COVID-19 pandemic will hurt retirement nest eggs more than Great Recession, new survey shows
Seven in 10 Americans say the COVID- 19 pandemic will affect their retirement, with many dipping into their nest eggs, scaling back contributions and planning to work longer, a new survey shows.
“The impact to Americans’ retirement accounts is bigger than that of the Great Recession,” says Dara Luber, senior manager, retirement product for TD Ameritrade. “It’s disrupting their finances.”
And while trillions of dollars in government aid is helping, many people are confused by the programs. Nearly one-third, for example, believe they’ll need to pay back the stimulus checks they’ve recently received next tax season.
Twenty-one percent of those surveyed anticipate the crisis will deliver a severe blow to their retirement blueprint while 50% expect somewhat of an impact, according to TD Ameritrade’s survey of 1,008 adults with at least $10,000 in investable assets. , conducted April 24-May 4.
By comparison, 18% of Americans said their retirement plans were severely affected by the Great Recession of 2007-09, and 40% said they were somewhat affected.
For many workers, particularly millennials, the two recessions amount to a one-two punch. Forty-three percent of Americans said they’re still recovering financially from the Great Recession.
Generation Xers (age 39-54) have been hurt most by the pandemic, with 76% saying their retirement road map has been somewhat or severely affected.
“They are in their peak earning years and they’re starting to put their retirement more in focus,” Luber says. Meanwhile, she says, “They’re paying mortgages, they have kids in college. If they have a job loss, I would expect they’ll be hit harder.”
The current recession has done more economic damage more quickly than the downturn a decade ago. Since February, nearly 20 million workers have lost their jobs as states abruptly shut down nonessential businesses to curtail the spread of the virus. That compares to 8.7 million layoffs over two years during the Great Recession, which was triggered by a housing crisis.
The stock market, however, tumbled more steeply in the earlier slump, taking a bigger toll on retirement savings. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell about 50%, compared wotj a drop of about a third during the current crisis. And a market rally since late March has left the broad index just 5.2% below its mid-February peak.
Yet many Americans have lost jobs during the pandemic and raided their savings or nest eggs to make ends meet. Seventeen percent have withdrawn money from their emergency funds or saving accounts while another 20% are considering doing so, the survey shows. And 11% have taken money out of their 401(k) accounts while 10% have dipped into their individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Nearly one in five are weighing such moves.
The federal government is waiving penalties on retirement account withdrawals if they’re due to the pandemic.
Workers also have trimmed their contributions to free up more spending money, with 14% setting aside less of their paychecks for retirement savings.
Millennials (age 24-38) have been most financially strained. Twenty-six percent have siphoned money from emergency funds or savings accounts, 16% have pulled cash out of their 401(k)s and a similar share has dipped into IRAs. Seventeen percent have shaved retirement contributions.
“More (millennials) likely have had to stay home” to watch kids while schools are closed, taking a bite out of their incomes, Luber says. “And we know they have more student loans."
Meanwhile, 15% of Americans have put off retirement and another 24% are considering doing so. And while 16% of baby boomers (55-73) have delayed retirement, 9% have retired early and another 14% are thinking about it. Many older Americans have lost jobs during the crisis.
Yet if they do hang it up, it likely won’t be a traditional retirement, with many boomers working part-time or as gig economy workers, Luber says.
Overall, 51% of Americans are more open to working in retirement because of the pandemic, according to the survey.
And 45% of millennials are more open to living with a roommate to save on expenses.
The government has come to the rescue with a laundry list of financial lifelines, but many Americans are in the dark. Just 26% know they can take money out of a 401(k) without penalty if they’ve been hurt by the pandemic. And just 18% realize they can borrow up to $100,000 from their 401(k).
Despite the damage the pandemic has done to retirement planning and savings, many workers are taking steps to close the gap. Sixteen percent have increased their retirement saving contributions and 31% are considering doing so.
“Even during a time of uncertainty, Americans are doing their best to continue to improve their financial health,” Luber says.


Health care and ex-servicemen
Senior service
Old people looking for cheap drugs have found them at veterans' hospitals
United StatesJul 20th 2002 edition
Battle honours include Merck, Pfizer and Glaxo
DESPITE a $50 billion budget and 220,000 employees, the Department of Veterans' Affairs gets hardly any public attention. A decade ago, a Senate aide famously compared visiting the department to Jules Verne's “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”. Now it seems that another group of explorers has discovered the department: old people needing prescription drugs.
The department, known just about everywhere as the VA, oversees compensation programmes for retired servicemen and women. It has long been one of the best protected fiefs in Washington: ex-servicemen's lobbies are extremely powerful and few politicians want to be seen cutting support for men who have served in war. Yet the department now offers a good example of how a problem can move around the federal government—in this case from the failing Medicare system, the health-insurance programme for all elderly Americans, to the more sprightly VA system.
Since 1995, the VA's health-care system has seen an unexpected 46% jump in the number of patients making use of its services. For that it has to thank a package of laws passed in 1996. These smartened up the VA's 163 hospitals and broadened the services the department offers (including out-of-hospital care). The laws also made every one of the country's 25m ex-servicemen eligible for comprehensive care. Previously the service had been available only to poor and disabled vets whose health problems were a consequence of their time in military service.
From a financial point of view, this generosity was ill-timed. The largest group of living vets, from the Vietnam era, was then reaching illness-prone middle age, and the second-largest group, from the second world war, was beginning the equally costly process of dying.
The late 1990s were also a time when prescription-drug costs rose steeply for old people—particularly America's 9m ex-servicemen over the age of 65. The Medicare system covers medicine costs only for older Americans in hospital. With most private insurance plans demanding that people pay $10-40 per prescription and imposing all sorts of conditions, the VA's $7 for prescriptions started to look attractive. In the past five years the proportion of VA patients looking primarily for cheap drugs has increased from 2% to 21%.
Both parties are committed to expanding the Medicare system, but they cannot agree how to organise it or pay for it. The House passed a bill last month, and the Senate is debating the medicine issue this week. But none of the proposals is likely to become law in this election year. And, even when a law eventually emerges, it will hardly save the VA: any Medicare cover plan would find it hard to compete with $7 prescriptions.
So, unless the VA once again decides to pick and choose between the veterans it covers (something it is loth to do), it will have to start cutting services. In May the under-secretary for health in the VA, Robert Roswell, gave warning that the VA might have to shift money to pay for cheap drugs from that allocated to its traditional patients, such as paraplegics.
Cash for pills
Three other ways to save money present themselves. The most dramatic would be a long-mooted merger with the Department of Defence's health system. Both departments have always dismissed the idea. Military hospitals say they have to be ready to look after an army at war; the VA is closer to traditional patient care. On the other hand, the two departmentsoften operate hospitals and clinics within a few miles of each other: why not share medical equipment, neurosurgeons and bed space? A presidential task-force looking at this will report later this month. Congress also wants to start some pilot schemes.
A second way to save money would be to get rid of excess hospital space. Three years ago, a General Accounting Office report found that the VA was spending one in every four of its dollars maintaining its “medical infrastructure”, particularly in northern states that have lost patients to the warmer south. Attempts to redress this balance have been fought by suspicious veterans' interest groups. Frederick Malphurs, the VA man in charge of the assessment process, stresses that his aim is not to bring in bulldozers, but to rent out extra space to research organisations and private-sector hospitals.
The third possible source of cash is the new Department of Homeland Security. The VA is already part of the National Disaster Medical System and is the official caretaker of the national vaccine stockpile. It now thinks it can play an even bigger role, not least because the entire network is under the command of the federal government. In late May the House of Representatives passed a $100m bill to set up four VA research centres on chemical, biological and radiological threats. The Senate is making headway on a similar bill.
Even if all three of these ideas were put into effect, they might not produce enough cash to cover the drug bills. Some argue that Congress should simply pay for veterans' drugs through the VA: after all, its big chain of hospitals can get the pills at cheaper rates than Medicare. Others may wonder how on earth a department that was supposed to look after battered old soldiers is becoming a cheap pharmacy for retirees in Florida.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline "Senior service"
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Health » Fitness
Trump Administration Takes Another Swipe at LGBTQ Health Protections on Way Out
by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Staff Reporter
Even as Donald Trump has acknowledged his presidency is coming to an end, his administration isn't finished attacking LGBTQ Americans, as yet another reversal of federal non-discrimination protections regarding health care and social welfare policies made abundantly clear, Human Rights Watch reports.
The new rollback took effect the day after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building, driven in part by conspiracy theories peddled by Trump, along with a number of GOP lawmakers, that falsely assert last November's elections were "rigged" to favor President-elect Joe Biden.
The change affects "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people seeking the services of health and welfare programs funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services," Human Rights Watch notes.
"Previously, a federal regulation expressly prohibited health and welfare programs receiving federal funding from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity," HRW explained. "But the administration's new rule, first proposed in 2019, erases this language."
The alteration also removes what had been an overt recognition of marriage equality, HRW added.
In addition to potentially driving even greater disparities in health care for LGBTQ Americans, the rollback also affects children in need of loving homes and the same-sex couples who are willing to adopt them.
"The previous regulation was used to ensure adoption and foster care agencies who receive federal support serve all qualified parents, including same-sex couples," HRW points out. "Rolling back existing nondiscrimination protections will harm those families, as well as the many kids awaiting placement in loving and supportive homes."
