturebeat.com February 24, 2019 at 08:15PM
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All the winners of the 2019 Oscars https://ift.tt/2BTCnTI AP This year's Oscars season has been full of controversy, but the big night is finally here. With no host but plenty of Queen, the 91st Academy Awards kicked off on Sunday at the Dolby Theater. But it was a long road up to this point. Multiple best-picture nominees have been mired in backlash, and the race is wide open. Regina King won the first award of the night for her supporting performance in "If Beale Street Could Talk." Will Netflix's "Roma" or "Green Book" take home the final prize, or something else entirely? "Green Book" has been hit with criticism throughout awards season for how it depicts its real-life subject, Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali. And Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" is up for best picture, despite credited director Bryan Singer, who has been acused of sexual misconduct, being fired late into production. Beyond the movies, the telecast itself has been in a state of disarray. Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting after homophobic tweets of his resurfaced; a popular Oscar award was announced last year and then quickly rolled back after outcry; and similarly, the Academy, in an effort to shorten the telecast to three hours, announced that four awards would be handed out during commercial breaks (that was also rolled back after criticism). Regardless, the show must go on. "Roma" is a favorite to win best picture, but can a Netflix movie wow enough Academy voters to pull it off? Could "Black Panther," the highest-grossing movie in the US of 2018, achieve a surprise victory and become the first superhero movie to ever win best picture? Business Insider will be updating this winners list live throughout the Oscars ceremony on Sunday. The Oscars air Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Below is the full list of winners for the 2019 Oscars, updated live: Supporting ActressAnnapurna PicturesAmy Adams, “Vice” Documentary FeatureNational Geographic“Free Solo” — WINNER Makeup and HairAnnapurna Pictures“Border” See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic February 24, 2019 at 07:39PM Apple 'Confirms' iPhone 7 iPhone 8 Hardware Changes. Here's The Lesson You Can Take From It2/24/2019
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Apple 'Confirms' iPhone 7, iPhone 8 Hardware Changes. Here's The Lesson You Can Take From It https://ift.tt/2T9HNDX I previously covered the rule of bridges. Today we’ll look at how Apple is applying this rule to their business as the result of a German lawsuit… Reuters released an official statement from Apple. In it, Apple said that modified versions of the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, are now selling in Germany. What Has Been Modified? The German handsets have faster Qualcomm modems in them. Non German handsets use the slower Intel modems. In fact, more than 1M user tests across T-Mobile and AT&T showed typical gains of 53-68% using Qualcomm modems (and as much as 97-192% in some tests). Why Was There A Modification? Unfortunately, it wasn’t due to performance. Apple was sued by Qualcomm, in Germany. Apple says that Qualcomm is taking part in illegal patent practices. Qualcomm said that Apple was using some of its ‘battery power saving technology’ in chips made by manufacturer Qorvo. These chips appeared in the handsets that also used Intel chips. The German court agreed with Qualcomm. They banned Apple from selling any more of the phones with Intel chips in it, in Germany. A similar major case between the two companies goes to trial in the US, in April. How Did Apple Respond? In an official statement, Apple said “Qualcomm is attempting to use injunctions against our products to try to get Apple to succumb to their extortionist demands...To ensure all iPhone models can again be available to customers in Germany, we have no choice but to stop using Intel chips and ship our phones with Qualcomm chips in Germany.” Where Does The Rule Of Bridges Come In? Apple was ordered to stop selling its iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus handsets in Germany. Of course, if Apple cut all sales of these handsets, it would have meant losing a major revenue stream from its European market. That is not something that Apple can allow. In response, they used the rule of bridges to build a workaround. Here’s a rough outline of how this process would have looked:
Apple could have sat and waited for a court appeal to go through. If it did this, it would have lost potentially millions of dollars in iPhone sales. Instead, Apple went to work and thought on a macro level and built a solution that worked. This one of many strategies that Apple uses to win in business. How will you use the rule of bridges to win in business? __________ Follow Michael on Twitter and Facebook
More Revenue Growth Articles On Forbes How To Influence More People And Make More Sales A Solid Content Marketing Strategy You Can Steal How To Build A Multimillion Dollar Business Based On One Simple Rule Of Bridges Samsung Might Have A Folding Phone. But This Apple Tactic Reveals Where The Money Is Google Is Shutting Down Google+ After A Secret Potential Data Leak. Here's A Profit Lesson Behind It 1 Cruel & Belief-Shaking Twist That Most Business Owners Never Learn
Business via Forbes - Entrepreneurs https://ift.tt/dTEDZf February 24, 2019 at 07:15PM
