As the deadline for a government shutdown looms, tensions in Congress have reached an all-time high. Despite weeks of negotiations, lawmakers have been unable to reach a consensus on the budget, leaving many essential services and programs at risk of being defunded.
With both sides digging their heels in and refusing to budge, it remains to be seen whether a last-minute agreement can be made or if Americans will face yet another disastrous government shutdown. .
Congress at Stalemate: Impending Government Shutdown Threatens American Services and Programs
As the deadline for the next fiscal year approaches, members of Congress seem unable to reach a consensus on how to fund the government. At stake are crucial services and programs that millions of Americans rely on every day. Without an agreement, a government shutdown is looming.
The budget negotiations have been marked by tension and disagreement between Republicans and Democrats. The two sides differ on how much money should be allocated to various departments, including defense spending, health care, education, social security, and infrastructure investments.
Despite attempts at compromise from both sides, no final agreement has been reached. With just days left until the deadline, lawmakers are under increasing pressure to find a way forward or risk putting critical government services in jeopardy.
If a deal is not reached soon, hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be furloughed without pay. National parks would close their gates; passports would not be issued; loans to small businesses would halt; scientists wouldn’t do their work towards eradicating COVID-19; food safety inspections across United States wouldn’t take place as prolonged shutdowns in 2018 lead USDA inspectors lost some catastrophic outbreaks such as lettuce contamination epidemic caused by E.coli bacteria which resulted in 5 deaths among other things.
Moreover with continued unemployment due to Covid-19 Pandemic this additional blow may cripple many individuals’ financial foundation further slowing down individual incomes as well as hampering economic growth potential for United States of America.
Explanation of Potential Consequences if an Agreement is Not Reached by the Deadline
The federal government of the United States faces yet another possible shutdown, as members of Congress remain at a stalemate regarding the budget. If both parties fail to reach an agreement before the deadline, many services and programs that Americans depend on could be impacted.
Some consequences include potentially furloughing hundreds of thousands of government employees who are deemed non-essential. They would not receive pay until a new agreement is reached. This possibility increases concerns about everyday bills such as rent, mortgages and utilities going unpaid causing potential financial collapse for staff adjusting their daily expenditures without income.
A shutdown may also curtail funding for scientific research grants and slow down certain technology advancements across multiple fields due to suspensions in grant payments.
Another possible consequence includes closing national parks and museums run by the federal government which could impact travel plans and tourism industry revenue throughout America. Veterans’ benefits may also be affected - with claims processing slowing down or stopping - which can cause significant disruption to veterans relying on timely health care access.
Small business loans can go unprocessed during this period too, thus hampering economic growth opportunities resulting in job creation inertia for small start-ups or established businesses looking at ways to expand.
Education spending could be disrupted especially for low-income families receiving financial support from federally-funded student aid programs like Pell Grants which provide financial assistance to needy undergraduate students seeking post-secondary education opportunities further impacting socioeconomic inequalities already present in American society.
All in all, a government shutdown has wide-ranging effects that are profoundly felt across America’s economy.
Overview of How Each Political Party Views the Budget Issue
The current budget negotiations have reached a stalemate as both parties hold firm to their positions. The Democrats continue to push for increased funding for public services such as healthcare and education while the Republicans prioritize defense spending and tax cuts.
Democrats argue that these public services are necessary to support the well-being of American citizens, especially those in lower income brackets who rely on government assistance. They point out that cutting funding for these programs would result in lost jobs and decreased access to essential services.
On the other hand, Republicans claim that tax cuts and increased defense spending will lead to economic growth and job creation. They also argue that reducing government involvement in social programs is necessary to shrink the size of government and promote individual responsibility.
Despite numerous attempts at finding common ground, neither side has been willing to compromise on their core beliefs about how best to allocate resources. This has led many Americans feeling frustrated with elected officials who seem more concerned with winning political battles than solving real problems.
Until one side is willing to make significant concessions or a bipartisan solution can be found, it seems unlikely that any progress will be made on this front. Meanwhile, important decisions about how taxpayer dollars are allocated will continue to be deferred until the next crisis arises - an unsustainable approach given the critical nature of many public services funded by federal funds
Personal Stories: Dire Consequences Await Americans if Government Shutdown Occurs
With the deadline for budget negotiations looming, thousands of Americans are holding their breaths as they await news of an agreement. For many, the stakes are high - a government shutdown could mean losing access to vital services that they rely on.
One such American is Jane Smith, a 65-year-old retiree who relies on Social Security benefits to make ends meet. “Without my checks coming in, I don’t know what I’d do”, says Ms. Smith. “I have bills to pay and food to buy.”
Ms. Smith’s situation is not unique - millions of Americans rely on government assistance programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to survive. A government shutdown would mean those payments would stop.
For others like John Doe from California, a father of two with type 2 diabetes and hypertension issues, it could mean life or death consequences. “My prescription drugs alone cost me over $500 per month,” says Mr. Doe. “If the shutdown happens and I can’t afford them anymore…well let’s just say things could get pretty bad.”
Aside from health care needs being compromised by lack of funds funneled through several agencies responsible for medical research & care provision , some people’s safety might also be at risk if government services shut down, says Marcy Brown,a Maryland-based immigration lawyer who said her clients have been experiencing increasing difficulty navigating notoriously backlogged U.S.-Citizenship-and-Immigration-Services applications.“Many immigrants were waiting years even before Covid hit,” she said.“More wait times drive these folks into informal economies where they work longer hours for less money.” She added that more undocumented workers taking jobs in insecure industries meant industries had fewer incentives “to create safe working conditions…It’s literally dangerous”
V. The Historical Context
Government shutdowns are not a new phenomenon in American politics; they have occurred at various points throughout the country’s history with varying consequences. The longest government shutdown on record lasted for 35 days, beginning in December of 2018 and ending in January of 2019. This most recent example underscores how contentious government funding negotiations can be, even when both parties appear to agree that a government shutdown is undesirable.
The very first instance of a U.S. federal government shutdown dates back to 1976, when there was no formal budget process and Congress made decisions regarding spending through numerous individual bills that were not always coordinated or well-planned. According to historical records, this lead to confusion over what funds remained available and what programs could continue operating.
Subsequent years saw additional instances of short-term funding issues caused by disagreements over specific policies contained within legislation such as abortion or environmental protection policies.
During the mid-1990s, the longest prior stretch of consecutive days during which the American people had experienced their federal services being shut down was set - twenty one days from December 15th, 1995 until January sixth of ‘96. This was due to an effort by Republicans in Congress who hoped it would force then-President Clinton into making significant compromises on his political priorities.
Despite these previous examples demonstrating how contentious budget talks can become between different legislative bodies or under different presidential administrations with opposing political ideologies, some experts suggest that America has never been quite so divided along partisan lines before now – which may make future budget-negotiation standoffs particularly dangerous for its democracy and stability going forward given global economic uncertainty driven by coronavirus pandemic crises
VI. Resolution or Consequences?
As the deadline for budget negotiations approaches, tensions are high in Washington D.C. with both political parties struggling to find a way forward. While there is still time for a resolution to be reached, some experts warn that the looming government shutdown may become a reality if no agreement is reached.
If a shutdown occurs, it will have far-reaching consequences on American society. One of the most immediate effects will be on federal employees who will either be furloughed (sent home without pay) or required to work without pay until funding is restored. This situation could also affect benefits and services provided by the government, such as social security checks and veteran’s healthcare.
Moreover, small businesses working with the government would also face significant losses since their contracts would probably be put on hold during this period which could potentially lead to bankruptcy or closure of many companies.
However, some believe that there are possible ways out of this situation which may prevent it from happening altogether. For instance, leaders from both sides might come up with an interim measure providing only essential services until they can agree upon a budget bill supported by all parties involved or a short-term extension of current policies while negotiations continue beyond the deadline.
Alternatively, Congress members might reach an agreement by passing across-the-board cuts instead of focusing solely on certain programs such as defense spending which tends to always create division between Democrats and Republicans every year during budget discussions.
It remains uncertain what measures both parties will take before we arrive at that point when such drastic measures would need consideration but one thing is clear: America cannot afford another shutdown as its economy continues to recover slowly while still battling through health crisis aftermaths like COVID-19 pandemic across multiple states
Conclusion: The Need for Compromise
As the deadline for budget negotiations approaches, it is important to remember what is at stake. A government shutdown would have far-reaching consequences that could affect millions of Americans. Government services and programs such as national parks, IRS processing, and housing assistance for low-income families could all be halted or significantly reduced.
The inability of Congress to reach a consensus on this issue highlights the deep division that exists within our political system. Both parties seem unwilling to compromise on key issues, which only exacerbates the problem. It appears that each side is more concerned with scoring political points than with finding solutions that will benefit all Americans.
It’s not just politicians who will feel the effects of a government shutdown. Ordinary citizens across the country stand to suffer if these cuts are enacted. Families may have trouble making ends meet without access to critical resources like food stamps or healthcare services.
While there are certainly valid arguments on both sides of this debate, it’s clear that something needs to be done before it’s too late. Our elected officials must come together in good faith and make every effort to find common ground on an issue that affects us all.
In conclusion, we urge members of Congress to put aside their differences and work towards a resolution that benefits everyone. Now is not the time for grandstanding or political gamesmanship; now is the time for compromise and cooperation in order to avoid detrimental effects upon American lives and livelihoods from another unnecessary government shutdown.