Americans United for Separation of Church and State denounced the change just before it took effect. In a press release about the rollback, the watchdog group slammed the change, saying, "Rather than prioritizing the best interests of children and families, the Trump administration's new rule invites taxpayer-funded foster care agencies to discriminate against them."
The release went on to add: "Discrimination should never be funded or supported by our government, but that's exactly what this rule does. Families, senior citizens and children could lose protections against discrimination and suddenly be turned away from taxpayer-funded programs they need."
Sexual minorities are not the only people who could be affected by the rollback. Though supposedly rooted in "religious freedom," the administration's peeling away of those protections paradoxically leaves people of faith vulnerable to discriminatory treatment.
It's already happened, Americans United pointed out, referencing how one of the group's clients, Aimee Maddonna, "was turned away from helping children in foster care by a government-funded agency solely because Aimee is Catholic — the 'wrong' religion according to an evangelical Protestant agency in South Carolina."
Though it will take time for the incoming president to correct the damage that can be undone, the Trump administration's legacy will be felt for decades in the courts, which, a new report reveals, have been packed with anti-LGBTQ ideologues.
In the meantime, however, President-elect Biden has vowed to prioritize ushering the Equality Act into law in his administration's first 100 days.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Assistant Arts Editor. He also reviews theater for WBUR. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
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August 24, 2020 - Stocks Reach New Highs
Stocks powered to another week of gains as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite set multiple new record highs along the way.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was essentially unchanged while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose by 0.72%. The Nasdaq Composite index added 2.65% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slipped 0.71%.[1][2][3]
The S&P 500 Sets Record High
The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Tuesday, erasing the steep losses suffered in February and March. The recovery has been powered by unprecedented monetary accommodation, fiscal stimulus, and investor willingness to look ahead with confidence that global economies will get past the pandemic challenge. Technology stocks continued to lead the market and helped push the NASDAQ Composite to new highs.[4]
Stocks were mixed as the week progressed amid some weak economic news, a message of economic caution from the Fed, and continuing uncertainty over a new fiscal stimulus plan. Technology momentum provided support for the broader market, with a late Friday afternoon rally pushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite to close out the week at fresh record highs.[5]
Not All Sectors Are Participating
Behind last Tuesday’s headline that the S&P 500 had set a new record high lies a story of a deeply bifurcated market.
Despite a new high, more than half the companies in the index were still trading below where they began the year. When dissected on an industry sector basis, the year-to-date performance dispersion was quite wide, with sectors like Technology (+25.53%), Consumer Discretionary (+16.68%), and Communication Services (+12.70%) posting strong performance, while Energy (-37.56%) and Financials (-20.08%) remained sharply down. In fact, nearly half (5 out of 11) of S&P 500 sectors were still in negative territory year-to-date.[6][7][8]
Tuesday: Consumer Confidence. New Home Sales.
Wednesday: Durable Goods Orders.
Thursday: Jobless Claims. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Friday: Consumer Sentiment.
Source: Econoday, August 21, 2020
Tuesday: Salesforce.com (CRM), Best Buy (BBY), Intuit (INTU)
Thursday: Marvell Technology (MRVL), Dollar General (DG), Dollar Tree (DLTR), Dell Technologies (DELL), VMware (VMW)
Source: Zacks, August 21, 2020
The Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2020
CNBC.com, August 19, 2020
BBC News, August 18, 2020
FactSet.com, August 21, 2020


9/11 / Al Qaeda / Iran / US-Iran Alliance
Federal Court Finds Iran Behind 9/11 Attack on World Trade Center | Israpundit
Posted on August 2, 2015 by adara press
Judge for yourself:
Members of the 9/11 Commission staff testified that Iran aided the hijackers by concealing their travel through Iran to access al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. Iranian border inspectors refrained from stamping the passports of 8 to 10 of the 9/11 hijackers because evidence of travel through Iran would have prevented the hijackers from obtaining visas at U.S. embassies abroad or gaining entry into the United States. The 9/11 Commission Report addressed these facts and called for further investigation. 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT at pp. 240-41.
Expert and U.S. government evidence also confirmed that Iran facilitated the escape of al Qaeda leaders and members from the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan into Iran and provided safe haven inside Iran after 9/11
Abolghasem Mesbahi testified he was part of an IRGC-MOIS task force that designed contingency plans for unconventional warfare against the U.S., code-named “Shaitan dar Atash” (“Satan in Flames”) which included crashing hijacked passenger airliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the White House. During the weeks before 9/11, Mesbahi received three coded messages from a source inside Iran’s government indicating that the Shaitan dar Atash plan had been activated.
Mesbahi also testified that in 2000 Iran used front companies to obtain a Boeing 757- 767-777 flight simulator for training the terrorists. Due to U.S. trade sanctions, Iran has never had any Boeing 757-767-777 aircraft, but all the airplanes hijacked on 9/11 were Boeing 757 or 767 aircraft.
A May 14, 2001 memorandum from inside the Iranian government demonstrating that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, was aware of the impending attacks and instructing intelligence operatives to restrict communications to existing contacts with al Qaeda’s Ayman al Zawahiri and Hizballah’s Imad Mughniyah. – Documents obtained from German federal prosecutors showing that 9/11 coordinator Ramzi Binalshihb traveled to Iran in January 2001 on his way to Afghanistan to brief Osama bin Laden on the plot’s progress. – Evidence from the 9/11 Commission Report that a “senior Hezbollah operative,” which the Havlish evidence identifies as Hezbollah terrorist chief Imad Mughniyah, coordinated activities in Saudi Arabia and was present (or his associate) on flights the hijackers took to and from Beirut and Iran. 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT at pp. 240-41. Mughniyah, a longtime agent of Iran, orchestrated a string of terror operations against the U.S. and Israel during the 1980s and 1990s. He was assassinated in Syria in February of 2008
U.S. DISTRICT COURT RULES IRAN BEHIND 9/11 ATTACKS
A federal district court in Manhattan yesterday entered a historic ruling that reveals new facts about Iran’s support of al Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks. U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels ruled yesterday that Iran and Hezbollah materially and directly supported al Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 attacks and are legally responsible for damages to hundreds of family members of 9/11 victims who are plaintiffs in the case.
Judge Daniels had announced his ruling in Havlish, et al. v. bin Laden, et al., in open court on Thursday, December 15, 2011, following a three-hour courtroom presentation by the families’ attorneys. Judge Daniels entered a written Order of Judgment yesterday backed by 53 pages of detailed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.
North Tower on 9/11 said, “This is a historic day. For ten years we’ve wanted the truth to be known about who was responsible for our losses. Now we have that answer.”
Ellen Saracini, the wife of United Airlines 175 pilot Victor Saracini, which the hijackers crashed into the WTC South Tower, said after the hearing last Thursday, “We just came from Judge Daniels’ court where he ruled in favor of holding accountable those who perpetrated the attacks of 9/11… I just smiled up to Victor and I said we’re still thinking about you … we’re there for you … we’ll always be there for you. But today’s very special.”
In Havlish, et al. v. bin Laden, et al., Judge Daniels held that the Islamic Republic of Iran, its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Iran’s agencies and instrumentalities, including, among others, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”), the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (“MOIS”), and Iran’s terrorist proxy Hezbollah, all materially aided and supported al Qaeda before and after 9/11.
“The families have waited a very long time for this day and they have been through a lot. So I was greatly relieved that the families received an answer to the question that they asked me ten years ago: they asked who was the responsible party? How did this happen? Today a federal court judge has said that a principal responsible party is the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Thomas E. Mellon, Jr. of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, law firm of Mellon Webster & Shelly, the lead attorney for the Havlish plaintiffs.
The evidence was developed over a seven-year international investigation by the Havlish attorneys who pursued the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation regarding an apparent link between Iran, Hezbollah, and the 9/11 hijackers, following the Commission’s own eleventh-hour discovery of significant National Security Agency (“NSA”) intercepts: “We believe this topic requires further investigation by the U.S. government.” 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT, p. 241. The Havlish evidence included sworn testimony and affidavits from the following:
Ten expert witnesses including three former 9/11 Commission staff members, two former CIA case officers, two investigative journalists, and an Iran analyst who has testified in 25 cases involving Iranian terrorism.
Three Iranian defectors who were operatives of MOIS and the IRGC. Witness X, whose dramatic testimony was previously filed under seal, was revealed to be Abolghasem Mesbahi, a former MOIS operative in charge of Iran’s espionage operations in Western Europe. Judge Daniels found that Mesbahi has testified in numerous prosecutions of Iranian and Hezbollah terrorists, including the Mykonos case in Germany and the AMIA case in Argentina, and found to be highly reliable and credible.
Judge Daniels also credited Mesbahi’s testimony that he received messages during the summer of 2001 from inside the Iranian government that an Iranian contingency plan for unconventional warfare against the U.S. called “Shaitan dar Atash” had been activated. “This is compelling proof that Iran was deeply involved in the 9/11 conspiracy,” said Tim Fleming, lead investigative attorney for the Havlish group. Included among Judge Daniels’ findings in Havlish are the following:
Expert and U.S. government evidence also confirmed that Iran facilitated the escape of al Qaeda leaders and members from the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan into Iran and provided safe haven inside Iran after 9/11.