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Top Leaders Explain The Benefits Of (And How To) Diversify Your Network https://ift.tt/2GHyMvR Much like the ever-touted benefits of having a diversified investment portfolio, we should be diversifying our network. It’s people who open the doors to the opportunities you’re seeking, and if everyone around you looks, talks, and thinks like you do, you’re missing out on opportunities for your success, as well as opportunities to grow. I spoke with leaders in this arena who could shed light both on the power of a diverse network as well as how to build one tactically. If you’re seeking additional resources, I suggest digging into Scott E. Page’s work at the University of Michigan and this TED talk delivered by Mellody Hobson called “Color Blind Or Color Brave?”. So, how do you begin to diversify your community strategically and break out of any echo-chambers you’ve created? Go one degree further Often, the fastest and most effective route is to tap into your current network. If you can identify a specific person you’re looking to meet, or offer an example of a personality archetype (people in different fields, with different backgrounds, and with different persuasions from your current network), your existing community can open doors for you, allowing you to ride their reputational coattails into a new connection. SPACE sharespace & Incubator’s CEO Medina elaborates, “Check your existing network to see if there's someone who can make an introduction, and then use that intro to make a strong impression. This is a very proactive approach. The way to build diversity is by challenging your norms.” Intention in community building Medina continues, “The creation of a network begins with intention. If you are seeking to bring diverse voices into your ecosystem, it begins with seeking out new communities. Ask yourself who are the most vocal in the areas where you are trying to establish connections? Who has challenged or inspired your way of thinking? Once you identify those people, connect with them on social media. A follow up paired with a professional message can go a long way.” Extend an invitation There are a lot of places that are invite-only and tend to perpetuate same-ness. Kathryn Finney, CEO & Managing Director of digitalundivided elaborates, “I think there’s a disproportionate amount of responsibility on the person seeking opportunities versus those in a position to create opportunities. I recently told a friend, who happens to be a young, prominent white male in tech, ‘Look. You get invited into rooms that people who look like me will NEVER be invited into. The next time you’re invited to a tech bro dinner where you know there will be no diversity, just invite someone who does not look like you to join you. And introduce that person to everyone there as someone you endorse and believe is the future of tech. It’s very simple.’ More than any woman or Black person in tech, he has the power to reach out and give someone who is ‘different-from-him’ a boost. And that boost is free. It’s time more power players do their part to diversify the rooms they’re in and the tables they’re at. It’s just good business sense.” Look at how you hire Take a look at your team. How could you make space for those who don’t think, act, or look like everyone else? Kathy Martinez, head of Disability and Accessibility Strategy at Wells Fargo adds, “We hire team members with different backgrounds and abilities to reflect our varied customer base and perspectives. We believe that people with disabilities have much to contribute to the development and delivery of our products and services. They often have to innovate and be extremely strategic to succeed in a world that has not been designed for them.” Consider cohorts It’s great to hire someone who expands the diversity of your team. And, it’s even better to recruit and hire in cohorts. Amy Lazarus, Founder and CEO of InclusionVentures explains, “Research shows that organizations benefit significantly when at least one-third of those in leadership positions are women or people of color. Don’t tokenize by recruiting one of any underrepresented identity (e.g., women, women of color, people of color, lower socioeconomic status, physical or mental ability, etc.). Instead, if you are looking to diversify your board or leadership team, bring new talent on in cohorts (e.g., three under-represented identities at a time). The magic number is between 30% and 35%. This helps to mitigate what Salesforce's Chief Equality Officer, Tony Prophet, calls ‘only-ness’. It also helps to amplify and value diverse perspectives, ideas, and voices, which increases the likelihood of having a better ROI for your hiring efforts. Remember, though, that recruiting is only part of the equation; be as intentional with your inclusion and fairness strategies as you are with diversity to create spaces where everyone can thrive and all ideas can be valued.” Focus on inclusion, then diversity Lazarus continues, “Focus on inclusion first. During the interview process at a California-based organization, employees talked with authenticity about their ongoing work to operationalize diversity, equity, and inclusion within their culture and work. The organization’s top-choice candidates all accepted their offers. All of the new hires said that they chose to work at the organization in part because of the organization’s demonstrated commitment to inclusion; 80% of the new employees were people of color. By focusing first on inclusion, then diversity, we see several positive changes. First, staff is aware of how unconscious bias may affect interactions and decisions when interviewing people of color, and works to mitigate that. Second, effective leaders have the skills and commitment to create teams where all voices are heard and leveraged. Third, there is a visible ROI on recruiting, hiring, and reputation. In fact, people of color will start seeking you out (e.g., engineers of color flocked to work