Energy data refers to year 2013.
Australia has a federal system of governance with six states and two territories, which have considerable autonomy. The Australian parliamentary system resembles the one of the United Kingdom. It is bicameral with the House of Representatives and the Senate. Bills can be introduced in either of the both chambers with the exception of expenditure and tax issues, which are considered by the House of Representatives first. Both chambers need to pass a bill for it to become a law. The current Prime Minister of Australia is Malcolm Turnbull from the Liberal Party.
In 2015, Australia submitted its INDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in advance to the COP21 in Paris (see section on 'International Policy').
The law establishes the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), which is the centrepiece of the Direct Action Plan. It constitutes the main instrument of the Australian climate policy and for reaching the climate policy targets for 2020 and 2030. Until 2020, Australia aims to reduce GHG emissions by 5 percent below 2000 levels, which is a bipartisan target, i.e. it is both supported by the Labor Party and the Liberal Party. The goal translates into a 19 percent reduction against the business-as-usual scenario. The ERF provides for reverse auctions, which shall enable the government to purchase low-cost abatement measures. This means that the fund allows businesses, community organisations, local councils and other members of the community to undertake emission reduction activities and sell the resulting emissions reductions to the government. The respective emission reductions proposed in the auctions need to be credited by the Clean Energy Regulator and certain safeguards apply in order to prevent leakage. The first auctions under the ERF were held in April 2015. The safeguards installed have been assessed to be ineffective.
The Direct Action Plan replaced the Clean Energy Act (see below in section "Energy"), when the new government of the Liberal Party under the Abott administration came into power. The Direct Action Plan was specifically "designed to efficiently and effectively source low cost emissions reductions". For this purpose, the already existing Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act of 2011 (see below in section on "Carbon Pricing") was amended.
The law establishes the Climate Change Authority for reviewing other acts and to conduct research on climate change matters. A bill to abolish the Climate Change Authority was rejected in 2014. However, The Guardian reports that the government has since then ignored statements and recommendations of the Authority and replaced independent members of the body from the scientific community with former conservative politicians and lobbyists. Since then, reports would be drafted in a way palatable for the government, such as the Finkel Review of the national electricity market.
The law was introduced to establish a single national reporting framework for GHG emissions and energy use and production. The NGER Act defines also several targets for the three issue areas. Corporations have to meet an annual NGER threshold. For this purpose, they have to register and annually report to the Clean Energy Regulator, which is generally responsible for implementing climate change mitigation laws. The NGER law was initially intended to provide the necessary information for a future emission trading scheme (ETS).
In 1998, the Australian government established the Australia Greenhouse Office (AGO), the first governmental agency tasked with reducing GHG emissions in the world, and the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS).
In 2010, the law from 1989 was amended by the Australian Parliament to improve the operations of the existing Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989.
The federal government repeatedly questions the efficacy and reliability of renewable energies and advocates even for funding new coal-fired power plants. Moreover, the government for instance called the state of South Australia to reopen its last coal-fired power station.
In 2011, the Australian Labor Party and the Greens passed the Clean Energy Act, which included a package of 18 laws. The Clean Energy Act was repealed by the Clean Energy Legislation Act 2014. However, the Clean Energy Legislation Act also introduced various new provisions into the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, which gave the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission new enforcement and monitoring powers. In place of the Clean Energy Act, the new government released the Direct Action Plan in April 2014.
Since 2000, Australia has legislation in place in order to incentivise renewable energy generation and to reduce GHG emissions. In 2001, the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) was introduced based on the Renewable Energy Act of 2000. In 2009, the MRET was extended to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) Scheme, when the target to reach 20 percent electricity generation from renewable energies by 2020 was announced. Only one year later in 2010, the RET was split into a Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) and a Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The SRES was supposed to provide greater certainty for households, large-scale renewable energy projects and installers of small-scale renewable energy systems. Moreover, wholesale purchasers of electricity are required to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) to provide a financial incentive for renewable energy investments. In 2015, the government reduced the target to be achieved by the LRET through the Renewable Energy Amendment Law. However, the target to be reached for electricity generation from renewable energies was increased to 23 percent.
The law establishes the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to increase the supply of renewable energy. However, in 2016, the funding for ARENA was cut by A-$ 500 million.
The law aims to facilitate increased finance flows into clean energy.
The law provides a regulatory framework for petroleum exploration and production as well as for the exploration for potential GHG storage formations in offshore areas. A Joint Authority is created for each offshore area, which are responsible for implementing the act.
The National Energy Productivity Plan 2015-2030 aims to improve energy productivity by 40 percent in the mentioned period. Thereby, energy productivity is defined as how much value is created per investment in energy (i.e. economic output/energy used). It represents both a framework and a work plan. The main measures included in the plan are to increase energy efficiency in the building and in the industrial sector, to improve vehicle fuel efficiency, to reform the electricity and gas market to better support clean technologies, to support technological and business innovation in the energy sector, to support renewable energies, to promote low-carbon urban development and to build international collaboration on these issues.
The Act aims to promote the development and adoption of energy-efficient and low-GHG products. It includes mandatory minimum energy performance standards and energy rating labels for appliances and equipment.
The law requires energy efficiency information in the form of a Building Energy Efficiency Certificate for large commercial buildings. Moreover, it is the legal basis of the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) programme, which was created for the implementation of the law and updated in 2016 to include a larger amount of commercial buildings. Heavy financial penalties have to be paid in case of non-compliance.
The programme was launched to encourage large energy-using businesses to improve their energy efficiency. However, the programme was ceased in 2014.
Part of the Clean Energy Act of 2011, which has already been described above, was a carbon pricing mechanism. The mechanism started in 2012 and eventually turned into an ETS, including assistance for emissions-intensive and trade-exposed industries and income tax cuts for low-income earners and pension increases. Household transportation fuel consumption and emissions from agriculture and other land-based activities were exempted from the carbon price. In 2012, the intention to link the Australian ETS to the European ETS was announced and formalised with a respective amendment of the Clean Energy Act and six other related bills.
As it was described above, following the victory of the Liberal-National Party coalition in the general election of September 2013, the new government abolished the carbon pricing mechanism by the Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Pricing Repeal) Act. As a result, the carbon price was removed in 2014. This has led to a reversal of the trend in CO2 emissions: Before 2014, emissions were declining because of the carbon price. Since then, emissions from electricity production are again on the rise.
The Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) allows farmers and land managers to earn carbon credits by storing carbon or reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the land. These credits can then be sold to people and businesses wishing to offset their emissions. The CFI also helps the environment by encouraging sustainable farming and providing a source of funding for landscape restoration projects. Participation in the CFI is voluntary; farmers and landholders can choose whether or not to be involved.
The law was amended by the Carbon Farming Initiative Amendment Act 2014 (see above).
Economic – To promote the efficient movement of people and goods in order to support sustainable economic development and prosperity.
Safety – To provide a safe transport system, social and economic objectives with maximum safety for its user.
Social – To promote social inclusion by connecting remote and disadvantaged communities and increasing accessibility to the transport network for all Australians.
Environmental – Protect the environment and improve health by building and investing transport systems that minimise emissions and consumption of resources and energy.
Integration – Promote effective and efficient integration and linkage of Australia's transport system with urban and regional planning at every level of government and with international transport systems.
Transparency – Transparency in funding and charging to provide equitable access to the transport system.
The Green Vehicle Guide of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development provides ratings on new vehicles based on GHG and air pollution emissions.
The National Environment Protection (Diesel Vehicle Emissions) Measure (also known as the Diesel NEPM) was created by the National Environment Protection Council. The goal of the measure was to reduce exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles by facilitating compliance with in-service emissions standards for diesel vehicles.
In November 2009, Australian government through the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) agreed to a new national policy on waste and resource recovery. The National Waste Policy: Less waste, more resources sets the direction for Australia for the next 10 years 'towards producing less waste for disposal and managing waste as a resource to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits'. The policy has been designed to ensure that all wastes, including hazardous wastes, will be managed consistent with Australia's international obligations and lists six key directions for the period to 2020 to ensure that Australia manages its waste in 'an environmentally safe, scientific and sound manner and reduce the amount per capita of waste disposed'. Sixteen priority strategies that would benefit from a national or coordinated approach were developed to meet these key directions.
