text:
Africa-Wide
Central Africa Home
East Africa Home
North Africa Home
Southern Africa Home
West Africa Home
Aid and Assistance
Arms and Armies
Asia, Australia, and Africa
Capital Flows
Europe and Africa
Game Parks
Land and Rural Issues
Latin America and Africa
U.S., Canada and Africa
Conflict Home
Africa/World
InFocus Pages
PhotoEssays
By AllAfrica
English (current) En Français
U.S. Africa Energy
One Year In: President Obama's Power Africa Initiative
Lighting Africa/IFC/World Bank
World Bank Group Commits US$ 5 Billion to Boost Electricity Generation in Six African Countries
The World Bank Group today committed $5 billion in new technical and financial support for energy projects in six African countries-- Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania—which have partnered with President Obama's Power Africa initiative. Making the announcement on the second day of the 1st US-Africa Summit, World Bank Group President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, said the new financial commitment was urgently needed
World Bank Collections
World Bank Group President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, said the new financial commitment was urgently needed to generate more electricity for the people of Africa, 600 million of whom have no access to electricity
U.S. Energy Investment in Africa Starts to Make Headway
As Washington hosts the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit this week, an ambitious but low-profile energy programme announced by President Barack Obama in June 2013 is set to move back into the spotlight. Power Africa is a U.S. government-led initiative around two-thirds funded by the private sector that aims to double the number of people with access to power in sub-Saharan Africa by 2018, connecting 20 million new customers.
President Obama addresses the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Business Forum on August 5, 2014.
Remarks Delivered by Ghanaian President John Mahama and Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO Dana Hyde At the Signing of the Ghana Power Compact
Ghana Power Compact Signing Ceremony: On August 5, 2014, in a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State, MCC signed a .2 million compact with the Government of Ghana to transform the country's power sector by investing in projects focused on distribution, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Powering Africa - A Successful Year But Only a Beginning
Remarks delivered by Paul Hinks, CEO of Symbion Power LLC, to the 'Power Africa' luncheon sponsored by the Corporate Council on Africa.
Just over a year ago, on a bright sunny day I stood at a power plant in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania listening to President Obama tell the world about the Power Africa initiative, an ambitious program with bi-partisan support in Congress. I listened very carefully to his speech as he promised to "bring electricity to 20 million new homes and businesses and to double access to electricity in Africa"
Citi to Source $2.5 Billion to "Power Africa"
Citi has pledged to source $2.5 billion in incremental capital to improve access to electricity for millions of people across Africa as part of the "Power Africa" initiative. Power Africa is a multi-stakeholder partnership between the U.S. Government, governments of several African countries and other public and private sector entities, working to accelerate investment in Africa's power sector over the next several years.
'Massive Demand' for Electricity Across Africa Offers Opportunities for U.S. Firms
Symbion
Symbion Power CEO Paul Hinks (left) escorting President Obama at the Ubungo Power Plant along with GE Africa CEO Jay Ireland and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
With 'user-friendly' support from U.S. government agencies like the Export Import Bank, American companies can contribute to and benefit from the expansion taking place in Africa's energy sector. That is the view of Paul Hinks, CEO of the U.S.-based engineering firm Symbion Power, a lead participant in President Obama's Power Africa Initiative.
Will 'Power Africa' Help Grow Sustainable Energy?
Energy is recognised as a priority issue in the growing United States partnership with Africa, and is among the key themes of the U.S.-Africa Business Forum being organised as an important core event of next week's U.S. Africa Leaders Summit in Washington. While recognising the role that this emerging initiative plays in elevating U.S. dialogue with Africa, a valid question could be asked about the extent to which it contributes to sustainable energy alternatives in Africa. During the ministerial, which focused on "Catalysing Sustainable Energy Growth in Africa", U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz emphasised energy infrastructure as "a critical enabler" for economic development.
U.S Initiative Aims to Create 20 Million Power Connections in Africa
The U.S. government is investing more than $1 billion to create about 20 million new electricity connections in sub-Saharan Africa as part of its "Beyond the Grid" Initiative. The African continent has the world's lowest rates of electrification, a fact that caught the attention of U.S. President Barack Obama when he visited the continent last year.
Agility, Bankability and Capacity - 'ABCs' of Participating in the Power Africa Initiative
Power Africa is the U.S. Government's initiative to help increase access to power on the African continent by encouraging government and private sector partnerships. The initiative is focused on adding more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) of clean, efficient electricity generation capacity in six countries at this stage — Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania.
Bringing 'Power Africa' from Pledges to Projects
There is no debate that lack of access to energy is one of the greatest challenges facing Africa. Electricity is a prerequisite for large scale manufacturing and job creation. Countries like Uganda, Malawi, Sierra Leone provide less than eight percent of their populations with electricity, and demand across the continent is growing by double digits every year.
U.S. Debating 'Historic' Support for Off-Grid Electricity in Africa
Pressure is building for Washington, DC lawmakers to pass a bill that would funnel billions of dollars of U.S. investment into strengthening Africa's electricity production and distribution capabilities, and could offer broad new support for off-grid opportunities.
'Electrify Africa' Legislation Advances in U.S. Congress
Legislation to improve access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa won passage in the U.S. House of Representatives in early May with bipartisan backing. Sponsored by International Relations Committee chair Ed Royce (Republican-California) and 117 co-sponsors, the bill calls for a comprehensive U.S. government approach, at no cost to American taxpayers. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.
Power Africa Benefits African Development and U.S. Economy
Stephen Hayes
In his regular blog for U.S. News and World Report, Corporate Council on Africa President and CEO Stephen Hayes says Power Africa "addresses perhaps the most critical need for African development." Hayes also calls on President Obama "to honor his commitment to developing Africa's power sector."
Challenges Persist for Obama
Bringing Power to Africa, Literally
Keeping the Lights on in Africa
Obama Plan to Electrify Africa Offers a "New Model" of Aid
During an eight-day trip to Africa, President Barack Obama unveiled an ambitious plan to improve access to electricity across the continent, a move the White House says is designed to lift Sub-Saharan Africa out of poverty and help the region develop a stable middle class.
While the initiative may appear to be a generous increase in U.S. government aid to the continent, analysts suggest that it is perhaps more noteworthy as a change in the paradigm of how the United States assists developing nations.
Electrifying Africa - But At What Cost to Africans?
A small solar panel provides power to this house in Nimule, South Sudan.
As children throughout the United States head back to school, it's a good time to remember that schoolchildren throughout Africa often attend schools with no electricity. In areas that do have the utility, frequent power outages are a constant reminder of the need for dependable access to electricity. In June, U.S. policymakers announced two initiatives aimed at increasing electricity production in Africa. President Obama launched Power Africa, an initiative that makes a $7-billion U.S. commitment to the energy sector in six African countries.
General Electric has roots in Africa dating back over 100 years, providing us with a unique understanding of the continent. As a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company, GE is in a unique position to utilize the breadth and depth of our businesses to provide Africa with the solution it needs. From water reuse technology to portable healthcare products, GE can help East, Central and West African nations and economies grow and develop to their full potential. GE is ready to partner with Africa into the next chapter of its growth, and we plan to do that by building partnerships, transferring knowledge, bringing solutions and being responsible. By providing products and services that can help Africa capitalize on current opportunities, while partnering on projects for the future, GE can help Africa usher in growth. In 2008, GE had $3.5 billion in revenues and over 1500 employees in Africa, a testament to our commitment to the continent. More on GE in Africa
GE To Invest $2 Billion in Africa by 2018
GE (NYSE: GE) announced today that it will invest $2 billion in facility development, skills training, and sustainability initiatives across Africa by 2018. GE made the announcement in advance of President Obama's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, where GE is hosting African and global government officials, policy experts, NGOs, entrepreneurs and business leaders for a conference on investment, infrastructure, and innovation in Africa.
GE Partners with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to Provide $500 Million in Financing to Ghana 1000 Project
As part of efforts to address the shortfall in Ghana's public power supply, GE (NYSE: GE) announced today that it has partnered with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to provide $500 million in financing to support development of the Ghana 1000 project in western Ghana. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is championing a global campaign against poverty. The announcement was made ahead of President Obama's U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit.
GE, USADF and USAID Launch Off-Grid Energy Challenge in Six Countries
To support off-grid energy solutions, the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have teamed up with GE Africa (NYSE: GE) to launch the Power Africa Off-Grid Energy Challenge. The three-year initiative will award 25 or more grants of up to $100,000 each to African companies and organizations providing off-grid solutions that deploy renewable resources and power economic activities.
GE Reports
The New Africa Growth Story: Financing Infrastructure
Jay Ireland, CEO of GE Africa, on Private Public Partnerships in Africa
For GE, Africa's Infrastructural Needs Represent Business Opportunity - Jay Ireland
General Electric (GE) had a high-profile role in the PowerAfrica initiative launched during President Barack Obama's Africa trip in June and has announced projects in several countries beyond the three where GE has been involved for a number of years - South Africa, Angola and Nigeria.
Jay Ireland, president and chief executive of GE Africa, was named "International Business Leader of the Year" by African Investor magazine, reflecting his increased profile as the company's involvement expands. Just before the award was announced during the annual IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington, DC, Ireland was interviewed earlier this month at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Chicago.Read more
Power Sector is Ready for 'Stampede' of Investment - General Electric
The U.S.-based multinational General Electric, which points to a 100-year record of involvement in Africa, is one of the companies participating in the Power Africa initiative, announced during President Obama's Africa visit, designed to double access to electricity across sub Saharan Africa. GE is expanding operations in several places, perhaps most aggressively in Nigeria. Last year, GE and the Federal Government of Nigeria signed three Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOUs) outlining cooperation in the energy, healthcare and rail transportation sectors. Ground-breaking for a U.S.$250 million manufacturing facility in the port city of Calabar.
Lazarus Angbazo, President and CEO of GE Nigeria, discussed the company's growth strategy in an interview with Reed Kramer in Abuja.
The United States and Ethiopia convened the U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial in Addis Ababa June 3-4, with a focus on '"Catalyzing Sustainable Energy Growth in Africa'. The Ministerial was designed to showcase African leadership in energy development, explore strategies and effective practices across Africa and the United States for accelerating development of clean energy sources and adoption of energy efficient technologies, review best practices in oil and gas resource development, and highlight progress on the President Obama's Power Africa Initiative.
Power Africa's Beyond the Grid Increasing Access through Small- Scale Energy Solutions
The U.S. Government is formally launching an innovative framework under President Obama's Power Africa initiative to increase energy access for underserved populations across sub-Saharan Africa. Read More
Export-Import Bank Announces Over $1 Billion Authorized for U.S. Exports to sub-Saharan Africa in First Seven Months of Fiscal Year 2014
Private Capital Fuels Power Production - U.S. Energy Secretary Moniz
The Obama administration has a 'very strong focus' on developing electricity infrastructure across Africa, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in an AllAfrica interview before traveling to Algeria and Ethiopia, where he cohosted the U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial. With the Power Africa Initiative announced by President Obama in June 2013, the government is supporting various types of electricity generation - hydrocarbon, solar, hydro, geothermal. "We see both need and an opportunity for U.S. and African business" he said.Read more >>
Hydropower projects like the Tekeze Dam are expected to go a long way in providing Ethiopia's energy needs.
Leadership Africa USA Calls for Follow Up After U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial
Leadership Africa USA announced the successful completion of the June 3-4, 2014 U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. "We are especially proud of the fact that our team was asked to play a leading role in pulling key elements of the AEM together, and that we delivered", commented the group's President, Walker Williams. Leadership Africa USA provided program development support, while managing marketing, logistics, sponsorship and ensuring high level private sector participation in this historic event that welcomed well over 600 participants.
Symbion Power LLC, an engineering contractor, engages in the design, engineering, procurement, and construction of electrical infrastructure projects. Its projects include transmission or transmission and distribution lines, air and gas insulated substations, and power plants in the United States, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company also owns and operates a power plant in Tanzania for the generation of electricity. In addition, it constructs and operates training schools to help develop a skilled local workforce capable of constructing and installing an electrical power infrastructure in northern Iraq; Tanzania; and Kabul, Afghanistan. Symbion Power LLC was founded in 2000 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia with additional offices and subsidiaries in Delaware; Limassol, Cyprus; Cape Town, South Africa; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Baghdad, Iraq; Erbil, Kurdistan; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; and Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, Tanzania.
Rwanda Awards 50MW Methane Gas-to-Electricity Project on Lake Kivu to U.S. Symbion Power
During the U.S. Africa Head of State Summit this week in Washington, D.C., the Government of Rwanda's Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) awarded Symbion Power a 50 megawatt Independent Power Production (IPP) project using methane gas from Lake Kivu, it was announced today by Paul Hinks, Chief Executive Officer, Symbion Power. Symbion will build, own and operate a 50 MW power station by constructing gas extraction facilities to lift, separate, and process methane gas, which is dissolved in the deep waters of Lake Kivu
(L to R) Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Symbion Power CEO, Paul Hinks at the White House Africa Heads of State Dinner
Symbion Power - Independent Power
Symbion Power - Western Sahara
Symbion Power - Mtwara Power Project
U.S. and Nigerian Companies Join Forces to Launch Nigeria's First End-to-End Transmission Sector Company
Symbion Power, one of the leading private sector partners in President Barack Obama's Power Africa initiative has joined forces with Jyoti Americas, a global leader in the execution of turnkey power projects, and Iroko Capital Partners, a Nigerian alternative asset manager and financial advisory firm, to establish Nigeria's first full service transmission solutions company, Western Sahara Transmission Company, Ltd. it was jointly announced today by the partner companies. Western Sahara will build Nigeria's first state of the art transmission tower manufacturing facility with the capacity to produce 50,000 tons of galvanized steel lattice transmission towers per year that will displace the nation's current reliance on expensive imports from other countries. The company will be engaged in the entire power delivery value chain (including design, engineering, tower testing, tower manufacturing and construction), and will be fully equipped to handle transmission and distribution projects of any scale.
Symbion Power Plant - Ubungo, Tanzania.
Tweets by @SymbionPower
The overarching objective of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is to spur sustainable economic development and social progress in its regional member countries (RMCs), thus contributing to poverty reduction.The Bank Group achieves this obective by mobilizing and allocating resources for investment in RMCs; and providing policy advice and technical assistance to support development efforts. Over the years, the Bank Group has continued to pursue its institutional reforms aimed at maximizing its development effectiveness and the quality of its operations, supporting efforts by its regional member countries and building their capacity to strengthen their economies. The Bank has also consolidated its role as the continent's premier development finance institution, a knowledge and research centre and the preeminent voice for African development issues. For purposes of accountability and efficient management, the Bank has adopted a structure comprising six vice presidential complexes. More on AfDB
AfDB, Anchor Partner of Power Africa - Enhanced Partnership Between the US and AfDB for Power Africa Announced at the US-Africa Summit
As part of the US-African Leaders Summit, on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President, Donald Kaberuka, reaffirmed the AfDB's support to advance the Power Africa initiative, with a commitment of $3 billion over a 5-year period. This support was originally announced by the AfDB, as an anchor Power Africa partner on the continent, in July 2013. In 2013 only, AfDB interventions related to focus countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Tanzania) amounted to over $600 million.
Africa Launch of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) - AfDB Annual Meeting 2014, Kigali, Rwanda, 19 May 2014. Speakers Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of AfDB Group; Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Special Rep of the Secretary General on SE4ALL; H.E. Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, Minister of Infrastructure, Government of Rwanda; Dr. Elham Ibrahim, Commissioner for Infrastructure, African Union Commission; Mr. Adnan Amin, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank.
AfDB Envisages the Power of ICT for Africa's Transformation
The African Development Bank (AfDB) highlighted Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a vital tool that will contribute to the economic transformation of African economies. According to Mthuli Ncube, the Chief Economist and Vice-President of the AfDB, many African countries have embraced ICT for socio-economic development, an important step towards achieving knowledge-based society. He was speaking on Monday, May 19 at a session dubbed "Technology 4 Development" at the Bank's 49th Annual Meetings in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. "We have seen potential and an opportunity in technology driven entrepreneurship across Africa especially among young people. ICTs are playing a significant role in transforming African economies," Ncube stated.
Africa's Premier Development Bank Reflects On How Far It Has Come and Looks Ahead to the Next 50 Years
The African Development Bank's (AfDB) golden jubilee was formally kicked off in Tunis on Tuesday, April 22. The occasion of the Bank's 50th anniversary was acknowledged by invited speakers as a crucial moment for the institution to reflect on how far it has come since it was formed a half century ago, as it positions itself for the 50 years ahead.
Strong Partnership Will Boost Power Generation in Africa, Officials Say
The African Development Bank (AfDB) together with its partners in power generation in Africa have concurred that strong partnership will realise the Power Africa initiative. The remarks were made during the "Power Africa Roundtable" on Wednesday, May 21, at the Bank's Annual Meetings in Kigali. The session focused on what could be the biggest challenges investors and financiers face when looking to invest in power projects in Africa. Alex Rugamba, the Director of the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department at AfDB, said the Bank was proud to be part of the Power Africa initiative, which was unveiled on June 30, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa, by US President Barack Obama. The initiative aims to double the number of people with access to power in Sub-Saharan Africa.
AfDB Affirms Its Support for Power Africa, With a Commitment of More Than Us $600 Million
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is proud to be an anchor partner of Power Africa, a five-year United States of America Presidential initiative aimed at supporting economic growth and development by doubling access to power in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the Bank's work with the US Government on African development issues spans four decades. The AfDB's contributions to Power Africa run broad and deep, including contributions to the initiative's focus countries in the form of investments, support for policy reforms, advisory services and guarantees.
Zambia Signs Energy Sector Agreement for Itezhi Tezhi Power Generation Project
AfDB and Zambian Government Sign US $55-Million Loan Agreement for Itezhi-Tezhi Hydropower Project
AfDB
Symbion Power
U.S.-Africa Energy Ties
During his visit to three African countries, President Barack Obama announced an initiative aiming to double access to electricity across in Sub Saharan Africa. A U.S.$7 billion commitment to 'Power Africa' from the U.S. government over the next five years is to be supplemented by more than U.S.$9 billion in leveraged private investments to support projects in an initial set of partner countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique. Legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress supports the same electrification goal.
Energy has been a long-standing cornerstone of U.S.-Africa relations, with oil at the center. For decades, Africa supplied 15 percent of U.S. petroleum imports, and that percentage climbed above 20 percent in 2006. Today Africa provides less than five percent of oil imports due largely to rising U.S. shale oil production. But American oil companies continue to have major investments in many African countries - not only giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron but also numerous smaller firms - and oil-related business activity by U.S. firms is increasing as more and more nations on the continent join the oil- and gas-producer ranks.
Electricity has now became a top-tier focus of U.S.-Africa policy. During a three-nation African trip in June-July 2013, President Barack Obama announced an initiative aiming to double access to electricity across in sub Saharan Africa.
A U.S.$7 billion commitment to Power Africa by the U.S. government over the next five years has attracted commitments of more than U.S.$14 billion in leveraged private financing to support projects in an initial set of six partner countries - Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. Legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress supports the electrification goal, and the 'Electrify Africa' bill passed the House in May 2014 with bipartisan backing.
To promote broad-based ties related to Africa's energy needs and U.S. commercial opportunities, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz convened a two-day U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial in Addis Ababa with his Ethiopian counterpart of African energy ministers, civil society and development organizations, researchers and some 30 U.S. companies in the petroleum and energy sectors. The June 3-4 meeting showcased African and U.S. energy policies and reviewed best practices.
This Briefing provides interviews, news reports, data and multimedia resources examining energy ties and key issues affecting United States ties with Africa in the energy sphere, with a special emphasis on Power Africa a year after the initiative was launched.
Content in this report is updated regularly.
U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial
Power Africa [USAID]
Power Africa [African Development Bank]
#PowerAfrica Tweets
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 500 news and information items daily from over 100 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy.
We need to confirm your email address.
To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you.
There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.