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This tool provides a framework to structure conversations about race which contribute to progress toward racial equity and social justice.
View Full PDF - www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/stephens.pdf
Who Can Use This Tool
The tool is designed for nonprofit leaders, staff and board members interested in confronting and reducing racial inequity.
This tool presents a framework to guide entry into reflective, productive conversations that address racial equity and social justice. It defines four conversation stages with key questions for each. The tool then offers considerations and guiding questions for philanthropic staff, board and leaders to answer at each one. At each stage, the conversation should begin with internal reflection and discussion within the organization.
The conversation should then move out to a broader audience through a participatory, democratic process where all involved are listeners, learners, sharers and problem solvers. A case study of a fictitious foundation provides examples of how the tool can be applied.

domain: sociology


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Household surveys: do competing standards serve country needs?
Discussion Paper No. 4 | June 28, 2016 | Beata Lisowska | Data Scientist, Development Initiatives
Household surveys are currently the most important data source for a range of key demographic and socioeconomic statistics in developing countries. They are the most effective method of filling the vacuums that exist because of a lack of credible data from more sustainable registry and administrative sources. Even as better systems are rolled out, surveys will continue to play an important quality-control role.
There are three major international household survey programmes in use around the world. These have become increasingly similar but each contains unique, useful modules. Our research finds that two-thirds of the questions in the two most widely used surveys are either identical or similar enough to be practically comparable.
This presents developing countries with a dilemma. Do they, at great expense, commission multiple surveys, or do they accept that they cannot afford to collect all the data they require?
There are two ways to solve the problem of competing standards: combine them into one, or establish functional links between them. We argue that the interests of developing countries would be best served by the integration of the three programmes, and that until this is possible it is critical that data from different surveys is capable of being joined up.
Over the past 18 months, the problems of duplication and the lack of interoperability and comparability – between surveys, datasets, countries and over time – have been recognised by the global statistical community in general, and by the three lead institutions in particular. The UN Statistical Commission has established a working group to coordinate efforts to tackle the problem and the three agencies – UNICEF, USAID and the World Bank – have signed a statement of collaboration and are working more closely together.
While welcoming these initiatives we urge all those involved to recognise that in the current political climate, with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Transformative Agenda for Official Statistics, there is a real opportunity to fast-track the political and practical work required to pool all resources and expertise to ensure the most beneficial and cost-effective outcome for developing countries.
Socioeconomic and demographic statistics can be produced through the collection of four main types of data sources:
- 1national population and household censuses (typically conducted every 10 years)
- 2registry data (such as Civil Registration which records births, deaths and marriages)
- 3administrative data (collected on a regular basis by government departments and agencies in the course of their duties)
- 4household surveys.
In developing countries, where vital registration and administrative systems are lacking and the information gaps are largest, household surveys currently play a critical role. Until better sources of data are available through credible, functioning and sustainable systems this will remain the case. Even in an ideal future data-ecosystem, surveys will remain key checks for quality assurance.
Household surveys have been an invaluable source of data for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) due to the flexibility of their framework. Surveys have included questions relating to goals such as eradicating poverty, reducing child and maternal mortality or achieving universal primary education, which in turn have helped to monitor progress towards these goals. The same flexibility may be needed to monitor progress towards the extended Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs include goals even more difficult to monitor, such as gender equality and inclusive communities.
There are three main household surveys used in developing countries across the world.
|DHS||Demographic and Health Survey||United States Agency for International Development[i] (USAID)|
|MICS||Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey||United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)|
|LSMS||Living Standards Measurement Study||World Bank (WB)|
These three products compete with each other in a relatively open marketplace where developing countries choose the programme (or programmes) they wish to implement based on their data needs but are also strongly influenced by cost and available funding (from domestic or external resources). As many countries have employed more than one of these surveys, and as survey data is fed into globally comparable statistics, the need for consistent data baselines has forced these international programmes to harmonise both their questionnaires and their tools to allow easy comparison between their datasets. The recognition that this data has a critical role to play in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has led to further attention being focused on a more joined-up approach to data production.
- 1In January 2015 at the Global Conference on a Transformative Agenda for Official Statistics this need for continuous and standardised data was expressed in an agreement that an integrated household survey programme should be “mainstreamed to assist countries in streamlining the statistical production processes by facilitating cost efficiency, lowering response burden and ensuring the production of better-quality and consistent statistics”.
- 2In March 2015 the UN Statistical Commission endorsed the establishment of an Intersecretariat Working Group on Household Surveys under the aegis of the UN Statistics Division in order to “foster the coordination and harmonisation of household survey activities”.
- 3In May 2015, USAID, UNICEF and the World Bank signed an agreement to “increase the frequency, quality, and relevance of household survey data around the world by better serving countries in meeting their domestic and international data demands through improved comparability and integration across surveys, enhanced survey methods and techniques, and greater coordination on survey timing and scheduling”.
This paper explores the challenges facing these institutions in turning their visions and commitments into a working reality. It focuses on the two most widely conducted survey programmes: USAID’s DHS and UNICEF’s MICS.[ii] More specifically the analysis is based on the latest operational versions: DHS Version VII and MICS Version 5. We focus on the occurrence and content of surveys as these two elements are most relevant to an understanding of the duplication of effort. To simplify the geographic scope, the evidence presented in this paper focuses primarily on Africa.
We are grateful to members of staff at USAID, UNICEF, the UN Statistics Division, the World Bank, The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), the UK Department for International Development, the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda and the Kenya Bureau of Statistics for answering specific questions. They have helped to inform our understanding of the issues involved in this study, but have not been party to our analysis. The opinions expressed here are entirely those of the Joined-up Data Standards project team.
The data from DHS and MICS household surveys has many uses. Beyond its national relevance it feeds into a number of global statistical databases; it is used for regional comparisons; and it will be required to calculate a number of SDG indicators. Table 1 shows the most recent data that is currently available from DHS and MICS surveys. Statisticians and data scientists needing to pull this data together for comparative analysis face two challenges. Firstly, it covers a ten-year time span. Secondly, the data is formatted in six different ways: not only is data coded differently between DHS and MICS, but data structures are substantially different between versions of the same programme.top
Only three African countries currently have fully functioning Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems. In many countries government-wide administrative data infrastructures lack financial, human and technical resources. Household surveys therefore play a critical role in providing data about the health and welfare of people.
The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) are the two most widely used surveys. The DHS programme began in 1984 building on earlier work initiated in the 1970s through the World Fertility Survey and Contraceptive Prevalence Surveys. MICS was created in 1994, with its main focus to monitor the goals of the 1990 World Summit for Children. Over the years both surveys have broadened their scope to gather comprehensive information on socio-economic and health indicators.
Most African countries, as Figure 1 shows, have used both surveys over the years. Since 2009, 15 African countries have conducted both MICS and DHS surveys, and in addition a number of surveys have used a combination of DHS and MICS. (This involves, for example, a standard DHS survey that incorporates modules from the MICS questionnaire.) As the host country chooses which survey to conduct (Table 2), both the MICS and DHS programmes need to rely on one another’s datasets to ensure a continuous data series for analysis of health trends and socioeconomic progress.
To understand this pattern of usage in Africa, it is relevant to explore the following questions in more detail.
- 1What is the difference between the DHS and MICS surveys?
- 2How does a country decide which survey to conduct?
DHS and MICS surveys are similarly structured. A survey is made up of a number of questionnaires, each of which is divided into modules that contain questions on a similar topic or theme (Figure 2, Table 3). Countries choose which modules to include to meet their particular needs. While the architecture is shared, the grouping of questions into modules is different.
We employ semantic mapping using the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) data model to classify and relate modules and questions across surveys. These mappings can be accessed through our Online Thesaurus and can be downloaded in the RDF/XML format. We focus on exact, close and broad/narrow matches.
Exact matching describes two questions that are exact duplicates. For example, DHS-VII question “Does any member of this household have a bank account?” can be found in the exact same form in the MICS5 questionnaire. The machine-readable SKOS representation looks like this.
‘Close match’ indicates that the two matching questions differ only by slight rewording of a question. For example, DHS-VII: “Observe presence of soap, detergent, or other cleansing agent at the place for hand washing” has a close-match equivalent in the MICS5 question, “Do you have any soap or detergent or ash/mud/sand in your house for washing hands?”
Broad match and narrow match
The DHS-VII question, “How many sons are alive but do not live with you?” is a narrower match to a MICS5 question, “How many sons are alive but do not live with you and how many daughters are alive but do not live with you?” Conversely the same MICS5 question is a broad match to the DHS-VII question from the example above.
Presentation of mapping
For each of the three common questionnaires we present a Sankey diagram generated from the mappings recorded in our online thesaurus. Sankey diagrams are a type of flow diagram, in which the width of the arrows is shown proportionally to the flow quantity. The diagrams summarise all the comparable matches (exact, close, narrow/broad) between questions grouped by modules, as well as unique questions that cannot be mapped.
The mapping between the household questionnaires shows a high level of alignment between MICS5 and DHS-VII surveys (Table 4, Figure 3). The duplicated modules in this questionnaire include questions relating to education, handwashing, water and sanitation, household roster and the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. The higher number of MICS5 unique questions is attributed to two modules: child discipline and child labour. DHS-VII (purple, bottom-left) has only five questions that cannot be joined up to the MICS5 household questionnaire.
Figure 3. All mappings between DHS-VII and MICS5 household questionnaire. Notes: The questions unique to each of the surveys are grouped at the bottom of the diagram (purple for DHS and orange for MICS). The detailed mapping between questions can be accessed on the online thesaurus.
The mapping highlights a number of wide-spectrum questions being asked by the DHS-VII questionnaire (Table 4, Figure 4). These questions deal in detail with employment and gender roles that affect the financial situation of the surveyed household. The men are also questioned on their knowledge about their partners’ fertile days, and fertility preference as well as children’s health and antenatal care that a mother of a child received. Although these questions are also asked by the MICS5, they are posed in the women’s questionnaire and not in the men’s one. The unique module in MICS5 relates to subjective life satisfaction of the respondent and consumption of both alcohol and tobacco by the respondent. DHS-VII deals only with the consumption of tobacco.
Figure 4. All mappings between DHS-VII and MICS5 men’s questionnaire. Notes: The questions unique to each of the surveys are grouped at the bottom of the diagram (yellow for DHS and blue for MICS). The detailed mapping between questions can be accessed on the online thesaurus.
DHS asks women more detailed questions on gender roles, employment, and questions on contraception. MICS on the other hand enquires after subjective life satisfaction. DHS, as shown by Figure 5 and Table 4 includes the majority of the MICS questions but also expands on types of contraception, deals in more detail with family planning and goes beyond HIV/AIDS to cover other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
MICS unique questions include modules on child development in the Under-Five Survey but, most importantly, enquire after every child living in a given household. DHS on the other hand focuses only on the children mothered by the respondent in the women’s questionnaire.
Figure 5. All mappings between DHS-VII and MICS5 for the women’s and under-fives questionnaire. Notes: The questions unique to each of the surveys are grouped at the bottom of the diagram (purple for DHS-VII and green for MICS5). The detailed mapping between questions can be accessed on the online thesaurus.
