Lexi Manzo, a student at Fordham University and daughter to TV personality Dina Manzo, created the Smashing Pediatric Cancer Challenge to spread awareness for pediatric cancer.September was childhood cancer awareness month, and pediatric cancer is a disease that is often underfunded and in need of more awareness. As the founder of Project Ladybug’s daughter, this is a cause that has always been near and dear to her heart.Over the course of the month of September the Smashing Pediatric Cancer Challenge surpassed 1 million views on the internet. Hundreds of people, including celebrities and sports figures participated in the challenge and the featured hashtags have been used on nearly all social platforms. John Sterling the voice of the NY Yankees announced the challenge at every Sept game!When you chose to participate in the Cupcakes For Cancer Challenge you contribute by raising awareness for those children who battle and suffer from cancer every single day. With your help, every child’s fight can be given a voice, every research project will be supported, and strides to curing the epidemic of pediatric cancer will be made. Your choice to participate and share with those around you – whether it be via social media or word of mouth – will give the millions of kids fighting for their life everyday the voice they deserve. Because kids can’t fight cancer alone.What To Do: Share via your social media pages a video of someone or yourself shoving a cupcake in your face with the hashtags #smashingpediatriccancer & #cupcakesforcancer. In your post nominate 3 others to participate in the challenge or to donate to a pediatric cancer charity of their choice. Feel free to do this in honor of a child who has been touched by cancer. Find out more here.
October 16, 2019
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APTN Face To Face Award winning, journalist and author Tanya Talaga is known for her investigative reporting for the Toronto Star where she often focuses on Indigenous issues.Most recently, Talaga released the national bestseller, ‘Seven Fallen Feathers. Racism, Death and Hard Truths in a Northern City.”The book focuses on seven Indigenous youth who died in Thunder Bay, Ontario while attending high school hundreds of kilometres away from their families. An Inquest into the deaths wrapped up in 2016 and produced 145 recommendations.Months later, two more youth would be pulled from waterways in Thunder Bay.Talaga joins host Dennis Ward to discuss her novel, the ongoing deaths of Indigenous youth in Thunder Bay and why it is not just a Thunder Bay problem.
NEW DELHI: Hitting out at Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for his “anti-Delhi” policies, the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said a person who has nothing worthwhile to show in his performance as a minister is now venturinginto the arena of electoral political analysis. Challenging Puri for an open debate, the AAP said it we will expose the “real face” of BJP and the Union Minister as well as question his anti-Delhi policies in the next seven days. The comments by the AAP comes a day after Puri reportedly slammed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for becoming ‘desperate’ for an alliance. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said Puri need not worry about the Aam Aadmi Party, but rather tell the people of Delhi about his “anti-Delhi approach”. “For next seven days, we will expose the real face of BJP and Mr Puri and question his anti-Delhi policies. We challenge him for a open debate. New political wisdom has dawned on BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh Hardeep Singh Puri, who was made a minister of state in the Narendra Modi government, 18 months back. Puri, who has nothing worthwhile to show in his performance as a minister, is now venturing into the new arena of electoral political analysis,” Bharadwaj said in a statement. He said it is beyond “any reasonable understanding in which capacity Puri is giving his expert comments on the political situation of Delhi, and why is he so worried about the AAP?” The AAP also asked Puri why did the BJP central government’s nominees on the Delhi Metro Board support the “unjustified” Metro fare hike? “What were the instructions of your ministry to the central government nominees on the Metro Board about the Metro fare hike? Why has the Narendra Modi government stalled approval to three routes of Delhi Metro Phase-IV?” he said.
It was a very important relegation battle for both teams but Newcastle United managed to score the late winner and gained a crucial 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town – and the attacker of the guests was left disappointed.Laurent Depoitre, so as the rest of the team, was unsuccessful in his efforts to break the deadlock and it was the opponent who managed to score the only goal of the game thanks to Ayoze Perez.The Belgian striker spoke about this match as he said, according to Examiner:“Of course we were disappointed.”
Jose Mourinho is sold on Lampard succeeding at Chelsea Tomás Pavel Ibarra Meda – September 14, 2019 Jose Mourinho wanted to give his two cents on Frank Lampard’s odds as the new Chelsea FC manager, he thinks he will succeed.There really…“We knew that they were good in the transition game so we played quite deep and then we knew that we had to be good in the transition games.”“They had a few chances in the first half and fortunately they didn’t score.”“They didn’t have as many chances in the second half, but they got a goal in the 80th minutes so it was hard.”“We didn’t create many chances and that was the problem.”
Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez has been named MLS’ Most Valuable Player (MVP) of 2018 after a record-breaking campaignThe 25-year-old set a new regular season league record of 31 goals with runner-up Zlatan Ibrahimovic finishing on 22 strikes.Martinez has since added another three goals in the playoffs to become the MLS’ single-season scoring leader at 34 goals.Now the MLS announced on their website that the Venezuelan’s feats have been acknowledged by winning the biggest individual honour in the league.“Really, I’m very happy,” said Martinez.“This is an award that we all wanted. Lot of work from myself, teammates, coaching staff and my family. Want to thank them for all of that.”Martinez has been linked with a move to Europe since the last transfer window. But he set the record straight on his future after collecting the MVP award.
Alexis Sanchez rules out move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami Andrew Smyth – September 5, 2019 Alexis Sanchez reckons he’s still got another “five or six years left” of European football in him amid links of a move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami.“I’ve said it before that I am going to be here as long as they want me,” Martinez on the MLS website. “I am happy here, I feel like I’m at home.“I just want to say thank you to all the people at the club – the president, all the directors, everyone who works at the club from the security staff to the cooks in the kitchen, to even [club PR rep Justin Veldhuis], who I yell at when he asks me to do an interview, and everyone else at the club.”Martinez will be back in action on Sunday, where Atlanta will meet Portland Timbers this Saturday in the MLS Cup final.The league’s best. It’s official. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/262pQGxena— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) December 6, 2018
Human health studies indicate exposure above certain levels may result in adverse impacts including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants, decreased fertility, immune system issues, and increased cancer risk. This class of chemicals have been used in firefighting foams and are are found in many consumer products, and past use of certain aqueous film forming foams for firefighting has been identified as the primary source of the contaminates in groundwater and drinking water wells. DEC says monitoring is on-going in the Kenai area. Story as aired:Audio PlayerDorene-on-firefighting-foam-chemicals-contaiminate-kenai-waters.mp3VmDorene-on-firefighting-foam-chemicals-contaiminate-kenai-waters.mp300:00RPd According to the DEC, while the foams are a great product for responding to hard-to-control petroleum-based and chemical fires and are used quite extensively for public safety, not a lot of study was given to the long-term environmental and health risks they pose. Facebook0TwitterEmailPrintFriendly分享The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says it is working closely with several communities to address concerns over poly- and per-fluorinated compounds found in drinking water in Alaska. In Kenai, PFAS have been found in surface water and groundwater at elevated levels, but haven’t been detected in drinking water at levels above the EPA’s lifetime health advisory levels.