text:
Public Service Announcement: Don't Listen To The Voices!
19 Jan, 2004 by	John Hawkins
How often have we heard stories like this?
"A 17-year-old boy who said voices told him to kill was charged with stabbing his father to death and slashing his younger brother with a butcher knife Sunday, authorities said.
Jordan Michael Carter, of Edinboro, was arrested and charged with homicide, attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
…Jordan Carter called the Erie County Crisis Services hotline after the attack and said voices were commanding him to kill humans, according to the criminal complaint.
He told the person answering the phone that the voices "never used to be this loud," the criminal complaint stated. Carter also said his mother and twin sisters were out shopping, according to the complaint."
Here's an important hint; just because you hear a voice in your head doesn't mean you have to do what they say. In fact, if you're hearing voices in your head, I'd say it's pretty safe NOT to do what they're telling you. I mean how many times have you heard someone say, "I gave $100 to charity because the voice in my head told me to do it" or "The voice in my head demanded that I get off of welfare and get a job, so I had to obey"? The only person I can ever think of who actually did something postive because of the voices in her head was Joan of Arc and in the end she was burned at the stake and ended up saving France of all places, so it wasn't like it was all wine & roses for her either.
So take it from someone who has a degree in psychology; don't listen to the voices!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Injured in a car/auto accident not your fault? The at fault driver's insurance company being unfair and difficult? Or your own insurance company? Get a very experienced car/auto accident injury claim lawyer to help you. And get much better, quicker results.
Attorney Hanson has over 35 years experience helping drivers and passengers injured in car/auto accidents not their fault. He is very effective in dealing and negotiating with auto insurance companies & their accident claims adjusters. Attorney Hanson and his very experienced paralegal team are able to get fair and prompt $ accident insurance claim settlements for injured clients. They will work hard to obtain a fair insurance claim settlement for you. They will help you even the odds with the insurance companies.
**My cases range in size from my employee's minor rear end collision $10,500 case settlement up to a half a million dollars for a very serious head on collision.
Obtained $25,000 insurance settlement from Gallagher Bassett Services / Old Republic Insurance for client in Lynnwood I-5 rear end collision with neck injuries.
Obtained $44,900.00 insurance settlement from Omni Insurance and the Hartford Insurance Companies for client in Mountlake Terrace rear end collision with neck and shoulder injuries.
Obtained $63,000.00 insurance settlement from Progressive Insurance for client in Lynnwood rear end collision with neck and back injuries.
Obtained a $25,000.00 insurance claim settlement from State Farm Insurance for client in Everett rear end collision with neck and back injuries.
Do not try to handle your auto accident injury claim without a lawyer. Hiring an experienced car/auto accident attorney to help you with your auto accident injury insurance claim will always result in much better service, a much quicker claim settlement, and much more $ money in your hands from the insurance company. And alot less aggravation for you.
Attorney Hanson has received the highest possible lawyer ratings from the national lawyer rating services. An "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a "10-Superb" rating from Avvo.com. He is a former Lynnwood City Prosecutor. He is very experienced, aggressive, affordable & conveniently located (right next to Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood).
Contingency Attorney Fee only. If no insurance claim settlement obtained, then no attorney fee charged you(only case costs). Attorney fee charged ONLY if your auto insurance claim settles with the insurance company and you receive compensation $ money for your injuries.
If you are in a car/auto accident involving injuries or property damage, there are certain things you should follow. These actions will help you avoid future hassles with insurance claims adjusters and help you obtain fair $ compensation for your bodily injuries and property damages.
1. If you are injured, immediately obtain needed medical treatment.
If you are injured in an auto accident, immediately obtain all needed medical treatment. Go to the nearest hospital emergency room, or to your personal physician. An accident injury, if untreated, may become substantially worse and take longer to heal. And if you fail to promptly seek medical treatment, the at fault driver"s insurance claims adjuster may later suspect that your delay meant that you weren"t really injured. And then greatly discount your accident injury claim's $ value.
If someone is seriously injured, call 911 or the police and tell them an ambulance is needed. Make the injured person as comfortable as possible, but do not move him or her unless its absolutely necessary to avoid further injury.
3. Call 911. Insist on a police investigation and accident report.
In many cases, there are no witnesses and you and the other driver may have conflicting versions of how the accident happened. If you do not request a police investigation, you may seriously damage your chances of obtaining full compensation, or may be blamed for an accident that is not your fault. Police are not requied, however, to do a report when there are no injuries and none of the vehicles has more more than $750 of property damage. They are also not required to prepare a report if the collision occurs on private property such as a parking lot.
4. Do not move your vehicle while waiting for police to arrive.
Unless your vehicle poses an immediate hazard to other traffic, it is important that you leave it in the same position that it came to rest after the accient. Aske the other driver not to move his or her vehicle until the police arrive. The single most important piece of evidence that the police officer has to determining fault is the position of the vehicles after the accident.
5. If you are injured, tell the investigating police officers.
The first record of your injuries will be contained in the investigating officer's report. If you fail to mention to the police officer that you were injured, it may create suspicion in the mind of the insurance adjuster (who will ultimately evaluate your claim) that you were not hurt. Ordinarily the officer will ask if you are injured. However, if the officer does not ask if you are injured, or assumes that you are all right, let the officer know immedately of all injuries or pain.
6. Obtain names and telephone numbers of eyewitnesses.
Often by the time a police officer arrives at the scene, witnesses to a collision are gone. Therefore, it is very important for you to identify any witnesses and write down their names, addresses, and telephone numbers.
7. File your accident report when required by law.
You are not required to file an accident report when the collision is investigated by a law enforcement officer who files a report. You may, however, file your own report if you wish or if you disagree with details reported by the officer. Your report, which is filed with the Washington State Patrol in Olympia, must be sent within four days of the accident.
8. If you have a serious injury, do not try to settle your own claim.
If you have suffered a serious injury requiring follow-up medical attention, you should consider hiring an attorney to represent you. An experienced personal injury attorney will generally make sure that you receive the compensation that is due you, usually more than you will be offered in settlement by insurance adjuster, even after attorney"s fees are paid.
If you choose to accept a settlement for injury without seeking legal representation, you may receive a settlement that does not fairly compensate you for permanent injuries and damages. Once a claim is settled, it can never be reopened. The best rule is not to sign a release for at least six months following an injury. If you"re uncertain about whether to settle, talk to an attorney who handles personal injury cases.
Most attorneys handle injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no charge unless they recover compensation for you. You are responsible for out-of-pocket expenses, called costs, advanced by your aggorney. There is usually no charge to review your claim with an attorney.
9. Promptly report your loss to your own insurance company, and the other driver's insurance company, but do not give a statement to the other driver"s insurance adjuster until you have talked to a lawyer.
The odds are that a claims adjuster for the other driver will be assigned to your cliam before you have been able to retain an attorney. This may happen as soon as a day or two after the accident. The adjuster will request permission to take a recorded or written statement.
If you are considering hiring an attorney, you should NOT give a statement to an insurance adjuster for the other driver. Statements made can seriously prejudice your claim. Instead, tell the adjuster that you have to decided to hire an attorney, and instruct him or her to refer all further questions to your attorney.
For every injury or death claim, there is a period of time during which you must file your claim with the court or the claim will be barred. This time limit is called "statute of limitations".
In Washington State, the period for bringing an injury or death claim is usually three years from the date of the accident, but there are some exceptions. The period for bringing a claim for injury to a child does not begin to run until the child's 18th birthday. A claim arising out of the death of a child, however, is usually limited to three years. For accidents which occur in other states, the period may be as short as one year from the accident.
Although you may have awhile to actually file your injury claim with the court, the sooner you consult with a personal injury attorney following an accident, the more that attorney can do to help you on your claim.


