The
Africa's Young Entrepreneurs Empowerment Nigeria (AYEEN) is back again
this year with much more benefits for you. Registration is now open!
Don't procrastinate!.According to Victor Kiam "Procrastination is opportunity's assassin"
The organisation whose primary focus remains facilitating the development of start-ups and emerging businesses with funds to stimulate their business operations has decided to increase the pool of beneficiaries this year. In 2016, five hundred beneficiaries were awarded monies in the tune of millions of Naira. Most beneficiaries had their businesses in Agriculture, E-commerce, Technology, Education, Manufacturing and Food Processing.The call to entry for AYEEN 2017 has begun and we bet you do not want to miss this lifetime opportunity to pitch your idea before a well sort panel of experienced and international judges. The states in focus for the regional screening will be Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Calabar, Asaba and Kaduna. The empowerment program recognised as one of the biggest in Africa and rumoured as the largest will take three
phases: Pitching of ideas, Entrepreneurs profiling and finally,
Beneficiary awards. The qualified entrepreneurs will articulate their
ideas for a chance to win grants, single digit interest loans, business makeovers, financial analysis, coaching and mentoring. The peculiarity of the program is, there is no ultimate winner rather there are 1000 winners.
Africa's Young Entrepreneurs since inception has been a tool of advancement to Nigerian entrepreneurs with over 1.4m A.Y.E Members who are entrepreneurs from start ups to large turn-over SME's. A.Y.E is pushing the frontiers in recognising and showcasing entrepreneurs in their respective sectors.
Building sustainable enterprise is one of the core objectives of Africa's Young Entrepreneurs. Register now by clicking www.ayeen2017.com and follow the step by step prompts. For further information or partnership in different categories, send a mail to joy@ayeonline.org or call 070 00 44 44 44 See below for testimonial videos of past beneficiaries Open this: https://youtu.be/Jjv5ajMhLN0 Open this: https://youtu.be/XVEhbAReceo
Deji Abdul is a Nigerian artist/singer-songwriter. A new sound in the
music industry, this young man has a very unique voice that serenades
any listener instantly as it’s never been heard before.
He possesses a calm voice with an extensive vocal range and harmonies.
Deji has been singing since a tender age and has also won “THE BEST
VOICE CATEGORY” twice in his Secondary School Class Talent Competition.
He was also a member of his school choir in year 9 of secondary school.
This young man does not only take music serious, he believes that
education is very important. He recently obtained his Masters from
Warwick University (UK) following a First Class Degree.
Deji’s sound is a mixed blend of R&B, AFROBEATS and AFROSOUL. His very first song titled “Hold You Down”
was released in late 2016 with a stream of almost 33,000 on Soundcloud,
caused quite a stir in the industry. He has supported artists with the
likes of Maleek Berry, Eugy, Mayorkun and Dremo as an opening/support
act. He has since raised his profile in the UK.
He is a student of old school 90s R&B music and artists such as
Ginuwine, Usher, Jodeci and Aaliyah to name a few. He draws inspiration
from the likes of Partynextdoor, powerful vocalist The Weeknd, as well
as Bryson Tiller and of course Wande Coal, Maleek Berry and Juls.
Deji Abdul aims to deliver good music to make everyone happy as well as
unite the world with quality AFROBEATS music and to ensure AFROBEATS as
well as R&B remain on the map. He is going to change the face of
music.
His latest effort “Lifestyle” drops February 17th with his third single “Lagos to Capetown” shortly after.
When Deji is not in the studio recording new music, he likes to keep
busy with other fitnesss rellated activities. This talented artist is
also a fitness model who enjoys boxing
Follow him on social media:
Open this: https://youtu.be/pHnfKd8Tt48
The superstar rapper fessed up about his relationships while speaking
with LindaIkejiTV this week. He admitted cheating on his girlfriends and
also said it's not something he's proud of and is working at being
better...
President Trump is worried about the series of news leaks from the White
House and Washington to the media.
Remember the news of Michael Flynn's dealings with Russia was leaked and
published by Washington Post before Flynn was forced to resign.
These and many more leaks have occurred in Donald Trump's administration
and he's quite worried as he's about to start dealing with North Korea.
Last night was epic. Barca fans sat through 90mins of pure torture. On a
night that will go down in the history books, they were absolutely
outgunned by a rampant PSG side that could easily have scored more than
four.
Their famous MSN attack could do nothing to salvage the situation, an
away goal could have done plenty to help their cause but they couldn't
even manage that.
It looks very much like the darlings of Europe are out of the competition and the Parisians have history on their side.
Never in the history of the Champions League has a side overturned a 4
goal deficit. With Messi and co however, impossible is nothing.