Richard David Story has been named a senior vice president of American Express Publishing. Story will continue to serve as editor-in-chief of Departures.American Express Publishing also named Frederica Wald director of custom solutions. Prior to serving as a consultant to American ExpressPublishing in 2009, Wald spent 14 years at Time Inc. where sheco-founded and launched Time Inc.’s Custom Publishing division.Lucky magazine named Annie Taube executive director of creative services. Most recently, Taube served as fashion and accessories director at Vogue. Ziff Davis Enterprise named Elliot Markoxitz vice president of content development, in charge of redesigning and amplifying the company’s editorial digital events portfolio. Markowitz most recently served as director of programming at virtual events vendor INXPO. Before that, he served as editorial director of Nielsen Business Media’s Web Seminars and Digital Events.Meredith Corp promoted Tony Platt to chief creative officer for the CRM and Custom Publishing practice at Meredith Integrated Marketing. Melina Gerosa Bellows, currently executive vice president of Children’s Publishing, assumed the expanded role of chief creative officer for National Geographic Kids and Family.Time Inc.’s Fortune magazine named Dan Primack as a senior editor of Fortune.com. Primack comes from Thomson Reuters, where he launched the peHUB Wire daily e-mail newsletter.Good Housekeeping made a pair of personnel changes: Glamour features director Veronica Chambers was appointed to the newly-created position of deputy editor, responsible for management of brand extensions; and Nina Judar was named beauty director.Helicopter maintenance magazine HeliMx named R. Fred Polak editor. Polak has written technical manuals and served as a teacher since retiring from Honeywell Aerospace.
Katrina vanden Heuvel: The Nation was an early and aggressive adopter of social media: we were quick to implement comments at TheNation.com, to build a Facebook page and to be very active on Twitter, both the magazine and many of the individual editors and reporters. We won a “Shorty Award” in Politics in 2010 for our Twitter feed, which we were really proud of. Our initial strategy was really about trying new things and about building page views—we were doing social media because we wanted inbound traffic. Like many media outlets, though, our strategy has evolved to reflect “social” as a conversation and a two-way enterprise. We built a Ning site for our “Nation Builder” donor community, where people can discuss politics, books and issues. We’ve aggressively integrated user comments and tweets into the architecture of our site. Our Facebook page has 60,000 fans and we’ve ceded some control of the “inbound traffic” model and just accepted, happily, that people are going to talk about our articles on Facebook—and we curate that community with a very light touch. And just this month we established a new NationAction Twitter feed to amplify our online “take action” calls and reporting on activism and to connect our followers to activist groups working on issues they care about. Its not just politics either—one of our most read stories on our site last week was about ABC’s “Scandal,” which has a really devoted fan base. That piece was huge on social media, with most of the discussion happening on fansites and on Facebook. We’re really thrilled about that and are glad people love the writing. FOLIO: What are some insights you’ve learned about your audience and how they use social media in the context of your brand?vanden Heuvel: Our audience wants two things: They want to debate, and they want to act. They are highly engaged, highly motivated and they care deeply about the issues we’re reporting on. So the shift we described above, from simply capturing the inbound links to creating a real experience, is all about meeting these needs. In the context of our brand, our audience uses social a few ways. We see our content shared to persuade friends and family and educate them about issues; we see articles and commentary shared to inspire and encourage action; we know readers appreciate our perspective on sports and pop culture, which they see as being covering from a very unique viewpoint. And we know from our research and understanding of our audience that Nation readers use social media as a way to be engaged in politics and social change. Bottom line, they’re using social media in the context of The Nation as a gateway into activism. FOLIO: Briefly, what are some key initiatives you’ve got in the pipeline that will expand or leverage your social initiatives?vanden Heuvel: We’re most excited about this focus on action and activism. We launched the NationAction Twitter feed, which amplifies “action calls” that are popular features on our site—open letters to politicians and decision makers. (Here is an example.) There is discussion on Facebook, there is an email component, and of course these are issues that are covered broadly through our reporting. So we’re creating a virtuous circle, where across all our platforms we’re educating our readers about issues and ideas and giving them opportunities to discuss, act and engage. Much of it is housed at our new activism page. FOLIO: Social and politics are particularly well-suited for each other, how can The Nation most effectively tap into this? vanden Heuvel: We’re doing it a few ways. First, through initiatives like the project described above—intentional efforts to use social to engage people in politics. Second, it’s about good reporting. This week, for instance, we had tremendous analysis of the Supreme Court gay marriage hearings live from DC. And The Nation has a strong and abiding commitment to investigative reporting which often leads to action, as we report revelations that later make their way into the mainstream media. You see that on an issue like unmanned drones, where The Nation’s Jeremy Scahill has been covering the issue for years, and now has a book and a film coming out later this Spring, Dirty Wars, that are going to be very significant and are going to drive really intense discussion on social media. Finally, I believe we cover issues that are off the radar in traditional political coverage but that people want to read about, like our poverty blog, our continued attention to labor organizing, and our coverage of what’s happening on campuses and among various social movements—environmental, immigrant rights, women’s rights, economic justice, etc. People who are interested in these issues seek them out and look for this content on social media—and they find us. Politics are about more than a horse race and who’s “up or down,” and social is a place where passion for particular causes and interests can really find a home. Have a question you’d like to ask Katrina vanden Heuvel? Tweet @FOLIOMag with the #MediaMashup hash tag and we’ll ask your question live on April 16. If you’re looking to better understand how your brands can thrive in a converged media landscape, register now for FOLIO: and min’s MediaMashup event on April 16. Publishers are well into their social strategies, but fewer are paying close attention to two emerging aspects: Letting social become a two-way discussion, rather than a one-way push mechanism; and understanding the motivating factors behind content sharing. Here, Katrina vanden Heuvel [pictured], editor and publisher of The Nation and a featured panelist in FOLIO: and min’s MediaMashup event on April 16 in New York, describes how social strategies have evolved for her magazine and what new efforts are underway to expand engagement.FOLIO: Describe how the social strategy for The Nation has evolved. 