In July 2010, the EPHC endorsed the National Waste Policy Implementation Plan (the implementation plan) which presents the aims, key directions and strategies of the National Waste Policy and prioritises when they will be implemented. The implementation plan also sets out governance and resourcing arrangements and sets key milestones for the first five years of the policy and arrangements for monitoring progress and performance.
In 2008 the committee's predecessor undertook a wide ranging review of national waste policy. At that time the committee observed the absence of a national waste policy, stating that over the past two decades the only national waste minimisation strategy that has been established was the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Strategy of 1992.
The Australian Climate Change Science Programme has been operating from 1989. It identified national climate change science priorities and set out ways to harness the full science capacity to address them. It built on the achievements of Australia's climate change science community and enhanced efforts by focusing Australia's climate science expertise on an agreed set of national priorities. It was supposed to ensure that the science delivers what decision makers need. It eventually merged with the National Environmental Research Programme into the new National Environmental Science Programme (NESP).
The Climate Change Research Strategy for Primary Industries (CCRSPI) is tasked with the collaboration, coordination and communication of climate change research and development. In addition, there are the Climate Change Research Programme, Carbon Farming Future (CFF) programme of the Department of Agriculture and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
The strategy lays out how the Australian government intends to manage the risks arising of climate change. It identifies a set of guiding principles for adaptation measures. Moreover, the strategy includes a multitude of initiatives and activities in different sectors (coasts; cities and built environment; agriculture, forestry and fisheries; water resources; natural ecosystems; health and wellbeing; and disaster risk management). Four main priorities represent the foundation of the Australian adaptation approach: understand & communicate (improve awareness and drive innovation), plan & act (coordinated responses to climate risks), check & reassess (evaluate progress and review actions) and collaborate & learn (share learning and successes).
In 2015, Australia launched the Reef Plan 2050 for protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef from 2015 until 2050.
A National Coastal Risk Assessment was published in 2009 and 2011.
Full document of 2009 available here.
In 2010, the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change released the position paper 'Adapting to Climate Change in Australia', outlining the government's vision for adapting to climate change impacts and proposing steps to realise that vision. National priority areas for action include: water, coasts, infrastructure, natural ecosystems, natural disaster management, and agriculture.
As of 2013, climate change adaptation is covered by the Department of the Environment.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Program was created to help Australians better understand risks and take advantage of opportunities linked to carbon pollution in the atmosphere. The Australian Government invested $129 million in the programme between 2007 and 2013. These funds have been used to support projects to improve knowledge of climate change impacts, to strengthen the capacity of decision-makers to respond and to address major areas of national vulnerability.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Framework, approved in 2007 by the Council of Australian Governments, aims to address the needs of the community in terms of targeted information on climate change impacts and adaptation options by supporting research, developing information and tools, and implementing programs for climate change science to feed into the decision-making processes for developing climate change policy. The Framework sets the agenda for the national approach for long-term adaptation to climate change. Initiatives towards the implementation of the framework include: CSIRO Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship, Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Australia's Farming Future, Caring for our Coasts, National Coastal Vulnerability Assessment, Forest Industries Climate Change Research Fund, Local Adaptation Pathways Program, Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program, and Water for the Future. For example, the government invested $12.9 billion to secure Australia's water supply as part of the Water for the Future Initiative, which included projects to provide alternative water supplies to major cities and to improve irrigation efficiency. The government also supported Australia's Farming Futures program, which helped primary producers respond to climate change and manage emissions. However, the framework does not have any legislative or executive force.
The Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education developed the Climate Adaptation Outlook: A Proposed National Adaptation Assessment Framework, which presents a national assessment framework to evaluate progress in adapting to climate change impacts. Once the assessment framework and indicators are set following a stakeholder consultation process, the Department will release a full assessment of progress in managing climate change impacts in Australia.
Several states have climate legislation and emission reduction targets. However, state emission reduction targets that are more ambitious than the federal target will be repealed by the state legislation.
Website of the Climate Change Authority (CCA), independent expert advisor on Australian Government climate change mitigation initiatives, established under the Climate Change Authority Act 2011.
Country profile of Australia on the website of the Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
Assessment of Australia on the website of the Climate Action Tracker.
The Kyoto Protocol target of Australia for the first commitment period was to limit the increase in GHG emissions (excl. LULUCF) to eight percent above 1990 levels. Australia was allowed to add deforestation emissions to its base years for calculating its commitment period emissions allowances, which has substantially reduced the ambition of the target. The target for the second commitment period is to more or less stabilise emissions compared to 1990 (0.5 percent reduction), but surplus allowances from the first commitment period need to be taken into account.
Emission target of 5 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 (unconditional).
Emission target of 15 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 (conditional on a global climate deal incapable of securing atmospheric stabilisation at 450 ppm CO2eq but under which major developing economies commit to substantially restrain emissions and advanced economies take on commitments comparable to Australia's).
Emission target of 25 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 (conditional on an ambitious global climate deal capable of stabilising GHG concentration at 450 ppm CO2eq or lower).
For official communication see here.
Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted in advance of the COP21 (Paris) in 2015 (for more information on INDCs see here). Following the ratification and entry into force of the Paris Agreement, the INDC has become Australia's first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
– The Climate Action Tracker has rated the 2030 NDC target "inadequate".
Australia is a member of the G20 as well as the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF). Australia is also part of both the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Australia participates in the Mission Innovation and has thus pledged to double its expenditures for clean energy R&D until 2020.
Australia forms part of the NDC Partnership, which assists countries in achieving their climate commitments and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Moreover, Australia is a member of the Global Methane Initiative (GMI), which aims to reduce methane emissions, and of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), which strives to reduce emissions from short-lived climate pollutants, such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and HFCs. In addition, Australia has joined the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF).
Australia was a founding member of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP), which also included Canada, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States. The APP was supposed to address energy security, climate change and air pollution issues. It consisted of a governing body and eight sectoral forces, which were tasked to elaborate on concrete projects and plans. The APP was abandoned only after five years and had little impact on the emission of the members. The APP was accused to undermine the legitimacy and supremacy of the UNFCCC.
On 18 May 2004, Australia and the US signed a Joint Statement on Environmental Cooperation to further strengthen the relationship between our countries on environment issues both bilaterally and multilaterally.
Australia has ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity.
In December 2015 at the Global Landscapes Forum in Paris, Australia announced that it will establish an International Partnership for Blue Carbon to increase the understanding of, and accelerate action on the important role of coastal blue carbon ecosystems in climate change action.
Australia is part of the Umbrella Group in the multilateral climate negotiations.
Australia recognises the necessity of lowering global greenhouse emissions and that achieving this will require substantive action over the long term. Australia has allocated US-$ 1.8 billion as part of a comprehensive domestic action programme, managed by the Australian Greenhouse Office, to reduce GHG emissions.
At the international level, Australia will continue to work for more effective global action on climate change involving all major emitters of GHGs and which avoids distortions that might lead to the international transfer of economic activity and emissions with no environmental benefits.
Given that the top dozen emitters are responsible for roughly 80 per cent of global emissions, Australia believes that it is important to have all major emitters actively engaged.
Australia's contribution to the third replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) was US-$ 68.2 million, an increase of 58 percent. Since 1991, Australia has committed over $184 million to the GEF. Almost 40 percent of funds contributed have been allocated to the GEF's climate change activities. Further climate change-related assistance has been channelled through the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), US-$ 4.2 million and US-$ 5.4 million respectively for the period 2003-2005.


