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Despite the COVID pandemic, the company continued to invest in its electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle growth initiatives, launched an all-new portfolio of full-size Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac sport utility vehicles, and maintained leading U. General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales remains committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure technicians within the dealer network are highly trained in order to service the advanced technology found in GM vehicles.
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With divergence expected to continue, coupled with some geopolitical instability and the possibility of an economic downturn, banks can best prepare by continuing their compliance modernization journey using the latest governance, risk, and compliance technologies.
Last year, we highlighted the need for banks to excel at data management, modernize core infrastructure, embrace artificial intelligence AI , and migrate to the cloud. This trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. For instance, in , North American banks are expected to spend nearly one-half of their total information technology IT budget on new technology, while European banks would spend about one-third, a figure higher than the current level 27 percent figure 5.
Challenged with legacy technology and data quality issues, most banks are unable to achieve the desired returns on their modernization initiatives. As a first step, institutions should tackle their technical debt, which is typically caused by past underspending and layering newer technologies on top of aging infrastructure. Legacy systems are among the biggest barriers to bank growth. Establishing a new, parallel, cloud-native core banking platform is gaining traction as a strategy.
This is because it is less risky, reduces time-to-market, brings results, and allows core banking functions to be migrated over time. They should also consider the risks for example, potential bias in AI-powered algorithms and fortify their own cybersecurity defenses. And while increasing the prevalence of ecosystems and data-sharing between institutions expands customer data, it also complicates data management and raises privacy concerns.
Banks should rethink their data architecture and get their houses in order to maximize returns from analytics initiatives. Additionally, privacy-enhancing techniques can help banks derive value from data-sharing without compromising privacy. Lastly, digital transformation is not limited to technology and data.
To realize long-term success, the human side should also be addressed. As technology gets cheaper and is readily adopted by the industry, the initial advantages may decrease in the long term. Another equally important aspect to consider will be culture. More often than not, the success or failure of a digital transformation effort may depend on cultural issues rather than technical ones.
Only those financial institutions that build a collaborative and innovative culture to drive change can achieve real returns on their technology investments in the next decade. Regulatory divergence, geopolitical instability, and the possibility of a downturn have created a host of impending risks, requiring financial institutions to rethink traditional approaches to risk management. While banks have made notable strides in assessing and mitigating risk across the enterprise in recent years, the next decade will likely test their ability to continue to modernize the risk function.
Bank leaders can start by contemplating what might be an optimal risk management model. Banks should then consider how best to leverage the power of new technologies, which has yet to be fully realized. Technology has played a significant role in risk management for a long time. But thanks to recent advances, it can now help banks reshape their risk management program in more meaningful ways. Very few banks, however, report that they have applied emerging technologies to the risk management function, 51 which could be a missed opportunity.
Technology can increase efficiency by automating manual processes, assist in identifying emerging threats, and provide insights into risks and their causal factors. And machine learning, coupled with natural language processing, could convert unstructured data such as emails into structured data that can then be analyzed to predict where risks might occur.
At the same time, banks should be mindful of the additional risks these new technologies might create. Third-party relationships with external technology vendors, suppliers, or service providers could expose banks to information misuse and theft insider risk , system failures, and business disruptions operational risk , or regulatory noncompliance.
On the other hand, biases, automation errors, and rogue programs could result in algorithmic risk. Additionally, deploying these technologies to manage risk will require banks to access and use high-quality, timely data. Without robust data, technology implementation will likely not be as effective. For some time, financial institutions have had difficulty providing quality data from source through system. This is due to a historic proliferation of disparate legacy systems, which has limited their ability to capture, measure, and report data.
Having better data, for instance, could help banks boost their monitoring and surveillance tools to detect and predict instances of employee misconduct conduct risk. Last year, we encouraged banks to prepare for the future of work, as automation, robotics, and cognitive technologies continue to redefine how work is done.
To figure out how this shift might impact talent, and—most important—what to do about it, bank leaders will need to understand not just changes to the nature of work the what and the how but also the workforce the who and the workplace the where —all of which are greatly interrelated.
When it comes to the future of work, many banks have started to explore automating manual, routine tasks by scaling technology from siloed use cases to larger processes across the enterprise. However, the human side of this transformation has received little attention, and leaders seem to be viewing the capacity freed up from automating these tasks as productivity gains at best.
To take full advantage of technology, however, firms should also focus on redefining and redesigning jobs to empower the higher-order work requiring intuitive, creative, interpretive, and problem-solving skills that humans can best handle. Firms have two options: talent acquisition or reskilling. While banks already have a strong appetite for talent acquisition, the closely regulated nature of the financial services industry has limited their ability to use alternative talent models gig or crowdsourced talent at scale.
The current low unemployment rates and tight labor markets further complicate the picture. As a growth imperative, banks should therefore consider reskilling and in some cases, upskilling their internal talent pool. But who would lead this augmented workforce? Lastly, since culture and configuration of the workplace have been linked to innovation 63 and business results, 64 banks have an opportunity to reimagine it to inspire talent. To enhance the human experience, banks should modernize their workplaces with more open and collaborative structures.
They should also explore ways to foster connections for their virtual workers. In Europe, the persistent reality of negative rates—expected to last for several more years 69 —has pushed down NIMs, with lending margins in Germany, for instance, declining since late Lending volume, however, has seen steady growth. Banks in many parts of Asia, on the other hand, have increased their margins, with NIMs reaching 2 percent.
China, in particular, has continued to see strong consumer lending growth. Regardless of business fundamentals, banking consumers around the world want the same thing: superior and consistent customer experience in branches, online, or via a mobile app.
Unsurprisingly, digital lending is also where nonbanks are stealing share from incumbents. In the US mortgage and personal loan markets, nonbank players have captured a large market share already. For instance, Quicken Loans is now the largest mortgage originator in the United States. Meanwhile, fintechs in Asia are becoming dominant players in retail banking.
In Europe, fintechs are also making strides. Some of these fintechs are aiming to expand globally. While still in the early stages of its evolution, it is most evident in Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries in the European Union. Australia has even applied an expansive set of rules on consumer data rights and data-sharing to other industries as well.
As a result, the nature and degree of competition will likely change; the surviving fintechs should become mainstream players and traditional incumbents will recalibrate their strategies. Nevertheless, scale and efficiencies will be dominant factors. Also, in the next few years, banks could partner with others in the ecosystem to become de facto platforms, offering countless services that will extend beyond banking.
Banks should still be best positioned to own the customer relationship, which would enable them to rethink their value proposition and serve client needs holistically, supported by data and analytics. Offering advice should be a differentiating factor for banks as it becomes contextual and real time.
Banks should rethink and innovate pricing models accordingly. In an open data environment, privacy concerns will also be a factor. The increasing pressure from a low-yield environment and the potential for an economic slowdown could negatively impact earnings, especially for smaller, less diversified, and consumer lending-focused banks.
Banks should continue to increase their fee-based income, as well as focus on cost management, but should not lose focus on their digitization efforts and regulatory obligations. To enable insights-driven offerings to clients, attain a leaner cost structure, and ultimately unlock future success, core modernization is key. Banks should digitize and transform across the entire value chain for all products.
For instance, while almost every bank in the United States offers a digital mortgage application, only 7 percent manage end-to-end digital loan disbursement. Smaller banks, in particular, tied to a single core vendor in most cases, could find achieving their digital ambitions out of reach, so prioritizing modernization efforts could be key for them as well. To drive revenue growth, retail banks should focus on loan and payments products over deposit accounts.
And, improving the customer experience for all products should be an overarching goal of core modernization. Open banking should take hold in in many regions. While the potential upside is vast, the stakes are high. In the United States, given the lack of a regulatory mandate, there are still some uncertainties about the scale and pace of adoption of open banking.
As such, banks should be selective in how they implement open banking practices. Payments remains one of the most dynamic and exciting businesses in banking. The breakneck pace of change and the unprecedented scale of innovation are inspiring and testing established orthodoxies.
Their foremost challenge is to remain relevant and quickly adapt to the new competitive environment. While fintechs are driving much of the disruption, incumbents are not far behind. Take, for instance, the perennial problem of delayed settlement in business-to-consumer payments. Some card incumbents are bringing solutions to shorten the settlement cycle to near real-time payments.
Overall, though, a good deal of the innovation in payments is happening in emerging markets, where mobile adoption and low-cost quick response QR technology are making digital payments the norm. Concurrently, more countries—developed and emerging, alike—are prioritizing payments modernization through faster payments. More than 50 countries have either implemented or plan to implement faster payments solutions, 79 many sponsored by regulators.
Meanwhile, the payments industry is seeing more consolidation, due to rising competition and the race to scale. Payments will be invisible, seamless, and real-time but will likely be about more than just transactions. A whole slew of new value-added services, such as identity protection, real-time cash management, and new purchasing insights that customers and merchants alike would value, should be the norm.