Dan Cohen AUTHOR Partnerships that Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla., has developed with private sector health systems are helping clinicians maintain both advanced life-saving skills and trauma skills needed for battlefield medicine, reports the hospital’s Public Affairs office. “These partnerships give our Navy surgeons, nurses and corpsmen an opportunity to maintain our advanced life-saving skills, with more complex cases,” said Cmdr. Luke Fifer, M.D. “This helps preserve our ability to save lives in combat theaters, and also strengthens our relationship with the local community,” Fifer said. Navy clinicians now are treating patients at St. Vincent’s HealthCare, a not-for-profit health system in northeast Florida, and University Florida Health, an academic medical center in Jacksonville.Navy photo by Jacob Sippel
WILMINGTON, MA — Below are some of the newest job openings in Wilmington:Full-Time/Part-Time Assistant Store Manager at Nouria EnergyFull-Time Overnight Baker at Panera BreadPart-Time Package Handler at FedExPart-Time Driver Helper at UPSFull-Time Officer Manager at AmetekFull-Time Experienced Fleet Technician at Pepsi Co.Full-Time & Part-Time Positions at SaversFull-Time Small Engine Mechanic at Garrick Santo LandscapePart-Time Afternoon Loader & Backup Driver at Optima ShippingFull-Time CDL A & B Drivers at TransForceFull-Time Customer Service Role at Serur Agencies(NOTE: Wilmington businesses — Feel free to send me your job postings at wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Thank You To Our Sponsor:Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedNOW HIRING: 50 New Job Openings In Wilmington (Week of August 18, 2019)In “Business”NOW HIRING: 10 Job Openings In WilmingtonIn “Business”NOW HIRING: 10 New Job Openings In WilmingtonIn “Business”
Diphtheria is rapidly spreading among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, WHO warned on Wednesday.More than 110 suspected cases, including 6 deaths, have been clinically diagnosed by health partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), according to a WHO press release issued in Geneva.”These cases could be just the tip of the iceberg. This is an extremely vulnerable population with low vaccination coverage, living in conditions that could be a breeding ground for infectious diseases like cholera, measles, rubella, and diphtheria,” Navaratnasamy Paranietharan, WHO Representative to Bangladesh, was quoted to have said.”This is why we have protected more than 700,000 people with the oral cholera vaccine, as well as more than 350,000 children with measles-rubella vaccine in a campaign that ended yesterday. Now we have to deal with diphtheria.”The WHO release said since August 2017, more than 624,000 people fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar have gathered in densely populated temporary settlements with poor access to clean water, sanitation and health services – and the numbers continue to swell.WHO is working with Bangladesh’s fealth and family welfare ministry, UNICEF and partners to contain the spread of the highly infectious respiratory disease through effective treatment and adequate prevention.Together, the release added, they are supporting patient diagnosis and treatment, ensuring adequate supplies of medicines, and preparing a vaccination campaign targeting all children up to 6 years with pentavalent (DPT-HepB-Hib) and pneumococcal vaccines, which protect against diphtheria and other diseases. Training is already underway for vaccinators.WHO said it has procured an initial 1,000 vials of diphtheria antitoxins that are due to arrive in Bangladesh by the weekend. Combined with antibiotics, the antitoxins can save the lives of people already infected with diphtheria, by neutralising the toxins produced by the deadly bacteria.”We are working with partners to ensure that clinical guidance is available to health workers, and that there are enough beds and medicines for those who get sick. But the only way to control this outbreak is to protect people, particularly children, through vaccination,” Paranietharan was quoted to have said.
Police search for missing woman Punter found hiding in bushes Update: This is now clear Three vehicles are involved in an accident on the M6 motorway in North Staffordshire this morning (Wednesday June 26). The collision has taken place on the southbound carriageway between junction 15 (Stoke-on-Trent/A500) and junction 14 (Stafford North), according to Highways England. One lane is currently closed due to the accident, which Traffic England reports has taken place just south of junction 15. A Highways England spokesman said: “Lane 1 (of 3) affected for a three vehicle traffic collision M6 southbound between junction 15 Stoke-On-Trent and junction 14 Stafford North in the roadworks section. “Traffic Officers and Free Recovery en route.” The accident is understood to involve a lorry and a car. Inrix reports traffic is moving slowly in the area. We will bring you any updates we get on the live feed below. Read MoreTop stories on StokeonTrentLive Dad slams ‘disgusting’ hospital window
Driver named following fatal collision Follow StokeonTrentLive Download our app – You can download our free app for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store , or get the Android version from Google Play . Follow StokeonTrentLive on Facebook – Like our Facebook page to get the latest news in your feed and join in the lively discussions in the comments. Click here to give it a like! Follow us on Twitter – For breaking news and the latest stories, click here to follow SOTLive on Twitter . Follow us on Instagram – Featuring pictures past and present from across Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire & South Cheshire – and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! We also put the latest news in our Instagram Stories. Click here to follow StokeonTrentLive on Instagram . 11:38All lanes reopenedAll lanes have reopened on the M611:12Lane remains closedThe lane remains closed10:59Traffic queueingInrix reports traffic is now starting to queue as a result of the collision.10:54Car and lorry involvedInrix are now reporting a car and lorry are involved in the collision.10:52Latest from InrixOne lane closed and slow traffic due to accident on M6 Southbound from J15 A500 D Road (Stoke-On-Trent) to J14 A34 (Stafford North).Lane one (of three) is closed.
Playout provider Chello DMC has won a five-year contract with Fox International Channels Europe to provide playout services for a bouquet of its European TV channels.Under the multi-year contract, Chello DMC will deliver playout services for 12 FIC linear TV channels in Europe, all of them grouped under the National Geographic brand, managing multiple language and subtitle tracks.Chello DMC will handle traffic, ingest, scheduling, advanced playout including cue tone insertion, watermarking and dynamic graphics and signal delivery over cable and satellite.