A May 14, 2001 memorandum from inside the Iranian government demonstrating that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, was aware of the impending attacks and instructing intelligence operatives to restrict communications to existing contacts with al Qaeda’s Ayman al Zawahiri and Hizballah’s Imad Mughniyah. – Documents obtained from German federal prosecutors showing that 9/11 coordinator Ramzi Binalshihb traveled to Iran in January 2001 on his way to Afghanistan to brief Osama bin Laden on the plot’s progress. – Evidence from the 9/11 Commission Report that a “senior Hezbollah operative,” which the Havlish evidence identifies as Hezbollah terrorist chief Imad Mughniyah, coordinated activities in Saudi Arabia and was present (or his associate) on flights the hijackers took to and from Beirut and Iran. 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT at pp. 240-41. Mughniyah, a longtime agent of Iran, orchestrated a string of terror operations against the U.S. and Israel during the 1980s and 1990s. He was assassinated in Syria in February of 2008.
Attorneys emphasized that it is important to understand that Iran, Hezbollah, and al Qaeda formed a terror alliance in the early 1990s. The attorneys cited their national security and intelligence experts, including Dr. Patrick Clawson, Dr. Bruce Tefft, Clare Lopez, Kenneth Timmerman, Dr. Ronen Bergman, Edgar Adamson, and 9/11 Commission staff members Dietrich Snell, Dr. Daniel Byman, and Janice Kephart, as well as the published writings of Robert Baer, to explain how the pragmatic terror leaders overcame the Sunni-Shi’a divide in order to confront the U.S. (the “Great Satan”) and Israel (the “Lesser Satan”). Iran and Hezbollah then provided training to members of al Qaeda in, among other things, the use of explosives to destroy large buildings. The Iran-Hezbollah-al Qaeda alliance led to terror strikes against the U.S. at Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia (1996), the simultaneous U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania (1998), and the USS Cole (2000). Shortly after the Cole attack, Iran was facilitating the international travel of the 9/11 hijackers.
“It was a wonderful day. A great day where the truth was finally revealed in a court of law with strong, strong evidence. The judge allowed us to put on and present all the evidence that we had filed directly or under seal and he accepted it and made a ruling in our favor,” said Dennis Pantazis, one of the Havlish attorneys. “Now we go on to prove damages for each one of the family members,” he added.
The case is Fiona Havlish, et al v. Usama Bin Laden, et al, 03-CV-9848 (GBD), and is part of the consolidated proceeding In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, Civil Action No. 03 MDL 1570 (GBD).
Click these links to access:
Havlish Order of Judgement
Havlish Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
Email: tmellon3@mellonwebster.com
Toll-free telephone: 800-348-7705
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Advanced Engineering in Greater Norwich
Greater Norwich is strengthening its position as a hub for advanced engineering. Over 95ha of development land is available at two established and very successful locations.
Both the Hethel Engineering Centre and Norwich Airport have ambitious development plans, and between them offer attractive investment opportunities for advanced engineering, aviation and ancillary businesses.
Hethel Engineering Centre
The Hethel Engineering Centre (HEC) is a successful and innovative incubation centre dedicated to supporting high performance engineering and manufacturing companies.
20ha of land is available for development as part of HEC’s vision to develop a Technology Park and create over 1,000 high skilled jobs.
Home to companies such as Group Lotus, Extremis Technology, Ansible Motion, Pangean Engineering and Tech Mahindra, HEC is the base for cutting edge businesses working in areas such as food processing and packaging, defence, automotive, offshore, agriculture and ICT.
HEC offers flexible workshop and office space, training, support and shared expertise. Following a recent 40,000sqft expansion, HEC is now able to offer larger workshops and offices as well as virtual / hot desks and small incubation space.
The infographic below shows just how successful the centre has been in recent years, and its contribution to the Greater Norwich area. Please note that this information was correct as of August 2017, you can find out more about the centre and the latest statistics at www.hethelcentre.com
“Hethel is not just a great place to work but a fantastic community to grow our business within. From supporting our business, to helping the next generation of engineers, the HIL team have worked hard for me, my company, and our future”
Julia Glenn
CEO, Extremis Technology
Norwich Airport
Ambitious plans are underway at Norwich Airport where 75 ha of land has been earmarked for development.
Norwich AeroPark is being developed on 40 ha of the site and will unlock opportunities for aviation-related and other businesses. It will also strengthen the Airport’s aim to become a leading centre for aviation support services and a key location for commercial activity in the region.
An additional 35 ha are available for the development of a business park to the north of the airport.
The £13m Norwich International Aviation Academy opened in early 2017. It is a partnership between Norwich International Airport, KLM UK Engineering Limited, UEA and City College Norwich and will train and develop aviation professionals through a ‘real world’ learning environment, and is attracting both local and international students.
“Norwich Airport is already a major hub for business in the region. The further development of the Airport and the surrounding business parks will build on this, bringing benefits to the Greater Norwich economy and creating jobs.”
Andrew Bell,
Chief Executive,


Peter G. Von Rhedey
Share Peter's life story with friends and family
Hammondsport - Peter G. Von Rhedey, age 49, passed away after a brief illness, on Friday, January 8, 2021. He is survived by his mother, Marsha Von Rhedey; brother, Steven (Olivia) Von Rhedey; uncle, Andy (Gloria) Von Rhedey; aunt, Carmen Von Rhedey; several cousins, including Milka, Rebecca and Isaac; sister-in-law, Christy; and nieces and nephews . He was predeceased by his father, Steve and brother, David.
Peter was born and raised in Canandaigua. He attended Canandaigua schools and was a graduate of Canandaigua Academy, class of 1989, where he played football and lacrosse. Peter was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating and camping.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date and time to be announced. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association, 1595 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14621. Arrangements are by Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc., Canandaigua. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com.
Published in Daily Messenger from Jan. 12 to Jan. 14, 2021.
Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home Inc.
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Please consider a donation, as requested by the family.


Classic FM’s John Suchet to present a year-long series on Beethoven
CelebritiesRadio
Published on November 22, 2019 - 2:49 pm
John Suchet is to broadcast a 52 week series on Classic FM about Beethoven to celebrate 250 years since the birth of one of the world’s best-loved composers.
The series, Beethoven – The Man Revealed will air on the station every Saturday evening (9pm – 10pm) starting from 4 January. Researched, written and presented by John Suchet, it’s described as the UK’s biggest radio series devoted to a single composer.
Beethoven was a complicated musical genius and John will give listeners an insight into the man behind the music revealing his dramas, loves, conflicts and successes.
There will also be a special anniversary edition of John Suchet’s Sunday Times bestseller, Beethoven – The Man Revealed published to coincide with the series. It will include a new section exploring the composer’s music, giving a guide to the major compositions, with details on how they came to be written and insights into what to listen out for.
Each programme will celebrate Beethoven’s music, from best known compositions, such as his Piano Concerto No.5 (‘Emperor’) and the famous Fifth Symphony.
Listeners can also expect to hear compositions that have rarely, if ever, been broadcast on UK radio, such as musical jokes he composed for his friends.
John Suchet said: “If you had told me 30 or more years ago, when I first began researching Beethoven’s life, that I would one day write and present the biggest ever radio series devoted to him, I could not possibly have believed you.
“It is beyond my dreams to be given 52 programmes in which to explore the life and music of the greatest composer who ever lived. When you know what is going on in his life, you hear his music through new ears.
“His deafness, his failure to acquire a wife, his difficult friendships, and his utter faith in humanity — all these feed into his music. I cannot wait to present the man behind the music in Beethoven – The Man Revealed.”
classic fmjohn suchet


AC/DC's Power Up voted Classic Rock's best album of 2020
By Fraser Lewry (Classic Rock) 11 December 2020
Power Up was the album the proved AC/DC could overcome multiple obstacles in the tricky business of doing business as usual. In other words, it rocked
In the kind of vote that doesn't require court interference, AC/DC's Power Up has been duly and decisively elected as the best album of 2020 by Classic Rock staff and writers, beating out stiff competition from Fish, Joe Bonamassa, Deep Purple and Bruce Springsteen.
Classic Rock's 50 Best Albums of 2020 are featured in our end of year issue, out now.
Power Up was only released last moth, with our review describing the album as "a killer" and claiming that it "basks in the glory of the early Brian Johnson era."
Magazine editor Siân Llewellyn says, "If there was one gleaming bright spot of 2020, then it was the announcement that all the rumours were true and AC/DC's classic Back In Black line-up had reunited to record a new studio album (sadly bereft of the late, great Malcolm, although his presence was deeply felt in the album's signature 'DC songwriting).
"The moment got even brighter once the album dropped and we realised that it was everything we wanted, no, needed it to be. Brian back at the mic, Angus tearing out the riffs like only he can, the powerhouse rhythm section of Phil and Cliff all combined to deliver an absolute triumph.
"Once Power Up had earwormed us from first listen, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt what would make Classic Rock's Album Of 2020."
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Biography Miles Mikolas
by Jorge 09 Apr,2019
Body Stats
Birth Name Miles Tice Mikolas
Birth Place Jupiter, Florida
Famous Name Miles Mikolas
Birth Date August 23, 1988
Horoscope Virgo
Father Stephen Mikolas
Salary $17,000,000
Past Team San Diego Padres , Texas Rangers and Yomiuri Giants
Siblings Karel and an older half-sister Martina
Date FEB 26 2019
Contract 4 year $68 million
Career Earnings $21,151,537
Position in Team Pitcher
No. of Siblings 2
Current team St. Louis Cardinals
Profession Baseball
Currently Working For St. Louis Cardinals
Married to Lauren Mikolas
Miles Mikolas is an American professional Baseball player who plays in the Major League Baseball(MLB). As of 2019, Miles Mikolas currently plays for the St. Louis Cardinals as their Pitcher. Miles Mikolas has played for other teams like San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Yomiuri Giants.