On average, DHS-VII includes more questions in each questionnaire than MICS5 (Table 4, Figure 6). However, the majority of the core modules in these questionnaires are duplicated in both DHS-VII and MICS5 household surveys. There are questions that are unique to each survey but, as the questionnaires are designed in a modular way, questions from one survey can be incorporated as a foreign module in a different survey.
For example, the DHS survey conducted in Ghana (2011) contained MICS modules on child development, labour and discipline. Conversely, the unique feature of the DHS Program – biomarker surveying – can be incorporated in MICS surveys, as was the case in Sao Tome and Principe 2014 MICS survey.
Figure 6. Summary of findings from the semantic mapping between DHS and MICS questionnaires[vi] Notes: The red (DHS) and orange (MICS) segments show the number of individual questions that are unique to the survey programmes. The purple (MICS) and blue (DHS) columns show the questions shared by both MICS and DHS.
Table 4 contains the most startling finding of this study: 77% of all MICS questions can be found in DHS, and 66% of all DHS questions can be found in MICS. However, since each survey follows its own coding standard for variables, it does not follow that duplicated questions can be easily matched. In terms of data analysis, this involves a laborious and confusing manual mapping exercise that requires an extensive knowledge of both systems and therefore makes it inaccessible for data-users.
Table 4. Number of DHS and MICS question matches across questionnaires[vii]
As shown in Table 2, African countries’ choice of household surveys is varied. Since 2009, 20 have chosen DHS, 11 MICS and 15 both. It has not been easy getting answers to our questions concerning the thinking behind these choices. Costs, donor relations (including donor pressures), sample sizes and data needs are all factors.
The agency delivering a survey programme provides technical assistance, questionnaires, guidance and help to secure adequate funds to cover the cost of the survey.[viii] USAID contributes approximately two-thirds towards the funding of DHS surveys. Between 1984 and 2007 USAID invested $380 million in the DHS programme and, according to the Agency, “each dollar leveraged approximately US$0.33 in donor and host country contribution”.[ix] UNICEF, with MICS, prefers to contribute in the form of top-up funding, leaving the cost to be sorted out by the host country and its donors.
The cost of the survey depends on many factors, such as: the sample size of the surveyed population; the size of the survey itself (number of modules); and the level of technical assistance which is dependent on the statistical capacity of a given country. In a study prepared for the PARIS21 Task Force on Improved Statistical Support for Monitoring Development Goals,[x] the authors estimated that the average cost per household per survey was $185 for DHS and $67 for MICS. The higher price of DHS surveys is largely down to the inclusion of its biomarker module, which tests respondents’ blood samples. Table 5 shows the historical data on sample size for household surveys from 15 African countries that carried out both MICS and DHS. While cost is known to be a key factor in survey choice, the data available provides no discernible pattern.
The World Bank study that led to the formation of the new Intersecretariat Working Group on Household Surveys found that “significant cost-savings can also be achieved through enhanced coordination among donors and development partners. Duplicate and conflicting data collection activities abound, resulting in wasted funds and placing a heavy burden on national statistics offices and respondents.”
The cost of surveys is directly related to the survey design, and in particular the sample size. This is determined by two dimensions: the number of sub-national ‘domains’ required for disaggregated reporting; and a calculation (Figure 7) that works out the number of households required in each domain sample in order to reach the target population.
What appears at first to be counter-intuitive to non-statisticians is that the sample size required for any country is not related to the total population of the country but rather to the number of domains (sub-national divisions) chosen. Table 5 lists the number of statistical domains used in our sample of 15 countries and compares this with the number of first- and second-level areas used to administer and govern the country. Surveys in Ghana, for example, are designed around its 10 administrative regions. A survey that provided the same quality of data disaggregated for each of the country’s 275 districts would require a 27-fold total sample size, and cost.
Figure 7. Template used by DHS and MICS [xi] to calculate required number of households per domain.
As both MICS and DHS programmes recognise, the choice of survey should be based on data needs and data gaps for a given country.[xii] Once the choice is made, the detailed contents of the survey’s questionnaire are decided by the country government and in-country steering committee. As our research suggests, and both of the programmes emphasise, notwithstanding huge overlaps, the surveys differ in a number of particulars. For example:
- 1MICS includes questions on all the children within one household regardless of whether their mother lives in a surveyed household while DHS collects comprehensive data on children whose mother in the household
- 2DHS collects biomarker data.
In 2000 Rwanda carried out both MICS and DHS surveys. At that time the Statistics Department of Rwanda within the Ministry of Finance was still developing and had limited statistical capacity.[xiii] However, after comparing the results from both surveys, the Statistics Department decided[xiv] that its aspiration for its data users was to have one data source with harmonised variables, to avoid duplicating efforts, wasting resources or producing conflicting statistics that confuse data users.[xv] The National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR) noticed the similarities between the surveys and decided, instead of conducting both MICS and DHS, to include the modules unique to MICS into the standard DHS survey. As a result, in 2005, the standard DHS model questionnaires were modified to include questions on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).[xvi]
Since 2010 the standard DHS survey has been modified to include MICS modules on early childhood development, education and child labour. These modules were carried through to the DHS standard survey from the MICS survey. The NISR combined modules from both survey programmes in the name of a DHS survey. This is an example of success in merging the two surveys for the benefit of harmonised data on population and health.
Table 5. Sample size and number of statistical domains in different surveys, with number of country-specific sub-national administrative areas, 2000–2015 [xvii] Note: Red denotes DHS programme surveys, blue UNICEF/MICS surveys and grey World Bank LSMS survey.
In many countries the international household survey programmes are the most important source of socioeconomic, demographic and health data in the absence of national registry and administrative systems. In Africa the two most common household surveys conducted are DHS and MICS.
Historically, each had a purposeful origin: DHS originally monitored world fertility and contraception prevalence while MICS captured the status of children. As the surveys evolved and worked together on harmonisation of common practices and associated tools, they began to mimic one another.
As our efforts to map MICS and DHS suggest, this co-evolution led to the merging of the core questions on essential development indicators resulting in the duplication of questions across these two survey programmes. The duplicated questions, however, remain coded differently and as a result merging the datasets is labour intensive and costly for countries conducting the survey, and confusing for the data users worldwide. Countries such as Rwanda and Malawi have instituted their own integration of DHS and MICS surveys to meet their particular needs and promote the continuity of the data.
There is political consensus within the statistical community, as evidenced by the proceedings of the last two sessions of the UN Statistical Commission, that the data from household surveys should be comparable between datasets, between countries and over time, and compliant with international standards. Host countries should not have to merge and pick and choose questions from different sources; it is the role of the international household survey programmes to anticipate such needs and provide solutions.
Integration of household surveys is no longer optional; it is now necessary. We have highlighted the extent of the duplication between the DHS and MICS, the costs incurred by both international donors and the host country of the surveys, and the urgent need for comprehensive and quality data on population and health in developing countries. Semantic mapping of the international household surveys, as demonstrated in this paper, can offer a temporary solution to this problem but does not resolve the need for an integrated survey and governance structure.
The Joined-up Data Standards translator currently allows for a machine-readable translation between MICS5 and the DHS7. With assistance from the survey-setters, more key household survey data, including other MICS/DHS versions and related LSMS modules, could be mapped and made more useful. The harmonisation of the core questions across household surveys and clearly defined subject-specific modules in reducing the cost of the surveys per country, along with standardisation of the coding system between the surveys, is a crucial first step to creating a transparent and easy-to-use household survey framework.
The ‘Report of the World Bank on improving household surveys in the post-2015 development era: issues and recommendations for a shared agenda’, presented at the 46th session of the UN Statistical Commission recognises that “large disparities remain across countries and surveys” and that “International databases of key socioeconomic indicators derived from household surveys demonstrate persistent and significant gaps and weaknesses”.[xviii] The report also highlights how this can contribute to the “poor coordination of international support”, “unpredictable funding” and a “lack of globally accepted methodological standards and methods for measurement of the key socioeconomic indicators”.
The World Bank made a number of concrete recommendations to the UN Statistical Commission for creating an institutional framework to coordinate efforts on the harmonisation of standards among development partners, implementing a common international code of practice on household surveys and developing a coordinated programme of research into improved standards, methods and practices in household surveys. This has resulted in the formation of the Intersecretariat Working Group on Household Surveys (IWGHS) which aims to promote coordination and cooperation in the planning, funding and implementation of household surveys (Figure 8).[xix]
A first priority for the Working Group will be to make progress on an international code of practice for household surveys and a task force will be established to develop and pilot the standards, based on the World Bank’s proposals. However, further task forces will be required to examine the additional priorities listed in the World Bank’s report.[xx]
Figure 8. Structure of the new Intersecretariat Working Group on Household Surveys[xxi]
In addition to the IWGHS, UNICEF, USAID and the World Bank announced the establishment of a collaborative group to “1) share information on the scheduling of surveys at the country level, 2) foster further harmonisation of survey tools, and 3) work together on new methodological advances in household surveys” [xxii]. They are also working together in a working group that is part of the new WHO-initiated Health Data Collaborative.
While we welcome these first steps, it will be critical, as our research indicates, for development partners to maintain their ambition and commitment to making demonstrable progress in this area in order to harness the momentum generated in this field since March 2015.
- A Single taxonomy
The IWGHS should begin work immediately facilitating the creation of a curated, publicly accessible taxonomy which contains a normalised superset of all questions (and structured answers) in all household survey questionnaires.
- Official cross-mapping
The providers of survey data should begin work immediately on a cross-mapping service that enables users of survey data to seamlessly join up data between all survey datasets, between countries and across time.
- An integrated governance structure
The IWGHS should play a decisive role in leading the development of a truly integrated approach. To achieve this, it needs to proactively ensure that all survey providers and representatives of national statistics offices are included in its work and structures.
- An integrated survey
The IWGHS should commit itself to the realisation of a single, unified and standardised household survey where the resources and expertise of all institutions are pooled to ensure the most beneficial and cost-effective outcome for developing countries.
[i] DHS is funded by USAID and implemented by ICF International, a private company.
[ii] The World Bank’s LSMS programme also includes questionnaires covering the same terrain, but its overall scope is broader.
[iii] From research by data scientists at Development Initiatives working on global poverty data
[iv] Collated from DHS, MICS and International Household Survey Network (IHSN) websites
[v] Collated from DHS, MICS and IHSN websites
[vi] Analysis based on author’s semantic mappings in the online thesaurus
[vii] Author’s analysis
[xiv] http://www.statistics.gov.rw/publication/first-national-strategy-development-statistics-2009-2014 and http://www.statistics.gov.rw/publication/second-national-strategy-development-statistics-2014-2018
[xv] This information was provided by Dominique Habimana, Director, Statistical Methods, Research and Publication, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda.
[xvii] Statistical domains and sample sizes from DHS and MICS websites. Administrative sub-divisions from Wikipedia
[xviii] “despite decades of technical and financial assistance, large disparities remain both across countries and surveys, with many countries still unable to sustain a long-term programme of quality surveys that are comparable over time and compliant with international standards. International databases of key socioeconomic indicators derived from household surveys demonstrate persistent and significant gaps and weaknesses” (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc15/2015-10-HouseholdSurveys-E.pdf).
[xix] Resolution of 46th session of the UN Statistical Commission, March 2015 (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/46th-session/documents/statcom-2015-46th-report-E.pdf).
[xx] Report of the IWGHS to the 47th session of the UN Statistical Commission, March 2016 (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/47th-session/documents/2016-21-ISWG-on-household-surveys-E.pdf).
[xxi] Establishment of a Collaborative Group among the DHS, MICS and LSMS, May 2015 (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLSMS/Resources/DHS_MICS_LSMS_CG_Announcement.pdf).