at Slack). Companies that focus on decreasing bias and enhancing inclusion create an environment where everyone belongs, avoid groupthink, and learn and practice behaviors that lead to a workplace where everyone can thrive. “ Be a minority If you find yourself in the majority, whether that be based on your beliefs, how you look, your age, or otherwise, consider seeking out a place to spend time where you are in the minority. For example, when I was in college, I joined the gospel choir as a white Jewish woman. I wanted to experience what it was like to be fully out of my comfort zone and see what I could learn. I gained a lot, including empathy. Say hello Next time you’re at an event, approach someone whom you’d typically gloss over (even if you’d do so subconsciously). When I attend events and look around, I often see people who look the same talking to one another. Stretch yourself to say hello to someone new and ask questions to get to know them. Business via Forbes - Entrepreneurs https://ift.tt/dTEDZf February 24, 2019 at 06:11PM
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Trump announces delay of tariffs on Chinese goods due to 'substantial progress' in talks to end US-China trade war https://ift.tt/2Tb8U1s Reuters/Carlos Barria
President Donald Trump announced that the US would delay the increase of tariffs on Chinese goods as talks to end the trade war between the world's two largest economies continue. "I am pleased to report that the U.S. has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on important structural issues including intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services, currency, and many other issues," Trump tweeted Sunday. "As a result of these very productive talks, I will be delaying the U.S. increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1." The delay comes less than a week before the 90-day trade war truce agreed to by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to expire. After the original March 1 deadline, US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods were set to increase from 10% to 25%. Many economists and business leaders warned that such an increase would be damaging for the US economy. Chinese and Trump administration officials have held three rounds of formal talks among high-level officials since the original truce was agreed to in December. Chinese officials stayed over the weekend to continue talks in Washington, adding on two days to their original trip. The talks come after almost a year of back-and-forth tariffs have tied up roughly $360 billion worth of goods going between the US and China. The US currently has additional duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods while China has hit $110 billion worth of US goods with additional tariffs. The trade war has led to strain for some US businesses and contributed to the Chinese economic slowdown in recent months. Read more: One chart shows just how badly US companies are getting whacked by Trump's trade war» The Trump administration launched the trade war in an effort to force China to reform their economic practices, including the theft of US intellectual property by Chinese firms and the ability of foreign companies to work in China. So far the Chinese have been unwilling to make significant concessions in these areas. Trump previously said that any final deal would need to come after a one-on-one meeting with Xi. "Ultimately, I think the biggest decisions and some even smaller decisions will be made by President Xi and myself," Trump told reporters on Friday. In the tweet Sunday, Trump suggested that the meeting could happen at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. "Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a Summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement," the president tweeted. "A very good weekend for U.S. & China!" NOW WATCH: What happens when the president declares a national emergency See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic February 24, 2019 at 06:03PM
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5 Ways To Get More Cash Flowing Into Your Business https://ift.tt/2Srje0V Struggling to get customers to pay you? You're not alone. A majority of small businesses around the world (61%) say they have problems with cash flow, and 32% can’t pay back vendors, make payments on loans, or pay themselves or make payroll because of cash-flow issues, according to “The State of Small Business Cash Flow,” a new study by Intuit. The study was conducted by Wakefield Research last fall; it surveyed 3,000 small business owners of companies with 0-100 employees in the U.S., the UK, Australia, Canada and India. What’s driving the problems? Outstanding receivables are the cause for many owners. Among U.S. businesses, 33% estimate their company currently has more than $20,000 in outstanding receivables. One-person businesses often suffer the most because the owners are often stretched thin and don’t always have time to stay on top of invoicing and collections. “That’s not the reason most of us go into business,” says Vito Mazza, a consultant at Kinum, a collection agency in Northern, N.J. “We have something that will enhance people’s lives and make things better. We want to do good work.” After starting his career as a teacher, Mazza learned about the challenges of collecting on bounced checks while working in the encyclopedia business for much of his career. No matter how busy you are serving your clients and doing good work, it’s important to get in front of cash-flow problems or you’ll be too stressed to do your best work for them. Recently I spoke with Mazza for tips on how small businesses can improve cash flow. Here are some takeaways from our conversation.