New platforms would necessitate new payment mechanisms—all digital, of course. The net result is an industry that may become more competitive, with interoperability still a challenge in the near term. Redesigning customer experience by removing friction, enhancing value through rewards and access to other financial products, and bolstering security are expected to remain top priorities for payment providers. While large payment providers could continue to offer an enhanced integrated experience, we are also likely to see an acceleration in unbundling the payments value proposition.
This will comprise payment, credit, rewards, and security components but should also include the flexibility to interact with different experience providers. Providers should increasingly focus on addressing the right pain points and reorienting product design to be experience-focused. This is important, as nearly four in 10 US consumers have experienced some friction with their credit card payments in the last year, with fraud being the most common complaint figure 7.
Traditional providers should aim to enhance their relevance with customers by increasingly providing them with real-time, contextual, and personalized services. However, adopting this customer-centric model will be easier said than done, given the siloed nature of data, narrow performance incentives, and product-based organizational structure at many firms. Getting a better handle on customer data is typically the first step in this transition. Payment providers will also be forced to expand alternative revenue streams.
In , further exploration of regulator-sponsored digital currency systems, such as those in China, and deliberation on appropriate cryptocurrency regulation 86 may go hand-in-hand. For privately sponsored digital currencies, payments providers should proactively work with regulators and ecosystem partners. Progress on developing faster payments is expected to continue at a different pace globally.
In North America, payments providers should be mindful of actions by the Fed and Payments Canada to determine potential strategies and learn from initial adoption. With any of the above strategies, partnerships, both traditional and nontraditional, will be critical to drive value from acquisitions and take advantage of broader market trends.
In the end, no matter what type of innovation payment firms engage in, they should aim to develop products in smaller, bolder cycles. This can put them on solid ground to fail fast, learn faster, reduce time-to-market, and revive their relevance. Banks are betting on their wealth management divisions to bring stability amid a looming downturn.
As expected, robo-advice has become table stakes. Virtually every large wealth firm has a digital advice platform. Independent robo players, however, are revisiting their business models, constrained by high client acquisition and servicing costs and low revenue yield. On the client side, changing demographics are prompting a strategic shift for some in product innovation, service experience, and adviser training. More firms are targeting millennials, in particular, due to the size of the market, evolving wealth needs, and the impending wealth transfer.
In the mass affluent market, competition is heating up. Through its recent acquisition of United Capital, Goldman Sachs' is targeting the large pool of corporate employees, 94 an underleveraged channel so far. And the ultra-wealthy are fueling the rise of family offices globally, simultaneously increasing investments into alternative asset classes, enabled by private feeder funds solutions of the likes of Artivest or iCapital Network.
Meanwhile, the competitive differentiation among offshore wealth centers has been shifting from regulation and tax factors to, more recently, provider capability and digital maturity, where countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland typically have an advantage. However, Asian centers are catching up fast, driven by advances in their digital infrastructure, such as mobile network coverage or internet bandwidth, and rising wealth in the region.
Wealth management could become the core of the banking-customer relationship. However, in the decade ahead, the business might face its most pressing challenges, as asset prices may come under pressure amid slowing global economic growth. Ability to provide real-time, tailored advice will become a key differentiator, along with the readiness to offer new products and asset classes, including digital assets.
The industry could see unbundling of the value chain, with players focusing on what they do best, while other parts are outsourced. Wealthtechs, increasingly partnering with incumbents, could also be an important part of this ecosystem. To prepare for the decade ahead, wealth managers are focusing on client experience, adviser experience and productivity, operational efficiency, and regulations.
A push toward less risky investment advisory models is expected in Next, improving client experience will likely be paramount as clients expect seamless, real-time advice. To achieve this, firms should prioritize front-office digitization and modernization.
In a similar vein, upgrading and digitizing KYC and client onboarding processes, as well as AML transaction monitoring is critical. However, this transition to a digital operating model may also engender new risks and necessitates a rethinking of the risk management framework. Enhancing adviser productivity and experience will also be key to cope with margin pressure, meet compliance demands, and provide superior client service.
To attract and retain clients, online trading of stocks and exchange-traded funds in the United States will increasingly be offered for no fee. This should benefit large-scale players that can make up for this loss in income through other predictable sources, such as sweep accounts.
Lastly, wealth managers should follow the money to attain long-term growth. Moreover, with rapid increases in private wealth, Asian markets cannot be ignored as a potential client base. Postcrisis structural shifts continue to impede investment banks from achieving stable returns. In , combined revenues at the top banks were at their lowest since Meanwhile, US banks continue to get stronger, generating 62 percent of global investment banking fees in , up from 53 percent in Recognizing the challenges ahead, some investment banks have restructured their sales and trading businesses and accelerated cost-cutting efforts.
But this is also leading to increased competition and new market entrants, causing further fragmentation. Furthermore, increasing platform sophistication among buy-side and corporate clients is threatening money-making opportunities. In the United States, the five large asset managers have set up their own platforms to directly connect with company executives.
Hedge funds and private equity firms have also begun to dabble in core investment banking activities. While the core intermediation function will remain the same—matching supply and demand for capital—significant changes can be expected in the services investment banks provide and their delivery.
Large corporates and buy-side firms could become more self-sufficient in standard capital market activities, but they will likely rely on bank expertise for more complex, global needs. The industry will likely be bifurcated, with a few large, global investment banks—mostly in the United States—and another group focused on local markets and specialized segments. As industry convergence accelerates in the broader economy, the need for cross-industry knowledge could become more important.
Meanwhile, technologies such as AI and blockchain could become central to the operation of capital markets businesses and for tailored client insights. Large US banks, despite the economic challenges ahead, have a head start in readjusting to a new world. Most European banks, on the other hand, will be forced to rethink their global ambitions and pick the businesses they want to succeed in, though they must be careful not to discard core functions to remain competitive in the future.
Asian banks are expected to continue to build their capabilities to serve local markets. The sales and trading business will likely undergo the most notable transformation. In sales and trading, posttrade simplification is becoming an urgent priority, with the bigger players now willing to make investments to simplify and innovate around this infrastructure. Client intelligence and self-service are also major themes, not only as levers for simplification, but also increasingly to enhance the client experience.
Banks should not lose sight of the need to address core modernization and develop new client solutions, while improving their cost structure. Risk functions have seen some modernization, and a few banks have begun reshaping their business processes and other middle-office functions, with some taking bold initiatives.
Resulting cost savings free up resources for front-office related investments, but it raises the question of whether competencies of support functions may weaken as such efforts are rolled out. AccessFintech, which specializes in collaboration, transparency, and control to the financial services industry, is an example. Talent will become more important for banks as the blend of capabilities in complex finance, coding, and soft skills necessary to drive deals forward will likely be in short supply.
Steady, predictable returns, an attractive cost structure, and sticky customers typically make this business highly attractive. Overall, European banks have lagged their US counterparts, due to record-low interest rates and sluggish domestic economic growth. These initiatives involve significant technology upgrades and tremendous capital and change effort.
For the most part, the industry has dealt well with these changes. But on the programs not mandated by regulations, progress has been slow even though clients, business partners, and regulators expect change to happen quickly, unlike in the past. Transaction banks will increasingly become orchestrators of the financial ecosystems for global commerce and asset servicing.
As physical flows merge with digital flows, banks should go beyond their core offerings to offer new services, such as hedging against climate risk or insuring digital assets. Banks will also be the trusted resource for advice, through machine-augmented intelligence. While real-time information flows will be pervasive, tools and models that fuse multiple technologies—from machine learning, blockchain, cloud, 5G, and quantum computing—will be increasingly common in transaction banking, as in other businesses.
The focus will likely also shift from local to global decision optimization for example, finding the best liquidity solution to considering broader factors and decision impacts. Risk and compliance controls should be embedded more seamlessly into operations. As corporate clients start to adjust their financing needs in response to a potential global slowdown in , transaction banks can add more value to their clients. Securities servicing firms, on the other hand, are expected to continue to provide data analytics and insights to enable their clients to make informed investment decisions.
Given lower prospects for growth, transaction banks should also double down on their own cost management and get a better understanding of their economic architecture. Investing in cost data and analytics in this regard could pay long-term dividends. Also, with an increased focus on cost management on the client side, treasurers may shop around for better pricing. Failure to modernize the related core legacy systems—whether cash management and treasury or securities reconciliation systems—could be a missed opportunity.
As faster payments become a growing reality and offer richer, structured data and real-time tracking, banks should consider offering new liquidity solutions to clients. On the client side, corporates and buy-side institutions are expecting more from their transaction banks. They want real-time solutions that use data in an intelligent way to optimize working capital or investment performance and create a hassle-free experience.
Open banking, in this context, is quickly becoming a differentiator and a way to lock in clients. Finally, the advent of tokenized securities will push some custodians to design new digital assets custody solutions. Growth in corporate banking globally has been a mixed bag in Global deposit growth over the last year has been relatively flat, with a 1. US banks report weakening demand across several loan categories, partly citing increased competition between banks and from nonbank lenders, such as private capital firms and fintechs.