Do you guys think they can perform the ultimate miracle and make it through?
The police department on Tuesday confirmed that a toddler
and a 26-year-old man riding in a car were shot and killed in Chicago in
the second deadly incident involving a child in the city in the past
two days.
Chicago
police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the toddler was sitting in a
car driven by the child's aunt and was shot in the head. The child was
pronounced dead at a hospital.
The
man, who was in the passenger seat in front of the child, died at the
scene and the woman was wounded. The shooting was captured in a social
media video that shows the three in a vehicle, listening to music, when
16 gunshots are heard.
The
woman runs from the vehicle screaming and yells that she has been shot
in the stomach. The woman, who is pregnant, was taken to Mount Sinai
Hospital, and she and her unborn child are in stable condition.
Guglielmi
further said the 26-year-old man who died was a known gang member ans
the three were shot in an alleyway on the southwest side of the city by
an assailant who got out of a car that was driving by.
U.S. forces killed 11 al Qaeda operatives —
including a longtime ally of Osama bin Laden — in two airstrikes last
week in Syria, the Defense Department said Wednesday. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the
Pentagon, said the second strike, near Idlib on Saturday, killed Abu
Hani al-Masri, described as a longtime terrorist with ties to bin Laden,
al Qaeda's founder, and to Ayman al-Zawahiri, its current leader. Davis said al-Masri, who is thought to have been
65 years old, oversaw the creation and operation of many al Qaeda
training camps in Afghanistan in the 1980s and '90s, where he recruited
and trained "thousands of terrorists who subsequently spread throughout
the region and the world." The Pentagon statement confirmed reports in Arab media over the weekend that al-Masri had been killed.
The first strike, on Friday, killed 10 people in
a building near Idlib being used as an al Qaeda meeting place, said
Davis, who said the airstrikes and earlier similar operations "disrupt
al Qaeda's ability to plot and direct external attacks targeting the
U.S. and our interests worldwide."
The New York Knicks, one of the more storied franchises in the history of the NBA, are in the midst of a season defined more by dysfunction than dominance on the basketball court.
Case in point: on Wednesday night, Charles
Oakley, one of the most iconic players of the team's 1990s golden era,
was escorted out a game, cuffed and arrested after an alleged
altercation with security at the team's stomping grounds, Madison Square
Garden.
"It was a bit hard to tell but people heard him
yelling something about [Knicks owner James Dolan] in the tunnel. Can't
tell what," Ian Schafer, who witnessed and filmed the incident, told NBC
News. "It didn't look like he did anything to provoke this, but several
security guards approached him and things escalated from there."
Although official accounts of who started the scuffle differ, the fact that it took place right behind the Knicks' lightning rod of an owner did not sit well with fans and friends of the former NBA star.
Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Boards" for his tireless rebounding, Oakley in his day was known for his heart and energy.
"Oakley was all hustle and muscle for the 1990s
Knicks in his ten years with the franchise. With some flashier players
around him, Oakley's non-stop motor and nastiness under the basket — and
the fact that he always stuck up for his teammates in a scrum (more on
that in a minute) — was one of the key things that made the Knicks
contenders, especially with hard-nosed Pat Riley at the helm," wrote Charles Curtis in USA Today. "If there was a basketball equivalent of a hockey enforcer, he was it."
"What does this all mean after Wednesday? For
New Yorkers, it's doubly sad to see a legend who gave everything he had
to the franchise involved in something like this," he added.
Oakley is reported to have blamed his ejection
and arrest (he was charged with three counts of third-degree assault and
one count of criminal trespass, according to the NYPD) on Dolan, who he
has feuded with over the years.
Ironically, Oakley, who became a beloved fan
favorite for his dogged style of play, saw his 10-year tenure with the
Knicks come to an end one year after Dolan took over the reins twenty
years ago.
"I was there for four minutes," Oakley told the New York Daily News,
after being released from police custody. "I didn't say anything to
him. I swear on my mother. They came over and wanted to know why I was
sitting there. I bought the ticket. I said why do you guys keep staring
at me. Then they asked me to leave. And I said I'm not leaving."
Meanwhile, the Knicks released their own
statement painting a very different picture of what took place: "Charles
Oakley came to the game tonight and behaved in a highly inappropriate
and completely abusive manner. He has been ejected and is currently
being arrested by the New York City Police Department. He was a great
Knick, and we hope he gets some help soon."
Later on Thursday, the Knicks updated their
statement: "There are dozens of security staff, employees and NYPD that
witnessed Oakley's abusive behavior. It started when he entered the
building and continued until he was arrested and left the building.