Author Soulliere, Sandra J., author.
Title Mineral resources of the Horseshoe Canyon North Wilderness Study Area, Emery and Wayne Counties, Utah / by Sandra J. Soulliere and Greg K. Lee, Clay M. Martin.
Description 1 online resource (v, 13 pages, 1 page of plates) : illustrations, maps (some color).
U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 1750.
Note Title from title screen (viewed Aug. 28, 2014).
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 12-13).
Subject Mines and mineral resources -- Utah -- Horseshoe Canyon North Wilderness.
Added Author Lee, Gregory K., author.


Not all groundcovers are green in winter; some have burgundy, yellow or variegated colors. But these low-growing plants won't quit when the mercury drops.
Photo By: Courtesy Walter's Gardens, Inc.
Photo By: Courtesy Walters Gardens, Inc.
Although deer will eat almost any plant if they're hungry, they tend to leave Celtic Pride Siberian cypress alone. This evergreen shrub grows 1 to 3 feet tall and spreads 48 to 60 inches.
Hardy in zones 5 to 8, Brass Buckle is a dwarf Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) with glossy, yellow-green foliage that stays colorful all year. Plant it in sun or partial shade, in moist, acidic soil with good drainage. The plants spread 12 to 18 inches.
Also known as bugleweed, Ajuga's foliage looks good year-round. 'Burgundy Glow' is creamy white, burgundy and dark green, and becomes more bronze in fall. Short, spiky blue flowers open in spring.
White Album euonymus covers the ground with mounds of low-growing, evergreen leaves all winter in zones 5 to 8. This shrub is easy to maintain, needs average watering and tolerates part sun to sun.
Spreading junipers like 'Old Gold' can be planted approximately three feet apart for groundcovers that hold their color all winter. This slow-growing juniper, which tops out around 2 to 3 feet tall, is an attractive golden-yellow.
Good Vibrations Gold juniper tolerates heat and drought and stays attractive in fall and winter, when its foliage turns more bronze. Give these spreading plants sun and average water; they'll reach 12 to 18 inches in height.
Groundcovers don't just provide color and interest in winter; they can also help control erosion and suppress weeds that try to sprout when the weather warms up. Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum, a mat-forming woolly thyme) is rugged enough to walk on and releases a pleasant scent when crushed.
Clumping 'Big Blue' liriope is a perennial with grassy "straps" that grow up and spill over, like a fountain. Hardy in zones 5 to 10, it opens lilac-purple blooms in summer.
Old-fashioned candytuft 'Snowflake' (Iberis sempervirens) stays green all winter; in spring, a carpet of low-growing, white flowers appear. The plants prefer full sun and are drought tolerant.
Slow-growing, "no-mowing" dwarf mondo grass is a tough, evergreen groundcover that tolerates shade and needs little water.
Also known as European wild ginger, Asarum europeaum forms a mat of glossy foliage that stays green in mild winter areas. The plants spread slowly and prefer rich, moist soil and shade.
If you're watching your water usage, consider artificial turf as an attractive, evergreen groundcover. Sunburst Landscaping of Arizona installs synthetic EasyTurf, estimated to last 15 to 20 years, for clients in the drought-stricken Southwest.
English ivy (Hedera helix) keeps its dark green color all winter; the vines can grow as a thick groundcover. But be careful where you plant; this ivy is aggressive enough to climb trees and crowd out native plants.


University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing alumna Elizabeth A. Carlson, PhD, has received the Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award from Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society for nursing.
Carlson was presented the award at Sigma's 44th Biennial Convention on Oct. 30, 2017, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Carlson, Professor and Chair of the department of adult health and gerontological nursing in the Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago, earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from the UAB School of Nursing in 1976.
In 2016, Carlson received the Marie O'Koren Alumni Award for Innovation in Leadership from the School. Her history of sustained contributions to teaching, practice and research includes her instrumental work in the development of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Rush University. Together with colleagues, she is currently studying DNP-PhD collaboration and the role it plays in advancing nursing as a profession.


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"We are going to continue having these meetings, everyday, until I find out why no work is getting done."
This was a project from hell. We did great work and I have good memories from it, but it landed my client colleague in hospital and caused quite a few resignations from the consulting partner (I was an independent). We were taking 3 countries live per month !!! Risky business.
End result: Project ran out of budget for the year, was scaled back from about 50 consultants to 5, project manager left or was asked to leave. The project was eventually restarted with a new budget the following year and went live later that year.
This has been a particularly crazy week with meetings galore and very little progress. It is a fine line of when are there too many meetings. On the one hand, it is very useful to sit in on meeting to find out what others are doing and dealing with. On the other hand, you need to decide when they actually add value to your part of the implementation.
As SAP is an integrated beast (which is a blessing and a curse in itself), I have often been amazed at how just picking one thing up in a seemingly unrelated meeting, can make all the difference in the world. It would be nice if you knew in advance what that thing was and arrive just in time, spend 5 minutes instead of 90 minutes .
We almost need a dedicated resource who can read the future so that you can co-ordinate you entry and exit to meetings, and spend the other 85 minutes doing some other productive work.
I wonder how we could sell getting this person on board . They would certainly be worth the money.
That's all for now. It's 4.00 am am I am "Sleepless in Boston".


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NASA's Parker Solar Probe Is Being Pelted by Tiny Plasma Explosions	November 12, 2021 at 11:59 am
NASA now says the hypervelocity dust impacts cause tiny plasma explosions that are detectable via the probe's sensors. But don't worry—it's probably going to be just fine.
Parker Solar Probe Detects Radio Emission in Venus's Atmosphere	May 4, 2021 at 7:30 am
This is the first direct measurement of Venus' atmosphere in decades, and it looks much different than the last time.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe Sets Two Records During Latest Flyby of the Sun	February 4, 2020 at 1:39 pm
NASA's Parker solar probe started its journey by setting a record — the fastest rocket launch in history. It's gone on to set several other records as it studied the sun in unprecedented detail. NASA now reports that Parker has broken two of its own records during its latest trip past the sun.
Scientists Snap Closest-Ever View of the Sun	January 31, 2020 at 7:21 am
Scientists and astronomers have captured the closest view yet of the surface of the sun, detailing structures just 18 miles across.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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NYU Steinhardt
NYU Steinhardt News
Study Finds Classifying English Proficiency Varies by District, with Mixed Outcomes for Students
The threshold for transitioning students from English learners to fluent English proficient status—a process termed reclassification—varies widely across and within states, finds a study by NYU Steinhardt, Oregon State University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The findings, published in a special centennial issue of the American Educational Research Journal, inform conversations about statewide policies for English learner reclassification, which are now mandated under the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act.
"Our study examined the effect of state-level decisions as implemented at a local level. With the Every Student Succeeds Act stipulating that reclassification policies be standardized within a state, our work gives a glimpse into what we might see more broadly once these policies are standardized," said Joseph Robinson Cimpian, associate professor of economics and education policy at NYU Steinhardt and the study's lead author.
"Notably, our findings revealed a wide array of effects of reclassification on achievement and graduation, ranging from large negative effects in some districts to large positive effects in others, even when considering students subject to the same state-level policies."
By 2050, over a third of school-age children in the U.S. are projected to be immigrants or the children of immigrants, and many of these children will be classified as English learners. Effectively educating the large English learner population requires appropriate instructional services and settings throughout the time students are learning English, as well as during their transition to fluent English status. Because reclassification often entails a change in services and settings, it is important that the switch occurs at the appropriate time: when the student no longer receives added benefit from the English learner setting.
Reclassification criteria vary across states, districts within a state, and even within districts. However, they all use some determination of whether an English learner is achieving at a pre-specified level on an assessment determined by local policymakers.
A recent wave of education research uses a technique known as regression discontinuity designs, which use large amounts of data to compare the outcomes of students who just barely attained the reclassification criteria with those who just barely failed to attain it, helping researchers to understand the effects of reclassification on students with very similar profiles.
While previous studies have examined effects within a single school district, the current study is the first to examine reclassification effects across multiple districts and measure variability between them. The researchers used longitudinal data from 107,549 students in two states—one in the Southeast and one in the Northwest—and applied regression discontinuity designs to assess the effects of reclassification on later achievement and graduation. All students studied were at some point considered English learners and were enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school when they were reclassified.
The researchers found remarkable variability between districts in how reclassification affected student achievement and graduation rates. In some districts, reclassification had negative effects on graduation, where students who were reclassified but just barely made the cut-off were as much as 80 percent less likely to graduate. Meanwhile, reclassification in other districts had positive effects on graduation. For example, in a different district, just-barely reclassified students were 38 percentage points more likely to graduate than peers who stayed in an English learner setting.
"This variability tells us that we should not default to a belief that reclassification is universally beneficial or detrimental," said Cimpian.
The researchers conclude that this type of research can help policymakers see misalignment between their thresholds for reclassification and the instruction and services in their state and districts. Fixing this misalignment might include lowering or raising the reclassification threshold as well as modifying instruction and services for students near the threshold. For example, if reclassification was found to have a negative effect on student outcomes, a district might consider providing additional language development support for students right after reclassification.
Of note, the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to establish uniform reclassification criteria for all districts, meaning districts may not have the freedom to adjust their thresholds or add in additional considerations for reclassification.
"On one hand, establishing the same criteria has the benefit of facilitating comparisons across districts and providing a common metric by which to assess English learner status for students who move across district boundaries. On the other hand, requiring a common threshold across the state restricts the ability of a district to adjust the threshold to meet the needs of its own students given the services that the district provides," Cimpian said.
This research was funded by a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and a University of Illinois Hardie Fellowship awarded to Cimpian and a U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences grant (R305H140072) for which Thompson is the principal investigator. (Photo: © recep-bg/iStock )
This post appears in the following categories: ash, education research, Faculty, In the Public Schools, research
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Plans for a 420-pupil primary school to be built in the grounds of an existing secondary school were approved last night.
Bromley council approved plans for Langley Park Primary School on Thursday night after receiving more than 70 letters of support from Beckenham residents.
Hawes Down Centre in West Wickham has been acting as a temporary base for the school since September 2016, as it planned the move on to the Langley Park School for Girls site.
Right now there are 46 pupils and eight members of staff working at the primary school, but it hopes to reach capacity, with 30 full time members of staff, by 2022.
Following the approval, acting head teacher Hayley Starr said: "This is the news we've been waiting for.
The planning application received more than 70 letters of support when it was submitted to the council, while 20 residents wrote to object to the proposals.
Concerns were raised that the existing Langley Park School for Girls already impacts local parking and traffic, with one resident warning the nearby Chinese Garage roundabout is "becoming ever more dangerous at existing levels of housing traffic and schools.
Further obections were raised over building on protected Metropolitan Open Land, however due to a demand in primary school places, the school is seen to meet the very special circumstances required to by-pass the protection.
Anne Hudson, lead proposer and CEO of Langley Park Academies trust, said: "I am very grateful to the colleagues in the trust who have worked with us to manage the temporary LPPS site and the planning of the new building, especially chief financial officer Keiko Snape.
The school's new building hopes to open in September 2018.