Some banks also report increasing the premiums on riskier loans. The same uncertainty has pushed many European banks to also tighten credit standards in Despite this, demand for corporate loans in Europe has remained robust, supported by low interest rates.
In Asia, the ongoing US-China trade conflict has begun to weigh on business lending. Even with recent efforts by Chinese regulators to stimulate lending and offset the impact from declining exports, corporate loans in China have sharply fallen over the year, and corporate bond defaults have soared.
But the market is showing early signs of cooling, as some banks begin to shun leveraged loans amid a higher level of scrutiny. Influenced by what they see in their personal lives as consumers of digitally enabled services in areas such as online retail or ride-hailing services, more corporate customers have begun to expect similar high-quality, tailored, seamless services.
Faced with this shift and heightened competition, many corporate banks are prioritizing digital transformation. JPMorgan Chase, for instance, has said it will merge its corporate banking team with its middle-market technology division to better serve clients in that space. Change is on the horizon, and the future landscape for corporate banks will likely be marked by evolving client expectations, business model and workforce shifts, and disruptive technologies.
A more open world and access to greater amounts of customer data could lead to more analytics-driven processes, especially within loan underwriting. The new promise of open banking across the industry, meanwhile, could pave the way for platform banking. There could very well be greater competition from insurance companies, private equity firms, traditional asset managers, and fintechs in the corporate lending space.
Thus, the corporate bank over the next decade could look very different than the one today, as it redefines its role in the new financial ecosystem. In the short term, shifting client demands, increases in the cost to serve, and the threat from new market entrants will likely put pressure on banks to rethink their current strategies while it continues to strengthen relationships with clients.
To do so, corporate banks should first consider refreshing or enhancing their relationship management capabilities by offering clients a new business proposition via digital products and services. Finding fresh value streams outside loans will likely become an imperative, especially as economic uncertainty weighs on loan demand and as more fintechs such as Kabbage or StreetShares enter the lending space with alternative models.
Digital products and services—for example, supply chain finance, specialized support, easy integration, or flexible funding options—could lead to new fee income opportunities and help protect against revenue pressure. These new products and services can support the role of relationship managers by allowing them to take on an advisory role beyond lending.
Next, banks should consider digitizing front- and back-office functions to boost operating efficiency and deliver the seamless, digitally enhanced experience that corporate clients increasingly crave. On the front end, account servicing, for instance, has long been a face-to-face business. AI-powered, digitally assisted conversations during servicing could revamp routine communications, enhancing the client relationship and marking another step toward differentiation.
On the back end, loan origination and rationalization are ripe for automation. Of course, digital enablement could be hindered without platform modernization. They might also consider infrastructure improvements via fintech acquisitions or managed services.
Finally, on the accounting side in the United States, with the approaching replacement of an incurred loss model by a current expected credit loss CECL standard, and the wide variation in allowances set by banks, it is yet to be seen what impact, if any, the new standards might have on lending volume, pricing, terms, and underwriting criteria.
Exchange trading volumes in fixed income securities, futures, and options have also expanded, though mostly for smaller trade sizes. Overall, volatility in equity markets is only slightly lower than , despite the rise in geopolitical risks.
However, market liquidity in stocks, bonds, currencies, and derivatives has contracted. Electronification of bond trading is happening at a steady pace, although it is still only about 20—30 percent of total volume, depending on geography and asset class. In the cleared derivatives market, though, diverging global regulations have caused greater fragmentation, contributing to lesser competition and lower liquidity.
How this phenomenon plays out globally remains to be seen. Lastly, consolidation in the exchange industry is taking on a new shade. The exchange and clearing industry may reconsolidate and become more concentrated, even though we might see niche players emerging in the near term. Trading in digital assets, whether cryptocurrencies or digital tokens, should become more common.
And, of course, intelligent automation, electronification, and a blockchain system for trading, clearing, and settlement could be pervasive, leading to greater efficiencies and declining margins. This, in turn, will demand scale for profitability.
Nontrading services could form a larger share of revenues over time, with the market infrastructure players expanding their business across the value chain and marketing their expertise to the buy-side and sell-side. At the same time, systemic risk should increase, possibly bringing new regulations. However, whether these new rules will be harmonized across the globe or are country- or region-specific is hard to predict. The search for a new identity by market infrastructure players, stable returns, and higher margins will likely prompt further consolidation worldwide, especially if the economics become more challenging.
However, cross-border deals might face greater scrutiny. And by leveraging their technologies, exchanges can offer a market-in-a-box infrastructure. Of course, exchanges and clearing houses will have to continue to digitize their operations across the value chain, possibly through machine learning or RPA.
While more blockchain-based experimentation and solutions could be developed, cloud adoption might not happen quickly due to security concerns and speed. Finally, the much-awaited go-live implementation of the Consolidated Audit Trail CAT reporting in April should reveal immediate benefits. Below is our assessment of what will likely happen in and beyond in these key areas and their effects on the industry.
US tax reform lowered the US statutory tax rate and included numerous provisions that impact multinational financial institutions, whether domiciled in the United States or abroad. Over the past year, the financial services industry has actively engaged with the US Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service IRS to request further clarity on how the new rules would apply to their business models.
But, as final rules have yet to be issued, uncertainty remains. The responses to US tax reform have varied. Some have attempted to push through the ambiguity for instance, by repapering cross-border contracts ; others are awaiting further clarity, which may lead them to consider recalibrating business models and strategies.
The financial services industry is expected to react swiftly once clarity is gained, both from a business standpoint as well as operationally. Meanwhile, complex, real-time reporting requirements—such as the Automatic Exchange of Information AEOI global standard that mandates the flow of information between countries —are placing additional pressure on many banking tax departments.
As a result, many have begun to rethink their technology, data, and analytics capabilities to improve their processes and boost efficiency. Some are exploring managed tax and technology services to keep costs low as they struggle to increase their budget so they can perform these activities in-house. Others are experimenting with moving their processes and data to the cloud. As financial institutions await legislative clarity, they should continue to prioritize their ability to rapidly respond to updates.
This might be accomplished by building new, data-ready frameworks and modeling tools. Institutions should also take a closer look at talent and equip their tax departments with the right people to best recalibrate to the latest realities. Financial institutions no longer face individual, rogue hackers but an ecosystem of highly skilled bad actors and nation-states.
Looking ahead, greater use of mobile devices, driven by 5G, and the power of quantum computing might only further intensify cyber threats. Many banks, however, have begun to recognize that their risk controls are inadequate to address the shifts toward the cloud, APIs, more open architectures, and the reliance on other third parties. With all of these factors, bank leaders should rethink traditional cybersecurity measures that may still be in place. Moreover, banks should reassess how they deploy their cybersecurity budgets because higher spending does not always yield better outcomes.
Additionally, cyber threats have begun to blur the lines between financial and nonfinancial risks. Though many firms feel they have a handle on more traditional financial risks, financial crime is entering a new age. Fraud and money laundering are now increasingly being conducted in cyberspace. The need for scale and the desire to bolster digital capabilities, along with having a lower cost structure to enable change, will likely be the primary motivations. US top performers that have benefitted from recent rises in valuation will be ready to scoop up weaker players.
Lower economic growth and depressed rates, meanwhile, could prompt strategic reviews, and former buyers may become sellers. While the physical footprint and the branch network are still important considerations, there is greater focus on technology infrastructure capabilities and sustaining growth in a digital economy.
This differs a bit from the Chevy Tahoe offerings, which includes an air suspension option without magnetic shocks. Still, we feel confident in saying that the magnetic and air combination is the best option for the Yukon. The ride quality is phenomenal, eliminating bumps and keeping the body very well controlled.
It even helps eliminate a lot of the shudders and shakes that come from the body-on-frame construction see our recent road test of the Ford Expedition King Ranch and the Chevy Tahoe Z It also keeps body roll limited and complements the accurate, well-weighted steering. The sport mode has heavier steering and slightly firmer suspension.
But regardless of setting, the Denali almost feels sporty, though its weight and height reign it in. And when the magnetic shocks are paired with the air springs, it can adjust the ride height. It can drop 2 inches for easy entry, and rise 2 inches for improved ground clearance at low speeds off-road. Of course, being the top-of-the-line Yukon, the Denali carries the highest price. All of these SUVs are very similarly equipped.
You won't find the expansive OLED displays from the Cadillac inside, nor the mid-century inspired design of the Lincoln. And with the Ford and Chevy, you get the same cabin design as a base trim level. GMC is clearly serious about making its Denali products something genuinely special.
Hummer teases crab mode, reveal set for Oct. The finest dribbler of his generation, Diego Maradona mounted challenges like a rooster in heat, chest puffed out, angled elbows bent inwards, with a bit of his tongue sticking out. When a documentary is called "The Meaning of Hitler," there are two things you know off the bat.
The pardon is part of a broader effort by Trump to undo the results of a Russia investigation that shadowed his administration and yielded criminal charges against a half-dozen associates. SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — The operator of an online chat room in South Korea was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison for blackmailing dozens of women, including minors, into filming sexually explicit video and selling them to others.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted Cho Ju-bin, 24, of violating the laws on protecting minors and organizing a criminal ring, court spokesman Kim Yong Chan said. Kim said the court decided to isolate Cho from society for a prolonged period in consideration of his attitude and the seriousness and evil influence of his crime. Both Cho and prosecutors, who had requested a life sentence, have one week to appeal.