As a Pitcher, Miles Mikolas reportedly earns around $17,000,000 as his yearly salary from St. Louis Cardinals. Further, Miles Mikolas has an estimated net worth of over $10 million.
Is Miles Mikolas Married? Who is his Wife?
Miles Mikolas is married to his beautiful wife, Lauren Mikolas. Further, Miles dated his girlfriend for quite a long time and got hitched in May 2015. The couple went to Japan for their honeymoon.
Miles and his spouse is blessed with three children. His wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Lillianne in March 2017. They had twins named Madelyn, and Miles Jr March 2017 in July 2018.
Had a blast with Lilly at the pool this morning #fourseasons #miami
A post shared by Miles Mikolas (@magic_mikolas39) on Aug 6, 2018 at 12:52pm PDT
Despite his busy and tight schedule for his game, Miles does manage to spend quality time with his family. Further, they often go on vacations.
Who is Lauren Mikolas?
Lauren Mikolas is a wife of Miles Mikolas and Mother of Lillianne, Madelyn, and Miles Jr’s. Lauren Mikolas was a primary school teacher and a UFC ring girl.
So proud of this man @magic_mikolas39 receiving the Baseball Writers Association of America’s Man of the Year Darryl Kile Award !!! So deserving! ?? #velvet #slickedback #momanddadsnightout #stlouis #cardinalnation
A post shared by Lauren Mikolas (@fearlesscharm) on Jan 20, 2019 at 6:41pm PST
Moreover, she is a certified wellness coach who with her lifestyle blog became a social media celebrity in Japan. Additionally, she runs a blog named Fearless Charm.
How Much is Miles Mikolas's Net Worth In 2019? Know About His Career Earnings
As of 2019, Miles Mikolas has an estimated net worth of over $10 million. He reportedly signed a 4 year $68 million contract with St. Louis Cardinals on February 26, 2019.
Further, the NBA player has an average salary of $17,000,000 annually which is slightly higher than Kolten Wong's Salary. Miles Mikolas so far has made earnings of $21,151,537 from his entire NBA career.
Detailed information about his career earnings and contract:
YEAR TEAM SALARY
2009 San Diego Padres $125,000
2013 San Diego Padres $24,236
2014 Texas Rangers $502,301
2018 St. Louis Cardinals $7,750,000
2019 St. Louis Cardinals $12,750,000
As per the reports, he is 8th best-paid player of St. Louis Cardinals whereas Yadier Molina is the highest earner of the team with an annual salary of $20,000,000. Additionally, he is 90th best-paid player of MLB as per 2019 financial ranking where is Mike Trout, and David Price is the top-2 earners in 2019.
Moreover, he hasn't revealed any information about his endorsement deals. However, the player with such fame is believed to have an endorsement deals with various renowned brands and has been earning a significant amount of money. Further, his personal assets include home and cars but the details are still behind the rock.
Miles Mikolas Early Life and Family
Miles Mikolas was born on August 23, 1988, in Jupiter, Florida to father Stephen Mikolas. He is American and belongs to the White ethnic group. Further, his star sign is Virgo. He grew up along with his siblings, Karel and an older half-sister Martina.
Mikolas pitched in Palm Beach County, Florida for Jupiter Community High School, from which he graduated in 2006. He then attended the University of Nova Southeastern and played the Nova Southeastern Sharks college baseball from 2007 to 2009.
Miles Mikolas Is Currently Playing For St. Louis Cardinals
In the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, the San Diego Padres selected Mikolas and played one year for the team. After the 2013 season, the Padres traded Mikolas to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Alex Dickerson together with Jeff Decker.
On December 5, 2017, Mikolas signed a $15.5 million two-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. On April 2, 2018, at Miller Park against the Milwaukee Brewers, he won his debut with the Cardinals 8–4. While batting, for his first major league hit, he hit a two-run home run versus Zach Davies.
Major League Baseball MLB Baseball Pitcher St. Louis Cardinals Miles Mikolas


San Antonio Bans Chick-Fil-A From Airport Over ‘Anti-LGBTQ Behavior’
(MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GettyImages)
Joshua Gill Religion Reporter
The San Antonio City Council banned Chick-fil-A from San Antonio International Airport over “anti-LGBTQ behavior” as part of a new concession plan for the airport.
District 1 City Councilman Roberto Treviño motioned to approve the Food, Beverage and Retail Prime Concession Agreement with Paradies Lagardère for the airport Thursday on condition Chick-fil-A be excluded from the agreement. Treviño asserted Chick-fil-A has a “legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior” and that such a business had no place in the city’s airport. (RELATED: New Jersey University Dean Resigns Over Chick-Fil-A Ban)
“With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion. San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior,” Treviño said according to ABC.
“Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport. I look forward to the announcement of a suitable replacement by Paradies,” he added.
Treviño’s motion came after a Wednesday ThinkProgress report that asserted Chick-fil-A donated $1.8 million in 2017 to the Salvation Army, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Paul Anderson Youth Home — charitable Christian ministries that ThinkProgress defined as discriminatory against LGBTQ individuals. Chick-fil-A cut ties with the Paul Anderson Youth Home as of June 2017.
Two men prepare to have lunch on the patio of the Chick-fil-A in Hollywood, California, Aug. 1, 2012. (Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP/GettyImages)
Chick-fil-A said the city council made no mention of its concerns before the motion and that the restaurant would have liked to have had a dialogue with it prior to the decision.
“This is the first we’ve heard of this. It’s disappointing. We would have liked to have had a dialogue with the city council before this decision was made. We agree with Councilmember Treviño that everyone is and should feel welcome at Chick-fil-A. We plan to reach out to the city council to gain a better understanding of this decision,” the company said in a statement.
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Joshua Gill


— Municipality —
The Sahara near Ommen
Location of Ommen in Overijssel, Netherlands
Area(2006)
181.98 km2 (70.3 sq mi)
1.99 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
- Density 96/km2 (248.6/sq mi)
Source: CBS, Statline.
- Summer (DST)
Ommen is a municipality and a Hanseatic city in the Vecht valley of the Salland region, which is at the heart of the province of Overijssel in the eastern Netherlands. Historical records first name Ommen in the early 12th century and it was officially founded as a city in 1248. It now has 17,402 inhabitants on a surface of 181.98 km2 (70.26 sq mi).[1]
1 Population centres
2.1 The emergence of Ommen
2.2 Development into a city
2.3 War and disaster
2.4 Ommen in modern times
2.5 Eerde
2.6 Ommerschans
3 The city of Ommen
3.1 Location, economy and infrastructure
3.2 Local politics
4.1 Bissing
4.2 Language
6 Famous inhabitants of Ommen
7 International relations
7.1 Twin towns — Sister cities
Besides the city of Ommen (population: 8,710) and the town of Lemele (population: 570), the municipality consists of the following hamlets and villages: Archem, Arriën, Arriërveld, Beerze, Beerzerveld, Besthmen, Eerde, Giethmen, Junne, Ommerschans, Stegeren, Stegerveld, Varsen, Vilsteren, Vinkenbuurt, Witharen and Zeesse.[1]
The city of Ommen on a map of Overijssel from before 1550
The emergence of Ommen
The first inhabitants of Ommen were probably semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. Flint from the Mesolithic period found in between Ommen and Mariënberg indicates the presence of humans, but there seems to have been hardly any cultivation or permanent settlement during this period.[2]
The Vecht (sometimes called the Overijsselse Vecht, to avoid confusion with its namesake in Utrecht) and Regge rivers determined the first settlements in the area that is now the municipality of Ommen. Most of the Salland region was marshy but the higher banks along the Vecht and Regge provided fertile soil for agriculture. Moreover, good roads were rare, so for trade, transport and travel the rivers provided a vital infrastructure. The first sporadic agricultural settlements in Salland therefore arose along the riverbanks of the Vecht and the Regge. Indeed, all early population centres in the current municipality of Ommen were originally built on riverbanks — with the exception of the town of Lemele, which was situated on the lower slopes of the Lemelerberg, free from flooding by the Regge.