Every single statement we have received is consistent in describing his
actions. Everything he said since the incident is pure fiction."
What is not pure fiction is the fact that since
1997, the Knicks have made just one NBA Finals appearance in 1999 and
otherwise have mostly been plagued by years of futility. Dolan has been
routinely blamed for bad hires, trades and investments. He has been
branded one of the "worst owners in sports" and a "troll."
Dolan even once upbraided an elderly Knicks fan
who criticized his decision-making, by telling them in a letter to
"start rooting for the Nets because the Knicks don't want you." He also
once called the disgruntled fan a "sad person" and an "alcoholic maybe."
Still, prior to Wednesday, much of the current
drama and tabloid headlines surrounding the team were more focused the
fractured public relationship between their president, 11-time NBA
champion coach and former Knick Phil Jackson, and star player Carmelo
Anthony.
Jackson and Anthony have been engaged in a season-long Cold War,
trading some not-so-thinly veiled barbs in the press, and increasing
speculation that the 32-year-old All-Star will inevitably be traded any day now.
According to sportswriter Frank Isola, the most recent spat between Oakley and the Knicks was sparked by the team's failure to include him any of the team's 70th anniversary celebrations.
"He wants to be connected to the franchise and
the fan base that adores him. In the past he's tried to meet with Dolan
to settle their differences but that hasn't happened," wrote
Isola in the New York Daily News. "Two years ago, Phil Jackson talked
to Oakley about working with the team's big men. Oakley was interested
but the job fell through. Perhaps Dolan put the kibosh on that."
"This is how the Knicks treat their best
players, both past and present," he added. "For nearly 20 years there
have been plenty of dreadful and embarrassing nights at Madison Square
Garden. Too many to count. This one tops them all."
They might look more suitable for a Bitty Baby doll, but diaper brand Huggies' new Little Snugglers Nano Preemie
diapers were actually created for the smallest and most fragile babies —
infants born extremely prematurely who weigh less than two pounds or
900 grams.
According to a press release from Huggies,
the miniature diapers were developed with input from neonatal intensive
care unit (NICU) nurses and neonatal therapists and designed to protect
the particularly delicate skin of premature babies.
Peter Angus Medlock
Diaper brand Huggies has developed a new diaper specifically for nano preemies who weigh less than 2 pounds at birth.
Dylan Dreyer and Calvin video chat with TODAY: ‘I’ve never been happier’
"Good-fitting diapers are important to the healthy growth and
development of our smallest patients," said Anjanette Lee, an infant
development specialist at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital in
Houston, Texas, in the press release. Lee's hospital was one of nine
Level III and Level IV NICUs that tested the new diaper. "In our
experience, we found Huggies Little Snugglers Nano Preemie Diapers
conformed to the baby's bottom without gapping or limiting leg
movement."
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In addition to being tiny enough for the teeniest of baby bums,
the new diapers feature specially-sized fasteners and narrow, absorbent
pads to fit flexibly so that babies can be comfortably positioned in a
fetal tuck, with arms and legs close to the body, Huggies explained, as
preemies prefer.
Peter Angus Medlock
Diaper brand Huggies offers diapers for every size of newborn baby bum.
Fewer than 1.4 percent of babies born each year fit the
definition of nano preemie, and before now, they did not have diapers
designed specifically for their needs.
TODAY Tastemaker and child development expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa
told TODAY Parents that meeting the diaper needs of these special
newborns is more than just a medical accomplishment. "Having a diaper
that actually fits these tiny, precious children helps parents get as
much skin-to-skin contact as possible with their new babies," she said.
"This helps both babies and parents to heal and grow after the traumatic
experience of a too-early birth. And, for parents, knowing that this
unexpected and terrifying entrance into the world was anticipated — not
just by doctors and nurses, but also by companies that create baby
products — normalizes their experience and helps the adults feel as
supported as possible."
It's a buzz word you've probably been hearing for weeks, but if
you're like most of us, haven't given it much thought: self-care.
And if that's true, then you're probably in need of some
self-care right about... now. It's cold outside, the country is at odds
for many reasons, and you likely have a few lingering items on a stressful to-do list.
But first, what is self-care? And how do you do it?
"The way I think about it is that it's this conscious decision
to think, feel and behave in ways that promote physical, psychological
and emotional well-being," psychotherapist and clinical social worker
Lisa Ferentz told TODAY. "It requires an inward focus. So in part, it's
about a willingness to put yourself first."
If you browse #selfcare on Facebook or Instagram, you might
think self-care is all about fancy manicures, tropical vacations and
gooey plates of brownies. And while rest and relaxation — and nutrition —
are certainly pillars of self-care, it's really something that starts
on a deeper, more internal level.