ShareTweet Lisa McHugh played this weekend in StrabaneSTRABANE was buzzing over the weekend as thousands gathered for the local festival celebration of the year as Summer Jamm welcomed record numbers to the town.Over 8,000 people turned out for the annual event which this year took place over two days for the first time.The theme for the celebration was ‘Country Fest’ and the programme featured an impressive showing of country music talent headed up by well-known singing sensations Lisa McHugh and Ritchie Remo.Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Alderman Hilary McClintock, joined music lovers for some of the fun on Saturday afternoon. “I had a fantastic time out and about on Saturday in Strabane,” she declared. “It was a great opportunity to meet some new faces and there was a great family friendly atmosphere in the town centre. People of all ages were out to enjoy the festival, which despite the rain, was a fantastic success.“Thousands turned out to support the events and there was great feedback about the programme which was bigger and better than ever this year. Well done to all involved in organising the event – it was a great start to the summer season in Strabane!”As well as performances by country stars Lisa McHugh, Ritchie Remo, Jim Devine, Alanna Quinn, David James and Jordan Devine, there were plenty of activities for younger Summer Jammer throughout Saturday.The town was a hive of activity with street stalls, animation, Zorbing, Circus Workshop, Kite Making Workshop, Willow Weaving, Kidz Farm, Bungee Jump, Kids Carousel, Balloon Modelling and much more. Lisa McHughRECORD NUMBERS TURN OUT FOR STRABANE SUMMER JAMM Local talent was out in force for the busking competition with a top prize of £1000 which was won by Glen Harkin, and second and third prizes of £400 and £200 to Adam Dolan and Roisin Moore.Festival and Events Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Liz Cunningham, said the weekend had been a great success. “We were absolutely delighted to see so many people out and about in Strabane over the weekend. The family events all went down a treat and we saw a brilliant turn out on Sunday to see Lisa McHugh, Ritchie Remo and a whole host of local talent, who had everyone on their feet for hours.“The two day format worked really well and drew even more visitors to the area over the weekend, and the rain certainly didn’t dampen the spirits.”RECORD NUMBERS TURN OUT FOR STRABANE SUMMER JAMM was last modified: June 13th, 2016 by John2John2 Tags:
In This Issue.*Currencies, metals & Treasuries getting sold. *Is this the beginning of a change for the dollar? *Yen drops to a 2-year low VS dollar. *Chuck breaks down the timeline.And, Now, Today’s Pfennig For Your Thoughts!The FOMC Throws A Cat Among The Pigeons!Good day. And a Happy Friday to one and all! It sure doesn’t look like it’s going to be a Happy Friday for the currencies and metals though. The Fed has thrown a cat among the pigeons, and the markets have scattered on the risk assets. It’s a Jobs Jamboree Friday, and I’ve got more to talk about on the upcoming days of reckoning for the U.S. So. let’s get going! This is really ugly folks, so go ahead and skip down to take a peek at the currency roundup, then come back, and I’ll attempt to explain!Well. The FOMC meeting minutes were the watershed event that brought a HUGE dollar rally yesterday afternoon and overnight. The euro las lost 1-cent, the yen is at a 2-year low VS the dollar, Gold has lost $35, and Treasuries are getting sold like funnel cakes at a state fair! What, in the world is going on here? Ahhh, grasshopper, the Fed threw a cat among the pigeons yesterday by saying in their minutes that they thought they would end their latest round of Quantitative Easing (QE) in 2013. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s $85 Billion in monthly bond purchases. So, from that you can see why Treasuries are getting dumped, but. the currencies and Gold?And. did the Fed Heads say when they would end their latest round of QE in 2013? NO! So, it could end up being on the last day of 2013, when they also announce a new round of QE! Did the markets EVER take a moment to think of that scenario? NOOOOOOO! They just went “all in” and began selling Treasuries. The 10-year yield, which yesterday morning was 1.83%, has risen to 1.96% this morning. (remember, as bond yields rise, the price of the bond drops) So, is this the watershed event that could swing a multi-year rally for the dollar? What I’m talking about here is will the rising bond yields, remove the need to hold risk assets? That’s what it appears to be saying today. but let me remind you that, we have seen these moves higher in bond yields a few times in the past couple of years, and they didn’t end up being too much of anything. Remember, the Fed IS STILL BUYING $85 Billion per month!I also don’t think the dollar has the ability any longer to go on a multi-year strong trend. but then that’s just me, as I see the debt being a major problem for the dollar to deal with. But. for now, it’s all about the dollar today. Mamma said there would be days like this, Mamma said. Two days ago, the markets were so down on the dollar, the green/peachback looked like it has lost its puppy. Then, the markets thought the Fiscal Cliff Deal would hurt the dollar since it never even addressed debt reduction. Two days later, and the markets think that the Fed saying they would end QEIII in 2013, that it’s the end-all medicine to what ails the dollar. I told you long ago, that traders were a fickle bunch.Well. the markets are also taking a leap of faith in the Jobs Jamboree today. The markets have decided that the U.S. probably kicked some tail and took names later with regards to job creation in December. The ADP report yesterday really surprised the markets by saying job creation according to them increased by 215,000! (140,000 was forecast) The experts believe that the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) will print a 153,000 increase, with the Unemployment Rate remaining at 7.7%… So, to get to 215,000, the BLS will have to get to cooking the books, eh? Come on Chuck, that’s like feeding the bears isn’t it? Don’t encourage the BLS!In our monthly contest in the office to pick the jobs number, of which I’ve never won, (imagine that! The boss not winning. hmmm) I’ll have to make a guess as to what I believe will be the number this month. Given the ADP blowout of job creation, you would think that I would be going with a number north of 153,000. But, then we’ve got the 3-month average of around 133,000 a month, and given that in December the Fiscal Cliff was still thought to be a reality that small businesses would have to deal with, I would think the number would be disappointing. But then there’s seasonal workers in December. I’m going with 140,000.The Big thing about the data today, is that the markets believe it will be very good, and they have bought dollars ahead of the data print. Should the number disappoint, as I believe it will, then we could see those dollar purchases unwind. But should the number surprise on the upside, and given the BLS’s propensity to play games with the numbers, it very well could, and that would bring about more dollar buying. So. I guess, we have to pay attention at 7:30 (CT) to the announcement.Well. with the currencies and metals in the woodshed for a beating this morning, I could be Polly-Anna-like and say, Hey! We get to buy at much cheaper levels today! But I’m not feeling very Polly-Anna-like this morning. In fact, I actually feel like I need to go back to bed! But, that’s not an option. so I carry on despite my ill feeling.But we do get to buy at much cheaper levels this morning. Dollar averaging, right? The problem is, that this dollar buying could go on for a few days. At least one currency that is getting sold deserve to be getting sold. The Japanese yen, as I said above is at a 2-year low VS the dollar this morning, as it trades well into the 88 handle. Yen is still relatively strong, folks, so this move weaker has the potential to keep going for some time.The euro, Aussie dollar (A$), kiwi, pound sterling, and few others are all down 1-cent since yesterday morning. And with Gold down $35 and Silver down nearly $1, this is a real rout of the currencies and metals this morning. There’s not much to say to sugar coat it. the markets have taken some words in the FOMC meeting minutes as the gospel, without even knowing the “end date”. We’ll have to see if this is for real, or just a false dawn for the dollar. I believe it to be the latter, but then that’s just my opinion and I could be wrong!After re-reading the analysis that I gave you of the Budget Deal (BD) yesterday, I realized that I had mentioned two months, but didn’t really breakdown the time and the items, and not wanting to sound like the Fed Heads, I decided to write some more on this… so… first up in late February, we’ll have the extraordinary measures that U.S. Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner has implemented to avert a Gov’t shutdown because of the debt ceiling limit being breached… there will be fight in Congress in the weeks leading up to late February between those that want to willy nilly raise the debt limit, and those that will only do so, if there are some deep spending cuts… Oh. and Geithner has announced that he will leave his post as U.S. Treasury Sec. BEFORE the discussions on the debt ceiling begin. Nothing like getting out of Dodge, eh?Then we move to early March, this is when the sequestration of the $109 Billion in spending cuts for this year will have to be dealt with… There will be cries from those that believe these cuts, which half are from the Pentagon’s budget, will weaken our national defense… This could get really ugly… But. tax increases without spending cuts? That doesn’t seem right, and this is where those that want debt cuts will dig in their heels.And then March 27th… the short term budget fix for funding government agencies expires, and once again, the specter of shutting down the Gov’t will be raised… Yes, it’s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye! OR a country has to face up to its unsustainable deficit spending habits!Then There Was This. I saw this last night and it caught my eye. I had noticed that a lot of pundits were saying that the Fiscal Deal that was done this week would allow the rating agencies to back off their threats of a downgrade. I thought. that’s strange, there were no debt cuts, and the ratings agencies were all about our rising debt. So, it was interesting to see this print on MoneyNews.com.“The United States must do more than the recently passed fiscal cliff measures if the country is to rescue its Aaa debt rating from its current negative outlook, rating agency Moody’s Investors Service said.Standard & Poor’s said the deal does not affect its negative view of the U.S. credit outlook, and said more work remains ahead for policymakers.The last minute deal passed on Tuesday to avert potentially devastating tax hikes and spending cuts clarifies the medium-term deficit and debt trajectory of the federal government, Moody’s said in a statement.However, it does not provide a basis for meaningful improvement in the government’s debt ratios over the medium-term, Moody’s said.”Chuck again. This is going to get really ugly before it’s over, IF it ever does get over! I really don’t believe that we’ll see meaningful debt cuts, and out debts will continue to mount, which will weigh on the dollar.To recap. The FOMC said that they would end their QEIII in 2013, and that’s all the markets needed to sell currencies, metals, and Treasuries! And sell them with force, they did! It’s an ugly day for the currencies and metals, and it could get uglier should the Jobs Jamboree surprise to the upside like the ADP report did yesterday. Yen is at a 2-year low VS the dollar, as well it should be, but there’s more rot on this vine to be exposed.Currencies today 1/4/13. American Style: A$ $1.0410, kiwi .8225, C$ $1.0085, euro 1.3110, sterling 1.6025, Swiss $1.0760, . European Style: rand 8.64, krone 5.6075, SEK 6.5570, forint 223.80, zloty 3.1660, koruna 19.48, RUB 30.50, yen 88.25, sing 1.2305, HKD 7.7515, INR 55.07, China 6.2305, pesos 12.82, BRL 2.0445, Dollar Index 80.80, Oil $91.61, 10-year 1.96%, Silver $30.54, and Gold. $1,631.45. And with it being Friday, here’s our chance to take a peek at the U.S. Debt Clock, click here.That’s it for today. a great song by the Allman Brothers is playing on the iPod this morning, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Alex won his wrestling match last night, his first in over a month after suffering a concussion. I have a new mouse pad on my desk that has pictures of my three grandkids on it. So, now I see their smiling faces while I’m working! Hey! The Orlando Money Show is less than a month away! I have two speaking times, and the Big Boss, Frank Trotter has a main-stage presentation! WOW! I always enjoy the Orlando Money Show, as it’s the biggest one that’s done, and I get to get away from the cold for a few days! (although it hasn’t exactly been warm in Orlando the last two years!) you can check the show out here. I expect to see you there! Now. go out and have a Fantastico Friday!Chuck Butler President EverBank World Markets 1-800-926-4922 1-314-647-3837
“This is the Biggest Accounting Hoax Since Enron” According to Jim Rickards, this could be 525 times bigger than Enron. All 300 million Americans are potential victims. Read More. — Iron ore prices are crumbling… Many investors watch the price of iron ore closely. As the main ingredient in steel used to build skyscrapers, bridges, and other infrastructure, iron ore prices are a key economic indicator. Yesterday, the price of iron ore plunged 3.4%. The price fell to $42.97 per metric tonne, its lowest level since 2008. Iron ore prices have declined a staggering 39.7% this year. A huge global surplus is one reason iron ore is tanking. Last week, Financial Times reported that the industry has an oversupply of about 170 metric tonnes. • Declining steel demand suggests the global economy is slowing… China accounts for about 46% of global steel demand. It’s on pace to use 5.7% less steel this year than last year. Financial Times reports that Chinese steel demand is expected to fall again in 2016. China is using less steel because its economy is slowing. Last year, China’s economy grew at the slowest pace since 1990. • Copper is also flashing a warning sign… The price of copper hit a six-year low last month. It’s fallen 27% this year. Copper is used in everything from smartphones to air conditioning units to plumbing parts. Like steel, the price of copper is a key indicator of the health of the global economy. • Commodity prices have dropped across the board this year… Lumber and oat prices have both dropped 25%. And the price of oil has fallen 22%. Last week, the Bloomberg Commodity Index, which tracks 23 different commodities, hit its lowest level since 1999. It has declined 22% this year. • Meanwhile, U.S. manufacturing activity just hit its lowest level since the Great Recession… On Tuesday, the Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index fell to its lowest level since June 2009. The index fell from 50.1 in October to 48.6 in November. A reading below 50 means the U.S. manufacturing sector is shrinking. The index has now fallen for five straight months. Last month was the first time it dipped below 50 since 2012. Weak commodity prices are one major reason behind the plunge in manufacturing activity. When commodity prices are weak, companies buy less drilling, mining, and production equipment from manufacturers. • The railroad industry also suggests the U.S. is in an “industrial recession”… Orders for new freight cars plunged 83% last quarter. It was the largest quarterly decline since 1988. Railroads move goods and materials across the country. If the industry is ordering fewer rail cars, it likely means economic activity has slowed. Recommended Links –