text:
Andhra Pradesh HC Orders Status Quo on State Capital Trifurcation till August 14
4 August 2020, 10:21 am ·2-min read
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday ordered status quo on the state capital, barring the state government from taking any steps on the two Bills approved by the Governor for trifurcation of the capital.
Taking up for hearing petitions challenging the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill, 2020 and the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020, the court adjourned the hearing till August 14 after the state government sought 10 days time to file a counter to the petitions.
Prasad Babu, counsel for one of the petitioners, said the order meant the state government can't take any step on a gazette notification for trifurcation of the state capital.
Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan on July 31 approved the two Bills and the same day, the government issued the gazette notification.
Under the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020, the government seeks to shift key capital functions out of Amaravati.
It proposes to develop Visakhapatnam as the executive capital. With the shifting of the offices of the Chief Minister, the Governor, ministers and secretaries to the coastal city, it will, for all practical purposes, will become the seat of power.
Kurnool will be developed as the judicial capital by shifting the High Court there.
Amaravati, which was originally planned as the only state capital and a world-class city, will only be a legislative capital.
The move by Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government has led to fresh protests by farmers in 29 villages in Amaravati.
About 24,000 farmer families had given 33,000 acres of land for development of Amaravati under land pooling scheme five years ago.
The then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government headed by Chandrababu Naidu had embarked on the mega plans to build Amaravati on the banks of Krishna river as the dream capital and a world-class city. Naidu had got its design prepared by the Singapore government.


text:
Королёвка () — деревня в составе Сластёновского сельсовета Чаусского района Могилёвской области Республики Беларусь.