Cho and five accomplices were detained in March for allegedly producing sexually abusive video of 74 victims, 16 of them minors, and distributing them on the Telegram messaging app where users paid in cryptocurrency to watch them in President Moon Jae-in earlier called for thorough investigation and stern punishment for those operating such chatrooms like Cho's and their users.
In recent years, South Korea has been struggling to cope with what the government describes as digital sex crimes, which aside from the abusive chatrooms also include the spread of intimate photos and videos taken by smartphones or tiny spy cameras hidden in public spaces and buildings, an issue that triggered massive protests in Links to the latest deals are listed below. Deal Tomato earns commissions from purchases made using the links provided.
About Deal Tomato: Deal Tomato reports on popular sales events. As an Amazon Associate and affiliate Deal Tomato earns from qualifying purchases. Contact: Andy Mathews andy nicelynetwork. Pune, Nov. The increasing incidence of ocular diseases, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and refractive errors, is driving the ophthalmic laser market. As the drugs for treating ocular diseases is less, the demand for ophthalmic laser devices has come into existence. North America is expected to grow at a considerable rate in the global ophthalmic lasers market during the forecast years.
FDA approval in two new indications for its LenSx, one for creating tunnels enabling placement of corneal rings, and other indication for creating corneal pockets for placement of presbyopia-correcting inlays. FDA approval for its VisuMax femtosecond laser, enabling it to perform small-incision lenticule extraction.
Optical Coherence Tomography or OCT is an imaging technique used to identify retinal disorders using quantitative data. These players are well-recognized and have a robust distribution network in the medical laser segment. Such factors are responsible for the dominance of these players. Several companies are focusing on to launch new products in order to strengthen their distribution channel. The product has two indications, one for creating tunnels allowing placement of corneal rings, whereas the other is to create corneal pockets for effective placement of presbyopia-correcting inlays.
People in the U. Furthermore, healthcare providers are rapidly adopting ophthalmic lasers in the U. These factors are likely to enable growth in the market in North America. The market in Asia Pacific is yet to achieve growth as a large pool of patients are still dependent on contact lenses and eyeglasses.
However, with the rising developments in technology, the healthcare providers in countries such as China, India among others will adopt ophthalmology lasers. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.
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COVID-19 and the Cost of Human Life
May 10, 2020 Middle East, Other insights on the M.ECovid, Life, Syria, WarsNir Boms
By NIR BOMS, HUSSEIN ABOUBAKR, Jerusalem Post, May 10th 2020
The recent weeks have awakened us to a new and unprecedented reality. Life is at stake, we are told, and life is precious, priceless, in fact. The world needs our actions to save life. There is no price for human life, unless of course it's someone else's life or someone else's war. For that, we will not halt our world. We will not close a single shop. We might just change the channel.
The Covid-19 outbreak presented us with a real-life question of how far we are willing to protect and preserve life. For most of us, citizens of the "lucky world," this was the first time such a question has been posed, not in a metaphysical sense but as one with real-life consequences. The disruption and the near-complete global halt is due to the drastic measures taken to curtail the spread of the virus. The world-wide response has indeed been impressive. Borders were shut, cities were locked down and national emergencies were declared. As it stands today, the unprecedented global death toll of the new virus has crossed the 250,000 mark, still mostly among the elderly. Our measures appear effective in slowing the virus's progression and "flattening the curve." But what more are we to do if that death toll climbs? How about 300,000? What if the number approaches half a million human lives lost to the pandemic?
When it comes to global crises, those numbers are not fictional. They are very real numbers of real lost lives from the last decade alone. Some 700,000 Syrians lost their lives since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, with a peak of 20,000 a month. Syrian healthcare systems, schools, infrastructures, water and sanitation system are entirely destroyed. Once-busy marketplaces and bazaars in historic city centers have been reduced to rubble and ash. Parents buried children who died from bombs or who drowned in the Mediterranean. The coronavirus might spare the lives of children, but war doesn't.
Children like Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy who washed up on a Turkish beach, have a better chance surviving the pandemic than they do of surviving human conflict. Nearly 12 million Syrians were displaced in and outside of Syria. At the same time, more than three million Iraqis fled their homes in an attempt to escape the violence of the Islamic State.
In Afghanistan, the last decade was the deadliest and the most devastating, with tens of thousands dying annually.
MILLIONS OF displaced Afghanis fled to Pakistan and Turkey, and then joined Syrians and Iraqis in their flight to Europe. Our last decade produced more dead and more displaced families than any other comparable period since WWII.Yet, and unlike with the corona outbreak, the world completely failed to act. Middle Eastern countries failed to maintain stability in their region, not stopping the virus of violence or acting to absorb refugees from neighboring countries.Unable or unwilling to intervene, Europe stood utterly helpless facing a wave of millions of newcomers who overwhelmed national institutions, governmental services, school and health systems.
The decisive actions that we see today were very much absent when it came to Syria, Congo, Yemen or Darfur. Today, the UN and humanitarian organizations must care for nearly 70 million displaced refugees across the globe.
The COVID-19 pandemic is particularly threatening to those who can't wash their hands as often as we do, and those who lack a home to go to or a government to depend on. With a reduction in the global labor force, restrictions on movement and inadequate humanitarian efforts, those displaced families are at risk of being victimized once again by bad luck and tragic misfortune. Viruses are dangerous. Infectious diseases remain responsible for about one quarter of deaths worldwide, causing at least 10 million deaths per year, mostly in Africa. Violence – state-led for the most part – kills hundreds of thousands per year. We are hopeful that the coronavirus will be defeated before its death toll reaches these numbers. Have we failed to recognize our priorities if our reactions to bigger calamities aren't as vigilant as our reactions to the current pandemic? These words are not being written to criticize social isolation, nor are they meant to compare catastrophes.
After all, lives are priceless and we are commended to protect them, especially when the threat is at our doorstep. But perhaps our time isolated in our homes might help teach another lesson from this crisis; a lesson of perspective and responsibility. We know how to save lives when we decide to do so but we have killed many more lives by our inaction than saving lives now by action. Now, as we begin to leave the confines of our homes and deal with our broader world, shouldn't this teach us that we should act some more?
Dr. Nir Boms is the author of The Syrian War between Justice and Political Reality, and a fellow at the Dayan Center for Middle East Studies. Hussein Aboubakr is an Egyptian-American writer and commentator.
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KCNA Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EN)
Press Statement by Spokesperson for the National Coordination Committee for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Date: 28/05/2020 | Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EN) | Read original version at source
Recently, the United States is letting loose an unheard-of vociferation about "cyber threat" from the DPRK.
We know well that the ulterior intention of the United States is to tarnish the image of our state and create a moment for provoking us by employing a new leverage called "cyber threat" together with the issues of nukes, missiles, "human rights", "sponsoring of terrorism" and "money laundering."
The previous incidents of cyber-attack which the U.S. had linked to us were clearly proven to be the acts of international hackers, and even the experts in the U.S. have officially admitted them.
It is none other than the U.S. that does not hesitate to abuse even the modern civilization – the creation of humankind – as a means of plots and fabrications in a bid to taint the countries of their "disliking" with all sorts of slanders and disgrace.
Such farce by the U.S. is nothing new to us.
To put it clearly, our state has nothing to do at all with what is claimed by the U.S. to be a "cyber threat."
The U.S. should be clearly aware that worthless and worn-out plots and fabrications invented continuously by themselves will no longer work against the international community.
Pyongyang, May 28, Juche109(2020)
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The stunning image circulated on social media the past couple of days. A Great Pyrenees dog motionlessly standing guard over another dog on the side of a freeway in Dallas Texas. Brian, the Great Pyrenees who apparently, along with his partner Marley, a Shepard mix, escaped from an open garage door and wandered away from home. After wandering into a road, Marley, Brian's partner apparently was struck and killed by a vehicle. According to animal rescue workers it appears Brian dragged his partner to safety off the road and stood by her as she died from her wounds.
The images of this heart broken dog, loyally standing by his wounded partner on the side of the road is not just a heart warming story, but is also a reminder to us that throughout all of nature species look out for each other. The principle of Care dominates our planet and even animals understand it very well. Animals understand and identify with the concept of compassion and they understand loyalty.
We've seen situations in the past where animals show more compassion than humans. But this one time I'm reminded that if we as humans can't equally care for each other the way dogs do in urgent situations, then humanity has much to worry about.
I'm also reminded how this story puts into perspective the level of evil that we are all subjected to every day when dealing with endless wars, lies, tyranny and oppressive government. The rulers of this world are not able to show the compassion this dog showed for his partner. When a dog can demonstrate more compassion for nature than living human beings, including those who run this world, this is an indicator of how bad things are and how much we've been manipulated into hating and fighting against each other.
Today, let us all learn from Brian, the Great Pyrenees who was photographed loyally standing by his partner after rescuing her from the road. We can learn many lessons of loyalty and compassion from Brian. And may humanity take these lessons from this dog and learn how to apply it to our lives.
This is but one story. Every single day there are lessons all around us being taught to us by the animals. We can watch and see how they commune with each other and with nature instead of attempting to senselessly dominate each other. Every day we can watch them and learn how to love one another and care for one another.
Is anyone paying attention? This is the question I'm asking after seeing this story. I am. And I hope others are too, because as we move forward the control system looks to divide us like never before with wars of race, gender, religion, politics and more. The control system is waging war on humanity trying desperately to divide us. So pardon me as I cherry-pick this story, which on the surface seems irrelevant, but a deeper look shows it has many lessons to offer.