A hutkom: an early Saxon dwelling
The location of Ommen itself proved particularly suitable for settlement — not only because of the fertile river soil and the higher ground of the river dune (even today the church square is visibly higher than the streets to its east and south), but also because of the ford in the Vecht facilitating trade routes between the Frisian north and Twente to the south. Archeological discoveries indicate that the first settlement at Ommen emerged during the 8th century AD, and by the end of the 11th century a veritable town had developed — among the first in Overijssel.[3] The first permanent settlers in Ommen were mixed crop-livestock farmers who also engaged in river trade and innkeeping. Most of these first settlers were probably of Saxon origin, though the Salians who dominated the banks of the IJssel also influenced the region economically, politically and religiously. The first houses in Ommen were hutkommen: wooden houses of which the ground floor was typically around half a meter below the ground. A church was built at the heart of Ommen around 1150 and was soon after replaced by a stone church, indicating further growth of the settlement. Written records first mention Ommen as de Vmme in 1133 and as Ummen in 1227.[4]
The official seal of the city of Ommen (15th century), depicting its patron saint, Saint Brigid of Kildare
This gradual growth, however, did not mean Ommen could also dominate the surrounding area politically, as there were many other powers in the land. Above all, the Prince-Bishop of Utrecht, who had obtained dominion over all of Oversticht from Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1010, repeatedly attempted to increase and centralise his authority over the towns and estates of Salland. The burghers of nearby cities — especially Zwolle — were also known to interfere in the region. More locally, farming communities in the eastern Netherlands organised themselves into markes (autonomous areas) where a buurschap (rule by neighbours) formed a unique kind of grassroots local government. Last but not least, havezates (or castles) arose in the area surrounding Ommen — especially at strategic points such as the banks of the Vecht (the Arendshorst on the northern bank and Beerze on the southern bank), the banks of the Regge (most notably at Eerde) or both banks ('t Laer) — from which robber barons dominated the surrounding area and could levy tolls on river commerce in defiance of the authority of the bishop.[5] These robber barons and the buurschappen formed a check on the influence of Ommen on the surrounding region — yet it was ironically due to one such robber baron that Ommen grew to become an outright city.
Development into a city
The death of Otto II of Lippe during the Battle of Ane near Ommen (Frederik Zürcher, 1825-1876)
On 25 August 1248, Ommen received city rights and fortification rights from Otto III, the Prince-Bishop of Utrecht, after the town was pillaged by local robber baron Rudolf of Coevorden and his militia of freemen in both 1215 and in the aftermath of the Battle of Ane of 1227. Ommen's location at the confluence of two rivers at the heart of the region made it the bishop's strategic and logistic basis in the defence of his domain Oversticht against the rebellious Drents.[6] Ommen thus became the third-oldest officially recognised city in Overijssel, after Zwolle and Rijssen.
A wall was soon erected around Ommen, including three gates: the Vechtpoort or Voorbruggenpoort (on the bank of the Vecht), the Varsenerpoort (on the western wall for traffic with Varsen) and the Arriërpoort (on the northern wall for traffic with Arriën). Even to this day, the two bells in the church's belltower, named Maria and Salvator and cast in 1517 by Hendrick de Tremonia of Dordrecht, are rung every evening at nine o'clock. These so-called Ave-Maria peals form a custom which traces its origin to the tradition of ringing the bell at the closing of the gates. Ommen never received a moat, even though it was permitted one.
Ommen soon became a regional port and market for agricultural products. Due to this commercial growth and strategic commercial position, Ommen eventually joined the prosperous Hanseatic League - although most of its trade was not directly with the Baltic Sea region, but with fellow Hanseatic cities Zwolle, Kampen, Zutphen and especially Deventer, of which it was a subsidiary city. A toll bridge across the Vecht (first built in 1492) further increased its wealth and commercial importance, even though the toll bridge across the Vecht was destroyed by ice floes three times through the centuries. The toll levy was usually auctioned off to private tax collectors, who resided in the toll house (built in 1531) next to the bridge. A bridge toll would be levied until 1925.[7]
For centuries during the Middle Ages, the Estates of Oversticht, a diet or feudal parliament representing the quarters of Salland, Twenthe and Vollenhove (and until 1527 also Drenthe) and the cities of Zwolle, Deventer and Kampen, convened just outside of the city of Ommen at Nieuwebrug (or New Bridge), named after the bridge over the Regge on the road between Ommen and Hellendoorn. Following a feud between Kampen and Zwolle in 1519, however, a gathering of the Estates was attacked by citizens of neighbouring Zwolle, who abducted three noblemen and pillaged nearby Eerde castle. During the years that followed, conflict escalated in Overijssel.[8]
War and disaster
The Reformed Church at the very heart of Ommen: the oldest surviving structure in Ommen
In 1522, citizens of Zwolle attacked and pillaged Ommen with the aid of Charles of Guelders who thus conquered the city from Utrecht. Only the church and women's home de Heilige Geest (the Holy Spirit) survived the pillage and fire.[9]
map of Ommen ca. 1818
Ommen remained part of Guelders until 1528, when emperor Charles V inherited authority over the entire Duchy of Guelders, including Overijssel. A new city hall was built in 1531 in between the church and the Vrijthof square. The city was pillaged again in 1568 by Spanish troops under the 'Iron' Duke of Alba, fighting for Charles's successor, Philip II of Spain. This time, the pillage was not as devastating: Ommen's church, city hall and several other main buildings were spared. In 1581, the Estates of Overijssel convened outside Ommen to depose Philip and proclaim the independence of the Netherlands.
Vrijthof Ommen with former city hall (in centre), 1905
Though a 'Golden Age' for the young Dutch Republic, the 17th century proved rather devastating for Ommen. A great fire in 1624 inflicted serious damage on the church, of which only the foundations and a few walls remained. To control traffic and to prevent military invasions from the north, the fortification of Ommerschans was constructed. In 1672, one of the most severe fires in Ommen's history raged through the entire city, destroying everything but the church. In that same year, the aptly named 'Rampjaar' (disaster year), the Franco-Dutch War broke out, and until 1674 foreign troops (especially from Münster) frequently marched through Ommen, demanding passage, payment, food and lodging. It was not until 1753 that Ommen had sufficiently recovered to afford a new city hall, built at the Vrijthof square, on the same location as the previous building.
During the so-called 'periwig era' of decline in the Netherlands, discontent with oligarchical rule also increased in Ommen. In 1732, the citizens of Ommen rose up against the city council. A petition was handed to the Magistrate on May 31, in which a large share of the citizenry rejected its authority and asked it to resign. The council refused and severe riots ensued, but eventually order was restored. In 1762, a night guard was installed to maintain public order, but the unrest would remain until the Batavian revolution of 1795.
Ommen in modern times
Fortification plan Ommen 1819
On March 2, 1809 the municipal authorities prepared a welcome for the visit of Lodewijk Napoleon, king of the short-lived Kingdom of Holland. They were disappointed when they found out the king had already passed Ommen the day before. The three burgomasters quickly pursued the king and met with his party near Gramsbergen, still receiving a gift of 1000 Dutch guilders for the well-intended preparations for his visit.
When his brother Napoleon Bonaparte annexed the Kingdom of Holland into the French Empire in 1810, he had all local government radically reformed to become compatible with French structures. Ommen too was affected: the separate jurisdictions of Stad Ommen (composed of the city of Ommen and the Ommerschans) and Ambt Ommen (which comprised most of the rest of the current municipality, Avereest and Den Ham as well) were merged into one Mairie Ommen (though Den Ham became a separate municipality).[10] This caused much controversy and discontent locally because the marke communities thus lost their ancient rights of self-governance. In 1818, shortly after Dutch independence, Mairie Ommen was once more decentralised into the municipalities Stad Ommen, Ambt Ommen and Avereest. To ensure good coordination, one burgomaster was appointed over both Stad and Ambt from 1851 onwards.[11]
To safeguard the eastern borders of the newly established Kingdom of the Netherlands, plans were drawn by order of Baron Krayenhoff in 1819 to convert Ommen into a city with fortifications. However, these radical plans (Ontwerp ter bevestiging van Ommen 1819) were not carried out in the end, as the IJssel river to the west was considered a more natural line of defence.[12]
Although renovated and expanded in 1758, the toll house next to the bridge (also called the bridge master's house) was torn down in 1827 to be replaced by a new city hall, designed by the architect J.P. Orentzburg. This new building, situated on the bank of the Vecht, housed all offices of the municipal authorities — including the city council, the court, the tax and toll office, the Gentlemen's Society and the home of the burgomaster. The court moved to a new building in 1882. The burgomaster and the Gentlemen's Society moved soon afterwards. The city hall was renovated and expanded in 1925 and again in 1955. The municipal authorities left the building in 1982. It has since been converted into a museum and a restaurant.
Ommen at the beginning of the 20th century
In 1923, the municipalities of Stad Ommen and Ambt Ommen were once again merged. The borders of the municipality have remained unchanged since, with the exception of the eastern part of Lemelerveld which came under the municipality of Dalfsen in 1997.
On the night of 6 February 1972, a Palestine terrorist organisation named Black September attempted to blow up a natural gas pipeline at a distribution hub near Ommen, but not all explosives were detonated. A blue bag filled with explosives was found after the explosion, next to a three meter wide crater. During the same night there were also attacks in Hamburg and the Dutch village of Ravenstein — and later that year, Black September also caused the Munich Massacre.[13]
Eerde
Eerde Castle
About four kilometres (or 2½ miles) south-east of Ommen and adjacent to the hamlet of Eerde lies the castle Eerde, a castle in the Dutch-classical style from 1715, surrounded by a 1,667 hectare estate in the Baroque style managed by the Natuurmonumenten foundation since 1965.[14]
The name "Eerde" is a Saxon word meaning "earth". The first castle on this site was built in the 14th century, but was soon destroyed by the bishop's men in 1380 — along with the fortifications of the town of Ommen. In the centuries since, the Van Twickelo, Van Renesse and Van Pallandt families have lived in castles on this site. The castle was used by the famous philosopher and spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti, of whom Baron Philip van Pallandt was an avid follower, from about 1924 to just before the start of the Second World War. Van Pallandt granted Krishnamurti a territory at the Besthemerberg, north of Eerde. There Krishnamurti held his Order of the Star in the East lectures and meetings in front of audiences of thousands of people from dozens of countries.[2]
During the Second World War, a Nazi concentration camp, Kamp Erika, was situated at the Besthemerberg. Only eight Jews were detained here; the camp was designated mostly for Dutchmen convicted of black market trade or resistance to the occupational authorities. The camp was notorious for the brutal behaviour of its personnel, leading Dutch judges to refuse to send convicts there in 1943. The camp was turned into an Arbeitserziehungslager mostly for those refusing to do forced labour, but in the fall of 1944 it once again became a penal camp. The camp was liberated on 11 April 1945. From 1945 to 1946, the camp was instead used to detain Dutchmen who had collaborated with the German occupiers. Their treatment was not much better.[15]
Nowadays the castle houses the private international boarding school Eerde, which offers the IB programme.[16]
Ommerschans
Sketch of the Ommerschans fortress
About ten kilometres (or six miles) due north of Ommen lies the former Ommerschans fortification.[17] The Ommerschans was a fortress built in 1628 as part of a defence line to defend the northern provinces of Groningen and Friesland from the marauding count Hendrik van den Bergh (in Spanish service) after the expiration of the Twelve Years' Truce. Hendrik, a nephew of William of Orange, then defected to the Dutch Republic in 1633.