There are two parts to self-care: first, asking yourself how
you're feeling, and then, acting on whatever needs you have at that
moment.
So, what questions should you ask when you begin this
self-assessment? Ferentz suggested these: How's my energy and
productivity? Do I have stamina to do the things that matter? If the
answer is no, go get a snack! Or, maybe you need a nap. Find out what
you need, and do it. (Really, go!)
share link
Many say this GIF can help you relax in just minutes
Play Video
- 1:07
Many say this GIF can help you relax in just minutes
Play Video
- 1:07
Then, go a little deeper with these questions: Do I have
work-life balance? Do I feel a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in
the workplace? Do I feel cared for in my personal and romantic
relationships?
"I focus on the workplace a lot because it's a place where people often feel vulnerable and invalidated," Ferentz said.
Of course, addressing the fact that you don't love your job —
or, gulp, your romantic partner — isn't quite as easy to fix as
realizing you need some sleep, or that you missed lunch. But the very
act of taking a moment to ask yourself these questions is self-care,
Ferentz explained.
share link
10 items to help create a relaxing spa day at home
Play Video
- 4:21
10 items to help create a relaxing spa day at home
Play Video
- 4:21
"A lot of people, when they hear the phrase self-care, they
think it's synonymous with being selfish," she added. "And that's also
why people don't do it, or don't do enough of it. Because they think,
oh, you're asking me to be selfish. But this is about taking care of
yourself."
And when you're healthy and happy, you're better able to help other people, too, she pointed out.
"Everybody needs self-care and we all benefit," she said. "I
really don't think there's such thing as too much self-care."
Winter storm will bring up to 16 inches of snow in New England
1:38
The Northeast has gone from short sleeves to snow boots in less than 24 hours as a deadly storm barreled into the region.
More than 3,800 flights were canceled and all
public schools in New York City, Boston and Philadelphia were closed
Thursday as about 50 million people braced for a nasty nor'easter that
could dump a foot of snow or more — the largest so far this season.
The first reported storm-related death occurred
in New York City, where 59-year-old doorman Miguel Gonzalez was killed
while shoveling snow around 9:30 a.m. ET. Gonzalez fell through a glass
window, officials said during a news conference.
According to New York police, the medical
examiner is still determining the cause of death, as the man received
several cuts to his neck and face because of the fall. He was
transported to and pronounced dead at Metropolitan Hospital.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the man had a heart attack.
The Latest on the Northeast Storm
Fifty million people from Maine down
through Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are being affected by a
winter storm that dumped as much as four inches of snow per hour.
Snow
forecasts for major cities by the end of the day: Boston, 12-18 inches;
New York City, 8-12 inches; Philadelphia, 3-5 inches.
A
blizzard warning has been issued for southeastern Massachusetts,
southeastern Connecticut and eastern and central Long Island, New York,
but blizzard conditions should lift for most by 6 p.m. Thursday.
Snowfall across the East Coast will cease late Thursday, according to
The Weather Channel.
Wind gusts have reached about 40 mph in some areas and will continue into Friday, causing blowing and drifting snow.
More than 4,300 flights have been canceled, with at least 290 more already scrapped for Friday, FlightAware
reported. Runways were temporarily closed at New York's John F. Kennedy
International Airport at 11 a.m., but at least one of them was set to
reopen at 2 p.m.
Schools throughout Boston, New York and
Philadelphia are closed, as well as some government institutions. Boston
public schools will remain closed Friday.
PHOTOS: Monster Snowstorm Barrels up East Coast
The winter whiplash comes just a day after states along the East Coast were enjoying record highs in the 60s and 70s.
"It's going to be a big shock to people, no
doubt," said Michael Palmer, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel.
"It's quite unusual to have such a change in the space of one day."
The storm ramped up in the early afternoon, but it began tapering off in the later afternoon to early evening.
Officials, meanwhile, warned of treacherous
travel conditions, and one snow plow on Long Island, New York, appeared
to have trouble navigating the roads when it crashed into a pole.
Snow plow crashes into pole in Huntington Village, taking down wires. Part of Rte. 25A closed. No apparent injuries pic.twitter.com/RRUXqnHuX1
Steven Bellone, the Suffolk County executive on
Long Island, said 18 car crashes were reported Thursday morning amid
whiteout conditions. He declared a state of emergency for his county,
which saw more than 6,000 people lose power. Nonessential state
employees were ordered to go home by the governor's office.
There's a "tremendous amount of snow falling at a
very high rate with wind gusts up to 50 mph," Bellone told reporters.