Население
 2010 год — 0 человек

См. также
 Сластёновский сельсовет
 Чаусский район

Примечания

Ссылки

 Национальное кадастровое агентство Республики Беларусь
 Государственный комитет по имуществу Республики Беларусь

Населённые пункты Чаусского района

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
layout: post
date: 2015-12-12
title: "Jovani Black Jersey Prom Dress 27096 Sleeveless Sweep/Brush Train Mermaid/Trumpet"
category: Jovani
tags: [Jovani ,Jovani,Mermaid/Trumpet,Strapless,Sweep/Brush Train,Sleeveless]
---
### Jovani Black Jersey Prom Dress 27096
Just **$389.98**
###   Sleeveless Sweep/Brush Train Mermaid/Trumpet

BRANDS	Jovani

Silhouette	Mermaid/Trumpet

Neckline	Strapless

Hemline/Train	Sweep/Brush Train

Sleeve	Sleeveless

Buy it: [https://www.readybrides.com/en/jovani-/39286-jovani-black-jersey-jovani-prom-dress-27096.html](https://www.readybrides.com/en/jovani-/39286-jovani-black-jersey-jovani-prom-dress-27096.html)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Belonolaimus is a genus of nematodes. They are known commonly as sting nematodes. They are ectoparasites that feed on plant roots, sometimes becoming agricultural pests. They are found in the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

The genus was erected with the description of B. gracilis from the roots of a pine tree in Florida in the United States. Other species were soon described from various pine species. B. longicaudatus was recognized as an important agricultural pest in the southeastern United States.

These are some of the largest plant-parasitic nematodes, reaching up to 3 millimeters in length. They feed by inserting their stylets into roots and sucking the contents of root cells. They can be found on fruits, vegetables, and turfgrasses or on crops such as cotton, soybeans, and tree plantations. Sting nematodes can cause severe plant damage and have been responsible for complete crop losses. B. longicaudis is considered to be the worst pest species.

Females are fertilized by males, storing sperm in a spermatheca. The females lay several eggs, and there are four juvenile stages.

Species
There are six valid species, but B. longicaudis is considered a species complex.
Belonolaimus euthychilus
 Belonolaimus gracilis
 Belonolaimus longicaudatus
Belonolaimus maluceroi
Belonolaimus maritimus
Belonolaimus nortoni

References

External links
Belonolaimus. Plant and Insect Parasitic Nematodes. University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
Sting Nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). Center for Invasive Species Research. University of California, Riverside.

Tylenchida
Agricultural pest nematodes
Soybean diseases
Secernentea genera


text:
Region's MPs welcome Dominic Perrottet as 46th Premier of NSW
Katrina Condie6 October 2021
Dominic Perrottet being sworn in as Premier of NSW at Government House in Sydney by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of NSW. Photo: Facebook.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman says newly sworn-in NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet will bring the people of the state "certainty and hope" during an incredibly challenging time.
Retiring NSW Minister for Transport and Roads and Member for Bega Andrew Constance, and former NSW Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro have also thrown their support behind the newly elected leader of the NSW Liberal Party and the 46th Premier of NSW.
Ms Tuckerman said the 39-year-old father-of-six and the youngest ever leader of NSW has "demonstrated great governance" in his role as NSW Treasurer, and has been at the forefront of the state's leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since I was elected as the Member for Goulburn, Dominic has been a tremendous supporter of the entire Goulburn electorate," she said.
READ ALSO: Andrew Constance confirms he'll take a tilt at Federal politics
"Mr Perrottet has my trust and confidence as Premier to lead the state through this period in a way which we will come out stronger and more resilient.
"In under a week, NSW will be out of lockdown, slowly returning to getting on with our lives.
"I am optimistic about the future of NSW and the electorate of Goulburn."
Following the weekend announcement that Mr Constance hopes to move into federal politics, with plans to run for pre-selection in the seat of Gilmore, he said he is looking forward to working with Mr Perrottet before stepping down at the end of 2021.
From left: Member for Bega Andrew Constance, Member for Monaro John Barilaro and new NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, pictured at a press conference in 2020. Photo: Facebook.
Mr Constance was NSW Treasurer when Mr Perrottet was NSW Minister for Finance and Small Business so the pair has worked closely on many projects throughout the state.
"The beauty with Dom is he's been in cabinet since 2014 and Treasurer for four years, and he understands the importance of getting the community to reopen as soon as possible," said Mr Constance.
Despite Mr Perrottet's openly conservative personal views, Mr Constance says the Premier is "pragmatic and understands the importance of community views".
"People are saying he's hard right and trying to position him in a particular way, but I think it's a good, balanced party room in terms of views," he said.
Mr Constance said he's pleased Mr Perrottet has indicated support for an MP conscience vote on a voluntary assisted-dying bill.
Member for Bega Andrew Constance (right) with new Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party Stuart Ayres (left). Photo: Supplied.
The Member for Bega also welcomed the appointment of former NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres to the position of Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party.
"Stuart 'gets' Western Sydney, but he also gets the importance of regional areas," said Mr Constance.
"He's high-energy and a 24/7 politician, and I wouldn't expect anything other than him being a good deputy to Dom.
"He'll provide a balanced reflection to all decisions made in state parliament."
Mr Barilaro said the new NSW Premier is a friend and someone who will "take this state right now during a time that needs strong leadership through the opening up, the end of the pandemic and the start of the recovery".
After being sworn in as Premier on Tuesday, 5 October, Mr Perrottet said "today begins a new chapter in the story of NSW".
"Being Premier is a great honour, but I want to be clear that the job I have committed to today is not just to lead NSW, but to serve the people of our state," he said.
READ ALSO: Member for Monaro, Deputy Premier John Barilaro resigns, quits parliament
"For the past 18 months together we have been battling the storm that is COVID-19.
"Some have lost their lives. Many have lost their livelihoods. So many sacrifices – big and small – have been made by so many for so long.
"In our regional communities, this has also come on the back of droughts, floods and bushfires.
"You don't get to choose the times in which you live, and this is one of the most challenging times the people of our state have ever faced.
"But NSW has never shied away from a challenge, and we're rising to this one as well."
Mr Perrottet said while there are still more challenging days to come, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
"We want NSW to bounce back stronger, safer and more successful than ever before," he said.
One Response to Region's MPs welcome Dominic Perrottet as 46th Premier of NSW
Paul Sullivan 2:52 pm 06 Oct 21
Short of a genuine medical reason, Constance's action and that of his neighbour Barilaro, in abandoning their Electorates during a pandemic, is disgraceful and shameful.
There to serve the public, I don't think so.
Perrottet welcomes Tuckerman and Cooke to new-look cabinet
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman has been promoted to the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet's new cabinet as the Minister for...
Bronnie Taylor sworn in as NSW Nationals' first female deputy in a century
Nimmitabel's Bronnie Taylor is the first female deputy leader of the NSW National Party in more than a century. A...
Queanbeyan councillor seeks Labor preselection for Monaro
Queanbeyan-Palerang Councillor Bryce Wilson has officially thrown his hat into the ring to be NSW Labor's candidate for the upcoming...
NSW Premier signals restriction changes as state hits 70 per cent vaccination mark
The new-look NSW Government has announced a raft of changes to the roadmap out of COVID-19 restrictions after the state...


text:
Quercus oglethorpensis és una espècie de roure que pertany a la família de les fagàcies. És endèmic als Estats Units. És el nom del Comtat d'Oglethorpe, Geòrgia, on va ser descobert per primera vegada.

Morfologia
Quercus oglethorpensis és un arbre caducifoli, que creix aproximadament fins als 25 metres d'altura, amb un diàmetre a l'alçada de l'home d'uns 80 cm. Té un tronc recte. L'escorça és de color gris clar, escamosa. Les branques són retorçades, no tenen pèl, porpres. Les gemmes són globoses, de color vermell marró, 2-2,5 mm de llarg. Les fulles fan 5-13 x 2-4 cm, de fulla caduca, estretament el·líptiques a oblanceolades. L'àpex és obtús, base de cuneïforme, sencera, però de vegades el marge és ondulat o lleugerament lobulat a prop de l'àpex, de color verd fosc, sense pèl per sobre, de color verd clar per sota amb pubescència de color groguenc, de color groc el nervi central amb 3-5 parells de venes. El pecíol fa 2-7 mm. Les flors surten a la primavera. Les glans fan 1,6-2 cm de llarg, ovoides, de color marró fosc, sèssils o amb un peduncle curt de 7 mm, tancada 1/3 de tassa, tassa de la part superior en forma d'escates adpreses. Les glans maduren al cap d'un any.