The defences of the Ommerschans were restrengthened in the middle of the 17th century to deter and halt a possible invasion from the German states. Despite these new fortifications, the Ommerschans was captured without any resistance when the Catholic bishops Bernhard von Galen of Münster and Maximilian Henry of Cologne invaded in 1672, the so-called rampjaar (or disaster year) that started the Franco-Dutch War. The 146 musketeers and 55 pikemen stationed at the Ommerschans fled north, only to return later that year when the bishops retreated after their failed siege of the northern city of Groningen.
Under pressure from the citizens of Ommen and after the Peace of Utrecht of 1713, the fortress was closed down in 1715, only to be reinstated as a fortified arsenal in 1740 when war reignited in Continental Europe. During the Patriot Revolt of 1787, militias from Zwolle, Kampen and Vollenhove conquered and pillaged the Ommerschans, stealing all its weaponry to help them in their paramilitary struggle against the regime. The Ommerschans fortification became abandoned and would never again be used for military purposes.
Ommerschans labour camp in the 1820s
In the early 19th century, the Dutch government changed it into a resocialisation institution and labour camp for beggars, prostitutes and alcoholics from Amsterdam and other western cities. They were supposed to learn farming and morals by experience so they could reintegrate into society. In reality the beggars were used for semi-forced and all-but-unpaid labour to reclaim the wetlands surrounding Ommerschans, eventually reclaiming an area of 4 by 2½ kilometres. Politician and novelist Jacob van Lennep visited Ommerschans during his walking tour with Dirk van Hogendorp across the newly independent United Kingdom of the Netherlands in the summer of 1823, and documented his appal at the conditions at the labour camp: "These hours are certainly among the saddest I have lived through."
When the institution went bankrupt in 1859 the Dutch government managed the labour camp until 1889, when it was finally closed down. During its years in operation, between several hundred and two thousand workers would live at Ommerschans at any one time, and an estimated 5448 workers died whilst interned there.
The city of Ommen
Location, economy and infrastructure
The Regge near Eerde
Ommen lies 20 kilometres (12½ miles) east of the provincial capital of Zwolle and 35 kilometres (22 mi) north-east of fellow Hanseatic city Deventer. It lies on the north bank of the Vecht river, not far from where the Regge river merges with this stream. Only smaller ships and yachts can use these waterways.
Because Ommen is a rural municipality, tourism and agriculture are the pillars of the local economy. The beautiful forests and hilly heathlands of Ommen attract many nature-seeking visitors. The city of Ommen has several hotels and in the surrounding area there are fifteen campgrounds. Gilwell Ada's Hoeve on the left bank of the Vecht was the first Scouting campground in the Netherlands. Ommen also has a small marina.
Since 15 January 1903, Ommen has had a railway station designed by Eduard Cuypers. It is situated one kilometer from the centre on the opposite side of the Vecht. The station is on the (minor) Zwolle-Emmen line and trains stop roughly twice an hour. Ommen also used to have direct railway links to Stadskanaal and to Deventer via Raalte, which were abandoned when they lost their importance due to the emergence of the automobile. Early plans to establish railway lines from Ommen to Hoogeveen and to Hellendoorn were abandoned for that same reason.
An important infrastructural problem is the N34 road from Zwolle via Emmen to Groningen, which crosses the city of Ommen. One of its main crossroads, near the Vecht bridge is a bottleneck that causes frequent traffic congestion. The government is rerouting the N34 road north of the city, in order to reduce crosstown traffic.
The current burgomaster is Mr. Gerrit Jan Kok (VVD). He was appointed by the crown in January 2007 to replace Arend ten Oever (CDA), after consultation with the citizens of Ommen.
The last municipal elections were in March 2010. The seventeen seats in Ommen's municipal council were divided as follows:
CDA: 5 seats
Local Party Ommen (LPO): 4 seats
VVD: 3 seats
ChristianUnion: 2 seats
Democrats: 2 seats
Labour: 1 seat
The current College of Burgomaster and Aldermen (the municipal executive) is supported by the four coalition parties: CDA, VVD, ChristianUnion and Labour - each of which provides one alderman.
Bissing
Former burgomaster Arend ten Oever (CDA) opening the 2006 Bissing
Ommen is famous for its Bissing fair and markets. These yearly markets have been organised on the second Tuesday of July since at least 1557. The Bissing lasted three days from Monday till Wednesday. Its success was based on the wide array of products on offer and a relaxation of excises and regulation on alcoholic consumption, attracting merchants and consumers to Ommen from far and wide. In the 19th century it became one of the main markets in the province of Overijssel, and there would often be brawls and riots. In 1918, the council of Dutch Reformed Church asked the town council to end the public events surrounding the Bissing for moral reasons. The town council complied and the Bissing activities were suspended until 1958, although the market continued.
Nowadays the Bissing has become a major tourist attraction, lasting for five consecutive Wednesdays after the initial market and comprising a wide array of ceremonies, fairs, concerts, funfairs and activities.
The etymology of the word Bissing is widely discussed. Some believe it is derived from 'Bishop's day', in recognition of the granting of Ommen's town rights, whilst others believe the Low-Saxon word is related to the English word business.
Region where Low Saxon is spoken
Most inhabitants of Ommen speak Dutch, but many will also speak Low Saxon or Plat — an ancient language related to Low German and Old English which is indigenous to the north-east of the Netherlands. The dialect of Plat spoken in Ommen is Sallands. Although both the national government and the European Union recognise Plat as a regional language, it is considered by many to be a mere dialect of Dutch, and its popularity is waning rapidly, even compared to Twents. English and German are also widely spoken as second languages.
The poet Johanna van Buren died in Ommen in 1962. Her Plat poetry in the Salland and Twents dialect is still popular throughout Overijssel. The Johanna van Buren Cultural Prize is awarded once every three years to a person who contributed to the regional culture of the Eastern Netherlands.[18]
Ommen has a reasonable mix of churches, with sizable Roman Catholic, Dutch Protestant and Liberated Reformed (Gereformeerd Vrijgemaakt) congregations.
Ommen was built around the old church at its centre, built around 1150, first mentioned in 1238 and severely damaged by fires in 1330 and 1624.[2] The church was converted to Calvinism during the Reformation of the 16th century, and it was not until the constitutional reforms of 1853 that the Roman Catholicism was once again openly practiced in Ommen and not until 1860 that a new Roman Catholic church was founded in the centre of Ommen. The village of Vilsteren to the west of Ommen, however, had remained entirely Roman Catholic throughout the centuries.
The famous preacher and dissenter Albertus van Raalte lived and worked in Ommen between 1839 and 1844, before he and his congregation moved to America to found the Reformed Church in America and the city of Holland, Michigan.
Most of the Jews of Ommen were murdered in the Holocaust, as were the majority of the Dutch Jews.
The newly renovated Besthemermolen
The church in the centre, built in 1150 but rebuilt and renovated regularly, is by far the oldest building in Ommen.
The National Tin Figurine Museum in the former Town Hall has over 200,000 figurines and panoramas, including four panoramas of the Battle of Ane.[19]
Ommen has five windmills, of which three are in the town itself: the Lelie (1846, still in full operation), Den Oordt (1842, operates weekly) and the Konijnenbelt (1806, out of commission). Vilsteren has its own windmill (1858, recently recommissioned), as does the hamlet of Besthem (1862, recently renovated). The Besthemermolen also houses the Nature Information Centre with expositions about Ommen's diverse landscape and ecosystems.
The small Regional Museum in Ommen explains Ommen's customs and history.[20]
The estates of the Vilsteren and Eerde castles are open to the public.[21][14]
The Pieterpad rambling trail (the most popular trail in the Netherlands) passes through Ommen.[22]
Famous inhabitants of Ommen
Albertus van Raalte (1811–1876), preacher and founder of Holland, Michigan
August Pieter van Groeningen (1866–1894), writer
Johanna van Buren (1881–1981), poet
C.J.E. Dinaux (1898) - 1980), writer
Edward Top (1972), composer
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in The Netherlands
Twin towns — Sister cities
Ommen is twinned with:
Recke in neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (since 1989)
Żnin in Poland (since 1991)
^ a b Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS), January 1, 2010
^ a b c Gerrit Nevenzel, Ommen
^ Willem Bemboom, Het maritieme cultuurlandschap van Regge en Vecht (2007), Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Afdeling Maritieme Archeology. (in Dutch)
^ Steen, G. en W. Veldsink, 1948 - De geschiedenis van Ommen. (in Dutch)
^ The History of 't Laer (in Dutch)
^ Unknown author, Quedam narracio de Groninghe de Trentis de Covordia et diversis alliis sub episcopis Traiectensibis (a.k.a. Narracio), published by Vereniging Herdenking Slag bij Ane (2000), folder.