text:
by Ilene Schneider	| Email the author
CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—Breast cancer, the most common cancer in the United Kingdom, accounts for 15 percent of all new cancer cases. About 55,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer—roughly 150 per day—are diagnosed in the U.K. each year. Although approximately two-thirds (65 percent) of women diagnosed with breast cancer in England and Wales survive for 20 years or more, the disease still causes about 11,400 deaths annually.
A nonprofit organization thinks it may have an answer to that problem. The METABRIC (Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium) study stratified breast tumors into 11 different integrative clusters based on distinct genomic drivers.
According to a Cancer Research UK-funded study published in Nature in March, the genetic and molecular makeup of individual breast tumors provides clues as to how a woman's disease might progress, including the likelihood of its coming back after treatment and in what time frame. In what they describe as the first study of its kind, scientists at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute at the University of Cambridge collaborated with Prof. Christina Curtis at Stanford University to examine the patterns of genetic changes in tumors from nearly 2,000 women with breast cancer.
Following disease progress for more than 20 years, including whether their cancer returned, the researchers used the information to create a statistical tool to predict whether and when a woman's breast cancer could come back. The team is working on a routine test designed to give doctors that information. The researchers hope to help doctors to tailor treatments and follow up to individuals, improving their chances of survival.
As Prof. Carlos Caldas, lead researcher at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, explained, "Treatments for breast cancer have improved dramatically in recent years, but unfortunately for some women, their breast cancer returns and spreads, becoming incurable. For some, this can be many years later, but it's been impossible to accurately predict who is at risk of recurrence and who is all clear. In this study, we've delved deeper into breast cancer molecular subtypes so we can more accurately identify who might be at risk of relapsing and uncover new ways of treating them."
Previous results from this group of researchers showed that breast cancer is not just one disease. Instead, it could be classified into one of 11 molecular subgroups. Recent research showed how these molecular subtypes have distinct clinical trajectories that cannot be predicted by looking at commonly used characteristics, such as size, stage, estrogen receptor (ER) or HER2 status, alone.
Clinical trajectories vary considerably, even between tumors that seem similar. Among women with triple-negative breast cancer, there was a distinct subgroup whose outlook is initially poor, but for whom the disease is unlikely to come back in those who survived five years.
The researchers also identified subgroups of women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors, who were at a higher risk of their cancer coming back as much as 20 years after they were first diagnosed. As many as 12,300 women in the UK may belong to one of these late relapse subgroups and might benefit from longer courses of treatments such as tamoxifen, or more frequent check-ups.
The research also showed how molecular subgroups could behave very differently if a patient's cancer comes back. Recurring cancers commonly spread to different parts of the body and some are more aggressive than others, affecting how much time women survive for following a relapse.
In addition to developing an affordable test for future use in hospitals, the research team is investigating personalized treatment options for different subtypes of breast cancer. The next step for the researchers will be to recruit patients into different clinical trials depending on the molecular makeup of their tumor.
Dr. Oscar Rueda, first author of the paper and senior research associate at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, summarized, "We've shown that the molecular nature of a woman's breast cancer determines how her disease could progress, not just for the first five years, but also later, even if it comes back. We hope that our research tool can be turned into a test that doctors can easily use to guide treatment recommendations."