• Major U.S. manufacturers are bracing for an economic slowdown… In October, leading U.S. industrial firms Caterpillar (CAT), 3M Co. (MMM), and Cummins (CMI) all reported significant declines in sales and earnings for the third quarter. All three companies now expect sales for 2015 to be lower than originally projected. All three companies also announced massive layoffs recently. • The bull market in U.S. stocks is losing momentum… From March 2009 through December 2014, the S&P 500 gained 204%. This year, the S&P has only gained 1.5%. And even that tiny gain overstates how well U.S. stocks have performed this year… On Friday, Financial Times explained that nine giant companies are propping up the S&P 500 this year. The nine stocks are Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Facebook (FB), Netflix (NFLX), Priceline (PCLN), eBay (EBAY), Starbucks (SBUX), and Salesforce (CRM). Investment research firm Ned Davis calls them the “Nifty Nine”. If the Nifty Nine were an index, it would be up 60% on the year, according to Financial Times research. The Nifty Nine is propping up the rest of the market. That’s because the S&P 500 is weighted by company size. Bigger companies influence its performance more than smaller companies. For example, Google is the second-largest company in the S&P 500. It’s up 43% on the year. Amazon is the sixth-largest company. It’s up 117%. Facebook is the eighth-largest. It’s up 35%. However, the median S&P 500 stock is down 12% from its 52-week high, according to Business Insider. • In a healthy bull market, a large percentage of stocks “participate” in the rally… Today, the number of rising stocks is dwindling. Just a few large companies are propping up the market. We recommend investing with caution right now. If you hold stocks, make sure they’re companies that will do OK in an economic downturn. You should also avoid expensive stocks, which often fall hardest during major selloffs. You might also consider hedging your portfolio by shorting (betting against) vulnerable stocks. And we recommend having a good amount of cash on hand, and owning a significant amount of physical gold. These simple steps could keep you from going broke during the next major downturn. They will also give you “ammo” for the next buying opportunity. Chart of the Day The Nifty Nine are very expensive… Today’s chart compares the price-to-earnings (PE) ratios of the Nifty Nine stocks with the S&P 500. The higher the PE ratio, the more expensive the stock. eBay is the only stock cheaper than the S&P 500. Meanwhile, Facebook, Salesforce, Netflix, and Amazon are many times more expensive than the S&P 500. The PE ratios for Netflix and Amazon can’t even fit on the chart below. On average, stocks in the Nifty Nine trade at a 746% premium to the S&P 500… The current bull market in stocks is one of the longest in U.S. history. It’s about 30 months longer than the average bull market going back to World War II. At this stage, we suggest you invest in stocks with a great deal of caution. Can you legally remove yourself from the U.S. tax code? 70-year-old multimillionaire says, “YES!” Click here to learn how to get the full story. Regards, Justin Spittler Delray Beach, Florida December 01, 2015 We want to hear from you. If you have a question or comment, please send it to feedback@caseyresearch.com. We read every email that comes in, and we’ll publish comments, questions, and answers that we think other readers will find useful.
Chart: Huge Trade Opportunity for 2016 In 1981, Jim Rickards met one of America’s great living legends who unknowingly helped him to create a powerful technical indicator. One that could help you identify the perfect moments to trade in and out of stocks for maximum gains right now… These seven charts prove what he’s talking about. And they point to what could be the #1 trade in 2016. Click here to see all the details. Remember that the Fed’s pumping up of the money supply ignited a huge bubble in tech stocks, and then an even more massive global bubble in real estate—which is over for a long time, incidentally—but they’re still creating tons of dollars. That will inevitably ignite other asset bubbles. Where? I can’t say for certain, but I say the odds are extremely high that as gold goes up, for all the reasons we spoke about last week and more, a lot of this funny money is going to be directed into these gold stocks, which are not just a microcap area of the market but a nanocap area of the market. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: When the public gets the bit in its teeth and wants to buy gold stocks, it’s going to be like trying to siphon the contents of the Hoover Dam through a garden hose. Gold stocks, as a class, are going to be explosive. Now, you’ve got to remember that most of them are junk. Most will never, ever find an economical deposit. But it’s hopes and dreams that drive them, not reality, and even without merit, they can still go 10, 20, or 30 times your entry price. And the companies that actually have the goods can go much higher than that. At the moment, gold stock prices are not as cheap, in either relative or absolute terms, as they were at the turn of the century, nor last fall. But given that the Mania Phase is still ahead, they are good speculations right now—especially the ones that have actually discovered gold deposits that look economical. L: So, if you buy good companies now, with good projects, good management, working in stable jurisdictions, with a couple years of operating cash to see them through the Wall of Worry fluctuations—if you buy these and hold for the Mania Phase, you should come out very well. But you can’t blink and get stampeded out of your positions when the market fluctuates sharply. Doug: That’s exactly right. At the particular stage where we are right now in this market for these extraordinarily volatile securities, if you buy a quality exploration company, or a quality development company (which is to say, a company that has found something and is advancing it toward production), those shares could still go down 10%, 20%, 30%, or even 50%. But ultimately, there’s an excellent chance that same stock will go up by 10, 50, or even 100 times. I hate to use such hard-to-believe numbers, but that is the way this market works. When the coming resource bubble is ignited, there are excellent odds you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank in a few years. I should stress that I’m not saying this is the perfect time to buy. We’re not at a market bottom as we were in 2001, nor an interim bottom like last November, and I can’t say I know the Mania Phase is just around the corner. But I think this is a very reasonable time to be buying these stocks. And it’s absolutely a good time to start educating yourself about them. There’s just such a good chance a massive bubble is going to be ignited in this area. L: These are obviously the kinds of things we research, make recommendations on, and educate about in our metals newsletters, but one thing we should stress for nonsubscribers reading this interview is that this strategy applies only to the speculative portion of your portfolio. No one should gamble with their rent money nor the money they’ve saved for college tuition, etc. Doug: Right. The ideal speculator’s portfolio would be divided into 10 areas, each totally different and not correlated with each other. Each of these areas should have, in your subjective opinion, the ability to move 1,000% in price. Why is that? Because most of the time, we’re wrong when we pick areas to speculate in, certainly in areas where you can’t apply Graham-Dodd-type logic. But if you’re wrong on nine out of 10 of them—and it would be hard to do that badly—then you at least break even on the one 10-bagger (1,000% winner). What’s more likely is that a couple will blow up and go to zero, a couple will go down 30%, 40%, 50%, but you’ll also have a couple doubles or triples, and maybe, on one or two of them, you’ll get a 10-to-1 or better win. So, it looks very risky (and falling in love with any single stock is very risky), but it’s actually an intelligent way to diversify your risk and stack the odds of profiting on volatility in your favor. Note that I don’t mean that these “areas” should be 10 different stocks in the junior mining sector—that wouldn’t be diversification. As I say, ideally, I’d have 10 such areas with potential for 1,000% gains, but it’s usually impossible to find that many at once. If you can find only two or three, what do you do with the rest of your money? Well, at this point, I would put a lot of it into gold, in one form or another, while keeping your powder dry as you look for the next idea opportunity. And ideally, I’d look at every market in every country in the world. People who look only in the U.S., or only in stocks, or only in real estate… they just don’t get to see enough balls to swing at. L: Okay, got it. Thank you very much. Doug: A pleasure, as always. Editor’s Note: We just alerted readers to an extremely rare opportunity in gold stocks… one that could lead to 500%-plus gains in a