The recession has led to the lowest sickness absence levels on record, but is still costing business £16.8bn a year, new research has revealed.
Employees took on average 6.4 days off sick last year, which amounted to 180 million lost working days, according to the CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey.
This level of absence was the lowest since the survey began in 1987, and dropped from the 6.7 days taken per employee in 2007 – the previous surveyed year.
Katja Hall, director of employment policy at the CBI, said: "The rate of employee absence has come down, but it still costs the economy billions of pounds a year. If absence levels across the board could be reduced by 10%, the economy would see annual savings of just under £1.7bn.
The survey of 241 senior HR staff at public and private sector organisations found that around 27 million sick days (15%) were not genuine, and cost the country £2.5bn a year.
Larger organisations were also found to have higher rates of absence than smaller ones. Those with 5,000 or more staff had an average absence of 6.6 days per year, and for those with 500 to 4,999 it was 6.7 days. But for organisations with 200 to 499, it was 5.8 days.
While public sector sickness absence did fall, it remained 43% higher than in the private sector.
In the public sector, employees took an average of 8.3 days per year, compared to nine days in 2007, but the private sector took on average only 5.8 days.
Long-term absence was found to have accounted for 5% of absences, but the longer periods of sickness meant it accounted for 20% of lost days in the private sector and 36% in the public sector. Back pain and mental health issues were the key causes of long-term absence, according to the survey.
Some 95% of organisations were also shown to have a formal absence policy – a rise of 10% compared with 2007 figures.


text:
What's next after FDA panel backs Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11?
the experts we spoke to today are reassured by the data released today from the fighter trials and they're saying parents still on the fence should definitely talk to their own pediatrician. The vote was nearly unanimous with 17 yeses and one abstention. An FDA advisory panel deciding the benefits far outweigh any risk. And they're green lighting the Pfizer vaccine for Children 5 to 11 years old. I would say that today's meeting and the data reviewed are very reassuring that it should be a possibility soon that FDA panel convinced by a study from the drugmaker where fighter gave 2200 Children a third of the regular dose and found that the two shots were 91% effective against symptomatic disease. Fighter says Andy's side effects from the vaccine were mild and that none of the Children came down with myocarditis, a rare swelling of the heart muscle. Eight year old Sebastian Tribal was part of that trial. He says the only thing he felt was a sore arm and a slight fever. You might be a little scared at first, but honestly it can help others. And many experts agree it is time to protect kids. In the beginning we thought the kids were less likely to get infected. We know now that that's not true. In fact, in this age group of 5 to 11, we learned that there had been 1.9 million confirmed infections. The CDC estimates the number of unconfirmed cases and kids is actually about six times that but many parents are still anxious if you still have doubts or concerns about your own child, it's a good time to talk to a doctor you trust, working for your pediatrician. Any questions that are specific to you and your child circumstances would be the best way to go now. The full feet. The full FDA still has to take up this vaccine and the C. D. C. Will meet about it next week. We're live in boston. I'm mary Salata WCVB News Center. Five mary. Thank you. Yeah.
Experts in Massachusetts are reassured by the data from Pfizer's trials and have some advice for any parents who are still on the fence.


I HATE FAIRYLAND #10 Review | Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.
Issue #10 of I Hate Fairyland see Gertie having to make a choice. What a surprise she wasn't listening to the clues as to how to choose. The right choice will lead her to all her dreams coming true, the wrong one will take her into DARKNESS. And all the flames of Fairyland will not save her, they will only help drive out the light!
Next page, guess what, flames and destruction, and a giant dragon striding over the landscape. Guess Gertie chose unwisely.
It's the end of Fairyland!
Well, no, okay, of course it isn't. Larry has a cunning plan - and we all know how well cunning plans work out.
This is another fun run, with some different views to consider and enjoy. Gert is Gert and nothing is changing that. I enjoyed this issue, there's some really creative use of absence, and a total absence of sense in some spots. It's fun and well worth the read. Four out of five this time.


On Monday, San Francisco 49ers radio play-by-play voice, Ted Robinson, joined Rise Guys on ESPN 1320 to discuss the team's loss on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. One topic that was discussed was the head coaching position.
"You could also look at it and say, 'It's all going to change. It's time to dig the entire road up instead of patching potholes,' which is really what the approach last year was kind of a pothole thing. You could look at it that way or you could do complete status quo and just say, 'We're not going to change anything.' I would say the likelihood of that happening, in my view, would be very minuscule. But those are the options that you have.
"Now, there's two competing thoughts that go around. We all hear it, right? People are saying, 'Well, you can't change the coach. It's not right. Etc, etc. There's some validity to that. Nobody wants to change coaches but if you adopt that approach, you have to also have to embrace the concept that the current situation can improve. If you look at this, you would be hard pressed to see where that proof is. Where is the thing that I can latch on to and say, 'This is going to be dramatically better next year?' I would think that's a hard thing to see right now.
"Now, the flip side is if you change coaches. And as everyone says, 'Well, you can't have four coaches in four years.' Good point. Nobody wants that and it does stretch the belief that the job is attractive. But that's where the obligation goes on the organization to go out and hit a home run. If they decide that a coaching change is right, they have to go out and hit a home run and find a Harbaugh (or) even better, to me. That kind of a hire. That kind of credibility position. It isn't just going out and finding an assistance coach that we don't know, who might end up being a terrific coach, but you don't know that. I think that would be a hard thing to do and find that attractive a candidate, by the way, if you are saying it's going to be the fourth coach in four years."