text:
Weaving Games and Puzzles Into the Fabric of a City
Before, the triangular plot of land in West Philadelphia didn't have much to interest a child. There was just a bus stop, a strip of sidewalk and an adjacent lot sometimes used as a garden. Today, though, the area is a miniature wonderland, with a puzzle wall, a rubberized hopscotch pad and a whimsical metal sculpture.
But this is not just a playground. Specially designed to stimulate child-caregiver interaction and learning, the play zone is part of a project called "Urban Thinkscape." Kids move puzzle pieces on the back wall of the bus stop, developing their spatial and math skills as they go. They practice concentration by following the footprints on the hopscotch pads. They build on their literacy skills by naming pictures that decorate a climbing area.
The creators of Urban Thinkspace—a team of psychologists, educators and architects—hope that planting such learning environments in disadvantaged neighborhoods could help close the achievement gap between local children and their wealthier peers.
"At the beginning of all of this we were really thinking about the idea that even in the preschool years there's the '30 million word gap' between kids in lower socioeconomic backgrounds versus kids in higher socioeconomic background," says Brenna Hassinger-Das, a psychologist at Pace University who leads Urban Thinkscape. "There are differences in kids' skill levels before they even start formal schooling in kindergarten."
The "30 million word gap" refers to an influential 1995 study that showed children from the lowest socioeconomic classes heard 30 million fewer words by age 3 than children from the highest socioeconomic classes. This is a big deal, as vocabulary skills in toddlerhood relate to later school success.
One proposed solution is universal free preschool. But, as Hassinger-Das points out, kids only spend 20 percent of their waking time in school.
"So if we address the school-based thing, there's still the other 80 percent that's spent outside school," she says. "How can we address the other 80 percent in settings where kids spend a lot of their time?"
So Hassinger-Das and her colleagues came up with the idea of transforming public spaces into places where kids and their caregivers could engage in "playful learning." The thinking was that art and play installations incorporated into everyday spaces could spark conversations between parents and children, creating opportunities for teaching and learning.
They received funding from the William Penn Foundation and scoured Philly for the right spot for the pilot playspace, settling last year on the street where Martin Luther King Jr. launched a 1965 freedom rally. They met with community members about their needs and wants and contracted Israeli architect Itai Palti, known for incorporating behavioral science into design. Palti designed the installations based on community input and on the latest research about how children develop skills like executive function, spatial reasoning and literacy.
Urban Thinkspace in Philadelphia (Sahar Coston-Hardy Photography)
The Urban Thinkspace team also observed people using the space to see how they interacted. Before the playspace was put in, there was little to no parent-child communication going on in the small area.
"No conversations, no use of language like numerical or spatial language, no talking about colors or literacy related talk," Hassinger-Das says.
Since the playspace opened in October, things have changed. Though their final study of the newly designed area isn't complete, Hassinger-Das says anecdotally more families are chatting while using the space, and that more community members are invested in keeping the area tidy.
"Micro-interventions" such as Urban Thinkspace can actually have a larger impact for more people than big, expensive playgrounds or parks, says Kate Tooke, a Boston-based landscape architect who specializes in children's outdoor environments.
"When a community invests in these tiny little interventions that are interesting along the route to school or the park, that becomes these really powerful learning moments for children and parents," Tooke says.
But many people don't realize how important play and playful spaces are to children, Hassinger-Das says. Part of this is because of the emphasis on academics over playtime in schools increasingly worried about standardized testing.
"Over time recess has been severely limited, so those sort of changes kind of subconsciously reinforce the idea that it's not that important for kids to get playtime in school," Hassinger-Das says.
Kids are also getting fewer play opportunities after school. When Tooke meets with community members to talk about new projects, she often emphasizes the importance of outdoor play to mental, emotional and physical well-being.
"I think there's a statistic that children spend about four minutes a day in free play outdoors," Tooke says. "That's happening for a number of reasons."
Interventions like Urban Thinkscape can help make street corners seem like friendly, safe places. The Philadelphia installation includes a streetlight, illuminating a previously dark area.
Urban Thinkspace isn't the only organization attempting to harness the power of play on a microscale. A UK-based nonprofit called Pop-Up Adventure Play turns disused urban spaces like empty lots into temporary playspaces, bringing in giant cardboard tubes or boxes or recycling scraps to help spark imaginative play. Another nonprofit, KaBOOM!, builds playgrounds in disadvantaged communities and promotes "playability" – the idea of having many easily-accessible play opportunities within a city. It suggests turning urban spaces like bus stops into micro play spots by, say, painting hopscotch grids on the ground. In India, Anthill Creations develops unique small playspaces that incorporate learning elements, often made with recycled industrial materials.
Hassinger-Das and her colleagues hope to create similar spaces in other locations, and are also working on a larger initiative to look at making everyday spaces like supermarkets or laundromats more conducive to playful learning by adding elements that stimulate interest and interaction.
"We want this to be something that's in people's neighborhoods, where they already go," Hassinger-Das says. "It's not like making a special trip to the children's museum where you have to pay money and take a bus."
In the Future, Will We Be Growing Fruit in Home Bioreactors?Ladomir, Zlatozara and Agrafena: How Muscovites Named Their Babies in 2017