domain: economics


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A Dark Blue History by Jacob Yeats and Sishir Bommakanti
Signs of Protest by @cadmiumcoffee
serves as the cover to Jacob and Sishir's collaborative zine illustrating the people's history of 150 years of the Minneapolis Police Department.
The second image by @anotherjacoby
highlights the "No Knock" raid policies that have been employed with increasing frequency, particularly with SWAT deployment, resulting in violence, destruction, and loss of life.
Jacob Yeates is a Minneapolis-based artist/illustrator and educator. He attended the University of Iowa, where he received his BFA in Drawing and a minor in English, and achieved his MFA at MCAD with a continued emphasis in drawing and illustration. His work, often addressing issues of sociopolitical violence, has been recognized by publications and organizations including The Matador Review, Creative Quarterly, Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Paper Darts, IH8WAR, and Little Village as well as appearing in various exhibitions throughout the Midwest.
Sishir Bommakanti is a freelance illustrator from Minneapolis. He studied at Ringling College of Art and Design and Minneapolis College of Art and Design MFA. His work exists on the fringe, exploring the corners of the weird, ancient, paranormal, morbid and the human condition. His illustration work is a synergy of abstract narrative and experimental media. His clients include Nautilus Magazine, Narratively, This Land Press, Clothesline Gallery, Harvey Milk Festival, Tervis, Ringling College Library Association, Sarasota Chalk Festival, Ringling Underground, UNRB, Broken Eye Books, Popular Mechanics and The Pitch.
See Jacob and Sishir's work and more at "Making It Real: Our History With Police and Our Future Without Them" Oct 5th-21st at @newrulesnorth
#artistspotlight #sneakpeek #makingitreal #mpd150exhibit #art #localartists #localart #ourhistory #exhibit #policefree #minneapolis #mpdtruth

domain: artistic


text:
Get Us in Your Inbox
Health officials worldwide were on alert last week following the
outbreak of a dangerous respiratory illness that has been spread,
at least in part, by travelers to and from Southeast Asia.
The cause of the illness, known as Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS), had not been determined as of March 19, but
physicians suspected the paramyxoviridae family of viruses. At that
point about 264 cases, including nine deaths, had been reported.
Eleven of the cases under investigation were in the United
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta last
week recommended that non-essential travel to Southeast Asia be
postponed, but the World Health Organization, which is coordinating
efforts to identify and treat the illness, said travel restrictions
were not necessary.
Tour operators serving Southeast Asia said last week that they
would continue to monitor the situation, but did not expect
In fact, Hima Singh of Asian Pacific, based in Northridge,
Calif., said that one group called last week to move up their trip,
hoping for flights to China to be less crowded.
The countries where residents or visitors were affected,
include: Canada, China (specifically, Taiwan and Hong Kong),
Germany, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
Chinese officials previously reported 305 cases of an illness
that appears to be SARS, including five deaths, in Guangdong
province. That outbreak, which began in November and reportedly
ended in late February, has not been linked definitively to the
current cases, but health officials suspect it will be.
The infection appears to be transmitted person-to-person,
primarily affecting those who have been in close contact with
infected people, such as health care workers and family members.
There is no evidence of transmission through casual contact.
Quarantine officials last week were handing out information
cards at airports across the country, where both direct and
indirect flights from Southeast Asia were arriving, as well as
notifying cruise- and passenger-ship travelers from the region. A
majority of the cases have been reported in Hong Kong, Singapore
The cards list symptoms; warn travelers to monitor their health
for up to seven days after trips; and recommend that they see a
doctor, if they develop a fever with a cough or have difficulty
Airline and airport officials have been advised to watch for
passengers with symptoms, which include a fever of 100.4 degrees
Fahrenheit or higher, and a cough or breathing problems.
One floor of a hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, was closed for
disinfection last week, after it was discovered that seven of the
SARS victims had stayed there, between Feb. 12 and March 2. A local
resident, supposedly the “index” patient who spread the disease,
visited a friend at the hotel during that period.
Health officials said there have been no reports of illness
among the staff at that hotel, or hotels in New York and Georgia,
where infected patients stayed.

domain: medical


Need some help guys and gals...recently I changed the front pads and rotors on my 08 canyon. That was a job in itself. I've done some research and seen where the ABS sensor is really frail and breaks easily. Mine are not broken, the hubs are clean and the ABS light is still on. I did buy new ABS wheel sensors but have yet to put them on. Also whenever I start my truck, there's a grinding feeling but stops after a minute or two. Just wanted to get some insight before I replace the ABS sensors.


