Delayed, not saved: Foxconn's Wisconsin "factory" announcement is a bid to help Trump save face After announcing that, inevitably, it wasn't going to build an LCD factory in Wisconsin, and would instead use its $4.1 billion subsidy to build a modest R&D facility employing out-of-state skilled workers; Foxconn reversed itself and promised that the factory was back on. The factory is not back on. LCDs are pure commodities, among the lowest-margin components, and about to be made obsolete by OLEDs. There is zero business-case for building these outside of Asia-Pacific. It was a stunt, it was always a stunt, just like it was a stunt all the other times they did it. The reason for the announcement is that Donald Trump called them up and asked them to announce that the factory would be built. This is obvious to anyone except desperate cognitive-dissonance types wanting more than anything to believe that their white supremacist in the White House is an infallible god-king of negotiations. I mean, obviously. Secret Service challenge coin commemorates unpaid labor during the shutdown
The bad behavior of the richest: what I learned from wealth managers If nearly a decade interviewing the wealth managers for the 1% taught me anything, it is that the ultra-rich and the ultra-poor have a lot more in common than stereotypes might lead you to believe. In conversation, wealth managers kept coming back to the flamboyant vices of their clients. It was quite unexpected, in the course of discussing tax avoidance, to hear professional service providers say things like: “I’ve told my colleagues: ‘If I ever become like some of our clients, shoot me.’ The clients of this Geneva-based wealth manager also “believe that they are descended from the pharaohs, and that they were destined to inherit the earth”. If a poor person voiced such beliefs, he or she might well be institutionalized; for those who work with the wealthy, however, such “eccentricities” are all in a day’s work. As Lane and Harburg put it in the libretto of the musical Finian’s Rainbow: Many even present themselves as homeless – for tax purposes – despite owning multiple residences.
It's Now Clear None of the Supposed Benefits of Killing Net Neutrality Are Real In the months leading up to the FCC assault on net neutrality, big telecom and FCC boss Ajit Pai told anybody who’d listen that killing net neutrality would boost broadband industry investment, spark job creation, and drive broadband into underserved areas at an unprecedented rate. As it turns out, none of those promises were actually true. Despite the FCC voting to kill the popular consumer protections late last year, Comcast’s latest earnings report indicates that the cable giant’s capital expenditures (CAPEX) for 2018 actually decreased 3 percent. It’s not expected to get any better in 2019. According to analysis this week by Wall Street research firm MoffettNathanson, capital spending among the nation’s four biggest cable providers (Altice, Comcast, Charter Spectrum, CableONE) is expected to decline upwards of 5.8 percent this year. The FCC did not respond to a request for comment on why its predictions have been so decidedly inaccurate. And that’s the problem.
Why retirees should feel very worried right now You know the old adage that “a rising tide lifts all boats?” What if you don’t own a boat in the first place? That rising tide won’t do much for you, will it? And so it is with this historic bull market, which, if it continues, will enter its 11th year—11 years! But most Americans—perhaps you—haven’t benefited much. 54% of middle-income households (defined as income ranging from $48,000 to $95,000) don’t have enough saved to maintain a decent retirement. What happened? Let’s focus on the last issue, investment mistakes. Some investors got burned in the first crash (AOL, Webvan and Pets.com, anyone?) The net effect of this is that millions of retail investors, spooked by the market’s one-two punch, have stayed away—thus missing out on what may turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime gain. The question is, what now? Meantime, what about those proverbial boat owners, whose wealth has soared? “I never have an opinion about the market,” he has said, “because it wouldn’t be any good.”
Study: Religious fundamentalists and dogmatic individuals are more likely to believe fake news New research provides evidence that delusion-prone individuals, dogmatic individuals, and religious fundamentalists are more likely to believe fake news. The study, which appears in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, suggests that the inability to detect false information is related to a failure to be actively open-minded. The rise of online social media has led to growing concerns about the spread of unsubstantiated rumors, misleading political propaganda, and blatantly false articles designed to create viral web traffic. Even the U.S. Army has become involved in efforts to understand and combat disinformation in cyberspace. “Our interest in fake news is grounded in a general interest in understanding the common experience of believing things that are not true,” explained study author Michael V. “Research suggests that vulnerability to several different kinds of false beliefs may be determined (at least in part) by similar cognitive factors.
The Simplest Explanation Of Global Warming Ever Earth energy budget diagram, with incoming and outgoing radiation (values are shown in W/m^2). Satellite instruments (CERES) measure the reflected solar, and emitted infrared radiation fluxes. The energy balance determines Earth's climate. Let's play pretend for a moment. Pretend, if you can, that you've never heard about the idea of global warming before. Pretend you've never heard anyone else's opinions on the matter, including from politicians, scientists, friends or relatives. If you were going to make a genuine inquiry, there would instead be only two questions to ask and answer: is the Earth warming or not, and if so, what's the main cause? This is a question that was tailor-made for the enterprise of science to answer. There are really only two things that determine the Earth's temperature, or the temperature of any object that's heated by an external source. During the day, we absorb energy from the Sun; this is the power inputted into the Earth. But that's not the full story.