"Those are conditions that are just not possible to be driving in."
Neighboring Nassau County reported 19 accidents, while Connecticut had about 30, officials said.
Meanwhile, Cuomo spent some time on the Sprain
Parkway near Hawthorne, New York, and helped stranded drivers, according
to a tweet by the governor's chief of staff, Melissa DeRosa.
The storm began rolling down the heavily
populated Interstate 95 corridor as snow in the early hours, hitting
Boston at around 6 a.m. ET and New York City an hour later. Several
institutions were closed out of precaution, including courts in
Massachusetts and the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan.
The storm could undergo what meteorologists call "bombogenesis" — or a "weather bomb" — which is when the system's central pressure nosedives by 24 millibars within 24 hours.
Watch Out Polar Vortex: Bombogenesis Is Here
0:42
This can cause blizzard conditions, sometimes accompanied by lightning, according to The Weather Channel.
Forecasters said heavy snow and high winds were set to slam coastal New York and Massachusetts.
New York City's Central Park saw 9 inches by 1
p.m., while parts of the Boston area got about 3 inches, the National
Weather Service said. The storm was winding down in the Philadelphia
area by early afternoon, and less than the 6 inches forecasted actually
fell, NBC Philadelphia reported.
"We are asking folks to stay off the roads
tomorrow and not travel unless absolutely necessary," Massachusetts Gov.
Charlie Baker warned. "The last time we had a storm of this nature,
accumulation turned out to be much higher than originally anticipated."
Anticipating widespread impact from the storm,
airlines canceled more than 2,700 arrivals and departures Thursday,
according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
The winter storm is being caused by a southward
plunge in the polar jet stream, causing a low-pressure system that's
moving northeast, according to The Weather Channel.
A swath of coast from Maine through New York
into Philadelphia was under a winter storm warning and much of Long
Island and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, were under blizzard warnings.
Pedestrians walk through blowing snow in front of Radio City Music Hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 9, 2017. Matthew Nighswander / NBC News
"What may happen is people will get on the road
and it's not particularly bad and then suddenly it gets to 8 o'clock
[a.m.], and I will tell you an inch and a half to 2 inches of snow an
hour is hard for people to handle," Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy told
reporters Wednesday.
The storm system was expected to be a "quick hit
— in and out," according to Michael Palmer, with the snow expected to
stop in the afternoon.
The fast flurry couldn't be a further cry from
the record highs seen on Wednesday, when New York hit a pleasant 62
degrees, Philadelphia reached 66 and it was a balmy 72 Washington, D.C.
"You're seeing people out there on bicycles
today. Don't be fooled," New York City Emergency Management Commissioner
Joseph Esposito warned Wednesday.
Watch Live: See Winter Storm Sweep Through Time Square
Earlier Wednesday, icy conditions were suspected
in a 55-vehicle pileup in Wakefield, Massachusetts, north of Boston.
Eight people were taken to hospitals, but none of the injuries were
considered life-threatening, NBC Boston reported.
"When I tapped my brakes, it was just a sheet of
ice, and there's nothing I could really do after that. Everybody just
started sliding into each other," Nathan St. Onge told the station.
Just wait until President Trump hears about the "failing" New York Times' tremendous, "yuge" new business move. The Gray Lady is now offering annual subscribers a free premium Spotify account.
For $5 a week, news junkies can read all the New
York Times articles they want, while also enjoying unlimited access to
more than 30 million songs on Spotify.
Considering a premium Spotify account will run
you $10 per month, the journalism and music bundle is a steal. Now we'll
just have to wait and see how many news-inspired playlists pop up. Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
After being forced to apologize for its bad and inaccurate coverage of me after winning the election, the FAKE NEWS @nytimes is still lost!
Despite President Trump's penchant for claiming
the New York Times is "failing," business at the newspaper of record is
booming.
In November, following the election, the New
York Times reported its subscription growth was 10 times higher than the
same period in 2015.
The excruciating days of dial-up may be long
gone, but employees are still less than happy with the speed of their
internet connection.
A new survey by MonsterCloud
found that of the 2,000 office employees it consulted, over 60 percent
cite slow wi-fi or internet connection speeds as their top IT pet peeve.
Internet too slow? Jeff Rossen shows how to speed it up
2:51
Next on the list of the most irksome technical
issues in the workplace were slow computer processing, cited by more
than 54 percent of respondents, followed by printer jams (49.4 percent
of employees), out of date computer processing systems (31.3 percent),
and slow internal software (28.6 percent). Employees also complained of
dysfunctional computer hardware including mouses and keyboards, along
with copier and fax jams, and limited data storage.