Distribució
L'espècie habita al Piedmont, sud-oest de Geòrgia, nord-est de Carolina del Sud, Louisiana i Mississipí, entre els 0-200 m.
Aquesta espècie de roure prefereix sòls rics i humits.

Malalties
Habitualment aquesta espècie de roure està afectat pel xancre del castanyer.

Referències

Enllaços externs

 Nixon, K. et al. 1998. Quercus oglethorpensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

oglethorpensis


text:
Q: Magento how can I change qty value on site view? I create 4 sites on magento. In this sites some products are same, but they must to have different qty value on site view. Qty is global attribute. How can I change this?

A: You should create 4 separate products ( duplicate ) and make each visible only for one store. This can be done in Catalog -> Product -> *choose your product* -> Websites tab. Only then you can have different quantity for each store.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Client Login Institutional & Advisor Center Advisor Reporting
Parametric...
Proxy Power: How Shareholders Are Using Active Ownership to Take On the Opioid Epidemic
{AACA1423-AF49-40AE-ABD8-4AF1B9C326DC}|{B3189A66-E75D-4A7F-BE14-A03C410BF1F4}| {A38A0AA5-433C-4532-82DB-BF8B46F6453B}
The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia are far from the largest shareholders of AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC), one of the country's so-called big three drug distributors. But that didn't stop the Aston, Pennsylvania, community of approximately 400 Catholic women from exercising their shareholder rights. In 2017 they asked the company's management to produce a report that examined the role AmerisourceBergen plays in the opioid supply chain. They also requested that the company consider the risks it faces as a distributor of opioids.
Nuns aren't the only shareholders AmerisourceBergen and other drug companies are contending with. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters as well as the treasurers of multiple states are leading shareholder campaigns aimed at opioid distributors.
As you can imagine, there isn't much overlap in membership between these three groups, but they share a common goal when it comes to tackling the nation's opioid crisis. So it made sense for them to band together to form the Investors for Opioid Accountability (IOA), a coalition of investors seeking to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and retailers accountable for risks to their shareholders and to society at large as a result of their business involvement with opioid medication. Today, the IOA represents 54 institutional investors of all types, amounting to $3.5 trillion in invested assets. It has pressed drug distributors on issues such as separating the roles of CEO and board chair, disclosing when executive incentives have been recouped (clawbacks), and considering legal settlements when calculating executive pay.
At the heart of the IOA's requests is a straightforward, timeless corporate governance message—that executives should be rewarded for creating long-lasting company value and, importantly, not be tempted to put the company into risky, shortsighted positions. But the IOA's origin story is also a great answer to a question investors often ask themselves: How can I change corporate behavior? After all, I own only a fraction of this company—why would management bother to listen to what I have to say?
What one proxy vote can do
You may not have the time or the wherewithal to sit down with company management or put together a shareholder proposal. But you can still practice active ownership. You have the power of the proxy vote, which gives you the right to vote on other shareholders' proposals and for (or against) board members who may (or may not be) aligned with your way of thinking about corporate governance.
So what can one vote do? Perhaps not much alone, but a lot together. You can, of course, choose to vote your own proxies. Or you can give proxy-voting authority to an asset manager if you're convinced that manager's tenets around proxy voting align with yours. Because they have authority to vote for many of the investors they work with, such managers bring more clout to proxies, helping you, like the Sisters of St. Francis, wield greater power than you could alone.
The results of active ownership
The Sisters of St. Francis proposal garnered a very strong 40% support—a figure that's all the more impressive considering it was the first time it had been on the AmerisourceBergen ballot. In turn, the drug company has since promised to create the requested report by the end of the third quarter of 2019.
Meanwhile, the IOA successfully persuaded AmerisourceBergen to separate its CEO and board chair positions. The company was a holdout among its peers, who had already made this crucial reform. Opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals responded to a similar proposal that wouldn't exclude legal settlements in executive pay calculations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 47,000 people died in the US from opioid-related overdoses in 2017, or about 130 a day. The big three drug wholesalers—AmerisourceBergen, McKesson, and Cardinal Health—control more than 80% of the market that moves pharmaceuticals from manufacturers to pharmacies and hospitals. That's a lot of accountability, and shareholders (even smaller ones) have demonstrated that, when they work together, they can use active ownership to hold those companies accountable. Every vote counts, and this becomes especially true when good corporate governance becomes a matter of life or death.
Are There Cannabis Stocks in Your Portfolio? Here's the Straight Dope.
As marijuana legalization expands and as investment grows in the industry, cannabis stocks' footprint in the major equity indexes remains small. But that could change.
What's the Difference Between Positive and Negative ESG Screens?
Some investors believe there are two types of ESG screens: "positive" ones that include "good" companies and "negative" ones that exclude "bad" companies. The reality? They're the same thing.
Parametric Responsible Investing
What's Parametric's approach to responsible investing? In this short paper we outline the ways we can help investors achieve two sets of goals.
Martha Strebinger, CFA, Senior Investment Strategist (emeritus)
Prior to leaving Parametric in December 2019, Martha was responsible for assisting in the continued evolution of Parametric's Responsible Investing capabilities. Prior to joining Parametric in 2016, she was an investment specialist at Truepoint Wealth Counsel in Cincinnati and worked in Boston at Wellington Management Company and Grantham, Mayo, and Van Otterloo (GMO). She earned a BS in human biology, health, and society from Cornell University. A CFA charterholder, Martha is a member of the CFA Society of Seattle.
MARTHA'S POSTS
The views expressed in these posts are those of the authors and are current only through the date stated. These views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions, and Parametric and its affiliates disclaim any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied upon as investment advice and, because investment decisions for Parametric are based on many factors, may not be relied upon as an indication of trading intent on behalf of any Parametric strategy. The discussion herein is general in nature and is provided for informational purposes only. There is no guarantee as to its accuracy or completeness. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investments are subject to the risk of loss.
{F33BD959-1499-4857-91FB-3B0EF4ADCB43}
Investment advisory services offered through Parametric Portfolio Associates® LLC ("Parametric"), an investment advisor registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD #114310). Parametric is also registered as a portfolio manager with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada (National Registration Database No. 42850) with regard to specific products and strategies. Parametric provides advisory services directly to institutional investors and indirectly to individual investors through financial intermediaries. The information on this website does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is not lawful to make such an offer. Investing entails risks, and there can be no assurance that Parametric (and its affiliates) will achieve profits or avoid incurring losses. All investments are subject to potential loss of principal. Parametric does not provide tax or legal advice. Prospective investors should consult with a tax or legal advisor before making any investment decision. Please refer to the disclosure page for important information about investments and risks.
S&P Dow Jones Indices are a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI") and have been licensed for use. S&P® indexes are registered trademarks of S&P DJI; Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones"); S&P DJI, Dow Jones, and their respective affiliates do not sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote Parametric and its strategies, will not have any liability with respect thereto, and do not have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the S&P Dow Jones Indices.
©2021 Parametric Portfolio Associates® LLC. All rights reserved. 800 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2800, Seattle, WA 98104.


text:
Realism & Restraint
Economic Concentration
Daniel Larison is a senior editor at TAC, where he also keeps a solo blog. He has been published in the New York Times Book Review, Dallas Morning News, World Politics Review, Politico Magazine, Orthodox Life, Front Porch Republic, The American Scene, and Culture11, and was a columnist for The Week. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Chicago, and resides in Lancaster, PA. Follow him on Twitter.
3 Ways to support the American Conservative
1. Make a Donation
2. Join our Newsletter
3. Subscribe to our Magazine
The American Conservative exists to advance a Main Street conservatism. We cherish local community, the liberties bequeathed us by the Founders, the civilizational foundations of faith and family, and—we are not ashamed to use the word—peace.
© 2020 The American Conservative
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. to find out more, read our Privacy Policy.Accept