short period. This situation has only occurred a handful of times in the last 20 years. But every time it occurs, some investors see gains as large as 1,700%, 4,300%, and 5,000%. If you’re interested in this idea, please act now. With gold prices surging, the window of opportunity is closing fast. And once it’s closed, we likely won’t get another chance like this for years. Read more here. Recommended Links What you need to know about the incredible opportunity in gold, right now We recently put together a presentation revealing the single best opportunity you have to make 500%+ gains in gold over the coming years. This is one of those extremely rare chances you almost never get to make outrageous returns with even a small investment. See more, here. — (Interviewed by Louis James, Editor, International Speculator) This interview was first published on September 30, 2009. Editor’s Note: In yesterday’s Weekend Edition, Casey Research founder Doug Casey explained why gold stocks can offer 10 times or even 100 times return on your money. Today, Doug explains how to stack the odds in your favor when buying gold stocks… Doug: You know, I first started looking at gold stocks back in the early 1970s. In those days, South African stocks were the “blue chips” of the mining industry. As a country, South Africa mined about 60% of all the gold mined in the world, and costs were very low. Gold was controlled at $35 per ounce until Nixon closed the gold window in 1971, but some South Africans were able to mine it for $20 an ounce or less. They were paying huge dividends. Gold had run up from $35 to $200 in early 1974, then corrected down to $100 by 1976. It had come off 50%, but at the same time that gold was bottoming around $100, they had some serious riots in Soweto. So the gold stocks got a double hit: falling gold prices and fear of revolution in South Africa. That made it possible, in those days, to buy into short-lived, high-cost mining companies very cheaply; the stocks of the marginal companies were yielding current dividends of 50-75%. They were penny stocks in those days. They no longer exist; they’ve all been merged into mining finance houses long since then. Three names I remember from those days were Leslie, Bracken, Grootvlei…I owned a lot of shares in them. If you bought Leslie for 80 cents a share, you’d expect, based on previous dividends, to get about 60 cents a share in that year. But then gold started flying upward, the psychology regarding South Africa changed, and by 1980—the next real peak—you were getting several times what you paid for the stock in dividends alone, per year. Louis James: Wow. I can think of some leveraged companies that might be able to deliver that sort of performance if gold goes where we think it will. So, where do you think we are in the current trend or metals cycle? You’ve spoken of the Stealth, Wall of Worry, and Mania Phases of a bull market for metals—do you still think of our market in those terms? Doug: That’s the big question, isn’t it? Well, the last major bottom in this sector was from 1998 to 2002. Many of these junior mining stocks—mostly traded in Canada, where about 75% of all the gold stocks in the world trade—were trading for less than cash in the bank. Literally. You’d get all their properties, their technology, the expertise of their management, totally for free. Or less. L: I remember seeing past issues in which you said, “If I could call your broker and order these stocks for you, I would.” Doug: Yes. But nobody wanted to hear about it at that time. Gold was low, and there was a bubble in Internet stocks—why would anyone want to get involved in a dead duck, 19th century, “choo-choo train” industry like gold mining? It had been completely discredited by the long bear market—but that made it the ideal time to buy them, of course. That was deep in the Stealth Phase. Over the next six to eight years, these stocks took off, moving us into the Wall of Worry Phase. But the stocks didn’t fly the way they did in past bull markets. I think that’s mostly because they were so depleted of capital, they were selling lots of shares. So their market capitalizations—the aggregate value given to them by the market—were increasing, but their share prices weren’t. Not as much. Remember, these companies very rarely have any earnings, but they always need capital, and the only way they can get it is by selling new shares, which dilutes the value of the individual shares, including those held by existing shareholders. Then last fall hit, and nobody, but nobody, wanted anything speculative. These most volatile of stocks showed their nature and plunged through the floor in the general flight to safety. That made last fall the second best time to buy mining shares this cycle, and I know you recommended some pretty aggressive buying last fall, near the bottom. Now, many of these shares—the better ones at least—have recovered substantially, and some have even surpassed pre-crash highs. Again, the Wall of Worry Phase is characterized by large fluctuations that separate the wolves from the sheep (and the sheep from their cash). Where does that leave us? Well, as you know, I think gold is going to go much, much higher. And that is going to direct a lot of attention toward these gold stocks. When people get gold fever, they are not just driven by greed, they’re usually driven by fear as well, so you get both of the most powerful market motivators working for you at once. It’s a rare class of securities that can benefit from fear and greed at once. –
Scientists have found a biological clue that could help explain why African-Americans appear to be more vulnerable than white Americans to Alzheimer’s disease.A study of 1,255 people, both black and white, found that cerebrospinal fluid from African-Americans tended to contain lower levels of a substance associated with Alzheimer’s, researchers report Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology.Yet these low levels did not seem to protect black participants from the disease.The finding “implies that the biological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease may be very different in [different] racial groups,” says Dr. John Morris, an author of the paper and director of the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis.And if Alzheimer’s works differently in African-Americans, that difference could make them more vulnerable to the disease, Morris says.The study has limitations, though, says Lisa Barnes, a cognitive neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago, who wrote an accompanying editorial.For example, it could not fully account for the effects of some other known Alzheimer’s risk factors — including hypertension, diabetes and obesity — or some suspected risk factors, including stress and poverty. Also, the study included just 173 African-Americans and was able to obtain spinal fluid samples from only half of them.Even so, Barnes says she was excited to see the study “because we have so little data” on African-Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities.At the moment, most of what scientists have learned about Alzheimer’s comes from studies of white people.”We know relatively little about whether Alzheimer’s disease is manifested in an identical way in underrepresented groups,” Morris says.So researchers at Washington University have spent the past two decades reaching out to the African-American community in St. Louis. For example, the Alzheimer’s research center has had an African-American Advisory Board since 2000 to help it be “more welcoming to people of color,” Morris says.The effort made it possible to do the study comparing Alzheimer’s in whites and blacks, Morris says. But he adds that getting spinal fluid, which required participants to undergo an uncomfortable procedure, was still “not an easy ask.”The study included people ages 43 to 104. Most had no signs of memory or cognitive problems, while about a third were in the early stages of dementia.”We set out to see if the disease process seems to be the same in both racial groups,” Morris says.Researchers used brain scans and samples of spinal fluid to look for two biological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. One was amyloid, a protein that forms sticky plaques in the brain. The other was a protein called tau, which forms toxic tangles inside brain cells.Blacks and