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Antonio Valente (1520?- après 1580) est un organiste, claveciniste et compositeur italien de la Renaissance.

Biographie
Aveugle depuis l'enfance, Antonio Valente est organiste de l'église S. Angelo a Nilo de Naples, de 1565 à 1580. Son Intavolatura de 1576, écrite dans une notation numérique peu commune, contient la fantaisie pour clavier la plus ancienne actuellement connue, des ricercari imitatifs, ainsi que des variations. Il a également publié un volume de canons pour l'orgue, Versi spirituali (Naples, 1580).

Il meurt à Naples après 1580, probablement à l'orée du .

Œuvres
 Intavolatura de cimbalo … libro primo, Naples, 1576. Contient notamment une pièce pour clavier fréquemment jouée en concert : Lo Ballo dell'intorcia (la danse de la torche ou du flambeau).
 Versi spirituali sopra tutti le note, con diversi canoni spartiti per sonar ne gli organi, messe, vespere, et altri officii divini, Naples, 1580.

Exemple sonore

« Lo Ballo dell'intorcia », La Danse des Torches, comprend sept mutanze ou variations de la même ritournelle. L'enregistrement proposé fait entendre une registration différente à chaque exposition des ritournelles.

Discographie
 Intavolatura di Cimbalo par Francesco Cera (Tactus)
 Intavolatura de Cimbalo, l'œuvre complète pour clavecin, par Rebecca Maurer (Christophorus)

Annexes

Articles connexes
 Musique de la Renaissance

Liens externes

Compositeur italien de la Renaissance
Claveciniste (compositeur)
Claveciniste italien
Organiste classique italien
Date de naissance non renseignée (XVIe siècle)
Décès à Naples
Musicien aveugle
Date de décès non renseignée (XVIe siècle)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by asbestos fibers that have been accidentally inhaled or ingested. They are microscopic, passing unnoticed into the lungs or the stomach. Usually the exposure to asbestos has occurred on the job; that was the case for millions of workers throughout the 20th century when asbestos products were widely used.
The body cannot shed those fibers so they embed themselves in tissue within the body, causing the development of mesothelioma cancer decades after the initial exposure to asbestos. Seventy percent of all cases develop in the pleura, the membrane that lines the chest wall and the outer surfaces of the lungs. Twenty to twenty five percent of mesothelioma cases develop on the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdominal wall and the surfaces for many of the organs found in the abdominal cavity.
When peritoneal mesothelioma begins to develop the membrane on which the cancer cells are concentrated begins to thicken. Another common symptom is the accumulation of excess fluid in the abdomen. Those two abnormalities may cause distention of the abdomen along with abdominal pain – usually the first overt symptoms for the disease.
Peritoneal mesothelioma rises in a location that is adjacent to many vital organs. The system most often impacted is the lower digestive tract; the swelling of the peritoneum and the fluid accumulation alone can cause gastrointestinal problems up to the point of bowel obstruction. The first symptoms for mesothelioma-caused gastrointestinal problems are diarrhea and/or nausea and vomiting. If the treating physician decides on surgical action to "debulk" the mesothelioma tumors, he might remove a portion of the colon even though the disease hasn't reached that tissue yet, just as a precautionary measure. Additional symptoms include anemia, weakness, and fever.
If the disease hasn't progressed to an advanced stage, surgery is usually the first step in treatment. The portion of the peritoneum membrane that is cancerous is removed along with any adjacent tissue or parts of organs that may be threatened. Following surgery radiation and chemotherapy treatments continue for some months.
One prominent surgeon has written about a "trimodality" treatment plan involving all three therapy options in a coordinated attack on the disease. The use of heated chemotherapy drugs applied directly to the afflicted area during surgery has shown positive results. In some instances this direct approach to chemotherapy can be continued with a surgically installed tube. Occasionally a direct application of radiation while the patient is still on the operating table may be employed as well.
Asbestos-caused diseases have impacted hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens, particularly those who worked during the latter half of the twentieth century. There has been over 800,000 legal actions filed on behalf of individuals who developed mesothelioma or another asbestos disease as the result of exposure on the job.
If you or a family member has peritoneal mesothelioma you may be eligible for compensation.