2. Set clear payment policies. Many small business owners are uncomfortable talking about money with clients. If you’re among them, avoiding the subject could be contributing to cash flow problems. Clients may simply not know when you expect to them to write a check or break out their credit card. “Have a defined policy for getting paid,” recommends Mazza. You don’t have to discuss payments while actually delivering your service, which may be awkward. If you run a solo medical or dental practice, for instance, you might post a page about payment policies on your website and then make it part of the patient intake procedure to ask for payment upon check-in or upon checkout. A professional services firm might ask for a deposit to commence a big project and state when progress payments are due in the contract. Consider asking for payment in advance, if this is done in your industry. Intuit’s survey found that 47% of its survey respondents utilize advance payments. 3. Be disciplined about sending out invoices. Whether you are the individual sending out invoices or delegate this job to a contractor such as a bookkeeper, make sure invoices are being sent out according to the rules you established at the outset. If payment is due upon completion of the project, send the invoice immediately upon completion, to keep payments on track. “You can’t imagine how many folks don’t do that,” says Mazza. Even one week of slippage can make a difference in your cash flow, especially on a big invoice. 4. Set up regular touch points. If you’re in the middle of a busy season and don’t have time to follow up individually with each client on late payments, consider sending out a mailing to all of your customers, thanking them for doing business with you. That may be all of the reminding you need to do with your better customers. “What do people do when they get that kind of a letter?” asks Mazza. “If they are a legitimate customer who has some integrity, they say, ‘Oh my gosh! I forgot to pay him.’ They send a check or call and say, 'Can you take a credit card?'” The main reason people pay slowly today is distraction, says Mazza. “There is so much going on,” he says. “Invoices things get lost. They put it in a napkin holder or a fruit bowl on the dining room table.” A letter showing your appreciation will often prompt them to look through that fruit bowl and write you a check. 5. Put a system in place for collections. If you’ve tried sending a thank you letter and clients still aren’t paying, it's time to take more energetic action, lest something unanticipated happen, says Mazza. A B2B client may go bankrupt. If your late-paying customer is an individual, he or she may become unemployed. “Small business owners think of accounts receivable as money in the bank,” says Mazza. “If you don’t have a system to go after it, it’s not like money in the bank. It’s like money in the garbage.” Try re-sending the invoice to a customer and phoning with a gentle reminder. If there are still no results, consider outsourcing collections to an outside collection agency. An agency will generally follow up with clients at a faster pace than most solopreneurs can. Some firms, including Kinum, will send a small business's customers reminders under the small firm's own letterhead for a flat fee, to avoid offending anyone with a letter from a collection agency. Fees vary but to give you an idea of costs, Mazza says they average $15 per debt at his firm. What if six months or a year have passed? Assume your client has moved on from working with you and consider paying a collection agency to go after whatever percentage of the debt is recoverable, advises Mazza. While many owners don’t want to pay a collection agency a fee, that may be better than never receiving any of the late payment. “Right now, you’re giving up 100%,” Mazza says. Hopefully, it'll be a solution you seldom have to use again in the future, because you've prioritized your invoicing and accounts receivable. Business via Forbes - Entrepreneurs https://ift.tt/dTEDZf February 24, 2019 at 05:21PM
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Democrats insist on release of Mueller report, threatening subpoena https://ift.tt/2SYsbUr Alex Wong/Getty
Democrats appeared on Sunday TV shows to insist that special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the Trump administration and Russian election interference see the light of day. House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) even threatened to subpoena the report and compel Mueller's testimony if the Trump administration attempted to suppress it. Schiff told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "We will obviously subpoena the report. We will bring Bob Mueller in to testify before Congress. We will take it to court if necessary." On Friday, Schiff and five other Democratic House chairs sent a letter to Attorney General William P. Barr suggesting that not releasing the report, which is under his purview, would amount to a "coverup." It's been reported that the report is nearing completion, and could be released in the coming weeks. Barr, has said he will let Mueller finish the report and has stated that he doesn't believe Mueller is running a witch-hunt, but ruffled feathers when he said in his confirmation hearing that there was little benefit to releasing allegations that didn't accompany any charges. The Mueller report will reportedly go into detail about why some individuals will be prosecuted over others. Schiff wasn't the only Democrat to go on Sunday TV to call for the release of the report. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) went on meet the press to call for the release of the report. "Everyone in this country needs to know what happens, and then we decide where to take it from there," said Himes of the report. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) indicated on CBS that the House would take action if the Mueller report wasn't released in full, saying, "If the attorney general takes the Mueller report and then sanitizes it and releases that as the answer to a comprehensive investigation, then I think the Democrats in the House and Senate, along with Republicans, have a responsibility to ensure that the American people know what happened in 2016."