^ The historical sources about Ommen differ on many of the dates before the 17th century. Usually the difference is only one or two years, but sometimes as much as a decade. The most commonly quoted dates are used on this page.
^ Dieks Horsman, "Nieuwebrug, geen echte buurtschap... en toch een gezellige buurt" in De Darde Klokke, No. 117, page 28 (in Dutch)
^ Jan Lucas, The Town Hall (in Dutch)
^ Ad van der Meer and Onno Boonstra, "Repertorium van Nederlandse gemeenten" (2006) Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, ISBN 90-6984-495-8.
^ Harry Woertink, Burgemeesters van Ommen, in Ommen Historisch Belicht (2006), Historische Kring Ommen. (In Dutch)
^ Plans for the fortification of Ommen in the Dutch National Archives
^ Andere Tijden, Aanslagen in Ravenstein en Ommen: De grootste sabotage-daad van na de oorlog, October 16, 2001. (In Dutch)
^ a b Stichting Natuurmonumenten, Natuurgebied Eerde
^ Guusta Veldman Knackers achter prikkeldraad : kamp Erika bij Ommen, 1941-1945 (1993) ISBN 90-5345-037-8 (in Dutch)
^ International School Eerde
^ Vereniging De Ommerschans, History of the Ommerschans (in Dutch)
^ Streektaalzang, Johanna van Buren (in Dutch)
^ National Tin Figurine Museum, National Tin Figurine Museum
^ Regional Museum Ommen (in Dutch), Regional Museum Ommen
^ Landgoed Vilsteren, Landgoed Vilsteren
^ Pieterpad (in Dutch) www site: http://www.pieterpad.nl/
Official Website (Dutch)
Website Mooi Ommen! (English)
Ommen Regional Museum (Dutch)
Ommen Historical Society (Dutch)
International School Eerde (English)
Ommen Tin Figurine Museum (English)
Ommen Tourist Office (Dutch; summary in German)
SONT: Streektaal-Organisaties in het Nedersaksisch Taalgebied (Low Saxon)
v · d · e Municipalities of Overijssel
Almelo · Borne · Dalfsen · Deventer · Dinkelland · Enschede · Haaksbergen · Hardenberg · Hellendoorn · Hengelo · Hof van Twente · Kampen · Losser · Oldenzaal · Olst-Wijhe · Ommen · Raalte · Rijssen-Holten · Staphorst · Steenwijkerland · Tubbergen · Twenterand · Wierden · Zwartewaterland · Zwolle
See also Netherlands · Provinces · Municipalities
Coordinates: 52°31′N 6°26′E / 52.517°N 6.433°E / 52.517; 6.433
Municipalities of Overijssel
Populated places in Overijssel
Hanseatic League
Cities in the Netherlands
Populated places established in the 8th century
Olst-Wijhe


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Migration Law Research Group
Ruben Wissing
Ruben Wissing https://www.ugent.be/re/epir/en/researchgroups/public-law/department/migration-law/rwissing-en https://www.ugent.be/logo.png
Ruben Wissing is a PhD researcher at the (start-up) Migration Law Research Group at Ghent University. The subject of his research is refugee protection in Morocco and Turkey and the impact of EU migration policy. The research is done under the guidance of promotor Prof. Dr. Ellen Desmet, Professor of Migration Law, and clustered with other migration studies by the interfaculty Centre for the Social Study of Migration and Refugees (CESSMIR) at Ghent University.
Ruben studied Law in Leuven and Madrid (2004), and also holds a bachelor in Philosophy. After practising as a lawyer specialized in migration and asylum law in Antwerp for three years, he worked for the then Flemish Minorities Centre (now Kruispunt Migratie-Integratie) and later as a legal officer and policy coordinator at the Belgian Refugee Council (CBAR-BCHV) for more than six years.
He also was an independent consultant, i.a. as national expert for the Asylum Information Database (AIDA) of the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), and at the UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR) in Brussels on the issue of migration detention. In 2017 he coordinated the (start-up non-profit) organisation NANSEN, in combination with the teaching assistant position in Migration Law at the Ghent University with professor Desmet.


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That $900 billion stimulus package includes pork – lots of it
Congress has no problem spending money on agriculture -- or gender studies in Pakistan
Congress has passed, and the President has signed, the $900 billion stimulus package. There’s a lot of pork in the bill, and it includes USDA.
What is your tax dollar going to support?
About $10 million will be made available for gender programs in Pakistan. There will also be a study of the Springfield, Ill., race riots of 1908. There is also funding for studying the succession or reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. There is even money for a commission tasked with educating consumers about the dangers associated with using or storing portable fuel containers for flammable liquids near an open flame.
There’s more: $130 million for Nepal, $453 million for Ukraine, and $700 million to our great allies in Sudan.
What about USDA?
But let us examine what USDA received. Title I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, starts with agriculture and rural development. Under Division A of the bill, there is a Title for the following agricultural programs: farm production and conservation programs; rural development programs; domestic food programs; and foreign assistance and related programs. There is a title for related agency and food and drug administration, and finally there is a Title VII for general provisions. There is even a Title XII for horseracing integrity and safety.
The Office of the Secretary of Agriculture is given approximately $47 million of which he is to spend approximately $5 million. Twenty-one million goes to the Assistant Secretary for Administration.
The language in the bill is enough to make your head spin. For example, the Chief Economist of USDA receives approximately $24 million. Of that, $8 million must go to grants and cooperatives for policy research. The lawyers, of course, are not left out because the USDA Office of Hearings and Appeals receives $15,394,000. The Chief Information Officer of USDA’s office receives approximately $67 million “…of which not less than $56,000,00 is for cyber security requirements of the department.”
The Civil Rights Office of USDA receives approximately $23 million and to maintain the department’s buildings across the country, $108,124,000. USDA apparently has a number of hazardous waste sites and the legislation provides $6,514,000 to deal with this issue.
To protect all the bureaucrats in federal buildings, Congress sets aside approximately $23 million to the Office of Safety and Security, to make sure farmers and ranchers have identification papers to get into USDA buildings. The Office of Inspector General has approximately $100,000,000 to make sure all our USDA funds are spent appropriately. There is even $125,000 for paying confidential informants. In USDA there is even an Office of Ethics, and it receives $4,185,000.
The National Agricultural Statistical Service receives approximately $184 million. This money is used to send confidential surveys to you.
Research gets big bucks
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) starts spending real money. Approximately $1.5 billion goes to the ARS and in addition, the ARS receives approximately $36 million to buy land or construct or repair buildings.
The National Institute of Food in Agriculture also receives for research and other expenses $992,642,000. Another $11,880,000 is spent on Native American Institutions Endowment Fund. Extension activities which include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa are allocated $538,447.
I suspect many of you are not aware of the extension activities involving these areas.
Another program popular with American farmers and ranchers is the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). AMS receives the tidy sum of $188,358,000. Of course, AMS may collect fees pursuant to another statute. Of course, Congress claims USDA cannot collect more than $55 million.
Another favorite agency is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS helps conserve soil and water and acquires some lands and water. It also operates and maintains aircraft for which only $832,727,000 is made available. Out of this $832 million, $175 million must be spent on watershed protection and flood prevention.
I will not get into the Federal Crop Insurance Fund or the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund in this blog. As you can see, Congress has no problem spending money on agriculture - or gender studies in Pakistan.
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Home Press/Media Press Releases 25 Millionth Alcoholics Anonymous 'Big Book'
25 Millionth Alcoholics Anonymous 'Big Book'
To be Given in Gratitude to Warden of San Quentin
(TORONTO, ONTARIO) The 25 millionth copy of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous will be presented to Jill Brown, warden of San Quentin prison, at the International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous which takes place in Toronto June 30 - July 3. The landmark book will be presented to Warden Brown by Allen Ault, Class A (nonalcoholic) trustee of Alcoholics Anonymous, who has been a director of corrections in three states and is currently Dean of the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University in the United States.
The gift of the book is A.A.'s way of expressing gratitude for that institution's long history of supporting A.A as a resource for alcoholic inmates. The first A.A. meeting in a prison was held in San Quentin in 1941. Since that time, hundreds of A.A. groups have sprung up behind prison walls. Some have started with the help of A.A. members on the outside, and all with the vital support and cooperation of corrections personnel.
For the Big Book itself, passing the 25 million sales mark in English versions alone is something worth noting. It took 36 years to sell the first million copies. Now A.A. distributes approximately one million books each year in the English-language edition alone.
It didn't seem like that would be the case in 1939. The new book Alcoholics Anonymous was featured on a popular radio show by radio commentator Gabriel Heatter, and three days later, A.A. founders lugged empty suitcases to their post office box in anticipation of a deluge of orders only to find two lone inquiries. Often called A.A.'s “most effective sponsor,” the Big Book was launched on a shoestring. Initially sales lagged, and the young Fellowship found itself saddled with nearly 5,000 unsold books and large incidental debts. Then, in March 1941, after an article about A.A. by Jack Alexander appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, sales soared and a second printing was ordered at once.