At a bar in New York City, the bartender was so sure that he was the strongest man around that he offered a standing $1,000 bet.
The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and then hand the lemon to the patron. Anyone who could squeeze two more drops of juice out of it, would win the money.
Over the years, many people had tried . . . weight-lifters, longshoremen, etc., but nobody had ever been able to do it.
One day, a scrawny little fellow came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit.
He sat down, ordered a glass of beer, and started looking around the bar. After reading the sign on the wall about the lemon challenge, he said in a small voice, "I was just reading your sign, and I'd like to try the bet."
After the laughter had died down, the bartender said "Ok".
He grabbed a lemon and squeezed all the juice he could out of it, then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little fellow.
But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his little fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass.
As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the guy his $1,000, and then asked, "Do you mind if I ask what do you do for a living? Are you a lumber jack, a weight-lifter, or what?"
"I work for the Internal Revenue Service!"
Last edited by Sal; 01-29-2018 at 02:27 PM.
Sal, even as my deductions grow up and move away, that is still funny!
Whats the German word for bra??? . . . In Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice... Keepsumfromfloppin.
Sounds more like something from the shelving section of Ikea. I hear they've got nice racks.
In my part of the world it is "Stoppenzefromfloppen".
Guld F-47K - A one-of-a-kind beauty!
I thought it was a supporter of athletics.
This one is for whole family. . .
There is this finnish song - men are in woods cutting trees and living in a cabin - every evening they hear Kalle sigh in a corner - "Wish I had a violin" - they think it would be nice if Kalle would entertain them after long day in the woods - so they secretly collect money and send one man to town to get a violin - that night they eagerly wait what will come of it - they hear Kalle sigh : "Wish I could play"


Ms. White is an associate at Kriss & Feuerstein LLP and currently focuses on the firm's transactional matters. Ms. White works primarily on the acquisition, sale and financing of commercial real estate. Ms. White also handles residential matters including those related to condominiums and cooperatives.
Prior to entering law school, Ms. White co-founded a professional theatre company, Heiress Productions, Inc., a 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to raising cancer awareness and funds through professional theatre.


A neighbor of a Tennessee shopping center will simply have to accept the fact that a Walgreen's drug store will be constructed on center property.
The shopping center is Kirby Gate, in Memphis, and the neighbor had opposed construction of the drug store on grounds that he had never granted approval for such a project. And prior approval is required, he added, because he and the center's owner had signed an agreement to that effect.
The agreement that the neighbor referred to is one that covers drainage and building placement on the shopping center property. The center's owner wanted to continue to develop the site, but that meant he needed the cooperation of his neighbor, especially with regard to water diversion.
So prior to any further development, the two parties began negotiations and eventually reached an understanding: Before the neighbor would consent to allowing the center's owner to divert water onto his property, he wanted certain assurances regarding the coordinated development of the properties.
To satisfy the neighbor's concerns, the shopping center owner had his architect prepare sketches of the site. Those sketches detailed the areas of proposed development and the proposed drainage plan. Both parties then signed their names on the sketches, approving the plan and agreeing "to implement the improvements shown hereon."
When the neighbor later learned of the start of construction for a free-standing Walgreen's drug store at the shopping center, he felt that the center's owner had violated the agreement they had signed. The neighbor believed that the Walgreen's store would interfere with plans for his property and that he had the right to dictate placement of the store location at the center.
The center owner pointed out, however, that the architect's sketches that the parties agreed to are entitled "Proposed Drainage Improvements" and that there is nothing on the document binding either party to a particular location for constructing any future building.


Since I first reviewed MathScore, I've mentioned it in a Homeschool Highlight post as well as on the Review Crew Facebook page. Obviously I love it. It's a great program that we're still using, and now it is on special.
If you sign up for MathScore here, you get a huge discount for the first child: your price will be $5.95 US per month instead of $14.95 US per month. This discount is permanent, so you will save over $100 US a year. Student accounts for additional children cost even less.
If you're looking for a flexible, effective summer math program for children from about grade 2 to the lower levels of high school, you should check this out to see if it would suit your family. It works for us.
Disclosure: We are still using the MathScore account we received for the original review.
This post has been submitted to Works for Me Wednesday.


anyone else enjoy this post as much as we do ?
Click the link above – THE NURSES STORE – for the most popular nursing gear readily available. Lots of items on sale or at a discount rate. We upgrade and keep track of the store daily to be sure you can access the uniforms, scrubs, shoes, and nursing gear that nurses want.


CallTrackingMetrics allows an unlimited number of users for each account. Each user has a role that determines what kind of permissions they will have in the account. Users can have access to multiple accounts, and can have different roles in different accounts. Some user roles can be added to access control groups, which allow for more fine-tuning of what they can access in the account.
For more information on user roles, see the the full article here.
Once a user has been added to an account, you can edit their settings to make changes as needed. See Managing Users to learn more about how you can edit an existing user in your account.
To add a new user, you must enter an email address, first name, last name, and role. There are several optional features you can configure as well, including a profile picture, an agent schedule, and a receiving number.
Navigate to Settings → Users and click New User in the upper right corner.
Enter the user's email address. This will be the username for the purposes of logging into CTM.
Enter a first and last name for the user.
If you attempt to add a user that already exists in the system, you will see a message that says "a user with this email address already exists." This message is there to let you know the user already has an account in the CTM system, but you can still grant them access to your account.
Note that for security reasons, some aspects of a user's profile can only be edited by the account or agency that originally created the user in CTM. If some aspect of the user's profile needs to be changed and you are not able to access it, the user may need to contact another account owner or contact support for assistance.
If you receive the "a user with this email address already exists" message while adding a user, click Show User.
The user's profile will be populated with their existing information. Review everything for accuracy.
If the user's current role is the role you'd like them to have in this account, make sure the correct account names appear in the field.
If you need the user to have a different role in this account, click +Add Role and select the role you wish them to use in this account. Make sure the correct account name appears in the field for this role.
When creating a new user, the authentication section offers you the option to send login instructions to the user. The message will include an authentication link they use to log in for the first time, and they will be prompted to set a password. The email address that you enter in the General section of the page will be used for this message.
The validation link sent to new users will expire after two days. If the new user doesn't log in within that time, they will need to reset their password using the "forgot password" link, or you can send them a password reset from their user profile.
By default, "send instructions" is checked.
In this section, you can set the agent's receiving number and apply a schedule.
For more information on schedules, see the full article here.
If you have created access control groups in your account, you can assign your new user to one of those groups. Agents, call managers, and report managers can be assigned to access control groups.
If you want your new user to be an agency administrator, you will have to first add them as an administrator, then edit their profile to change their role to agency administrator.
Create a new user using the instructions above, then click or scroll to the Assign Roles section.
Click +Add Role and select Agency Administrator.


Zoos around the world don't own their pandas; they lease them from the Chinese government for as much as $1 million per panda per year.
New pandas can make a zoo's attendance skyrocket by 60 percent. After the initial excitement wanes, though, zoos are hard-pressed to break even on their panda attractions.
Baby bears can trigger a fresh wave of patron interest, but since China knows that a new cub means an influx of cash, it sticks each baby bear with a one-time $600,000 cub tax.
At $500,000 a year, taking care of a panda is roughly five times more expensive than zoos' next-priciest animals: elephants.
ACT NOW TO CUT YOUR RATE!
When the San Diego Zoo's contract expired in 2008, it talked the Chinese government into cutting its annual fees in half. Apparently, you can put a price on cuteness!


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that state governments should adopt the mantra of "pre-emptive, pro-active and collective approach" to beat the third wave of the pandemic, even as he emphasised that vaccination is the most potent way to deal with the pandemic.
In a virtual meeting with chief ministers and lieutenant governors on the Covid situation, Modi also stressed that the momentum of the economy should be maintained and that local containment is the way to ensure this, effectively ruling out plans of a lockdown.
Home minister Amit Shah and health secretary Rajesh Bhushan briefed the prime minister and chief ministers about the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and the vaccination drive. The PM heard the views and concerns of the CMs, with some of them enumerating their state-specific problems at length.
Addressing the CMs, Modi said: "The way the central and state governments had adopted a pre-emptive, proactive and collective approach (during the last two waves), the same is the mantra of victory this time as well. The more we can limit the corona infection, the less the problem will be. "


Beautifully maintained single story home with 2 bedrooms and a nice size den, two car garage, and an actual backyard in Chandler for under $250,000? Unheard of! And in a low cost HOA that offers a pool and recreation center? Astonishing! Den can be used as a 3rd Bedroom. And check out these features: No carpet- tile and laminate throughout! White kitchen cabinets, walk in closet in the ensuite master. Wood look blind blinds throughout and energy efficient. Newer A/C compressor, garbage disposal, security doors. Relax on your covered patio and enjoy the lush, low maintenance xeriscaped yard complete with pavers. Great location on a corner lot and just steps away from the community pool. Playgrounds and parks abound in this lovely subdivision. Come see this wonderful home today.