whites in the study were no different when it came to plaques. “However, the tau proteins were notably different,” Morris says.Spinal fluid from African-Americans contained lower levels of tau protein. And the difference was most apparent among those with a gene called APOE4.Other studies have shown that in white people, having the APOE4 gene variant can triple the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. But there is evidence that the allele has a much less dramatic effect in black people.Morris says it’s too soon to speculate about why there may be a link between the APOE4 gene and low tau levels in African-Americans. But if the link is real, he says, it could eventually lead to an explanation for racial differences in Alzheimer’s that includes biology.First, though, researchers would need to confirm the tau connection in a study that includes many more African-Americans, Barnes says.And that will be a challenge, she says, because African-Americans are often hesitant to participate in medical research — especially if it involves an invasive procedure like a spinal tap.”When you try to go to populations that have been sort of marginalized and abused by past research,” she says, “it becomes very, very difficult.”One way to do bigger studies of African-Americans is for research centers to collaborate. “If we start to pool our numbers together, we’ll be able to do more than just one center alone [could do],” Barnes says.But to truly understand how Alzheimer’s disease works in people who aren’t white, she says, more researchers will have to reach out to groups that have been wary of scientific studies.”We really need minority communities to be involved and to have a voice in what we’re finding,” Barnes says. “We can’t do it by ourselves.” Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
By John Pring, editor of Disability News ServiceIt is fair to say that the Department for Work and Pensions is not disabled people’s favourite government department, but it is the one that Disability News Service (DNS) deals with most often. So when the DWP press office threatens to stop responding to DNS enquiries “with immediate effect”, it is a threat I have to take seriously. This blog will describe how this situation has come about. I hope that other disabled people will offer their opinions on whether I am behaving unreasonably, or whether the DWP is threatening DNS unfairly and potentially breaching the Equality Act. As many people will know, DNS has a number of subscribers who pay an annual or monthly fee for the right to use DNS stories on their own websites or in their magazines or newsletters, or sometimes solely for briefing purposes. The stories are sent out every Friday by email, usually at around 1pm. Most of these subscribers are disabled people’s organisations, and operate – like DNS – on tight budgets. I also place the stories on the DNS website, every Friday evening, at around 6pm. These news stories often rely on comments from DWP. Unfortunately, my relationship with the DWP press office – like many other journalists – has grown increasingly fractious over the last few years. This has partly come about due to frustration at DWP’s occasional habit of responding in a way that seeks to ignore/avoid the question and simply produce an answer that offers a PR truth, rather than an actual truth. Here’s an example: Several months ago, Mark Harper, the Conservative minister for disabled people, said in the Commons that he had talked to disability organisations and they agreed with the government that closing the Independent Living Fund and not ring-fencing the funding given to local authorities was the right thing to do. I asked DWP which organisations Harper was referring to. The answer I received was: “The Minister meets regularly with a broad range of disability groups.” Which, of course, does not answer the question at all. This, sadly, is not an isolated example.Unfortunately, my relationship with DWP has now reached a new low, with the new chief press officer (disability), threatening to stop dealing completely with DNS. The latest problems began several weeks ago, when I approached the DWP press office by email at 8.50pm on a Wednesday evening for a comment on an Access to Work story I was working on. As always, I made it clear when my deadline was: in this case, the end of the following day. However, the press office did not respond to the email until 5.50pm on Friday, nearly two days after I emailed them with a request for a comment, more than four hours after I finished sending the stories to my subscribers, and nearly 24 hours after the deadline I had set. Later that evening, I thanked the press officer for her efforts, but said that the comment had come through far too late to be included in the story. That, I thought, would be that. However, I was contacted by another DWP press officer the next morning, asking if I intended to update the copy on my website to include the late response. I replied, explaining how DNS worked, and informing him that this would not be possible.Two days later, I received an emailed letter from the chief press officer (disability), who warned that he was “not prepared to continue diverting precious time and resources to deal with detailed enquiries from DNS if you cannot guarantee that these answers will be acknowledged in your copy once they are received,” and that: “If DNS does not consider itself to be comparable to every other UK news organisation then it is not within the DWP Press Office’s remit to handle any of its enquiries and, in future, you will need to make your requests for information to the Department through the same methods as any other member of the public.”If DNS stories appeared only on the DNS website, I would have no problem with the DWP request. It would be entirely reasonable. However, the stories also appear on the websites of my subscribers, and I do not feel comfortable updating my own website, but allowing theirs to continue with out-dated versions of my articles. Therefore, if I was to update my website, I would want to provide an updated story to my 20-odd subscribers. And if I did this with DWP, I would also need to do it with every other organisation that failed to produce a comment in time for my deadlines.In the past, when DWP has sent me responses to stories far past the deadlines I have set, I have made it clear that this makes it more difficult for me to do my job, increases my anxiety levels, and ensures that my work hours increase. I currently work an average of 70-80 hours a week, and the DWP’s habit of continually missing deadlines and leaving it until the last possible moment to provide a comment has certainly had an impact on my mental health in the past. I have made it clear to the press office on many occasions that I would be grateful if they could try to meet my deadlines as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act.(I should, of course, point out that on the rare occasion that there is a significant factual mistake in a DNS story, I alert all of my subscribers to that error.)Following this latest incident, I again made the DWP press office aware that to take on the extra workload of continually updating my subscribers throughout the week with developments on old stories, in addition to producing the next week’s stories, could have an adverse impact on my mental health and even make it impossible to continue with DNS. For that reason, I told the chief press officer (disability) that I believed it would be a reasonable adjustment for him to allow me to continue to operate DNS in the way that I have done for the last six years. Although this is not the way a typical news agency would operate, I do work alone, I have a mental health condition, I am extremely careful with my research, and I believe I behave responsibly in the way I work.Sadly, the chief press officer (disability) is again threatening that unless I agree to the changes he has suggested, “the DWP Press Office will no longer be able to respond to DNS’s enquiries”.I have had some extremely supportive comments from my subscribers, but would like to ask other disabled people whether I am being unreasonable, or whether I should resist DWP’s attempts to force me to change the way I work, rather than agreeing to what I believe is a reasonable adjustment.John Pring can be contacted at john@disabilitynewsservice.com