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House Republicans Launch Extinction Bills to Cripple Endangered Species Act
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives announced on Thursday a series of bills aimed at profoundly gutting the Endangered Species Act, including provisions making it almost impossible for imperiled species to gain protection and giving states that often oppose endangered species protection veto power over those decisions.
In addition, the bills would turn over recovery efforts to states that often lack the funding or regulatory structure to ensure species' survival, let alone recovery.
"These bills will absolutely push wildlife over the edge and into extinction," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Republicans are turning their back on the most vulnerable species in the country just to please polluters and other powerful interests. It's disgusting and repugnant."
More than 75 legislative attacks have been launched against the Endangered Species Act since Trump took office—and more than 300 since 2011, when Republicans took over the U.S. House of Representatives.
Today's attacks are being led by Utah Rep. Rob Bishop, Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, New Mexico Rep. Steve Pearce and other House Republicans beholden to oil and gas and other extractive industries.
Among the bills, Rep. Westerman's "Petition Act" would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to declare a petition backlog if it is presented with too many species in need of protection and then suspend any deadlines responding to those petitions and prohibit consideration of any subsequently filed.
"The problem isn't a backlog of petitions, it's a backlog of species that desperately need help and a government that hasn't moved fast enough to prevent their extinction," Greenwald said. "If Representative Westerman and his patrons in the oil and gas industry truly wanted to see the backlog addressed and extinction avoided, they would provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service more money to help the many species waiting for protection, species like American wolverines and lesser prairie chickens."
Other bills give the states undue influence over what should be scientific decisions involving the very survival of species, known as speed delisting of species, which would certainly result in species prematurely losing protection. Rep. Gosar's bill would callously exempt dams and their associated reservoirs from designation of critical habitat, despite the frequent importance of the impounded rivers for many species, ranging from salmon to yellow-billed cuckoos.
The Endangered Species Act is the most successful wildlife conservation law in the world. It has staved off extinction for 99 percent of the species under its care and put hundreds on the road to recovery.
"If you love whales or birds or bears or rare plants, you have to love the Endangered Species Act because it's the safety net that keeps many of them from disappearing into oblivion," Greenwald said. "These Republicans' efforts to tear apart the Endangered Species Act go directly against the will of the American people and will rob future generations of countless species."
- Republicans Get Big Money to Repeal Endangered Species Act ... ›
- Powerful lawmaker wants to 'invalidate' the Endangered Species Act ... ›
- Fish And Wildlife Service Backs GOP-Led Bills To Chip Away At ... ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
David Gilmour, guitarist, singer and songwriter in the rock band Pink Floyd, set a record last week when he auctioned off 126 guitars and raised $21.5 million for ClientEarth, a non-profit environmental law group dedicated to fighting the global climate crisis, according to CNN.
The Trump administration ratcheted up its open hostility to climate science in a move that may hide essential information from the nation's farmers.
Police have cleared 250 climate activists who stayed overnight at the Garzweiler brown coal mine in western Germany, officials said Sunday.
By Megan Jones and Jennifer Solomon
The #MeToo movement has caused profound shake-ups at organizations across the U.S. in the last two years. So far, however, it has left many unresolved questions about how workplaces can be more inclusive and equitable for women and other diverse groups.
By Tara Lohan
By now it's no secret that plastic waste in our oceans is a global epidemic. When some of it washes ashore — plastic bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers — we get a stark reminder. And lately one part of this problem has been most glaring to volunteers who comb beaches picking up trash: cigarette butts.
Andrea Rodgers, second from the right, takes notes during a hearing in the Juliana v. U.S. case before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland, Oregon on June 4. Colleague Elizabeth Brown sits to her left, while colleague Julia Olson sits on her right, with co-council Philip Gregory on Julia's right. Robin Loznak / Our Children's Trust
By Fran Korten
On June 4, Andrea Rodgers was in the front row of attorneys sitting before a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court. The court session, held in Portland, Oregon, was to determine whether the climate change lawsuit (Juliana v. United States) brought by 21 young plaintiffs should be dismissed, as requested by the U.S. government, or go on to trial.


What was originally intended to be a meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School facility subcommittee morphed into a community information session due to a lack of a committee quorum last Thursday afternoon. Instead, high school students, teachers, and administrators sat down with Chris Blessen of Tappe Architects, a Boston-based firm that specializes in school construction and design, to consider several different paths to improve the current deteriorating condition of the facility. “What-if’s” peppered the conversation.
“We’ve been working for more than a year on studies on the facility, and have interviewed hundreds of people about the school, and that resulted in some really good data and ideas for renovating the high school,” interim Principal Margaret “Peg” Regan said Thursday.
Since April 2015, Tappe has been working with school facilities director Mike Taus, educators, and administrators to gather information about how the school is used. The firm also evaluated several studies conducted over the summer and fall, which were requested by the school committee at a cost of $125,000. Those studies included looking at the state of the athletic facilities and fields; building envelope and windows; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; and space needs. Based on those studies, school leaders are looking at $10 million as a baseline to address the urgent building envelope and HVAC needs.
In November 2015, the high school committee approved $350,000 worth of repairs to the building’s HVAC system to improve air quality and keep the system running until a larger school overhaul occurs. That addressed just the first of many health and safety concerns, however.
“What has to be addressed in the next three to five years is the HVAC, the integration of the systems in the school, the crumbling infrastructure, the rotting window sills, and a lot of the building that’s falling apart,” Ms. Regan said.
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) wing of the school also needs to be addressed, she said. “We have looked carefully at our vocational CTE programs with the community and with the state, and have found that they are also inadequate for continuing education in the 21st century,” Ms. Regan said.
Her hope is that one day the high school will be able to serve the community as a whole, and become a 21st century learning facility, including integrated technology, interdisciplinary classrooms, and learning spaces that bolster the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) curriculum. Teachers in attendance Thursday cited collaborative spaces, bigger classrooms, better utilization of the courtyards, and small meeting spaces for kids to use between classes as necessary items for a school renovation. The teachers emphasized the need for a healthy and safe environment to teach in.
“Do we want to grow our school in terms of philosophy and education, are we just fixing what we need to fix, or is it something in between?” Ms. Regan said. “That’s something we’re not sure of, what people want in the community.”
Tappe Architects has drafted nine concepts for a renovated school. Thursday, Mr. Blessen presented one option, which uses the current building envelope but reworks the design, flow, and mechanical systems. The plan includes shifting the main entrance of the high school to the left side of the building and adding a block for administration offices. Doing so would free up the whole front of the building for classrooms, and make the entrance to the school in the middle, cutting down on travel distance to classrooms.
The plan also included developing the library into a global learning commons; expanding and integrating the CTE program; utilizing the courtyards; creating meeting spaces for students and educators; adding an art space and STEM lab; expanding the cafeteria; moving the guidance department to the center of the school; dispersing the special education program evenly throughout the school; and reprogramming the classroom spaces to allow for more collaboration between departments.
Mr. Blessen did not have a price tag for any of the nine plans, which he said are just concepts that attempt to solve some of the school’s current problems, rather than definitive architectural designs.
The question, however, is whether to pursue funds for the kind of intermediate design proposed by Mr. Blessen, to address only the emergency repairs, or to pursue a completely new school. That decision is largely dependent on a funding source.
“There’s an issue of immediacy that’s really vital and that Mike [Taus] has been addressing,” high school committee member Robert Lionette said. “Each time he speaks with me, it’s about which emergency on health and safety is pushed to the forefront, and that is ongoing and has to be ongoing. The real rub is that if we do nothing, we’re still into this building for at least $10 million just for the health and safety and maintenance issues.”
“It’s kind of like a house, when you get to a point where you ask, Do we just tear it down and rebuild? Or do you just keep patching it together?” Ms. Regan said. “What we’re seeing is that the $10 million will give us a decent building, but maybe we want to go past that.”
Last year, high school leaders applied to the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) grant program for financial and planning assistance with a new or renovated building. Of 96 applications, only 16 schools were accepted into the program. MVRHS was not one of them. The Tisbury School was chosen, however, and is currently going through that process. High school leaders applied to the program again this year, and will hear back from the authority in December. How to proceed with the high school facility moving forward is largely contingent upon the MSBA decision, and whether or not school administrators can certify outside funding for a project.
Thursday, Mr. Blessen said that some schools have reapplied to the MSBA program since its start in 2008. Others reapplied five or six times before giving up. Although he warned the group not to get their hopes up, Mr. Blessen said applying to the program now is good timing for MVRHS.
“You’ve got this environment where the state seems to be putting emphasis on a lot of comprehensive high schools,” he said. “Look at what the governor is doing — he’s putting a lot of emphasis on STEM and CTE, and so it probably trickles down to the MSBA as well. You may actually have a better chance right now.”
Ms. Regan said she doesn’t want the state of the facility to fall into the background while they wait for a decision from the MSBA, however.
Currently, Ms. Regan, Mr. Taus, and MVRHS finance director Mark Friedman are working on a five-year capital improvement plan, which outlines what projects need to be done at the high school, and how they can be paid for, whether through operating funds, excess and deficiency funds, or other avenues.
“It is exceedingly challenging right now for my office to build a five-year capital plan to recommend when we can’t see what the bigger master plan is,” Mr. Friedman said. “What we don’t want to do is go in and throw three-quarters of a million dollars to do more HVAC and domestic hot-water work, only to find out two years later that we now want to do something new with the building. All of that becomes wasted money.”
At the end of the meeting, Superintendent of Schools Matt D’Andrea said that while school leaders “keep our fingers crossed” that the school is accepted into the MSBA program, the group should begin to plot out a Plan B, which could include upgrading the school in pieces over the years, funding an entirely new school, or just making emergency repairs as necessary until another bid to the MSBA program can be submitted. In the meantime, he said, master plans for all of those avenues should be drafted so steps can be taken in a timely manner following the MSBA decision in December.