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Environment & Science
Study Says Pest-Resistant Cotton May Help Other Crops
Chinese scientists say transgenic Bt cotton may reduce the need to treat nearby plants against bollworm. But they also note concerns. Transcript of radio broadcast
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
Bollworms are a traditional threat to cotton crops. Young ones feed on the boll, the part of the cotton plant that contains the seeds.
A bacterium known as Bt is able to kill bollworms and some other pests. Bt is short for Bacillus thuringiensis. It was discovered in the early twentieth century. Farmers began using Bt as a natural pesticide.
Then, in the nineteen nineties, researchers found a way to grow cotton plants that contain a Bt gene. The genetically modified cotton plant produces toxins that kill bollworms. Farmers around the world are now growing an estimated fourteen million hectares of Bt cotton.
Cotton bollworms also attack other crops. But scientists in China recently reported that Bt cotton may help suppress bollworm in other crops growing nearby.
The study involved crops grown in six provinces of northern China between nineteen ninety-two and two thousand seven. The study area contained three million hectares of cotton and twenty-two million hectares of corn, peanuts, soybeans and vegetables.
The researchers say the study suggested that Bt cotton not only controls bollworm on the transgenic cotton, but also may reduce its presence on other crops. And that reduction, they say, may decrease the need for insecticide sprays in general.
But the researchers also pointed out concerns. They say bollworms could develop resistance to the cotton plants designed to resist them. And they noted that insects called mirids have become "key pests" of cotton in China. They said this is because of a decrease in pesticide use made possible by Bt cotton.
The researchers say they do not believe that Bt cotton alone can solve all insect problems. Instead, they say farmers in China should consider it just one part of pest management systems.
Kong-Ming Wu of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing led the study. The findings appeared in Science magazine.
A British group, the Institute of Science in Society, said the findings were presented in a way that could mislead readers. The group noted that the only part of the study available online at no cost, a short abstract, said nothing about the concerns.
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson with additional reporting by Jessica Berman. I'm Bob Doughty.


text:
Q: Setting up the liklihood distribution for Bayesian Estimation Here is the exact problem:

Suppose that the random variables $Y_1,\ldots,Y_n$ satisfy $$
 Y_i=\beta x_i+\varepsilon_i, \quad i=1,\ldots,n. $$ where
  $x_1,\ldots,x_n$ are fixed constants, and
  $\varepsilon_1,\ldots,\varepsilon_n$ are i.i.d random variables with
  $\mathrm{Normal}(0,\sigma^2)$. Given data observations, denoted as $D$, i.e.,
  $D=\{x_i,y_i\}^n_{i=1}$, answer the following question through
  calculation.
Assume $\sigma^2$ is known and assume the prior distribution of $B$
  follows normal distribution, i.e., $\beta\sim \mathrm{Normal}(B_0,\sigma_o^2)$,
  where $B_0$ and $\sigma_0^2$ are known constants. Determine the
  marginal posterior distribution of $B$, i.e. $B\mid D$.

Here is my work so far:
Thus, the pdf of the priori distribution is:
$$\pi(\beta)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}\sigma_0}e^{\frac{-(\beta-\beta_0)^2}{2\sigma_0^2}}$$
Next, I need to find the distribution of the $Y_i$ random variable.
$$\operatorname{E}[Y_i]=\operatorname{E}[\beta x_i+\varepsilon_i]=\beta x_i+0=\beta x_i$$
$$\operatorname{Var}[Y_i]=\operatorname{Var}[\beta x_i+\varepsilon_i]=\sigma^2$$
Thus, $Y_i \sim \mathrm{Normal}(\beta x_i, \sigma^2)$
Now, here is where I need help.
I know a sufficient statistic for the mean of a normal distribution when the variance is known is the sample mean.
Thus, having $\overline{x}=\frac{1}{n}\sum^n_{i=1}(\beta x_i)$ the likelihood becomes:
$$f(\overline{x}\mid \beta x_i)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}\sigma}e^{\frac{-(\overline{x}-\beta x_i)^2}{2\sigma^2}}$$
So, I am wondering If my set up of the likelihood is correct. I know the posterior distribution is typically represented by $f(\bf{x}\mid \theta) \propto f(\theta \mid \bf{x}) \cdot \pi(\theta)$. In this representation notice that the parameter $\theta$ is the same throughout, but in the way I set up the problem it is not due to $\beta x_i$ and $\beta$. So, I'm wondering if any one can shed some light on how I need to represent the liklihood.

A: Your proposed sufficient statistic assumes all $n$ of the normal distributions are the same, but they're not.
The conditional distribution of $Y_i$ given $B$ is $\mathrm{Normal}(Bx_i, \sigma^2 )$.  The likelihood is
$$
L(\beta) = \frac 1 {\sigma^{2n}} \exp\left( \frac{-1}{2\sigma^2} \sum_{i=1}^n ( y_i - \beta x_i )^2  \right).
$$
This admits further simplification by doing some algebra, and that can identify a sufficient statistic.
The least-squares estimator of $\beta$ can be shown to be
$$
\widehat\beta = \frac{\sum_i x_i y_i}{ \sum_i x_i^2}.
$$
Then we have
\begin{align}
& \sum_{i=1}^n ( y_i - \beta x_i )^2 = \sum_i \Big( (y_i - \widehat\beta x_i) + (\widehat\beta x_i - \beta x_i)\Big)^2 \\[10pt]
= {} &  \left( \sum_i (y_i - \widehat\beta x_i)^2 \right) + \underbrace{2(\widehat \beta - \beta) \sum_i (y_i-\widehat\beta x_i) x_i}_\text{Show that this middle sum is $0$.} + \left(\widehat\beta-\beta\right)^2 \sum_i x_i^2.
\end{align}
You should ultimately end up with $\widehat\beta$ as the sufficient statistic.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As far as plumbing problems go, there's nothing much worse than a main sewer line problem. Whether it's a busted line or just a really bad clog, it can mean a call to your local plumbing professionals and costly repairs. Additionally, the problem only gets worse, and more costly, the longer that you let it go one without being fixed. But how are you supposed to know there's a problem? Well, some things should be tipping you off to a problem in your system. Review the signs of a main sewer line problem and call the local plumbers when you have repairs that need to be done!
One slow drain may not be a major cause for concern. However, if you notice slow drains in your kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room, this is a red flag, and you should call a plumber right away. Slow drains mean there is already a major clog, or one is in the process of forming, meaning you only have so much time before the pipe bursts and you're paying for major repairs.
Notice a foul stench coming from your drains? Does it smell like gas or like something died in there? That's probably the result of a buildup somewhere in your plumbing system. If you can smell it, it must be large enough to cause a problem. Don't let strange smells continue without checking them out – call a local plumber for a video sewer inspection that can identify problems before they get too bad.
A sewage backup means there's a clog somewhere in your system. However, multiple sewage backups in different rooms mean the problem is bigger than you expected. If you have multiple toilets or drains that have backed up in your home, most likely, that means that your main sewer line is clogged and needs to be cleaned out before further damage is caused. Additionally, large clogs cause even bigger efficiency issues that will see your bills skyrocketing if you aren't careful.
Does the taste of your water make you want to hold your nose while you gulp down your daily 64 ounces? This could be a major sign that something is wrong with your system. City water supplies are treated to kill bacteria and pathogens that could harm your health. While you may not love the taste of tap water, it shouldn't make you want to lose your lunch.