The book provided the name for a small movement that until then had been known simply as the Alcoholic Foundation, with but 100 members. Today, Alcoholics Anonymous has an estimated two million members worldwide with a presence in 180 countries. Additionally, its program of recovery serves as a model for many other 12 Step Fellowships.
The Big Book itself has opened the way to a life of comfortable sobriety for thousands of suffering alcoholics who otherwise might not have found help. It has offered convincing evidence to relatives and friends that compulsive drinkers can recover; and has furnished revealing insights to physicians, psychologists, members of the clergy and other professionals who work with alcoholics.
Previous recipients of milestone copies of the Big Book have included United States President Richard Nixon (the one millionth), U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano (two millionth), the widow of Dr. John (Jack) L. Norris, Class A nonalcoholic trustee and former A.A.W.S. Board Chairman (15 millionth) and the Al-Anon Family Groups (twenty millionth).
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Economy|Business and Economy
The rainmaker behind Mukesh Ambani’s $13bn deal spree
Manoj Modi is viewed by insiders and others in India’s business world as the right hand of billionaire Mukesh Ambani.
In the halls of Reliance Industries Ltd, Manoj Modi has quietly become one of the most powerful forces behind the corporate empire of Asia's richest man [File: Bloomberg]
Saritha Rai, P R Sanjai and Baiju Kalesh
He has no flashy titles and few outside India know his name. But in the halls of Reliance Industries Ltd., Manoj Modi has quietly become one of the most powerful forces behind the corporate empire of Asia’s richest man.
Reserved and mostly invisible to the public, Modi is viewed by many insiders and others in India’s business world as the right hand of billionaire Mukesh Ambani. He played a key role during negotiations for a $5.7 billion deal with Facebook Inc. in April, backing Ambani and his children as they hashed out an agreement with the social networking giant, people familiar with the matter said.
As Ambani, 63, shifts his sprawling conglomerate’s focus from petrochemicals to internet technologies, Modi is seen as a particularly influential voice. Facebook’s investment in the group’s Jio Platforms was followed by similar deals from a slew of private-equity funds, injecting $13 billion into the business and placing it firmly on Silicon Valley’s radar.
The sixty-something, diminutive Modi — who isn’t related to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi — rarely gives interviews and there’s little in the public realm about his private life. Yet he illustrates how lesser known personalities in India with long-running ties to corporate dynasties can have an outsized impact.
“It’s not a company that advertises its organizational structure but the industry knows that Ambani and Modi are a strongly-bonded team — and together drive deal negotiation and relentless execution to the last level of detail,” said Vani Kola, managing director of venture capital firm, Kalaari Capital Partners, who persuaded Modi to make a rare public appearance at a conference last year, albeit by video.
A Reliance spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comments from the company and Modi.
Modi is a director at Reliance Retail Ltd. and the group’s telecom carrier Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. At Kola’s conference, he downplayed his skills. “I don’t really negotiate,” Modi said. “I don’t understand strategy,” he went on. “In fact, people internally know that I don’t even have a vision.” He described his role, saying, “I deal with our internal people, coaching them, mentoring them and guiding them on how something can be done.”
But then came a hint of his thinking: “Our principle at Reliance is very simple: Unless everyone makes money while working with us, you cannot have a sustainable business.”
In interviews, more than half-a-dozen executives in the technology industry, who have had dealings with Reliance, said Modi has a reputation for driving hard bargains. When dealing with startups, he often controls negotiations from behind the scenes by instructing executives how far to push, making an appearance nearing deal fruition, they said.
While Reliance’s recent mega investments have drawn the spotlight, the conglomerate also began an acquisition spree to buy smaller firms some years ago to build expertise in newer technologies from artificial intelligence to blockchain. The idea is to create a digital business that wields power in everything from online retail to streamed entertainment and internet payments.
The Tiny Deals Behind Mukesh Ambani’s Bid to Take on Amazon
Modi has a big say in every deal and often a meeting with him signals the final stamp of approval, four different startup founders said in interviews.
“He derives his power in the organization not just because of his loyalty, but because of his very astute, smart and able negotiator skills for Reliance Industries,” G. R. Gopinath, founder of budget carrier Air Deccan, who had sold a stake in his cargo airline to Reliance in 2010. “Significantly, though without formal education from Ivy League universities, he has a very sharp mind and a rare insight and native genius to grasp modern technology in the Indian context.”
Gopinath said Modi is “ruthlessly efficient” and manages to get the best possible deal for Reliance in mergers and acquisitions.
Modi is one of the few who have been with the company since the 1980s when Ambani’s late father was building the oil-and-petrochemicals giant. A few years earlier, Manoj Harjivandas Modi and Ambani had studied at what was then called the University Department of Chemical Technology in Mumbai and become fast friends.
That’s allowed Modi a chance to work with three generations of the Ambani dynasty: The late patriarch Dhirubhai, then Mukesh and his wife Nita, and now his children Isha and Akash, who are playing more prominent roles on deals like Facebook.
Over the years Modi became known as the execution man, overseeing large projects. He broke new ground by managing Reliance’s retail reach to smaller cities and expanded it to India’s largest retailer. But it was with the pathbreaking telecom service that Ambani built up that Modi came into his own.
Telecom Talks
His negotiating skills were very visible when Reliance Jio raced to launch its wireless services in 2016 and built its fiber optic cable network.
One of the people who participated in the negotiations described a scene where select vendors were summoned to the headquarters for talks. The bait dangled in front of each was the massive scale of the project. Unknown to vendors at that time, multiple Reliance teams negotiated simultaneously in separate rooms with Modi as the interface guiding executives, that person said.
These days, after crushing its rivals, Jio is the largest telecom operator in India with nearly 400 million users. It’s also increasingly important to global businesses like Facebook and WhatsApp as it serves as an entryway into an exploding digital economy and an e-commerce ecosystem that includes payments, education and health care.
“Their work in expanding access to affordable mobile broadband has been phenomenal,” Ajit Mohan, vice president and managing director in India for Facebook, said of Ambani’s company.
Among the skills Modi has honed is working with senior executives at Reliance, like Anshuman Thakur, head of strategy at Reliance Jio Infocomm and a long time banker, who plays a key role on deals and regularly briefs the press.
During the negotiations for the Facebook deal, Ambani, his children Isha and Akash, and Modi were key right through the discussions, one of the people familiar with the transaction said. Once Ambani gave the go ahead, Thakur worked to structure the deal, one of the people said.
In recent weeks, Jio’s investor list has included names like KKR & Co., Silver Lake Partners, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. There may be more. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is in advanced talks for a stake, people familiar with the matter said this month.
Still, the global coronavirus pandemic is poised to put India on track for a sharp economic contraction. That means Modi and Ambani will have their work cut out to grow digital sales amid slowing consumer spending, even as they ready Jio Platforms for a share sale. Reliance Industries is preparing the business for an initial public offering overseas, people with knowledge of the matter said last month.
Meanwhile, a crash in oil prices caused uncertainty in negotiations to sell an estimated $15 billion stake in Reliance Industries’ oil and chemicals division to Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Aramco, as part of its bid to pay down its formidable debt pile, which stood at more than $20 billion as of March last year. Reliance recently said the Aramco talks are progressing.
Very little is known about the actual plans of Jio Platforms as the digital business rolls into the next phase of its expansion. Both Modi and his boss may have a joint hand in maintaining this level of secrecy.
“Why talk needlessly when you can show your capabilities in the ranbhoomi,” said Kola, the venture capitalist, using the Hindi word for battlefield.
Source : Bloomberg


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Ferkauf Announces New Master’s Program in Marriage and Family Therapy
Faculty, Most Recent News, Press Release November 17, 2020November 29, 2020 Michael Bettencourt
Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology has announced the Fall 2021 launch of a new Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy. Graduates of the program will be licensure-eligible as Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists (LMFTs) in New York State.
“Ferkauf is extremely excited for the launch of this new program, one of New York State’s only offerings for a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy,” said Dr. Leslie Halpern, dean of Ferkauf. “This further enforces our mission of providing excellent graduate education to students and preparing them for successful careers in the field. As public awareness and acceptance of mental health issues continue to grow, we remain committed to training psychologists and counselors who make a difference in the lives of individuals and society as a whole. Our new program will produce therapists equipped to help families and couples, a service with growing demand in the mental health space.”
The 60-credit program prepares students with theoretical and applied principles of therapy for couples and families. Courses will cover the foundations of marriage and family therapy, family law, counseling with children and adolescents, developmental psychology across the lifespan, group therapy, multicultural issues and more. Students will also be required to complete 600 hours of fieldwork and will be provided placements with training and mentorship opportunities with practicing LMFTs.
“Students graduating from this new program will be able to work in private practice and mental health centers with specialized MFT expertise that is rare for therapists with master’s degrees,” said Michael Gill, assistant dean. Dr. William Salton, director of the Parnes Clinic at Ferkauf, added, “This program will also prepare students for the opportunity to serve multiple communities since they will receive training with a multicultural and diversity focus.”
Ideal candidates will have a strong interest in working with couples and families and a core background in psychology. The first cohort will launch in Fall 2021. Applications for admissions to this new program will begin in December 2020.
To learn more about the program, visit the Ferkauf website.
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