The SummerStage schedule is here! Every year, New York hosts the SummerStage series, bringing hundreds of artists to Central Park and various outdoor venues across the city for a series of concerts; a majority of which are free. Today, SummerStage revealed their full line-up for 2017, which spans from May 17th to September 13th. The series kicks off on May 17th with a performance by Gov’t Mule and Chris Robinson Brotherhood, which seems to us like they’re getting off on the right foot.The rest of the line-up is diverse and contains a little something for everyone. Also on the list to perform is Umphrey’s McGee, Aqueous, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Bob Moses, GZA, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Wax Tailor, Digable Planets, Tank and the Bangas, The Revivalists, White Denim, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ Band, and many other musical acts.You can check out the full lineup here and watch the season trailer SummerStage put together below! read more

Population: 7,170Public lands: Jefferson National Forest, Moore’s Creek State ForestOutdoor Highlights: hiking, fly fishing, camping, whitewater paddling at Goshen Pass, paddling the Maury River, bicycling the Blue Ridge

By Dialogo March 15, 2010 The grandiosity of the USNS Comfort can only be compared with the greatness of his mission and the value of his crew involved in the noble mission of saving lives. Congratulations to all the wonderful performance and dignified professionalism. The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Haiti March 10. The ship’s departure follows a decision by U.S. Southern Command to release the ship after determining her crew completed the humanitarian relief mission it was directed to conduct in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation. The need for Comfort’s capabilities declined significantly during the final weeks of its mission as medical facilities and field hospitals in Haiti assumed a greater role addressing the healthcare needs of Haitians and the need for urgent, life-saving medical care steadily declined. “Over the last 10 days, we’ve seen over a 65 percent reduction in patients on board the [Comfort] as they have been appropriately transferred to local hospitals for follow-on care,” Col. Jennifer Menetrez, Joint Task Force-Haiti’s surgeon told bloggers during a DoDLive bloggers’ roundtable March 4. The last patient treated for earthquake-related injuries aboard Comfort was discharged from the hospital ship on Feb. 27, according to Menetrez. Comfort began supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti after receiving its first patients a day before anchoring off the coast of Port-au-Prince Jan. 20. Over the course of seven weeks, the ship’s U.S military and civilian medical personnel treated 871 patients, receiving one patient every six to nine minutes at the height of the recovery effort. Comfort’s medical staff also performed 843 surgeries aboard the ship during the mission, treating more than 540 critically-injured earthquake survivors within the first 10 days. The hospital ship ran 10 operating rooms at full capacity to care for injured Haitian and U.S. earthquake survivors requiring surgical care. Comfort’s medics also treated U.S. and international military personnel transferred to the ship by physicians on the ground for surgical and non-surgical care. Volunteer experts from the Orthopedic Trauma Association, Project Hope, Operation Smile, National Nurses United, Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provided the ship’s medical team with orthopedic trauma, surgical, nursing and anesthesia support. “We are immensely proud of the contributions made by everyone who helped treat critically-injured earthquake survivors aboard Comfort,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser, Commander of U.S. Southern Command. “Their efforts saved the lives of many patients and helped everyone treated begin the important process of recovery. “Their rapid response and contribution to the international relief efforts in Haiti helped the country overcome an urgent medical crisis at a time when access to surgical care on the ground was very limited,” he said. During their mission, Comfort’s crew worked closely with Haiti’s Ministry of Health and healthcare professionals from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), international relief organizations and NGOs to secure follow-on care for patients in recovery. By early February, as relief efforts in the areas near the earthquake’s epicenter gained momentum and medical treatment facilities expanded operations ashore, the amount of patients with earthquake-related injuries transferred to Comfort for care steadily declined. By Feb. 28, Comfort was no longer treating patients with earthquake-related injuries. Comfort is scheduled to return to its home port in Baltimore March 14. USNS Comfort previously deployed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti for 12 days in April 2009 as part of Operation Continuing Promise 2009 — a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment to seven countries (including Haiti) in the Caribbean, Central and South America. During the Haiti segment of the mission, Comfort’s medical staff treated 6,731 patients, performed 161 surgeries, and filled 15,504 prescriptions. read more