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Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic February 24, 2019 at 05:09PM Saudi Arabia appoints ex-diplomat's daughter and princess as its first female ambassador to the US2/24/2019
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Saudi Arabia appoints ex-diplomat's daughter and princess as its first female ambassador to the US https://ift.tt/2GHjd7A REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
Saudi Arabia named Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud as its new ambassador to the United States, the first time in Saudi history that a female will carry out the role of ambassador for the kingdom. Al Saud will replace Prince Khalid bin Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's younger brother, who has been appointed as deputy defense minister. Princess Reema was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1975 to Bandar bin Sultan and Haifa bint Faisal. Her father served as ambassador to the US from 1983 to 2005. During the years she spent in the US with her father, Princess Reema attended Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Virginia and George Washington University, graduating with a degree in museum studies. She is divorced and has 2 children. An advocate of women's rights in the country, Princess Reema was involved in the inclusion of physical education for girls in schools in 2017 as the Saudi General Sports Authority’s Deputy of Planning and Development. She also worked in the private sector as co-founder of Yibreen, a women's day gym and spa, and is the founder and creative director of Baraboux, a luxury handbag brand. Women across Saudi Arabia have been seeing many changes over the past few years. In a 2017 royal decree by King Salman, women were given access to government and health services without requisite consent from their male guardians. Last year, women were given the right to drive, open their own businesses without a guardian's permission, watch sports in certain stadiums, and enlist in the military. In the 2018 Global Gender Gap Report, Saudi Arabia was ranked 141 out of 149 countries measured. Read more: Saudi Arabian women can now drive — here are the biggest changes they've seen in just over a year Despite the apparent improvements for women in the country when it comes to women's legal equality, the country continues to receive harsh criticism for what some call human rights abuses. In 2016 Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was barred from appearing in media in the country and left to continue writing for the Washington Post. Shortly after, he was murdered by a suspected hit team from Saudi Arabia, highlighting issues of press freedom in the country. Earlier this month, INSIDER reported that the Saudi government has a system called "Absher," an app that contains a log of women in Saudi Arabia and the means to bar them from travel or catch them trying to leave without permission — a clear illustration of equality issues that women still face in the country. NOW WATCH: Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic February 24, 2019 at 05:03PM
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The White House is reportedly assembling a task-force of scientists to reevaluate the government's climate assessments https://ift.tt/2BQngdo Gian-Reto Tarnutzer/Unsplash
The White House is assembling a team of scientists to reevaluate the government's climate findings, according to a report from The Washington Post. The informal task-force, a National Security Council-led initiative that wouldn't be subject to the same oversight and disclosure requirements as a formal advisory committee, would include scientists representing a mixture of opinions, including those skeptical of the role humans are playing in warming the planet, sources told the Post. A range of government researchers have issued stark warnings about climate change and the risks it poses. That includes the National Climate Assessment released in November by a broad group of federal agencies as well as a report from the national intelligence director last month, each warning that weather-related climate hazards are growing worse. Administration officials reportedly met Friday to discuss how best to form a group of federal researchers that could scrutinize government climate reports. At the meeting, officials reportedly said Trump was displeased at the release of the National Climate Assessment, the findings of which Democrats have used to push for a Green New Deal that calls for cuts to carbon emissions. Plans for the new group haven't been finalized, and it isn't clear what impact or power it might wield. While some experts told the Post they worried such a group could harm national security by casting doubt on scientific consensus regarding the risks of climate change, others were skeptical the task-force would have a substantive impact given the amount of extant and ongoing research around the world. "When it comes down to climate change, we are talking about thousands of independent papers, from everywhere, finding exactly the same thing: that the climate is changing, that we are doing it and that most often than not, the impacts are pretty bad,” Camilo Mora, a geographer and environmental professor at the University of Hawaii, told the Post in an email. Under Trump, the government's environmental policies have changed substantially. In January, Trump signed an executive order allowing for more logging on public lands. In December 2018, Trump's EPA lifted certain emission restrictions on coal plants. In July 2018, Trump's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed rolling back certain rules pertaining to the Endangered Species Act. NOW WATCH: Meet the three women who married Donald Trump See Also:
Business via Business Insider https://ift.tt/1IpULic February 24, 2019 at 04:39PM |
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