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With Uganda’s incredible variety of landscapes, culture and wildlife, it’s no wonder that there are so many activities on offer for visitors. Abseil 100m down the side of a waterfall– brush up your archery skills with a local community.
Beat the heat and dust of a traditional game drive - go on safari in a boat! Despite being a landlocked country, a quarter of Uganda’s surface area is covered in water, and it’s also the source of the mighty River Nile, which spills out of the immense Lake Victoria.
Involves such activities as Nature guided Walks, Bird Watching, Village/community Walks, forest walk, butterfly watching, sport fishing, mountaineering/hill climbing, Gorilla tracking, Chimp tracking, game viewing, boat cruises, canoeing, caving, scenery .

domain: hobby


text:
Genshin Impact Rainbow Patterns Browser Event Available Now! Participate to earn Source Stones and other in-game rewards!
Dazzling fireworks, a lucky star, live music and colorful patterns!
Prepare the stage for the Sea Lantern Festival with your companions!
Event time: 01/29/2023 – 02/07/2023 18:59 (MSK)
* When the event ends, it will be impossible to pick up unclaimed rewards. Try to pick them up on time.

domain: entertainment


text:
Pina Colada Ornament
The Story BehindStrained pineapple is a sweet concoction of rum, coconut cream/milk and pineapple juice, served in a hurricane glass, garnished with a pineapple wedge & maraschino cherry. Robert Cofresi, Puerto Rican pirate gave this drink to his crew, to boost their morale. Today it s the national drink of Puerto Rico, and is celebrated annually on July 10th.
Each glass ornament is mouth-blown into finely carved molds
A solution of hot liquid silver is added for exceptional color and vibrance
Ornaments are then hand-painted and hand-glittered for a fine finish
I have bought these drink ornaments for bar tree that my daughter has. They are so cute on the tree. Well made!


Nearly a dozen Albanian members of a Staten Island-based drug gang were arrested early Wednesday on federal charges of distributing heroin and fentanyl throughout Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey, law enforcement officials told News 4.
Ten men and a woman were accused of pumping heroin and fentanyl onto New York City and New Jersey for nearly three years, storing drags in Staten Island and Brooklyn and distributing them throughout the region between 2015 and 2018.
"These defendants created a network spanning New York City and into New Jersey for the distribution of highly addictive and dangerous drugs," said interim U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. "Even after they realized the potency of the drugs they were distributing and selling – and the overdose risk those drugs posed – the defendants allegedly continued to sell their poison and to fuel the opioid epidemic plaguing our nation."
Authorities said that in one instance, one of the suspects arrested in the conspiracy overdosed on fentanyl-laced heroin, but they continued to sell the drugs anyway.
A task force of DEA agents, NYPD detectives and members of other federal and state agencies made the arrests and executed federal search warrants at several locations, the officials said.
All those arrested face up to life in prison if convicted.


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The 5 Best Kentucky Homeowners Insurance Companies
Kentucky’s annual premiums for homeowners insurance are on the low side — on average $1,023 per year for an HO-3 policy, compared to the nationwide average of $1,132. That said, how much you’ll pay can vary a lot depending on your home’s size, your assets, and your address. Use our tool to find your best rates:
Enter your ZIP code to see the best rates in your area:
With a rich agricultural history and an abundance of natural wonders, Kentucky is a great place to call home. What’s more, the cost of living in the Bluegrass State is significantly cheaper than the rest of the country, meaning home ownership is an achievable reality for Kentuckians young and old. Due to its central location, however, Kentucky is also home to plenty of severe weather; think tornados, flash floods, and the occasional snowstorm.
To protect your property and belongings against unexpected damage, it’s essential to find a comprehensive home insurance plan that covers your specific needs. Luckily homeowners insurance in Kentucky is fairly affordable too; the average annual rate is $1,023 compared to the national rate of $1,132.
Whether you’re a city dweller living in artistic Louisville or a fourth-generation farmer, you’ll want to ensure your plan fully covers the replacement cost of your home (which does change, so it’s useful to revisit your policy every few years). If you’re buying homeowners insurance in Kentucky for the first time, you’ll want an affordable rate from a well-vetted company. Premiums vary depending on where you live in the state so we always recommend applying for a quote yourself. Use the tool below to get started.
How We Found the Best Homeowners Insurance in Kentucky
We evaluated the five largest homeowners insurers in Kentucky using a similar approach to the one applied in our countrywide review of insurance companies. To select the best homeowners insurance company, we looked at factors such as coverage options, financial strength, customer service, online tools, and more. We talked to experts in the state to ensure we covered all our bases and went through the quote process to get a comprehensive understanding of each provider’s strengths and weaknesses. Here’s what we found out.
Kentucky Homeowners Insurance Reviews
Overall, Allstate scored high almost entirely across the board when we evaluated its insurance offerings. What really impressed us was the stellar learning center available on its website, which is ideal for any first-time insurance purchaser trying to wrap their brain around confusing industry terms. We found the Common and Costly Claims tool particularly useful, as it allows you to see the dollar average of common claims based on zip code. This helps you get an understanding of what sort of add-ons you might need or specific coverage you might like to prioritize.
The variety of discounts offered also helps keep Allstate’s quotes relatively low. It offers the sort of discounts common among industry leaders, as well as a few not-so-common ones, such as the 10 percent welcome discount just for signing up. The multi-policy discount could save you as much as 30 percent, which beats out State Farm’s savings of 22 percent for the same discount.
The downside? Allstate doesn’t rank so hot when it comes to claims management. In fact, Allstate scored the lowest among 14 companies in a Consumer Report’s homeowners insurance survey. Though its claims process may run into hiccups, we didn’t consider it enough to discredit all the benefits of choosing a plan with Allstate.
Liberty Mutual is a well-rounded provider that maintains the high standards set by other national brands such as Allstate and State Farm. The company also offers some unique benefits, like an Emergency Home Repairs service available 24/7. This means that if you report a loss covered by your plan, Liberty Mutual sends out a professional immediately to repair the damage. That’s top-notch service that many customers come to appreciate after the unexpected stress of weather or accidental damage.
Compared to Allstate and State Farm, Liberty Mutual’s online experience is really strong. The endorsements and discounts are easy to find on the site, and the coverage options are clearly outlined. Though we were instructed to call an agent when we attempted to go through the quote process, the agent was accommodating and knowledgeable. What’s more, you can trust that Liberty Mutual will pull through for you should you need to issue a claim. The company has solid financial rankings from A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s, though both Allstate and State Farm outperformed Liberty Mutual on this front by a slight margin.
State Farm is an industry leader and it’s not hard to see why. The comprehensive educational materials available on the company website make buying homeowners insurance seem manageable and undaunting, which immediately helps put customers at ease. Securing a quote took us less than five minutes, and the deductions and add-ons are presented to you after you receive your initial quote so you can further fine-tune what you need.
Down the line, the quality customer service continues as State Farm earned a 4 out of 5 for damage amount in a Consumer Reports’ homeowners insurance survey, meaning those who’ve had to file a claim found the experience and the amount paid out to them adequate. We especially recommend State Farm to first-time buyers who can educate themselves on the ins and outs of home insurance through State Farm’s robust learning center. The resources available also include an online quote tool, a home inventory calculator, and 24/7 customer assistance.
USAA is an unusual provider in that it’s only available to current and former members of the US military and families. For this reason, we weren’t able to obtain USAA quotes for homes in Kentucky, though the agent we spoke through over the phone did try to look up if any distant relatives could qualify us for their services.
If you do qualify for USAA’s coverage, you’ll be happy to know that the provider ranked 2nd out of 14 companies in the Consumer Reports customer survey. People who have USAA insurance seem to be really satisfied with it, at least partially due to the company’s strong financial stability and its willingness to cover higher replacement costs than many competitors. Potential downfalls include a somewhat lacking website with educational materials that don’t stack up against Allstate’s or State Farm’s. While USAA does clearly explain its offered discounts on its site, we found its outline of different coverage plans somewhat confusing. That being said, USAA is still a great option if you don’t plan to rely on USAA’s online resources and you have a family member previously or currently in the US military (or meet these requirements yourself).
Kentucky Farm Bureau
Though Kentucky Farm Bureau is a trusted provider in the state, we were disappointed with the lack of online resources, especially the lack of an online quote tool, so we awarded it fifth place in our review. The company does have a local office in every county in Kentucky however, so contacting an agent and receiving a quote can still be an easy, well-explained process so long as you’re willing to drive out to the location nearest you.
When you sign up with Kentucky Farm Bureau, you reap member benefits that go far beyond home insurance. KY Farm Bureau grants you access to banking services, student scholarships, discounts at commercial partners, and more. Though the website leaves a lot to be desired, the home insurance page does outline endorsements and additional coverages well. If you’re someone who prefers a local, in-person experience when it comes to dealing with home insurance, we recommend you talk to a KY Farm Bureau agent about obtaining a quote.
You Should Know Your Home’s Replacement Value
Do you already have homeowners insurance? It’s still worthwhile to reevaluate your policy because policyholders are likely to be underinsured. This is due to the fact that people sometimes insure their homes for the amount they paid for it rather than the amount it would cost to rebuild the home entirely should it be destroyed. Multiply your home’s square footage with the average cost of building materials in your area to get a rough estimate of what that cost might look like.
Wind, Lightening, and Disaster Preparedness
Kentucky declared a state of disaster four times in 2015, which is a sharp increase from previous years where only one to two were recorded per year. While this isn’t necessarily a trend, it is something to note as inclement weather has been increasing in severity in other parts of the country.
Wind, water damage, and lightning are the most common and costly claims in the region, all of which are typically covered in standard plans. That being said, you should prepare yourself for whatever severe weather your home is particularly susceptible to by adding on the necessary endorsements to give you peace of mind.
It Might Be Worth It It To Pay a Little More for Flood Protection
Some of those disasters mentioned above fall into the category of flash flood, a natural event often uncovered by standard policies. Though Kentucky is home to rolling hills and fairly moderate weather, it’s important to know your risk of incurring damage caused by such an event. To calculate your risk, you can input your address here. Most major providers such as Allstate and State Farm will offer water coverage for an additional cost.
The Bottom Line
Kentuckians are lucky to have strong local and national options when it comes to affordable homeowners insurance, which generally costs slightly less than the national average. Because flash floods are a possibility in Kentucky, it’s important you look into additional coverage if you’re in an area susceptible to severe weather. Check out our quote tool below to get started.
Find the best homeowners insurance in your area.
Get a quote by entering your ZIP code and start saving today.