text:
Thousands of caravan migrants stopped at Mexico border with Guatemala clash with police
David Agren
Special to USA Today
A caravan of U.S.-bound migrants broke down a border crossing Friday and streamed onto a bridge on Mexico's southern border with Guatemala in the face of a heavy presence of Mexican and Guatemalan law enforcement officers, according to media reports, Mexican and U.S. officials.
The travelers — made up of 1,500 to 4,000 people mostly from Honduras — were eventually stopped on the river crossing, according to video broadcast by the U.S.-based Spanish-language network Telemundo.
Some members of the caravan became so desperate they jumped from the bridge, trying to grab onto one of the makeshift rafts other migrants were using to cross the river into Mexico.
"Unbelievable sight on Mexican border.. tear gas.. rocks being thrown … caravan wants to enter … not able to right now," tweeted Telemundo anchor José Díaz-Balart.
The network, which had reporters traveling with the caravan, showed Mexican police lined up along the fence holding it up against the waves of migrants trying to push past.
Caravan participants screamed that they were being fired upon with tear gas, but it was unclear from the video whether that was happening. Mexican officials vowed not to harm or mistreat any of the migrants, but tensions were high on Friday.
The group was on an early leg of a 1,100-mile sojourn to the U.S. border that President Donald Trump has made a key argument for his border policies in rallies leading into the midterm elections.
In a series of tweets this week, he angrily threatened to cut off aid to Central America and close the southern border with Mexico if their respective governments failed to deal with the situation.
The Associated Press initially reported that the thousands of migrants stopped about two blocks from the Guatemala-Mexican border crossing before turning around, saying they would wait another hour or so.
The border post was guarded by a heavy security force and tall metal gates, reported the AP. On the Mexican side of a border bridge, the migrants were met by a phalanx of police with riot shields. About 50 managed to push their way through before officers unleashed pepper spray and the rest retreated.
Mexican government officials were trying balance the need to enforce its immigration laws, treat the migrants in a humanitarian way and not further antagonize an unhappy White House.
The migration crisis at Mexico's southern border happened the same day Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was visiting with top Mexican government officials in Mexico City as part of a previously planned trip.
Pompeo met with top Mexican officials, including Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, for confronting the caravan of migrants and harshly criticized caravan organizers.
He said the Mexican government deployed 500 federal police officers to the southern border with Guatemala, where at least four were injured.
"We don't know the severity of those injuries, but I want to express my sympathy to those four policemen," he told reporters traveling with him late Friday.
He accused the caravan organizers of using women and children as "shields" to attempt to cross Mexico's border.
"This is an organized effort to come through and violate the sovereignty of Mexico, and so we're prepared to do all that we can to support the decisions that Mexico makes about how they're going to address this very serious and important issue to their country," said Pompeo.
The Mexican had sought the assistance of the United Nations refugee agency review asylum claims of caravan's mostly Honduran migrants before they can make their way to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The migrants told the AP they fleeing a corrupt government, poverty and violence in Honduras.
Cristian, a 34-year-old cell phone repairman from San Pedro Sula, said he left Honduras because gang members had demanded protection payments of $83 a month, a fifth of his income. It was already hard enough to support his four daughters on the $450 he makes, so he closed his small business instead.
Cristian, who declined to give his last name because the gangsters had threatened him, estimated that about 30 percent of the migrants want to apply for refugee status in Mexico, while the rest want to reach the United States.
"I want to get to the States to contribute to that country," Cristian told the AP. "to do any kind of work, picking up garbage."
The mass of migrants arrived in the Guatemalan border town of Tecún Umán, where they slept on the streets and in a park and prepared Friday to cross the Suchiate River – which separates Mexico and Guatemala – and head northward to the U.S. border. Such migrant caravans are not uncommon as those heading north seek safety in numbers as the road through Mexico is rife with risks such as kidnap, rape and extortion.
Mexico has said only those with the proper papers would be allowed entry into the country and dispatched two planeloads of Federal Police officers to the area –which is often so neglected that migrants simply float across the river in rafts into Mexico without having to clear customs.
Mexico said the staff of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees would help identify "legitimate" asylum claims from the migrants who are part of the caravan.
The AP reported that police and immigration agents allowed small groups of 10, 20, 30 people through the gates to apply for refugee status. Once they filed a claim, they were permitted to go to shelter to spend the night.
More:Trump administration supports Mexico, UN plan to deal with caravan of migrants
Some in Mexico have questioned if the government's plan to accept so many asylum applications would work, given the current backlog of claims and slow processing times.
Mexico has received a crush of asylum claims in recent years as many Central Americans consider Mexico a destination country or prefer to not risk crossing an increasingly fortified U.S. border. The country accepted 14,596 claims in 2017, more than six times the number of applications it received in 2104. In February, the National Human Rights Commission warned of the "pending collapse of the refugee protection system in Mexico" as half of all claims were still unprocessed.
Under the Mexican government's plan, those migrants whose asylum claims get rejected would be immediately repatriated to Honduras and other countries, Gerónimo Gutiérrez, the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., told Fox News' "Special Report" in an interview Thursday.
"We want to make sure that those claims are legitimate," he said, noting a handful of migrants had already applied for asylum in Mexico.
The Mexican government warned caravan participants "of grave risks" by illegally entering Mexico, including, "the presence of human trafficking networks." Migrants transiting Mexico are often preyed upon by police and criminal gangs and suffer indignities such as kidnap, rape and extortion.
Dissuading migrants from making northbound trips is difficult, however, as the risks often outweigh remaining in the country.
"The majority of people we're seeing [leave] from El Salvador and Honduras, principally, it's still very much still due to the violence," said Rick Jones, youth and migration adviser at Catholic Relief Services in El Salvador.
Mexican officials say development in Central America the solution to stemming the tide of Central American emigration.
In his successful campaign, incoming Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said, "We're not going to do the dirty work of any foreign government." He takes office in December.
Earlier this week, he said his administration would provide Central Americans with work visas and said development in the region was necessary to stop people from leaving.
Marcelo Ebrard, the incoming foreign minister under Obrador, said Mexico couldn't let the caravan through, although he noted to Mexican media that "Trump is making a political calculus" given next month's midterm elections.
The U.S. government provides Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador with foreign assistance of $1.1 billion, according to the Washington Office on Latin America. Homicide rates have topped 80 per 100,000 residents in recent years, but fallen of late.
Corruption is rife, however. Guatemala President Jimmy Morales and several family members are accused of corruption – and subsequently moved to end the work of a UN anti-impunity commission, which has gone after members of the country's political class.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández's National Party is accused of receiving money embezzled from the country's social security institution for his 2013 campaign and won a disputed 2017 election after which he sent the police to repress protesters. The U.S.'s recently muted reactions to corruption and human abuses in Central America has left some observers questioning if it's aggravating an already serious situation, which has led to outward migration.
"You have alleged $100 million-plus corruption scandals in each country with little evidence the governing elites have changed in anyway," said Mike Allison, an expert in Central American politics at the University of Scranton. "The U.S. should be more concerned about what message that sends."
More:Trump claims Democrats wanted caravan, ups immigration rhetoric ahead of western swing
Also:Trump: Aid will end to Central American countries allowing migrant caravan to head to US
USA Today's Alan Gomez and Sergio Bustos contributed.


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Stanley Young Recognized as Community Impact Honoree by Asian Law Alliance
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SILICON VALLEY - Covington partner Stanley Young has been recognized as the "Community Impact Honoree" at the Asian Law Alliance's 39th Anniversary Dinner. The award is in recognition of his pro bono work representing a group of Latino plaintiffs in a class action against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO).
Mr. Young and his team successfully brought the racial profiling lawsuit against the MCSO in response to crime suppression sweeps conducted in Arizona, under a stated policy to "go after illegals, not the crime first." Covington served as co-lead counsel to the plaintiffs with the ACLU and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and contended that Latinos in Maricopa County, Arizona were unconstitutionally targeted for investigation of potential immigration violations and were subjected to pretextual vehicle stops, detentions, questioning, searches, and other forms of law enforcement action, which created a climate of fear among the County's Latinos.
In 2013, the MCSO was permanently enjoined from using race as a factor in its decision making, and the court ordered a number of remedies for the violations. In April 2015, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's injunctions almost in their entirety, marking another significant victory for Mr. Young and his team.
Asian Law Alliance is a nonprofit corporation which aims to provide quality legal services, decent housing, justice in the immigration process and access to basic human rights for the Asian/Pacific Islander community of Silicon Valley.
Stanley Young +1 650 632 4704 syoung@cov.com
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Cycloderma aubryi är en sköldpaddsart som beskrevs av Auguste Henri André Duméril 1856. Arten ingår i släktet Cycloderma och familjen lädersköldpaddor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Cycloderma aubryi återfinns i Kongo-Kinshasa, Kongo-Brazzaville, Gabon, provinsen Kabinda i Angola och förmodligen också i Centralafrikanska republiken.