Even Tech Companies Have Slow Wi-Fi
Perhaps the most surprising takeaway of the
survey is that every type of company consulted groused about slow wi-fi —
even those employed by fancy young tech startups.
"Everyone's top complaint in every type of office was slow wi-fi," said Jamie Linn, project manager for MonsterCloud.
In an overwhelmingly digital age, where so much
of our workflow depends on connectivity, the question must be asked: Why
the heck are we still dealing with slow wi-fi?
An abundance of factors come into play — where
you're located, how many computers are connected, the type of files
you're sending and downloading, to name a few — but much of the time it
comes down to the sheer amount of stuff we're all doing and consuming on
the internet at any given time.
Bandwidth Overload
"Employees are also using a lot of data at work:
Many of us connect multiple devices directly to the corporate network,"
said IT executive Matt Belanger.
In most cases, corporate networks aren't set up
or budgeted for such excessive data usage, unlike our home tablets and
smartphones.
"If all your devices are synchronizing all your
apps, then you've added a lot of traffic even though you're not actively
watching all your screens," said Belanger. "Think of that email that
goes to your laptop, phone, and tablet. Now add in Facebook and other
social media, app updates, etc. Most employers can actually see a
significant traffic spike when Apple releases a new version of iOS."
To some extent we've become spoiled by the
capabilities we have with our home bandwidth, which Belanger adds has
grown in recent years.
"We've become used to a small household sharing a
comparatively large pipe," Belanger remarked. "The relation is inverted
at work, where many users share a comparatively small pipe. We're also
not running the industrial-strength data inspection and scanning on our
home internet connections, so there are fewer hops between the user and
their content."
So, why can't our companies simply bump up their corporate network's bandwidth capabilities? Well, that costs time and money.
"With limited IT budgets to spread across all
the services they deliver, businesses find themselves prioritizing
tradeoffs, and internet speeds are often 'satisfactory,'" said Belanger.
"Adding incremental capacity to accommodate short-term peaks can be
costly."
Clinging to Printers in Digital Times
Another top pet peeve the study found revolved
around printer jams, which is hardly a new problem. After all, printers
have always been among the most frustrating devices whether in-office or
at home. They jam up, lose wi-fi signals, and regularly need their ink
cartridges replaced. And how many times a year might a repair person
need to come in to the workplace and fix the printer?
With digital scanning/signing technologies
emerging, it feels like high time to give abandon printers in the
workplace, but alas like this faulty hardware still serves important
purposes.
"Scanners work great, but still the requirement
for paper [and printers] remains," said Trevor Textor, rural IT and
connectivity consultant.
However old-fashioned fax machines may seem
(another popular nuisance), many businesses such as banks, governmental,
and legal institutions still use them regularly, because, Textor says,
they're more secure than sending something via email.
As for the much-maligned printer — converting to
fully digital systems requires time, money, and employee training. It's
not a cheap or simple fix, but over time, we'll likely see more
companies ditching printers and switching fully to digital — a move that
could actually create more tech jobs.
"Increasingly, everything is becoming technology
based; whether you're a startup or an established company,"
MonsterCloud's Linn told NBC News. "I think we'll see less [of the]
analog technologies, which will produce [a demand] for more experts to
fix that technology."
Yes, even in a beautiful future world without
printers, we're still going to run into issues in the office that
interrupt our work and require tech assistance.
Gulf airlines are fighting back hard against claims they're destroying American jobs. They say the opposite is true.
American Airlines(AAL), Delta(DAL) and United want President Trump's administration to
review agreements that allow their Gulf rivals to fly freely from the
United Arab Emirates and Qatar to any U.S. destination. They say
Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways have an unfair advantage because of
government subsidies worth $50 billion.
"We really want to create more jobs in the U.S. and support
the economy in the U.S.," Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al
Maktoum told CNNMoney's Richard Quest in an exclusive interview.
"We carry nearly 4,000 people into
the U.S. everyday, we invested 140 billion [U.S. dollars] and supported
over a million peoples' jobs."
Emirates says it has ordered 346 Boeing 777s worth $140 billion at list
prices since 1991. Including maintenance and repair deals with GE(GE), Emirates says those past and future orders support more than a million jobs.
Abu Dhabi's airline, Etihad, says it supported more than 100,000
American jobs and contributed $10 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016
alone.
And Qatar Airways says Gulf airlines have been following Trump's "America First" mantra for a very long time.
"[Trump] should try to support us because we always... bring America
first by ordering American manufactured goods for our airlines, contrary
to what the others are doing -- placing large airplane orders with
European, Brazilian and Canadian manufacturers," Qatar CEO Akbar Al
Baker told CNNMoney.