By Andréa Barretto/Diálogo October 16, 2020 The Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP, in Spanish) criminal group has been carrying out a series of crimes, mainly in the Northern region of the country. The small group was created in 2008, but some of its current members have been conducting clandestine and criminal activities since the 1990s, representing the armed branch of the far-left political party, Patria Libre.A sign from the Paraguayan government shows the EPP members accused of kidnapping former Vice President Óscar Denis. (Photo: Paraguayan government)The EPP is accused of having connections with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish). “They were inspired by the FARC, trained by the FARC, and now they are engaged in narcotrafficking activities and recruiting children and teenagers,” said a government source to BBC Brasil.Like the FARC, the EPP typically promotes videos showing people dressed as soldiers, with their faces partially covered, and displaying weapons. One of these videos from early September 2020 shows minors holding heavy weaponry. According to Paraguayan security forces, they have identified 11 minors participating in the EPP’s activities, from 17-year-old teenagers to children as young as 11 years old.In 2013, the Paraguayan government created the Joint Task Force (JTF), a special team comprised of police officers and service members to combat the EPP. After new videos circulated, they created a committee to investigate the participation of minors with the criminal group. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Paraguayan government “will double their efforts to combat all criminal organizations tied to the exploitation and use of children and teenagers in illegal and criminal activities.”Regarding involvement with narcotrafficking activities, the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) said that the EPP maintains a relationship with the largest Brazilian criminal faction, the First Capital Command (PCC, in Portuguese). According to SENAD’s investigations, which surfaced in September, PCC narcotraffickers pay EPP members in exchange for protecting marijuana crops in the Northern region of Paraguay, in addition to ensuring security along routes for drugs and weapons bound for Brazil.Kidnapping as a form of pressureOn September 9, the EPP kidnapped former Vice President of Paraguay Óscar Denis and his employee Adelio Mendoza. Armed men stopped the former vice president as he drove in the state of Concepción, some 400 kilometers from the Paraguayan capital, Asunción. This crime adds to dozens of other kidnappings the criminal group has carried out.The previous week, on September 2, the EPP was targeted by a JTF operation, which dismantled one of the main EPP camps close to the area where the former vice president was kidnapped. Directly following the operation, JTC forces found the bodies of two 11-year-old girls at the site of the operation. An investigation is underway to determine when and by whom the girls were killed, and whether they were EPP child soldiers or child victims. read more

Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York A West Hempstead man involved in a fatal one-car crash was texting on his cell phone just prior to him crashing into a tree in Garden City Thursday, Nassau County police said.The driver, 59-year-old Michele Guglielmi, was driving a 1998 Volvo east on Stewart Avenue just before 10 p.m. when he crossed into the westbound lanes and struck a tree on the north side of the road, police said. Guglielmi was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 10:23 p.m., police said.“During the investigation it was determined that the victim had been texting on his cell phone just prior to the accident,” police said in a news release.The Volvo was impounded for a brake and safety check, police said. The investigation is continuing. read more

Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York Nassau County police are investigating an armed home invasion in Freeport during which the victim was pistol whipped and tied up over Columbus Day weekend.A 48-year-old man was entering his apartment on Atlantic Avenue when three gunmen pushed the victim inside and one of the assailants hit the victim in the head with a gun before tying him up at 6:55 p.m. Saturday, police said.It is unclear what the suspects stole before they fled. The victim was treated and released from a local hospital. Three family members of the victim were home at the time but were not injured.First Squad detectives request anyone with information regarding the above crime to contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous. read more