Referenser

Kräldjur i etiopiska regionen
Lädersköldpaddor
aubryi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Yes, humanities majors can become CEOs
Yes, humanities majors can become CEOs.
Christian Flores
by Ritter Hoy, university news and communications
Christian Flores isn't your typical college senior. At 23 years old, the Latin American studies major already has CEO on his résumé and is pursuing a career in corporate America.
"People ask me, 'Where is that degree going to take you?'" said Flores, a senior at Miami University. "I tell them, 'Anywhere in the world.'"
He is one of a growing number of college students who knows his major won't dictate his future career potential. Flores has acted as CEO of his family's business, La Hoja Cigars, and he's currently working for New Jersey-based Margo Ship LLC.
"Students think they can't - and won't - land a job in business if they don't major in business," said Tim Melley, director of Miami's Humanities Center. "That's just absolutely not true."
In fact, recent reports suggest employers like to recruit students who majored in humanities because they tend to have a broader perspective on issues.
Flores said running his family's cigar shop may have introduced him to potential employers, but it's his education and skill set that got him the job.
Defined loosely as the academic disciplines studying human culture, humanities programs at Miami include classics; comparative religion; English; French and Italian; German, Russian and East Asian Languages; global and intercultural studies; history; media, journalism and film; philosophy; and Spanish and Portuguese.
"Humanities are crucial to liberal arts, and liberal arts are the cornerstone of a Miami education," said Melley.
Inaugurated in 2009 and funded by a generous gift from alumnus John W. Altman (Miami '60), Miami's Humanities Center is a place where students and professors from all disciplines can come together to collaborate and share knowledge.
"It's a hub for research, public engagement and collaborative study in the fields of history, philosophy, literature, language and culture," said Melley.
The center, recently recognized with a prestigious $500,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), is distinct from other humanities centers because of its focus on faculty-student collaboration.
Traditionally, education and research at the undergraduate level occurs in traditional classes. Miami's Humanities Center pulls together faculty and students from multiple disciplines to address both enduring and emerging problems of relevance to society.
"The point of college is sustained, rigorous inquiry into serious questions from multiple perspectives," said Melley. "The benefit of vertical integration is to promote a different way of thinking. Through the Humanities Center, we're able to assemble teams from across the university and focus them on urgent issues. This allows us to respond rapidly to important topics, and the development of our students is a critical part of the mission."
One-third of the more than 300 employers recruiting on campus at the fall career fair said they were open to hiring students with any major.
"We have alumni in C-suite roles at Instagram, Twitter and Uber," noted Michael Goldman, director of career services. "Only one of them majored in business."
The COOs of both Instagram and Twitter received bachelors of arts degrees in humanities. Twitter's newest COO, Adam Bain (Miami '95), majored in English: journalism, and Instagram COO Marne Levine (Miami '92) majored in communication and political science.
And those are just two alumni. Miami grads with liberal arts degrees serve as the VP and general counsel at JPMorgan Chase, president and CEO of Antenna International, EVP of branding and creative services at Realtor.com, CMO of Vogue International, and EVP of marketing and on-air at FX Networks.
"We encourage students to intentionally plan to acquire skills and experiences outside of their major," said Goldman. "The most important thing is to start thinking about exploring careers early so you can make those intentional choices on co-curricular experiences to complement a major."
Rebecca Messina (Miami '92) grew up in a family dominated by immigrants and hated not understanding her grandparents' conversations. She majored in Spanish and minored in Italian at Miami.
Messina started a summer internship with the Coca-Cola Co. three days after she graduated from college. Now she's the senior vice president of marketing at Coca-Cola and says she "set the stage" for her success while a Miami student.
"A bachelor of arts is a great degree," said Messina. "It opens your mind to many disciplines, to how the world works, to the human dynamics required to navigate the world."
Messina's job has relocated her to Santiago, Chile, Sydney, Australia and Paris. She's been back in the U.S. for nearly 10 years and is working where she started more than 20 years ago.
Emblazoned on his Margo Ship corporate card is Flores' picture, saving him time at airport security. He traveled to Colombia, Argentina, Norway and the Netherlands closing business deals this summer, and he has a trip to Denmark planned this month.
Flores' degree is already taking him anywhere in the world, and he hasn't even graduated.
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Six years ago my mom helped me gather my courage, thoughts, and ideas into the online proposal form. Was it even possible to be selected my first time submitting? I had four presentation ideas.
The session I thought most unlikely to be chosen was - Back to the Basics with Anatomy. Much to my surprise, they picked it. And they wanted to film me! The session would have eternal life.
I was elated, and, I was nervous. I was so excited that I got sick two days before the 2013 event. But, I presented to the audience and a camera crew with an uncomfortable head cold anyhow. The session was a success. I was welcomed back in 2014 with two more anatomy sessions.
After presenting for the first time I realized it wasn't such a big deal. It certainly wasn't worth getting ill over. I was sharing my passion with group of eager listeners just like I did many times in the classroom at San Diego Mesa Community College.
I've continued to present every year since 2013 and have been filmed four times total. By audience demand I also created an online anatomy course. I'm glad I took the leap of faith or I would still just be dreaming about it and Andy (my skeleton) wouldn't have his own Facebook group with people around the world chiming in about our favorite subject (anatomy).
I still get nervous every time I present - but I don't make myself sick anymore. Instead of storing stress in my body I place the energy into preparation time and thought. I care a lot about doing a good job, especially when being filmed because the presentation lives on way past the event.
Also after a presentation, filmed or not, there are always reactions. People praise me. People criticize me. People take what I say to heart, for better or worse. So I feel the pressure to.... But, it's worth it. I love sharing my fitness obsessions with people who are eager to listen and the chance to contribute to the community.
Two years ago I proposed to Stacey that we present together. Last year we pitched a co-presentation to IDEA and we were rejected.
This year Stacey and I are presenting side by side about foot fitness in a sold out session that is being filmed. Plus another unlikely proposal of mine was selected for this convention and is also being filmed - Sleep Science for Fitness Professionals.
It's one thing to be selected for programming at a conference, but another to draw a crowd. For months I've wondered if anyone would sign up for a lecture about sleep science on a Friday at 5pm. I've hoped that attendees would choose me over happy hour. So far so - good - I've got 100 people signed up.
This session is part of my own personal awakening (pun). For decades I avoided some of the sleep habits I will be talking about and I am certain my resistance to the truth had a negative impact on my life - and - my reality. I've grown to appreciate and understand … and I'm sharing what I've learned so that others can benefit.
Sleep is essential for fitness goals. I believe sleep is a missing link in programming and behavior change.
It's time for the industry to open their eyes to the power of shut eye. And not just getting 7-8 hours. There is so much more beneath the surface of sleep that we need to know and advocate for.
I'm not just giving a lecture at Idea World 2018, I am teaching a method that you can bring home to share with your clients and your community.
Athletes need this info. Pregnant and postpartum women need it. Clients trying to lose weight will continue to see-saw without it. And disease will continue to be challenging to treat until we wake up and pay attention to our biological needs.
I'll be simplifying the science and providing an action plan for you to take home. I hope to see you there!
Session 518 Sleep Science for Fitness Professionals goes live at Idea World 2018 on Friday June 29th 5-6pm.
Grab your spot and share this article with your fitness friends!
In the meantime join the Sleep Fitness Facebook Group and start sleeping better.
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