Al Baker said he would welcome an investigation by an independent third party into the claims of unfair subsidies.
"We are publishing our accounts, we are not running our airlines the
way we are perceived to run [them] and we have open books and President
Trump is most welcome to appoint a special counsel to look at this," he
said.
Aviation industry executives, including the CEOs of Delta and United, are meeting Trump on Thursday.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker will not attend due to an annual
company leadership retreat in Dallas. The Open Skies Agreements is not
officially on the agenda, said one of the people familiar with the
meeting.
That doesn't mean it won't come up. But if it does,
Trump will have to consider not only jobs at Boeing and GE but also the
views of carriers such as Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue Airways(JBLU) who want the Open Skies agreements with the UAE and Qatar to continue unchanged.
Those airlines want to keep passengers on the Middle East airlines flowing to their U.S. flights from overseas.
Paris is planning to erect two glass walls near the base of the
Eiffel Tower in an effort to keep the monument secure and looking good
in photographs.
The city has relied on protective metal fences
positioned around the base of the tower since the Euro 2016 soccer
championship. The permanent glass walls are designed to replace the
metal barriers on the north and south sides of the monument.
Jean-François Martins, the deputy mayor in charge of tourism, said the current metal fences are "disgraceful."
"It is useful in term of security, but it ruins the view of the monument," he said in a statement.
Martins said the new glass walls will provide Parisians and tourists
alike with unobstructed views of the monument from Champ de Mars park
and the Iena Bridge. Both are popular photo spots.
Security barriers near the Eiffel Tower.
The French capital has beefed up security around its most popular tourist attractions following a wave of deadly terrorist attacks. Local media said the glass walls will be 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall.
The city describes the Eiffel Tower as the most visited fee-paying
monument in the world. Entry to the forecourt of the tower will remain
free, Martins said. Paris shooting: New scare for French tourism
In January, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo proposed a 15-year, €300 million ($318 million) upgrade
to the Eiffel Tower. The plan would include better elevators, stronger
security, refurbished lights and an improved visitor entrance.
The Eiffel Tower welcomes about 6 million visitors a year and makes
about €82 million ($87 million) in revenue. About €13.7 million ($14.5
million) is spent on upkeep. The renovation plan would raise that to €20
million ($21 million). -- Alanna Petroff contributed to this article.
Amazon now has stores in a handful of big cities and on college
campuses. And it has plans to open up several more. But could the
company's next big move be the acquisition of an actual brick-and-mortar
retail chain?
Some Wall Street analysts are betting that Amazon could do just that.
Cowen analyst Oliver Chen wrote in a report last week that Amazon(AMZN, Tech30) could be an intriguing candidate to scoop up struggling Macy's(M), which has already been approached by Saks and Lord & Taylor owner Hudson's Bay.(HBAYF)
Chen followed that up with another report this week to give the pros and cons for a Macy's deal.
Amazon would gain relationships with some key vendors if it bought
Macys, particularly in the apparel business. Owning more physical stores
also would give consumers a place to easily drop off and pick up items.
"Amazon needs better brands, a
more curated assortment, a physical place to return items, and customers
could use help with ensuring fit -- Macy's would also give Amazon
greater credibility in curation and fashion authority," Chen wrote.
But he conceded that the risks probably outweigh the strategic benefits.
Would Amazon want to be, as Chen put it, "saddled" with the costs
associated with store rents and a constant need to invest in stores to
keep them up to date? Probably not.
There's also all the new
employees it would inherit and have to manage -- buyers, merchandise
managers, cashiers, etc. The beauty of Amazon's business model is that
it doesn't require a lot of people to sell you stuff. Lower overhead
helps boost profits.
It's also worth pointing out that the only
reason Macy's is vulnerable to a takeover in the first place is because
it is struggling to remain relevant. Why would Amazon want a brand
that's arguably in decline?
What's next? Rumors about taking over Sears(SHLD) or JCPenney(JCP) just because Amazon is big enough to do so? Amazon investors might revolt if it spent billions on an antiquated retailer.
But Bernstein analyst Brandon Fletcher has another idea for Amazon. It could buy discount chain Dollar General(DG).
Fletcher argues that Dollar General would help Amazon increase its
presence in rural markets, where it would face less competition from
other large chains.
"The most powerful element of this
combination is that the core strategy of price & convenience is a
defensible one AND the location of most of the growth is defensible," he
wrote. "Being a rural retailer has serious advantages when the dominate
disruptor is primarily urban."
A spokesperson for Amazon had no comment on the speculation about it buying a physical retailer.