U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) and a New York City Democratic Congresswoman are co-sponsoring legislation that would lift the veil on shell companies that hide the owners’ true identity in order to move potentially ill-gotten gains through the United States as a ploy to evade scrutiny from federal and state authorities.The bill, which will be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by King and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) on Thursday, comes on the heels of an explosive hidden camera investigation by the anti-corruption nonprofit Global Witness that aired Sunday on 60 Minutes.“This is a massive loophole,” Maloney told reporters Monday. “And it’s really hurting our efforts to combat corruption and money laundering.”To document how the uber-wealthy hide their funds, whether they became rich legally or through nefarious deals, the anti-fraud activists had an undercover investigator meet with 13 New York City law firms under the guise of representing a West African mining minister who made millions of dollars from government business. At the time of the inquiry, one of the lawyers was the president of the American Bar Association.The investigator said the minister wished to secretly purchase a brownstone, a yacht and a private jet with the funds he obtained. London-based Global Witness deliberately concocted a story meant to raise red flags to test how far the lawyers were willing to go. In separate preliminary meetings, all but one of the 13 lawyers suggested the minister use an anonymously owned company or trust to essentially launder the ill-gotten gains. Some even noted that their firm’s bank account could be used in the transaction.None of the lawyers actually took the investigator on as a client and money never exchanged hands, Global Witness said.Jeffrey Herrmann, the lone lawyer who refused to discuss the matter, repeatedly said, “It’s not for me” and ended the conversation.The undercover investigator taped the conversations in 2014.Gillian Caldwell, CEO of Global Witness, said in a conference call with reporters Monday that shell companies were “like getaway cars for the criminal and the corrupt.”She noted that a “loophole”—in this case, creating a quasi-legitimate company for the purpose of laundering money—is popular among organized gangs, tax evaders, credit card scammers and terrorists.The bill being sponsored in the House would target criminals who abuse state laws in order to create a back door into the banking system. The legislation would close the loophole by requiring a company to disclose the identity of its owner.Maloney said in the conference call that if states refused to act, then the U.S. Treasury Department would then step in. Only law enforcement would be privy to the owner’s information. Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York Embed from Getty Images “This simple requirement would enable law enforcement to stop money from flowing across our borders to terrorist organizations,” King said in a statement through a spokesman.The number of people who create shell companies to hide money in the US and around the world is believed to be legion.Governments across the world have sought to tackle the problem, but critics say the US has not done enough to stop money from flowing into the country.“The United States is sadly lagging behind,” said Caldwell, the Global Witness CEO, during the conference call.According to Global Witness, the World Bank considers the US as the top destination for corrupt politicians and criminals to launder money through shell companies.The World Bank in 2011 wrote a report titled “The Puppet Masters: How the Corrupt use Legal Structures to Hide Stolen Asset and What to do About it?” that recommended governments take steps to make anonymous companies more transparent.“It serves as a powerful reminder that recovering the proceeds of corruption is a collective responsibility that involves both the public and private sector,” the World Bank wrote in its report. “Law enforcement and prosecution cannot go after stolen assets, confiscate and then return them if they are hidden behind the corporate veil.”On Monday, Caldwell said none of the lawyers recorded via hidden camera broke any laws. And some did say they would need more information about the minister and his funds.Still, Maloney said even going so far as suggesting ways to move questionable sums of money around in the US is “unacceptable.”“Our legal system should not protect the rights of bad people to do bad things in secret,” Maloney told reporters.Sounding exasperated about the status quo, Maloney noted: “It isn’t difficult for them to do so. In fact, it’s shockingly easy.”Previous attempts to strengthen laws to increase transparency have been defeated. Maloney said she believes there’s more public pressure to get it done this time around.Global Witness also has a petition calling for U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to support similar legislation in the U.S. Senate. read more

135SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Karen McCullough Karen McCullough is a nationally known keynote speaker and virtual presenter. She speaks to credit unions across the country on change, generational opportunities and workforce trends.  Karen helps organizations cut … Web: www.karenmccullough.com Details The term “digital natives” may have started with Millennials, but Gen Z takes it to a different level: This group has never known the world without the Internet. Gen Z is defined as the group born between 1997 and 2010, which means its youngest members are now trickling into the workforce (though they’ve been making money for years…but more on that later). They also currently hold a staggering purchasing power of $44 billion. Although Millennials and Gen Z are close in age, there are a number of striking differences when it comes to their values, defining traits, and expectations in education and the workforce…These are Digital Natives On SteroidsGeneration Z spends more than 70% of their time online, and the lines between their “online” and “offline” lives are fluid. While Millennials bounce between 3 screens at a time, Gen Z juggles a whopping 5 screens—and they’ve been doing so since their stroller days! While Millennials grew up with MySpace and Facebook, Gen Z has been shaped by YouTube and Snapchat—channels that capitalize on video content and ultra-short attention spans (If you’re unfamiliar with Snapchat, users literally have seconds to view a picture before it disappears!).Translation for your marketing efforts? It’s absolutely essential to be in more than one place and platform, and to get your point across as quickly as possible. Remember, this group expects a digital experience is nothing less than aesthetically pleasing and seamless. 62% report that they will ditch a slow-loading app without a second thought!Their Stress Levels Are Real One reason YouTube videos are so popular with Gen Z? They provide entertainment and stress relief. Unsurprisingly, living in a constantly connected world full of Instagram “perfect” pictures has triggered epidemic levels of stress and anxiety in young people. According to the APA’s 2018 Stress In America report, 91% of Gen Zers report experiencing at least one stress-related physical or emotional symptom. This group is less focused on “traditional” teenage worries, such as unplanned pregnancies, and more concerned about mental health issues and school safety. After all, they’ve grown up with a 24/7 news cycle featuring terrorism and cyberattacks, and 72% called school shootings “a significant source of stress.” Other contributing factors to soaring stress levels? The substitution of social media for a true support network, record-high levels of loneliness, and the never-ending bombardment of self-comparison (38% have felt ‘bad about themselves’ due to social media). However, the good news is that members of Gen Z aren’t taking these challenges lying down…They’re Uber Self-Reliant & Independent Employers have often complained that Millennials need a lot of “hand holding.” While this group grew up with participation trophies and helicopter parenting galore, Gen Z had access to a world of knowledge at their fingertips, thanks to Google. As a result, this group is realistic, self-reliant, and quick to figure things out on their own. It’s also worth a mention that Gen Z was largely raised by pragmatic Gen Xers, while Millennials were mainly reared by more idealistic Boomers (speaking in sweeping generalizations, of course). These independent learners have harnessed YouTube, podcasts, and other digital resources to explore their interests and even launch entrepreneurial pursuits at a young age. Unsurprisingly, 75% believe there are other ways of getting an education beyond college. Due to their digital know-how, it’s not uncommon for older family members to trust them with not only household items, but also big-ticket purchases like vacations and furniture. Despite this influence, this group is more frugal and analytical about consumer decisions than their Millennial counterparts. Because they grew up impacted by the Great Recession, this cohort craves financial stability and independence, and exhibits the ambition to make it happen.They’re The Most Diverse, Accepting Generation Yet—But Not When It Comes To BS!Gen Z has had access to Google since their diaper days, so it’s no surprise that they demand utter transparency from brands. Like their Millennial predecessors, they’re socially conscious and favor brands that make a positive difference. They expect brands to take a stand, period. Authentic content and genuine storytelling that makes Gen Z feel good, both in their own skin and about the world at large, is attractive to this group. Nielsen refers to this cohort as the “Green Generation,” and 76% of Gen Zers are concerned about protecting the environment.This attitude also translates to their viewpoints of gender, race, and sexuality. Nearly half of Generation Z is made up of racial or ethnic minorities, making them the most diverse generation to date. While youths are historically more liberal compared to their elders, data shows that Gen Z may be the most tolerant, radically inclusive, and gender-fluid group yet. According to the Pew Report, about a third of Gen Z reported that they personally know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns, compared to a fourth of Millennials. 59% believe information forms should offer broader choices than traditional “man” or “woman” options. McKinsey research found that 20% don’t consider themselves exclusively heterosexual. Brands and companies that take an all-inclusive approach will have far more success with tolerant, justice-minded Gen Zers. Tying It All Together…When you examine the defining characteristics of Gen Z, a common thread of “connection” emerges. They’re constantly connected online, which blurs the lines between their real lives and their social media presence. They truly expect brand to live their truth and walk the walk, they demand diversity, and they’re much more global than their predecessors in both their thinking and interactions. As these independent, resourceful digital natives continue to grow and enter the workforce, we’ll soon get an even better look at how they’ll impact the world… read more