domain: finance


EVs (electric vehicles) are becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. Even in Ireland, sales of EVs in 2018 look like being double what they were last year. Most Irish drivers, however, are still reluctant to make the leap. That’s because EVs suffer from a perception problem: they still sound like the technology of the future. The SEAI #DrivingElectric campaign sets out to show the current day benefits of electric cars. Presenting “The New Face of Driving Electric”.
The campaign, which includes OOH, press, digital and radio executions, will show a new wave of electric car owners. Not just the tech-savvy or environmentally conscious, but people from across all demographics. Putting a new face to electric cars opens the door to focus firmly on the tangible benefits for regular Irish drivers. Electric cars don’t just win from a moral standpoint, they make financial sense too.
Tom Halpin, Head of Communications at SEAI said “At present electric vehicles, or EVs, make up less than 1% of Ireland’s car fleet. We understand people’s concerns about driving electric. The aim of this campaign is to dispel any of the misperceptions around EVs, such as range, price, running costs and charging. We want to demonstrate that electric vehicles are now compatible with most people’s daily lives. In 15-20 years’ time, the face of driving electric in Ireland will have changed completely from what we know now and DrivingElectric.ie is a critical building block in that transition. We are delighted to be working closely with the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) to make sure the campaign reaches the widest audience possible. Today we’re urging everyone to learn just a little bit more about electric vehicles – and take a test drive. You might be surprised at just how great they are.”
Head of Communications: Tom Halpin
Marketing and Communications Manager: Fiona Smith
Creative Director: John Kilkenny
Art Directors: Zoe Perrin/ Eva Redmond
Copywriter: Marty Corcoran
Account Director: Niamh McDermott
Account Manager: Ruth Gill
Strategic Planner: Lucy Remitz


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“Hungry for more wins!”
PR & Media Dept
Hoppers currently lying mid-table in the RFU Women's NC North West 1 league, certainly puts them in a good place at this stage of the season.
England Deaf Womens squad are looking for to the friendly fixture in Lancashire, having travelled to Portsmouth the week prior to this game, our ladies certainly have some challenges ahead of themselves, but is a team with such great spirit and not wanting to spoil their unbroken string of wins just recently,
"they're a roll and we certainly hoped to continue the journey to unbeaten record for season 2017/18"
...especially when the team will be travelling to Sydney for the World Deaf Rugby 7's during April 2018
Good Luck Ladies !
Updated 01:11 - 21 Jan 2018 by PR & Media Department

domain: sports


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With a higher variety of jobs requiring school levels and prices growing, extra college students who determine to attend school depend on loans to finance their schooling. Nonetheless, as these loans construct up because of various rates of interest, many college students typically face the stress of paying off their money owed.
On March 27, President Donald Trump signed into regulation a $2 trillion stimulus invoice handed by Congress that would offer short-term aid to these thousands and thousands of scholar debtors, amongst different issues.
This regulation comes because the American financial system struggles with document excessive unemployment charges. The regulation states that each one federally-held scholar mortgage funds, which constitutes about 85% of federal scholar loans, are suspended with out penalty by means of Sept. 30.
Along with the penalty-free suspension, no rates of interest will likely be utilized to scholar loans and the debtors who’re enrolled in a mortgage forgiveness program will proceed to obtain credit score towards this system if they’re working full-time for a qualifying employer for the following six months.
For the roughly 44.7 million scholar debtors in the US and, based on Kay Lewis, assistant vice provost for enrollment on the UW, the roughly 18,500 debtors on the UW, this offers short-term monetary reassurance, particularly as school debt is barely one of many many bills that graduates face.
“Throughout this financial disruption, it’s important that scholar debtors be given choices that enable them to cowl their primary residing bills and well being care wants as a substitute of worrying about scholar mortgage funds,” Lewis stated.
Though this aid is short-term, many consider this was the required step to take, particularly due to the destructive financial impacts just like the lack of jobs.
“Many scholar mortgage debtors are sometimes at first of their profession and haven’t reached their full incomes potential,” Lewis stated. “And a short lived lack of wages, furloughs, or lay-offs is awfully troublesome to handle.”
Whereas this information comes as a aid to the various college students who take out loans, nearly all of college students who attend the UW graduate debt-free.
For undergraduates who accomplished their diploma in 2018-19, the typical cumulative debt for those who borrowed was $21,980, Lewis stated. Nonetheless, solely 37% of those who graduated from the UW had any debt at commencement.
In comparison with the typical scholar mortgage debt of $32,731 throughout the nation in 2020, the UW’s common is roughly 33% decrease. This disparity is attributed to the state’s monetary assist investments that assist finance the schooling of hundreds of undergrads yearly.
“The UW has a sturdy assist program and our college students are efficiently aggressive for scholarships and work arduous in part-time employment,” Lewis stated. “This mixture of sources in addition to household assist has stored our mortgage debt decrease for our college students.”
Attain contributing author Sheharbano Jafry at firstname.lastname@example.org. Twitter: @SheharbanoJafry.
Like what you’re studying? Help high-quality scholar journalism by donating here.


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Project CARS racing simulator was launched on PC, PS4 and Xbox One in May 2015. Its developers also planned to release the Wii U version of the project, however, no one knew when it was supposed to happen.
Another hot summer week is coming to the end, and our team has prepared for you the traditional game news digest. We’ve gathered the details about the most interesting events that took place in the world of video games for the past five days.
Following the recent release of the Project CARS racing simulator, Slightly Mad Studios company has already announced its sequel. According to the developers, Project CARS 2 game will be launched on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.


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Aggrieved party, witnesses testify at trial on Khadija Ismayilova’s case
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 10
Court session on the criminal case against Khadija Ismayilova continued August 10 at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.
The session was chaired by Judge Ramella Allahverdiyeva.
During the court session, public prosecutor Ramazan Hadiyev asked aggrieved party Tural Mustafayev about the reason for his absence in the last court session, as he was summoned to the current session compulsorily.
Mustafayev answered that he was unable to take part in the last court session due to health problems.
Afterwards, Ismayilova asked the court for an opportunity for organization of defense by lawyer Yalchin Imanov in line with the article 147 of the Criminal Code, and to settle some technical issues, namely, to provide her a right to make phone calls twice a week.
Then Ismayilova's lawyer, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev made a motion for Tural Mustafayev's interviews, made with the newspaper Yeni Musavat on May 3 and August 4, to be included to the evidence list.
The court left the motion open.
Afterwards, the aggrieved party, Mustafayev gave testimony. He said his suicide attempts were not related to Ismayilova.
Noting that in May, September and October 2014, he attempted suicide, Mustafayev said all of these attempts were related with problems in relations with his ex-fiancée Rovshana Rahimova, and with his weak nerves.
Mustafayev went on to say he met Ismayilova in September and October 2013, and there was a friendly relationship between him and the defendant.
He also said that that up to January-February 2014, he maintained good relations with Ismayilova.
Mustafayev also testified that he left the Azadlig Radio in November 2013 at his own request, and before that he wrote SMS messages to Ismayilova and conducted online correspondence with her consulting with friends.
Aside from that, Mustafayev said he doesn't consider himself an aggrieved party.
After that, the judge read out Mustafayev's testimony he gave during the preliminary investigation, and said there are contradictions between that testimony and the one he has given at the court session.
The judge noted that Mustafayev, in his testimony during the preliminary investigation, said that after returning from an event in the Sabirabad district in October 2013, he and Ismayilova drank alcoholic beverages. After that, Ismayilova offered him intimacy, and Mustafayev agreed. Mustafayev repeatedly stayed overnight in Ismayilova's house, and they often met.
During the preliminary investigation, the aggrieved party also testified that Ismayilova repeatedly insulted his honor and dignity, and for this reason he tried to commit suicide.
Then the public prosecutor asked the aggrieved party about the causes of the contradictions in his testimonies. Mustafayev said he slandered Ismayilova, linking it with his psychological condition.
Thereafter, the aggrieved party's mother, Nazakat Mustafayeva gave testimony.
As Mustafayeva said, she wasn't aware of her son's suicide attempts.
Mustafayeva added that she was informed about it by phone just after her son got poisoned with medicine. She also said her son has no problems with the state of mind.
She also testified that after her son's returning to Baku, he lost interest in his family. She said Mustafayev's first marriage was annulled May 8, 2014.
On May 28, 2014, Mustafayev engaged to Rovshana Rahimova. As the aggrieved party's mother said, her son explained his suicide attempt with his being tired of life.
Afterwards, Rovshana Rahimova, the former fiancée of Mustafayev, gave testimony.
Rahimova said she and Mustafayev were engaged for six-seven months.
She noted that the reasons for Mustafayev's three suicide attempts weren't related to Ismayilova, saying the reasons were his mental problems. The witness also testified that she and Mustafayev repeatedly had conflicts, and he often drank.
The aggrieved party's mother, protesting against the witness's testimony and noting that Rahimova herself is an alcoholic, left the courtroom.
Continuing to testify, Rahimova said that due to problems with Mustafayev's state of mind, they consulted a doctor, who said that his disease is incurable.
Rahimova noted that the last major conflict with Mustafayev was on October 15, 2014.
The witness said Mustafayev underwent treatment for 25 days in a psychoneurological clinic in Mashtaga.
Rahimova noted that Mustafayev, upon meeting her, said he and Ismayilova were friends.
Afterwards, Rahimova answered the public prosecutor's questions.
Then, the trial was adjourned.
Ismayilova was arrested under the article 125 (incitement to suicide) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
Then, new charges were brought against her under the articles 179.3.2 (large-scale misappropriation and embezzlement), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship), 213.1 (tax evasion) and 308.2 (abuse of official duties) of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code.