text:
Prof. Krugman Gives Congress Bad Advice on How to Reduce Unemployment
In his NYT column that I read in the Sacramento Bee today, Tuesday, May 31, 2011, economist Paul Krugman writes that we could "cut back joblessness": 1) by employing FDR's "WPA-type programs putting the unemployed to work doing useful things like repairing roads." We have the money for repairing roads and some of the 2009 Recovery Act's $782 billion went to the states to repair roads and bridges. How many jobs were created? Not as much as the money appropriated would indicate. Most of the road and bridge projects were already planned by the states; only the source of funding changed. 2) "We could have a serious program of mortgage modifications, reducing the debts of troubled homeowners." That is exactly what the Obama government has been doing, spending a lot of money and hardly making an impact on the problem. 3) "We could try to get inflation back up to the 4 percent rate that prevailed during Ronald Reagan's second term, which would help to reduce the real burden of debt." During the past 12 months the Consumers Price Index increased to 3.2 percent,
A worse set of recommendations can hardly be imagined. Inflation is not likely create much employment. All it will do is create economic distortions. Leading economists like Obama's Harvard professor Lawrence Summers, who was his chief economist, Prof. Christina Romer, his chief of the Council of Economic Advisers and one of the authors of the Recovery Act of 2009, must have given the president similar advice. So Krugman is only saying, "Do more of the same" i.e., another economic stimulus plan that will widen the enormous budget deficit and create a trillion more of debt. The Tea Party supporters may not be economists but their instincts tell them that widening the budget deficit is no solution at all.
Is increased government spending the answer? Of course, not. ...
President Obama is testing out the theory that it is possible to pump up the U.S. economic tire without patching the trade deficit leak. So far, he has only succeeded in pumping up the trade deficit.
As shown in the chart above, the U.S. trade balance fell to an annual rate of a negative $571 billion in the first quarter of 2011, the worst level since President Obama took office. This worsening of the trade deficit subtracted from demand for U.S. products, driving down real U.S. GDP growth from 3.1% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to an anemic 1.8% in the first quarter of 2011, according to the BEA's second estimate of 1st Quarter U.S. GDP released on May 26....
House Republicans need to change course after NY special election loss. In 2012, they should run on balanced budgets and trade
In a special election in the NY 26th House District, the Democratic candidate just won what was formerly a "safe" Republican seat. The Republicans were split, with some of the Republican vote going to a self-proclaimed "Tea Party" candidate. Nevertheless, the election showed that the Republican Party has fallen drastically since November 2010, just 7 months ago, when they won the House in an overwhelming landslide.
Back then, they campaigned as the party that would balance the budget and oppose Obamacare's Medicare cuts. Once they won the election they morphed into the party that wanted tax cuts for the rich and cuts in Medicare.
They started to go awry during the lame duck session when they negotiated a continuation of the Bush tax cuts as well as new Social Security Tax cuts with the Obama administration, making an already bad budget situation even worse.
Then, this session, Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican chair of the House Budget Committee, put together a budget plan, approved in principle by the House Republicans, that didn't balance the budget. Instead it cut taxes for the rich from 35% to 25% and cut Medicare 10 years down the road, not helping at all with the 2012 budget....
The Benefits Are Nil and the Costs Are Astronomical, the Environmental Leadership Is Trying To Bankrupt the U.S.
Like every other goal, increased expenditures on the environment are subject to the economic law of diminishing returns. The first billion makes an enormous contribution to a better environment. The second may make an even greater contribution\ but eventually additional billions make a lesser and lesser or no contribution at all. For the past half decade, our government has wasted hundreds of billions of dollar on environmental programs that for all practical purposes have yielded no benefits at all and created practically zero sustainable jobs. Meanwhile the waste of resources has been dramatized by our failure to do anything to control hurricanes and tornados like the one that inflicted enormous losses to lives and property in Joplin, Missouri. Even if it turns out that carbon emissions have contributed to global warming, it is not clear that global warming has more costs than benefits.
Our citizens have embraced the anthropogenic theory of global warming and have already spent billions on trying, without success, to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars as a nation and succeeded only in reducing the living standards of the American workers.
And while its proponents claim the theory is settled, hundreds of scientists are on record as saying the theory is wrong. They allege that 50 years of global warming is correlated with increased carbon emissions but, as every statistician knows, correlation is not proof that carbon emissions are the cause of global warming, especially when the data is confined to about 50 years. How are periods of global warming and cooling during the past millennium to be explained? Moreover, the proponents have no idea why the past decade has been one of global cooling. A British scientist who correctly predicted the cold winters this year and last has been quoted as saying that we are at the beginning of a period of global cooling. ...
Peter Navarro is one of our country's foremost economists, and he happens to agree with us! I'll get my father to review his new book with Greg Autry, Death by China: It's Not China Bashing if it's True, as soon as we get a copy. One chapter is online now and it looks like it is well worth reading. Here is a selection:
On this economic front, China's perverse brand of Communist-style "State Capitalism" has totally shredded the principles of both free markets and free trade. In their stead, China's state-backed "national champions" have deployed a potent mix of mercantilist and protectionist weapons to pick off America's industries job by job and one by one.
China's "weapons of job destruction" include massive illegal export subsidies, the rampant counterfeiting of U.S. intellectual property, pitifully lax environmental protections, and the pervasive use of slave labor. The centerpiece of Chinese mercantilism is, however, a shamelessly manipulated currency that heavily taxes U.S. manufacturers, extravagantly stimulates Chinese exports, and has led to a ticking time bomb U.S.–China trade deficit close to a billion dollars a day.
Meanwhile, the "entry fee" for any American company wishing to scale China's "Great Walls of protectionism" and sell into local markets is not just to surrender its technology to Chinese partners. American companies must also move research and development facilities to China, thereby exporting the "mother's milk" of future U.S. job creation to a hostile competitor....
On May 13, the United States and China concluded the third meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue. A joint factsheet about the meeting, which appears on the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, lists the terms of the agreement. In return for a some concessions, mainly to those American businesses that already market to China from China, the Obama administration gave the Chinese government a free pass to continue their currency manipulations. Here is the relevant section of the agreement:
In accordance with economic recovery in the United States, the Federal Reserve will continue to adjust its monetary policy as appropriate to promote sustainable economic growth and price stability. The People's Bank of China will continue to adopt a mix of monetary policy tools to implement prudent monetary policy, in order to promote growth sustainability and price stability. The United States will maintain vigilance against excess volatility in exchange rates, and China will continue to promote RMB exchange rate flexibility....
Nouriel Roubini, one of the few economists who predicted the new depression and understands it, argues that China's exchange rate policy is keeping the U.S., U.K., and some other advanced economies from recovering their economies through net export growth (i.e., reduction of their trade deficits). During a Bloomberg interview with Tom Keene at the Milikin Conference at the beginning of this month, Roubini said (about 5:20 in the video):
In this fundamental exchange rate game, the currencies that should be appreciating are those that are undervalued with large current account surpluses [i.e., trade surpluses]. While the ones that should be depreciating are U.S., U.K. and other countries that had their bubble, then bust, and now need net export growth, given that domestic demand is anemic with balance sheet retrenchment.
The problem is that China is resisting its currency from appreciation, is doing it very, very gradually. China is shadowing the U.S. dollar and that every other emerging market in the world, not just in Asia but those in Latin America, they say, "If China resists appreciation of its currency, I don't want to lose market shares to China in third markets, and I don't want a flood of cheap Chinese goods destroying my own import-competing sectors."
So all of these countries are shadowing China. So the adjustment of exchange rates that should occur, yuan currency appreciating, advanced economies weakening relative to the yuan, so that we have global rebalancing, that is not occurring....
In Praise of Inflation
Although it is fashionable to fear inflation (and inflation is very bad for those who have saved money in bonds, CDs, or other inflation-vulnerable instruments) there are strong advantages to continuing a monetary policy that will cause inflation. Indeed, in the absence of an effective policy response to our problems, inflation may be the next best thing.
Fiscal Timidity
In the last year or two there has been increased attention paid to the budget deficit. However, most of the plans that have been proposed so far are remarkably weak. Debt reduction is not in the plans. Not in the Ryan plan, not in the Bipartisan Deficit Reduction Commission plan, not in the President's plan. The graph below shows projected debt held by the "public" (by which is meant both ordinary citizens and foreign central banks) under the Ryan plan over the next ten years as projected by Ryan's plan itself. Note that the line increases pretty steadily throughout the ten years. Thus, even with all of the smoke, mirrors, and optimistic assumptions in this and all deficit reduction plans, it clearly does next to nothing to tackle the debt, except to the extent that inflation and economic growth may reduce its weight.
Here is a selection from the AHN summary of his announcement:
Obama has instructed the Department of Interior to conduct annual lease sales in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve. He also ordered a "speeding up" of evaluations of oil and gas reserves in the Mid- and South-Atlantic Ocean.
Also part of the plan is opening new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and providing incentives for oil companies to develop their unused leases "both on and offshore."
Obama said that oil companies will now have more time to meet higher safety standards, and he is extending drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico that were impacted by the moratorium imposed by the Obama administration following the 2010 DeepWater Horizon oil spill.
His statement does not address the steps taken by his administration to stifle natural gas and coal production, just oil. He is saying that "oil companies will now have time to meet higher safety standards."...
Inflation reaches 3.16% in April
According to the latest inflation data published today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rise in consumer prices accelerated rapidly for the third month in a row from 2.68% in March to 3.16% in April, as shown in the graph below.
Some commentators are encouraged by these numbers. Reuters reports: "The pace of food and fuel price rises slowed considerably from March, suggesting inflation pressures may be peaking."
This can be seen by comparing the rise in the inflation rate from February to March of 0.57% with the rise in the inflation rate from March to April of 0.48%, as shown by the line getting less steep from March to April in the graph. If this decelleration would continue, then inflation would peak at 4.2% in September, and thereafter fall back downwards.