This is placeholder text continue reading » This post is currently collecting data… Virtually no aspect of the economy has remained untouched by COVID-19 — and the impacts continue to evolve the payments landscape at a rapid speed. The pandemic has changed our world dramatically and has been a major driver for consumer payment choices and purchasing behavior in 2020.Welcome to part one of our blog series on Eye on Payments 2020. PSCU’s third annual consumer payments study examines payment preferences among credit union members and other financial institution customers (“non-members”) across the U.S. and how they evolved over the past year. Through this research, PSCU explores the factors that influence consumers when it comes to their choice and usage of different payment methods, and how these factors may vary among different life stages and economic events. For credit unions, the study shows how you can better meet these preferences and needs to drive member experience and growth.This year, COVID-19 has driven consumer behavior in ways few experts could have predicted. In this first blog from our 2020 study, we’ll highlight changing consumer payment choices and purchasing behavior as a result of COVID-19, and share some of the ways credit unions can prepare for consumer expectations – both now and in the “new normal.” ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr read more

– Advertisement – “I don’t think they need to know everything,” Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the Senate Republican leadership, said of Mr. Biden’s advisers. “I think they do need to know some things, and national security would be one of them.”Democratic congressional leaders warned that Mr. Trump’s stonewalling is already doing damage to the country’s ability to deal with foreign leaders — Mr. Biden made his first contacts on unsecured telephone lines — and plans for how to handle the most high-risk period in the spread of the coronavirus and bolster the economic recovery. They added that Mr. Biden’s decades of experience in Washington will likely soften those consequences. Deprived of access to secure government communications by the Trump administration, Mr. Biden’s team of more than 500 former officials and outside experts has embraced workarounds, talking over encrypted apps like Signal to shield their conversations from the Chinese, meeting in outdoor coffee shops with government officials they once worked alongside. The conversations are circumspect, both because of rules on both sides limiting how much information Mr. Biden’s team can seek and how much executive branch officials are allowed to say, participants said.It may be weeks until Mr. Biden’s so-called agency review teams, made up of longtime government officials with deep roots in the bureaucracy, are let into the government departments that a Biden administration will run starting at noon on Jan. 20. Some issues can wait until a formal “ascertainment” is declared, giving them access to the offices and classified material.But some cannot. Mr. Biden’s team is concerned that it is being shut out of planning for distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, a massive undertaking that the incoming administration expects to inherit the moment he is sworn in. Mr. Biden’s advisers say that they understand very little about the workings of Warp Speed, the project that has vaccine distribution planning well underway. The Biden team has not had access to the details.- Advertisement – “It is most unfortunate that the Republicans have decided that they will not respect the will of the people, and let me just say: It’s like the house is burning down and they just refused to throw water on it,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said.- Advertisement – President Trump’s refusal to allow President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his transition staff access to government offices, secure communications and classified briefings prompted growing warnings on Thursday, including from Republicans, that keeping Mr. Biden in the dark potentially endangers the country.On Capitol Hill, several Senate Republicans insisted that Mr. Biden should at least be given access to the President’s Daily Brief, the compendium of the nation’s most closely guarded intelligence secrets and assessments of threats like terrorist plots and cyberattack vulnerabilities. Their call amounted to an acknowledgment that Mr. Biden will be declared the victor in the election.- Advertisement – For now, one senior adviser to the president-elect said, the coronavirus-related teams are focusing on logistical challenges and policy questions, like how to prioritize who gets a vaccine, and how to make distribution equitable along racial and socioeconomic lines — a priority of Mr. Biden’s, but one rarely discussed by Mr. Trump. Access to the Trump distribution plan will become increasingly important “from an operational perspective,” so the Biden team can take over without any hiccups, said the senior adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal transition details.The Biden team also hopes to implement a national testing strategy but will have to start from scratch, because the Trump administration does not have one. Biden advisers are seeking guidance from groups including the Rockefeller Foundation, which has drafted a national Covid-19 testing plan and is partnering with states and cities to expand testing efforts.Mr. Biden’s aides say they have been warned not to get into detailed conversations with government officials, even career officials, until they receive the formal approval that transition has begun. But there is no prohibition on talking with officials who worked for the Trump administration and left — and there are many of them. And many informal conversations between former political officials and those career government officials who stayed on have been going on for four years — and never really stopped.In many ways, what is happening now, officials said, is a reverse of four years ago — when President Barack Obama’s team was ready with detailed briefings and simulations of potential crises (including a pandemic flu), and Mr. Trump’s advisers were unwilling to receive them. read more