domain: news


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The work on this project started as a production of the Norderzoon Festival in Groningen (Netherlands) in August 2013. It was inspired by the story of the club of amateur filmmakers established in 1933 in Groningen called Smalfilm Liga. The video live performance explored the film materials and biographies of the club members.
The project was revived in 2015 by picking up one scene out of the whole choosen material (a dramatic event from April 1945). Focusing on each frame of that scene triggers new events which brought us several times back to Groningen and than to Canada.
conceived and performed by Janek Turkowski and Iwona Nowacka
premiere: second half of 2016
coproducers: Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival in Groningen, GAVA Gronings AudioVisueel Archief (Netherlands)
supported by: Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto, SummerWorks Festival in Toronto (Canada)


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Is Kirby Fighters 2 free? This fighting game sequel launched out of the blue, leaving plenty of questions unanswered. The main question being: Is Kirby Fighters 2 a free-to-play game? Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the Kirby Fighters 2 price on Nintendo Switch.
Is Kirby Fighters 2 free to play?
No, Kirby Fighters 2 is not free to play. The game costs $19.99 and is available exclusively as a digital download on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
The original Kirby Fighters Deluxe was a Nintendo 3DS title that channeled the iconic Super Smash Bros. series of games. The same goes for its sequel, as the multiplayer brawler once again sees players battle it out in a variety of 2D arenas as classic Kirby characters.
One of the playable characters this time around is Bandana Waddle Dee, whom fans have previously campaigned to see added to Smash. While that hasn’t happened yet, Bandana Waddle Dee featuring in Kirby Fighters 2 is about as close as it gets. That alone might be enough to warrant a purchase for some.
Is Kirby Fighters 2 a free-to-play game?
- No, Kirby Fighters 2 is not free.
- Kirby Fighters 2 costs $19.99 from the Nintendo eShop.
- Kirby Fighters 2 is only available as a digital download on Nintendo Switch.
As a fun fact, Kirby Fighters 2 was accidentally revealed by Nintendo ahead of plan. The game appeared on the company’s “Game Finder for Parents” webpage before anyone even knew that it existed. This fumble was quickly picked up on and reported, shortly after which the game was officially unveiled and released for download.
While Kirby Fighters 2 is a different type of game to the conventional Kirby platforming series, the $19.99 price point makes it pretty accessible. When you also consider the similarities to Smash Bros. — and what Nintendo fan doesn’t love Smash? — Kirby Fighters 2 could prove compelling despite not being free.


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India is 94th in the overall Prosperity Index rankings. Since the Prosperity Index began in 2007, India has moved up the rankings table by 6 places.
In the Prosperity Pillar rankings, India performs best on Governance and Business Environment and scores lowest on the Natural Environment pillar. The biggest positive change, compared to last year, came in Business Environment increasing by 11 places, whereas they dropped 21 places on Social Capital.
Visit our Rankings table to see how India compares to other countries.


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Federal regulators handed out seven severe enforcement actions to U.S. banks and thrifts during the fourth quarter of 2019, a sharp decline from the 19 they issued in the final quarter of 2018. It is possible that additional December 2019 actions could yet be made public as both the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. release action reports on a one-month delay.
As of Jan. 10, 108 U.S. banks and thrifts were operating under a severe enforcement action.
The FDIC issued a prompt corrective action directive on Nov. 8, 2019 to Carnegie, Okla.-based Farmers Bank, classifying the company as "significantly undercapitalized." At the end of the third quarter of 2019, Farmers Bank reported a 2.22% leverage ratio, the lowest in the country among operating institutions.
Earlier in 2019, Farmers Bank received a cease and desist order. Former bank President and CEO Aaron Johnson received a "sanction against personnel" from the FDIC on Nov. 21, 2019 for "breaches of fiduciary duty" and other unsafe and unsound banking practices. According to the sanction, Johnson caused Farmers Bank to reimburse him for personal expenses on his credit card.
SunTrust Bank received a consent order on Nov. 19, 2019, before parent company SunTrust Banks Inc. closed its merger with BB&T Corp. and became Truist Financial Corp. The order was related to SunTrust's "marketing, enrollment, and billing practices related to deposit account add-on and similar products provided to business customers." Among other issues, SunTrust charged customers for add-on products even if they had not accepted the terms and conditions and were therefore unable to use the products.
On that same day in November 2019, the FDIC issued a cease and desist order to Quinter, Kan.-based KansasLand Bank requiring it to maintain a Tier 1 capital leverage ratio of at least 9% and a total capital ratio of at least 12%.
And Texas-based United Bank of El Paso del Norte and Joliet, Ill.-based PeopleFirst Bank received cease and desist orders relating to Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering regulations during the fourth quarter.
Click here to view the map as a PDF. To view a refreshable spreadsheet of all operating banks and thrifts under a severe enforcement action as of Jan. 10, 2020, click here.


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Where does your enterprise stand on the AI adoption curve? Take our AI survey to find out.
It almost feels like it's the '90s again! Capcom's releasing a new Mega Man game — one that retains the look and feel of its two-decade-old predecessors. But what good is a game without a creative marketing campaign? In that vein, how successful could a "retro" game be without an equally retro advertisement?
Since Capcom refuses to deliver on the concept, the folks at Viso Games have taken it upon themselves to set the stage for Mega Man 10's Xbox Live Arcade release!
It's been a long time since I've seen a television explosion accompanied by a shrill progressive rock track. But it's the painfully average pre-teen's look of complete stupidity that truly consummates the entire video. Congratulations, this ad is as authentic as possible.
The '80s and '90s were periods I will never understand — but I'll always love 'em [via Viso Games].
GamesBeatGamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. How will you do that? Membership includes access to:
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- And maybe even a fun prize or two
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Evaluation of Immune Responses Mediated by Listeria-Stimulated Human Dendritic Cells: Implications for Cancer Vaccine Therapy
Annual rept. 15 Jun 2012-14 Jun 2013
SLOAN-KETTERING INST FOR CANCER RESEARCH NEW YORK
Pagination or Media Count:
The purpose of this project is to study the immunomodulatory effect of Listeria on human dendritic cells DCs to optimize Listeria-based DC cancer vaccines. The project aims are 1 Compare the activation and maturation of different human DC subsets in response to Listeria infection. 2 Define the induction of CD4CD8 T-cell and NK cell responses to Listeriaactivated DCs presenting a melanoma tumor-associated antigen. 3 Augment the immunogenicity of Listeria-activated DCs by inhibiting the immunosuppressive enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. During the initial period of funding, critical parameters and baseline readouts of Listeria infection of monocyte-derived DCs moDCs were identified and validated. Key findings include 1 Listeria treatment induces DC maturation and activation. 2 Listeria-treated DCs are functionally active, potent stimulators of T-cell proliferation. 3 Listeria treatment does not promote the over-expression of inhibitory markers on DCs. 4 Listeria treatment does not potentiate the expansion of immune-dampening regulatory T-cells by DCs. 5 Listeriatreated moDCs, without exogenous cytokine supplementation, are potent stimulators of antigen-specific CTLs. These findings confirm the immune-stimulatory properties of Listeria as a vaccine adjuvant. Studies of the mechanisms of Listeriainduced immunity and optimization of Listeria-based DC vaccines are ongoing.
- Medicine and Medical Research