This is an outstanding Proof example with exceptional cameo contrast. The quarter eagle coinage dated 1833 consisted of 4,160 circulation strikes and a small, unknown quantity of Proofs. Of the latter, just four or five are known today, including one in the Smithsonian Institution. During the early 1830s, total mintages hovered just over 4,000 coins per year, with few actually remaining in circulation. Typical grades of survivors are Extremely Fine or Almost Uncirculated, most with minor surface marks or other impairments. Those that did enter circulation were almost immediately hoarded as being worth more in gold than their face value.
Purchased from Stanley Kesselman, November 8, 1978.


Jimmy Choo's 157-square-meter flagship in Harbour City, Hong Kong is a two-level, dual gender store that introduces itself with a dramatic double height façade. Shoppers are greeted by the monumental storefront featuring vertical imagery displayed in light boxes and LED monitors. At street level, the façade combines retro and modern design, with rounded edge cartouche framings that provide integrated lighting. Marble and metal layering are deconstructed to give way to the light from inside the store.
Draped in white Carrera marble, a welcoming feature stairway continues the theme of transparency as it wraps around the showcased product. The men's and women's sections of the store fall on either side of the open staircase, making the merchandise visible from both sides. The urban Canton Road shopping district is visible from the grand glass window that fronts all areas of the store and custom mirrored shelving units expand the depth of space.


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Mount Pearl soccer aces win national award
Mount Pearl's Special Olympics soccer team, which represented Newfoundland and Labrador in national competition last year, has been named the Team of the Year by Special Olympics Canada.
The squad is comprised of 10 talented, hard working and motivated athletes - Andrew Hynes, Bradley Murphy, David Wells, Eddie Hynes, Jason Roche, Mark Peddle, Matthew Kelly, Matthew Martin, Nadia Brenton, and Nick Styles. They are coached by Travis Maher, Amy Skinner and Emily Shea.
Trish Williams, the Executive Director of Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador, said the athletes are all dedicated to their coaches; "listening to them and truly believing and understanding that they are working together to be the best team that they can be."
The team members were silver medallists at the Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games in Vancouver, BC.
"The team exemplified the true spirit of Special Olympics every time they stepped onto the field," said Williams. "They played extremely hard during game time – but once the whistle blew they complimented their opponent's good play, helped someone off the field that had fallen, and high fived those involved. Fair play and hard work is always at the forefront for this team."
Special Olympics has the power to change the lives of both the athletes and the volunteers who support them, Williams added.
Sarah Brown of Gander and Jackie Barrett of Gillams were also recognized by Special Olympics Canada for their achievements.
"We are thrilled to have so many of our athletes' performances recognised at the National level," said Williams. "The SONL athletes and volunteer coaches are to be commended on their success."
The Special Olympics Canada National awards will be presented on November 19 in Toronto.
Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador (SONL) is dedicated to enriching the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with an intellectual disability through active participation in sport. It is a provincial not-for-profit grassroots organization that provides sport training and competition opportunities for over 600 athletes of all ages and abilities.
There are 14 community based clubs that offer sport programs. Through sport, Special Olympics offers athletes and families a sense of achievement and an opportunity to excel as they take on leadership roles within their community, Williams said.
Posted on September 17, 2015 by Craig Westcott.


text:
Home Misc They May Owe Nothing – Half Million Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled
They May Owe Nothing – Half Million Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled
26 July 2019 16 December 2020 Misc
Fresenius, one of the two largest dialysis providers in the U.S., has agreed to waive a $524,600.17 bill for a man who received 14 weeks of dialysis at a clinic in Montana.
Kaiser Health News, NPR and CBS This Morning told Sovereign Valentine's story this week, as part of the "Bill of the Month" series, a crowdsourced investigation that seeks to understand the exorbitant health care bills faced by ordinary Americans.
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On Thursday, a representative from Fresenius told Sovereign's wife, Dr. Jessica Valentine, that the company would waive their unpaid bill. Instead, they will be treated as in-network patients, and Fresenius will seek to negotiate with their insurer a rate higher than what the insurer has already paid. The Valentines are responsible only for their $5,000 deductible, which Sovereign, who goes by "Sov," has already hit for the year. That leaves them with $0 left to pay on their in-network deductible.
"It's a huge relief," Sov said. "It allows me to put more energy back into just taking care of my health and not having stress hormones raging." Sov said he hopes his experience will shed light on the problem of balance billing and help other patients in similar situations.
A 50-year-old personal trainer, Sov was diagnosed with kidney failure in January and sent for dialysis at a Fresenius clinic 70 miles from his home in rural Plains, Mont. A few days later, Sov and Jessica learned that the clinic was out-of-network and that they would be required to pay whatever their insurer didn't cover.
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The Valentines initially could not find an in-network option, and Sov needed dialysis three times a week to survive. After he underwent 14 weeks of dialysis with Fresenius, the couple received a bill for $540,841.90. Their insurer, Allegiance, paid $16,241.73, about twice what Medicare would have paid. Fresenius billed the couple the unpaid balance of $524,600.17 — an amount that is more than the typical cost of a kidney transplant.
Fresenius charged the Valentines $13,867.74 per dialysis session, or about 59 times the $235 Medicare pays for a dialysis session.
Fresenius spokesman Brad Puffer said that the Valentines should always have been treated as in-network patients because their insurer, Allegiance, is a subsidiary of Cigna, which has a contract with the dialysis company. Under this contract, Fresenius would have been paid a higher rate than what Allegiance paid. The Valentines, he said, were caught in the middle of a contract dispute between the companies.
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"In the future, we pledge to better identify situations where we believe the insurer has incorrectly classified one of our facilities as being out of network," Puffer said in a statement. "This will allow us to address the matter directly with the insurer in the first instance, without them placing the patient in the middle."
Allegiance was not immediately available for comment. Jessica Valentine questioned whether they may owe an out-of-network deductible and is waiting to hear what her insurer says about that.
Like her husband, Jessica is relieved that their bill seems to be resolved but worried that other people with bills like theirs might not be so lucky. She's also grateful for all the attention their story has garnered. Montana Sen. Jon Tester's office and their hospital's insurance broker both offered to advocate for them. "And a nephrologist from Pennsylvania called me at work and expressed outrage and said she forwarded on our story to the medical director of Fresenius on our behalf," Jessica wrote in an email.
Now that his bill has been resolved, Sov said he'll be focusing on the next step in battling his kidney disease: a transplant. "I can just save my energy for that," he said.
Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by Kaiser Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us? Tell us about it!
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