But a deal for a retail chain still doesn't seem entirely out of the
question. It now has seven college campus stores -- including one at my
alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. Go Quakers!
Amazon
is also opening bigger book stores of its own. It has three up and
running, with a flagship store in its hometown of Seattle.
It
also has plans to open five more -- one in Chicago, two in
Massachusetts, one in New Jersey and one in New York City's Time Warner
Center, which is currently the home of CNN's Big Apple bureau.
So while it may still be unlikely that Jeff Bezos would want to splurge
on a retail chain, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
After all, Amazon has already shown a willingness to take risks and
expand beyond its core business. Just look at its gigantic cloud
computing business, for example.
It's branched into
entertainment with original shows for its streaming video service. It's
invested in freight airlines and started its own Prime Air cargo jet
division in order to reduce its reliance on FedEx(FDX) and UPS(UPS). And its drone plans are well known.
Why not buy an old-school retailer then? Amazon can clearly afford to
scoop up almost anything it sets its heart on -- it has nearly $20
billion in cash and its market value is approaching $400 billion.
And with traditional retailers like Target(TGT), Best Buy(BBY) and Walmart(WMT),
which recently scooped up e-commerce unicorn Jet, investing more in
digital operations, it might make sense for Amazon to make an even
bigger move into physical retail.
Congress usually reserves words like "tyranny," "destructive," and
"dangerous" for condemning intolerant regimes in the Middle East and
elsewhere.
But now those same terms are being used to call for
the elimination of the federal consumer protection agency that has
cracked down on big banks and shady payday lenders.
Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling penned an op-ed
in The Wall Street Journal this week that denounced the "tyranny" of
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the "zealots" who work at
the regulator.
Inspired by Senator Elizabeth Warren,
the CFPB was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law as a
way to safeguard Americans from predatory lending that hurt many before
the 2008 financial meltdown.
Warren recently told CNNMoney
that the CFPB is doing its job of protecting "working families" from
powerful financial institutions, which is precisely why big banks and
the GOP "are so eager to strangle the agency."
Wall Street hates the CFPB and Republicans says the bureau's
independence -- it's not funded by Congress and is run by a single
director who doesn't serve at the pleasure of the president -- makes it a
"rogue" agency.
The Trump administration seems to agree. While slamming Dodd-Frank as a "disastrous" policy,
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said last week that the law
created an "unaccountable and unconstitutional" new agency.
Hensarling, the chairman of the House Financial Services committee,
went even further. He accused the CFPB of "financial shakedowns" of
innocent lenders and called the agency "arguably the most powerful,
least accountable agency in U.S. history."
The GOP congressman
cited a federal court ruling in October that called the CFPB
"unconstitutionally structured" due to its single-director structure.
The CFPB has appealed the ruling.
"The CFPB has eroded freedom, trampled due process and killed jobs. It must go," Hensarling wrote.
The CFPB declined to comment. Defenders credit the CFPB's willingness
to take on big banks like Wells Fargo, on which it imposed a fine of
$100 million in September for creating millions of fake accounts. Just
this week, the CFPB accused a legal-funding company of scamming 9/11 heroes out of millions of dollars. Like other Republicans,
Hensarling wants Trump to immediately fire CFPB Director Richard
Cordray. Such a move could set up a court fight because Dodd-Frank only
allows the president to fire the head of the CFPB "for cause."
Hensarling has proposed legislation that would repeal the CFPB entirely
and echoed that goal in his op-ed, saying the agency "must be
functionally terminated."
Warren has signaled she will fiercely defend the CFPB. The Democrats could filibuster, which would require 60 votes to overcome.
But Hensarling laid out a plan to get around the threat of a Democratic filibuster with just a simple majority vote.
He suggested the House and Senate use a budget process called
"reconciliation" that would require the government save the $6.6 billion
the CFPB is expected to receive in funding over the next decade. That
way, the lawmakers could direct the Federal Reserve, which funds the
CFPB, to cut off CFPB's money.
Hensarling suggested
transferring the CFPB's consumer protection role to either the Federal
Trade Commission or traditional banking regulators.
White House
officials have given mixed signals on whether they want to abolish the
CFPB or take away some of its power instead by restructuring it. One
idea is to turn the CFPB into a commission that is appointed by a mix of
Republicans and Democrats.
Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin told Congress
during last months' hearing that he thinks the CFPB is worth keeping.
Mnuchin said he believes the CFPB should be funded by Congress, not the
Fed.
But Gary Cohn, Trump's top economic official, recently told Bloomberg that the Trump administration plans to "attack all aspects of Dodd-Frank."
Peter Angus Medlock
Peter Angus Medlock