Alternatively, it is possible to look at the line from January to April as representing a continuous straight line in which inflation is climbing at about a .5% rate per month. If this straight line would continue, inflation would climb to about 7% in December....
Here are some of the graphs that accompanied our commentary. This one compares the price at the pump for Compressed Natural Gas and Gasoline:
This one shows why natural gas has been coming down in price, relative to oil. It shows how proven U.S. reserves for natural gas and oil compare:
Our point was that if the U.S. govenrment purchased only CNG new vehicles, that would save the government about $1.60 per gallon at the pump and at the same time cause CNG filling stations to pop up all over the country making it possible for consumers and businesses to switch.
To read the article, go to: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/05/how_to_switch_to_cng_while_sav.html
Ask Not for Whom the Trade Deficit Tolls. It Tolls for the American Worker and America�s Future.
The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced last Wednesday that total March exports of $172.7 billion and imports of $220.8 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $48.2 billion, up from $45.4 billion in February. March exports were $7.7 billion more than February exports of $165.0 billion but March imports were $10.4 billion. The trade deficit has the effect of reducing our Gross Domestic Product in March by $48.2 billion and represents a drag on employment of 482,000 workers.
The Pollyannas in Washington and New York greeted the data by saying and writing that increased exports and increased exports mean jobs. None of them said that imports increased even faster and that increased imports means a loss of jobs.
For the three months ending in March, exports of goods and services averaged $168.4 billion, while imports of goods and services averaged $215.3 billion, resulting in an average trade deficit of $46.9 billion, a drag on employment of 469,000 jobs. If the trade deficit is extrapolated to the remainder of the year, we can expect that the trade deficit for 2011 will be in the neighborhood of $562.8 billion, a drag on employment of 5.6 million jobs.
In February and March, 2011, the following group of selected countries recorded trade deficits as indicated, in billions of dollars. In the third column, we estimate the 2011 trade deficit based on the numbers in the first two columns. In the fourth column, we estimate the number of jobs that would be created if trade were balanced at the level of imports from each.
Trade Deficit and Loss of Jobs
Country March
(billions) February
(billions) Annual Deficit
(billions) Lost Jobs
China $18.1 $18.0 $216.6 2,160,000
OPEC $10.8 $9.4 $121.2 1,212,000
Germany $4.6 $3.3 $47.4 474,000
Mexico $6.2 $5.3 $69.0 690,000
Japan $6.1 $5.2 $67.8 678,000
Venezuela $3.0 $2.1 $30.6 306,000
If trade were to be balanced, it would create up to 5.52 million jobs mostly in manufacturing, arresting the deindustrialization of the U.S. and restoring the labor force to full employment....
Zillow Real Estate Research reports that home values are falling fast
A new study from Zillow Real Estate Research (No Respite from Housing Recession during the First Quarter) reports that house prices are falling at their fastest rate since 2008. Here is a selection:
Nearly three-quarters (74.5 percent) of homes in the United States lost value from Q1 2010 to Q1 2011. That's up from Q4 2010, when 69.2 percent had lost value, but is down substantially from a peak of 85.5 percent in Q1 2009.
A record (37.7 percent) number of homes sold in March were sold for a loss. The rate of homes selling for a loss has steadily increased since June 2010.
Negative equity in the first quarter reached new high with 28.4 percent of all single-family homes with mortgages underwater, from 27 percent in Q4....
9% Unemployment is Strike 3 for QE2
The rise in unemployment to 9.0% in April was the third strike for QE2. The first strike was February's trade data (Exports down. Imports down. Growth estimates down), The second strke was the first quarter GDP growth data (GDP growth was just 1.8% in first quarter. New Depression not Over).
Bernanke's expansion of money supply to buy treasuries (QE2) was supposed to build up aggregate demand. It indeed helped bring GDP above 3% and unemployment below 9%, but those gains did not last. We're left with a collapsing dollar and surging inflation instead of lasting growth.
Bernanke's failure immediately followed Obama's failure. Obama tried expanding government spending to build up aggregate demand. His stimulus almost produced a "summer of recovery" in the second quarter of 2009, but a surging trade deficit took away all of his momentum. We're left with a huge and growing government debt instead of lasting growth....
Why weaker dollar won't help exports very much
Most economists think that the weaker dollar will revive American exports. The sequence of events they hypothesize is the following: weaker dollar -> higher profits -> investment in new factories -> greater exports. There is no way to get much greater exports without increased investment in new highly-efficient modern factories.
The weaker dollar does indeed lead to higher profits, but the higher profits don't lead to much investment in new factories. That's because investments are based upon long-term considerations, and manufacturers don't see the weak dollar as being a long-term change. They expect that the exchange rate will bounce up again as it has been doing. The chart below, shows how the dollar's price has yo-yo'd up and down versus the euro for the past five years:
House Republican Budget would Benefit the Poor -- We're published in today's American Thinker!
Here is a selection:
Congressman Ryan's plan is an excellent plan, but it could still be improved. We would suggest the following four additions:
1. Cut Discretionary Spending. The weakest aspect of the Ryan plan is that it does not actually balance the federal government budget. According to a preliminary CBO scoring of the plan, the federal government's budget deficit, which was 9% of GDP in 2010, would still be an enormous 2% of GDP in 2022. House Republicans could cut the budget much further by borrowing from Republican Senator Rand Paul's excellent budget plan. Among the largest items Senator Paul would cut are $78 billion by eliminating the Education Department and most of its functions, $53 billion by eliminating Housing and Urban Development and most of its functions, $44 billion by eliminating the Energy Department and most of its functions, and $43 billion from the Transportation Department, partly by defunding Amtrak.
2. Changing to Rollover Capital Gains Tax. The Ryan plan intends to end tax loopholes for the rich, but it misses the largest loophole of them all, the top 15% tax rate on capital gains. The problem is that income is fungible and can be converted from one form to another. For example, many corporations give their top executives stock option bonuses and then buy back their own stock (consuming their own capital) to drive up the price. Their executives sell the options at a profit, only having to pay a 15% tax on the capital gain, whereas they would have had to pay a 35% tax on a straightforward bonus.
Capital gains taxes are low for a good reason -- to prevent the government from removing income producing capital from the private sector. However, taxing capital gains at a rate lower than other income is taxed has a bad side effect -- encouraging the consumption of capital. The solution is simple: raise the capital gains tax rate to the same rate that other income is taxed, but switch to the rollover treatment, which only charges the capital gains tax when capital is consumed. When people sell one asset to buy another, the capital gains tax would be deferred until the new asset is sold (i.e., the capital gain would be rolled over into the new asset).
3. Switch Transportation to Compressed Natural Gas. New discoveries of natural gas show that the United States could become completely independent of foreign oil if we switched many of our vehicles from gasoline and diesel fuel to compressed natural gas (CNG). CNG is already much less expensive than gasoline and will become an even better buy in the future. The main problem preventing its use is the lack of CNG filling stations. This lack would be remedied quickly if all public vehicular transportation switched to CNG.
4. Add a Scaled Tariff, (our invention!) to balance trade with countries with which we are experience large chronic trade deficits. Such a tariff would apply to those countries with whom we have been experiencing chronic deficits, including China, Germany and Japan, but would not apply to countries such as Canada or Brazil, with whom our trade is balanced. Moreover, it would be perfectly legal under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that allow countries experiencing chronic trade deficits to impose tariffs upon those countries with which they have trade deficits. When the U.S. trade deficit with a country would go up, the duty rate would go up. When the U.S. trade deficit with a country would go down, the duty rate would go down. When trade would approach balance or go into surplus, the duty would disappear.
If the U.S. enacted a scaled tariff, the Chinese government, which currently only lets its people buy 30¢ from the U.S. for every $1 we buy from them, would likely remove its barriers that prevent its people from buying more American products. Also, American and international businesses would once again find it profitable to build factories in America. An additional benefit is that the scaled tariff would collect well over $200 billion in revenue during its first year.
To read it, go to: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/05/house_republican_budget_plan_w.html
Has the dollar started to collapse?
At the moment, Bernanke's huge expansion of the monetary base to buy long-term US Treasury bonds (QE2) is bringing the dollar perilously close to a collapse. In fact that collapse may have already begun, as shown by the near vertical line shown at the tail end of the chart below:
I explained why QE2 might cause a dollar collapse in a November 15 commentary (Will QE2 End in Disaster?). I wrote:...
Congress Fools Around and Does Nothing to Create Jobs. Here Is What It Should Do.
Republican leaders talk as though the most important thing for us to do is to reduce expenditures and bring the budget into better balance. It is true that the current budget deficit is unsustainable. Democrats have spent over $800 billion on a foolish Recovery plan that at most kept a million government employees in their largely unproductive jobs and may have cost up to millions of jobs in the private sector. Getting control of the federal budget is indeed important but getting the vast army of unemployed back to work is much more important. And it could be done quickly. What we should be doing is:
1. Bring trade into better balance. An annual trade imbalance of $600 billion dollars means that we lost 6,000,000 jobs to other nations. Before the recession, the trade imbalance was $800 billion. Trade, both exports and imports, declined as a result of the recession but it is growing again which means we are losing more jobs. We can do something immediately that would bring trade into better balance. That something single country flexible tariffs, what we have termed scaled tariffs. Imposing the single country scaled tariffs would create a million jobs within a year and millions more as the U.S. once again becomes a place to invest in new factories. The scale tariffs would bring in a trillion dollars the first year and as trade is balanced, the ensuing economic growth would bring in billions in revenues.
2. End the prohibition of drilling for oil and gas on public lands and offshore in the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Arctic. Brazil, Russia, Norway and others have found huge unexploited reserves of oil offshore and are going full speed ahead. We have allowed our environmental extremists to veto new sources of traditional energy. Pres. Obama still has not restored deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and oil drilling rigs have left for friendlier waters. Yet he is willing to guarantee loans to Brazil for deep water drilling in the Atlantic. What hypocrisy! And just to appease an irrational group to get re-elected. A million jobs within a year.
3. Go full speed ahead on developing drilling for natural gas in our abundant shale deposits. It is estimated that we have sufficient reserves of natural gas to satisfy our energy needs for a century or more. Heavy vehicles like trucks and buses as Boone Pickens has urged could be converted readily and we would need thousands of filling stations. A million jobs within a year.
4. Postpone for fifty to 100 years the construction of wind and solar energy plants which cost jobs and don't create jobs. ...