Midterm big spenders: the top 20 political donors this election The 2018 midterms will probably be the most expensive in US history. More than $5.2bn is predicted to be funneled into closely watched races – and an extraordinary amount is coming from just a few individuals. Political spending has leapt by 35% since the 2014 midterms, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). The center has found that individual political donations account for the majority of campaign cash across the board: they comprise about 71% of donations to Senate races for both Republicans and Democrats and about 61% of donations to House candidates. While political donations can come in all shapes and sizes – from large to small – it’s the big-ticket players who have an outsized influence in shaping elections and, in turn, public policy. “Donors get their phone calls answered, is one way of thinking about it,” says Ian Vandewalker, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. So who are the biggest givers? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
WILL CABLE TV BE INVADED BY COMMERCIALS? Precisely what impact advertising will have on cable programming is difficult to predict. Many cable channels have yet to begin operating, and those now running commercials, such as Ted Turner's 24-hour Cable News Network or U.S.A. Network's ''You'' program for women, carry 30-second and one-minute commercials that are a standard feature of regular television. But there are indications that commercials, when they begin surfacing on cable, will not intrude as objectionably as they do on conventional television. What is likelier, they say, is ''clustering'' of commercials, common on European television, with longer but less frequent commercial interruptions at judiciously chosen ''intermission'' points. Another prospect is one-company sponsorship of the kind that was once responsible for such shows as the Philco Playhouse, U.S. ''Propaganda masquerading as information'' is the reaction of Peggy Charren, president of Action for Children's Television, to such proposed programs. Mrs.
30 Reasons It’s Hard to Retire at 65 click 2x This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Reasons It’s Hard to Retire at 65 Sixty-five has long been the magic age for retirement. But the expected age of retirement is becoming more diverse for the majority of non-retired U.S. adults, according to a 2017 Gallup Poll. Click through to find out the reasons why you probably won’t retire as early as you might think. You Haven’t Saved Enough Many people think that if they contribute to an IRA or a 401k, they should have enough money to retire. Check Out: 42 Easy Ways to Save for Retirement You Haven’t Saved Anything The only good thing about not having anything saved for retirement is that you’re not alone. Get started now: Look at your budget and see where you can trim a few dollars, then put that amount away every week or every month. Sixty-Five Is No Longer Considered the Full Retirement Age As we live longer, our retirements are becoming longer, which means people collect Social Security for longer. You Cashed in Your 401k
How where you're born influences the person you become click2x As early as the fifth century, the Greek historian Thucydides contrasted the self-control and stoicism of Spartans with the more indulgent and free-thinking citizens of Athens. Today, unique behaviors and characteristics seem ingrained in certain cultures. Italians wildly gesticulate when they talk. Dutch children are notably easygoing and less fussy. Russians rarely smile in public. As developmental psychologists, we’re fascinated by these differences, how they take shape and how they get passed along from one generation to the next. Our new book, “Toddlers, Parents and Culture,” explores the way a society’s values influences the choices parents make – and how this, in turn, influences who their kids become. The enduring influence of cultural values Although genetics certainly matter, the way you behave isn’t hardwired. Over the past two decades, researchers have shown how culture can shape your personality. Recently, we were able to trace some of these differences to early childhood.
Medicaid work requirements: Where do they stand after the blue wave? The 2018 midterm elections have dealt a significant setback to President Trump’s agenda in the legislative arena. However, there are still many ways for the Trump administration to keep swinging away at the Affordable Care Act. One particularly effective unilateral instrument is the regulatory process – that is, the implementation of statutory law by executive agencies. This may prove particularly consequential for Medicaid, the health coverage program for those with low incomes or disabilities. One particular area of attention for scholars like me is so-called community engagement or work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries. While still in litigation, the Trump administration has indicated its strong commitment to moving forward with these efforts. Helping individuals leave poverty is a worthwhile cause. Work for coverage: What the evidence from welfare reform tells us Work requirements have been implemented in a variety of public assistance programs outside of Medicaid.
What billionaires want: the secret influence of America’s 100 richest If we judge US billionaires by their most prominent fellows, they may seem to be a rather attractive bunch: ideologically diverse (perhaps even tending center-left), frank in speaking out about their political views, and generous in philanthropic giving for the common good – not to mention useful for the goods and jobs they have helped produce. The very top titans – Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates – have all taken left-of-center stands on various issues, and Buffett and Gates are paragons of philanthropy. The former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is known for his advocacy of gun control, gay rights, and environmental protection. Unfortunately, this picture is misleading. How can this be so? The answer is simple: billionaires who favor unpopular, ultraconservative economic policies, and work actively to advance them (that is, most politically active billionaires) stay almost entirely silent about those issues in public. Or consider the estate tax.