Gene Black an Alabama Artist and Quilter: Tablerunner - Completed!
Gene, aah what a lovely tableruuner. ooh, I am off to Ryans's blog for that prize. Muchas gracias.
Thats a nice table runner. So tell us, which edge wasn't sewn first?
Wow, you are just turning out the table runners, it is great that you are selling them fast....Love it!!
I love Moda fabrics! -- You've done such a nice job with this table runner!! Now I'm waiting for my fabric to get here in the Post...you've given me some good ideas!!
Love any method for eliminating a need for =binding -- this looks great!


text:
Q: Dynamically filter ListView CBV in Django 1.7 I've read the official documentation on dynamically filtering ListView, but am still confused about how to actually use it.
I currently have a simple model, let's call it Scholarship:
class Scholarship(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    submitted_date = models.DateField(auto_now=True, verbose_name='Date Submitted')
    EXPERIENCE_LEVEL_CHOICES = (
        ('A', 'Any'),
        ('S', 'Student'),
        ('G', 'Graduate')
    )
    experience_level = models.CharField(max_length=1, choices=EXPERIENCE_LEVEL_CHOICES, default='A')

I have a page where I'm showing all of these scholarships, using ListView:
views.py
from django.views.generic import ListView
from .models import Scholarship

class ScholarshipDirectoryView(ListView):
    model = Scholarship
    template_name = 'scholarship-directory.html'

urls.py
from django.conf.urls import patterns, url

from .views import ScholarshipDirectoryView

urlpatterns = patterns('',
    url(r'^$', ScholarshipDirectoryView.as_view(), name='scholarship_directory'),
)

I'm trying to generate links on the home page of the site that will return filtered versions of this ListView. For example, if someone clicks on a "show scholarships for graduate students" link, only scholarships with experience_level='G' will be shown.
I have no problem returning this queryset via the shell -> Scholarship.objects.filter(experience_level__exact='G')
I'm just unsure about how to dynamically filter the ListView via a dropdown or URL. Not looking to use a plugin, but rather understand how dynamically querying/filtering works in Django.

A: First of all you need to change your urls.py so that it'll pass the experience as a parameter. Something like this:

urlpatterns = patterns('',
    url(r'^(?P<exp>[ASG])$', ScholarshipDirectoryView.as_view(), name='scholarship_directory'),
)

(the above will return 404 if /A or /S or /G is not passed)
Now, in  kwargs attribute of the CBV we will have a kwarg named exp which can be used by the get_queryset method to filter by experience level.

class ScholarshipDirectoryView(ListView):
    model = Scholarship
    template_name = 'scholarship-directory.html'

    def get_queryset(self):
        qs = super(ScholarshipDirectoryView, self).get_queryset()
        return qs.filter(experience_level__exact=self.kwargs['exp'])


Dolores F. Bilek Dolores F. Bilek (nee Blucker), age 88, of Northlake formerly of North Riverside, passed away April 3, 2019. Arrangements by Kuratko-Nosek Funeral Home, 2447 S. DesPlaines Ave, N. Riverside. (708) 447-2500 or www. KuratkoNosek.com .


text:
Childbearing and Family Leave for Academic Faculty Members at Top-Tier US Medical Schools
Jena AB, Khullar D, Ho O, Olenski AR, Blumenthal DM. Sex differences in academic rank in US medical schools in 2014. JAMA. 2015;314(11):1149-1158.PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
American Academy of Pediatrics. Major pediatric associations call for congressional action on paid leave. https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/FAMILYLeaveAct.aspx. Accessed December 12, 2017.
Bohnet I. What Works: Gender Equality by Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; 2016.Crossref
Aitken Z, Garrett CC, Hewitt B, Keogh L, Hocking JS, Kavanagh AM. The maternal health outcomes of paid maternity leave. Soc Sci Med. 2015;130:32-41.PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
Nandi A, Hajizadeh M, Harper S, Koski A, Strumpf EC, Heymann J. Increased duration of paid maternity leave lowers infant mortality in low-and middle-income countries. PLoS Med. 2016;13(3):e1001985.PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
Schuster MA, Chung PJ. Time off to care for a sick child—why family-leave policies matter. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(6):493-495.PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
Medical Education and Training Occupational Health Pregnancy Obstetrics Obstetrics and Gynecology
Riano NS, Linos E, Accurso EC, et al. Paid Family and Childbearing Leave Policies at Top US Medical Schools. JAMA. 2018;319(6):611–614. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.19519
Research Letter
Paid Family and Childbearing Leave Policies at Top US Medical Schools
Nicholas S. Riano, MAS1; Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH2; Erin C. Accurso, PhD1; et al Dawn Sung, MD1; Elizabeth Linos, PhD3; Julia F. Simard, ScD4; Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
2Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco
3University of California, Berkeley
4Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
JAMA. 2018;319(6):611-614. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.19519
Retaining women in academic medicine is challenging, despite gender parity in medical training. Child-rearing and differential preferences on work-life balance may contribute to sex differences in retention in medicine.1 Retaining women during childbearing years is central to gender parity, as even short workforce interruptions can have long-term consequences—and may partially explain the gender wage gap. Our goal was to examine variations in childbearing and family leave policies at top US medical schools.
We reviewed US medical schools on top-10 lists for both funding by the National Institutes of Health and academic ranking by the US News & World Report academic ranking, which yielded 12 unique institutions. Leave policies were collected between September 2016 and August 2017, located via web searches for childbearing, maternity, family, parental, and childrearing leave/absence at each school. Childbearing leave was defined as a leave of absence taken by birth mothers; family leave was defined as a leave of absence taken by birth mothers after childbearing leave, or by fathers or non–birth parents to raise their child. Data on leave duration, salary support, policy wording and clarity (including explicit reference to fathers, adoptees, or same-sex couples), and constraints imposed were examined; discrepancies between reviewing authors were reconciled. Faculty Affairs departments were contacted in August 2017 to ensure accurate interpretation of leave duration and salary support. The institutional review board at the University of California, San Francisco, declined to review this study.
Childbearing and family leave policies were available online for all schools. The mean length of full salary support during childbearing leave was 8.6 weeks (range, 6-16), though policies varied widely between institutions (Table). Three of the 12 schools provided more than 8 weeks of full salary support for childbearing leave, the median leave duration reported. Eight schools allowed extensions, usually for medical reasons.
The mean length of family leave was 17.9 weeks (range, 2-52). Four provided more than 8 weeks of salary support (1 only for tenure track), but salary coverage varied widely (Table). Most family leave policies had several constraints, such as being at the discretion of the department (3 schools) or only available to "primary caregivers" who care for a child more than 50% of the time (5 schools). Three policies included ambiguous language regarding the duration of leave. To whom the leave could apply was often unclear; fathers were mentioned in 10 policies. Interpretation accuracy was confirmed by administration at all but 1 university undergoing active policy revision.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has publicly endorsed 12 weeks of paid family leave based upon the scientific evidence of benefits to the child.2 Yet the mean length at 12 of the top medical schools was 8.6 weeks. Some childbirth and most family leave policies included constraints implying benefits were at the discretion of departmental leadership. Other human resources policies that are negotiable have been shown to disadvantage women.3 Allowing for supervisory discretion in leave policies may also affect how women who take leave are perceived, inadvertently encouraging women to forgo or take shorter leaves. Restricting family leave availability to the primary caregiver prevents partners from taking any leave, potentially contributing to the attrition of women by not facilitating cooperative parenting.
This study had several limitations. Only 12 top-tier medical schools were included and their policies may not be generalizable. In addition, the analyses were strictly descriptive and did not examine the association between leave policies and retention.
Despite the benefits of paid childbearing leave for parent4 and infant,5 no federal law requires US employers to provide paid childbearing leave.6 Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess policies at other institutions and examine the association between leave policies and retention of women in academic medicine, adjusting for characteristics affecting retention, such as child care availability and costs, household characteristics, job satisfaction, and burnout.
Section Editor: Jody W. Zylke, MD, Deputy Editor.
Accepted for Publication: November 21, 2017.
Corresponding Author: Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS, University of California, San Francisco, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, 1001 Potrero Ave, Ste 7M, San Francisco, CA 94110 (christina.mangurian@ucsf.edu).
Author Contributions: Mr Riano and Dr Mangurian had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Concept and design: Riano, Accurso, Mangurian.
Drafting of the manuscript: Riano, Eleni Linos, Elizabeth Linos, Simard, Mangurian.
Statistical analysis: Riano, Simard.
Obtained funding: Mangurian.
Administrative, technical, or material support: Riano, Accurso, Sung, Mangurian.
Supervision: Mangurian.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Dr Mangurian reported being the chair of the Council of Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities for the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and working with several other APA members on a position paper about the importance of fully paid childbearing leave for the mental and physical well-being of the mother and child. No other disclosures were reported.
Funding/Support: This study was unfunded, although salary support was received from grants K23MH093689, R01MH112420, and R03DK101857 (Dr Mangurian); NIH NIAMS K01-AR066878 (Dr Simard); K76AG054631, R21CA212201, and DP2OD024079 (Dr Linos) from the National Institutes of Health.
Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.