There was a period, back in the euphoria of cryptos 2021 bull market period, when Solana was the blockchain name of the moment, spoken about as the next big thing, and with, according to its advocates, the potential even to outdo Ethereum in the race to become the foundational network of choice for web3 developers.

There were multiple reasons for this optimism, not least the fact that it had backing from VCs keen to promote its virtues. And, on balance, it should be noted that Solana does have significant characteristics in its favor. Most advantageously, its fast and cheap, two critical factors in attracting developers, who should in turn attract further users.

Remember that this was prior to the Ethereum Merge, a time when there were significant doubts as to whether Ethereum would ever make its long-promised transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. Constant delays in the execution of Ethereums protocol change were beginning to foster a sense that scaling would, in turn, be delayed, and that sky-high fees and network congestion would never be resolved.

Additionally, Ethereum Layer 2s were not as prominent as they are now, and, although it was known that The Merge would not solve scaling issues on its own (such issues still exist), execution would at least indicate that development was proceeding in the right direction.

Keep Reading

Against this backdrop, alternative Layer 1 blockchains, including not only Solana, but also Cardano, Avalanche and others, provided a compelling alternative. From here, Solana picked up in activity, thanks to its simplicity (no friction-adding Layer 2s required) and, at a time when blockchain-based digital art was making headlines for some huge sales, its NFTs. In fact, Solana would quickly become the second most-well known network for NFTs (after Ethereum) and evolved into an active community of NFT creators, traders and collectors, who were optimistic about the future of the network.

Amidst the bullishness around Solana, the blockchain also ran into some problems, which would, over time, become increasingly conspicuous.

A recurring fault was the issue of network outages when the entire blockchain would effectively stop working. The most recent of these occurred last month and lasted for almost twenty hours, and after that came a total of fourteen outages throughout 2022. The first breakdown in Solanas history was in December 2020, the same year as its launch, and when the blockchain was still serving only a relatively small number of users.

Solana has also been criticized for a perceived lack of decentralization, a factor which is vitally important in the crypto world. One reason for this is the networks initial token allocation when, according to data from research platform Messari, almost 50% percent of the blockchains native token, SOL, went to project insiders, with very little allocated to a public presale. Since staked SOL enables the operation of network validators, we can infer that a small number of holders exercise outsized control over the validation of transactions.

Criticism of Solana as a VC-centered project became even more of an issue towards the end of 2022 when FTX collapsed. The wreckage around this catastrophe was of particular relevance to Solana due to the networks links with Sam Bankman-Fried. The disgraced CEO of FTX had invested $314.2 million in Solana Labs, through the FTX-linked Alameda Research, and had lauded Solana in interviews, creating a perception, once the post-downfall reality about FTX had come to public light, of a disreputable connection.

Solana was certainly looking worse for wear towards the end of last year, but 2023 has, lately, seen hints that a comeback may be in the works. Notably, there has been recent news about the Worldline payment services provider entering into a partnership with Solana.

This integration means web3 projects operating on Solana will gain access to the Payment Orchestration platform run by Worldline, which removes the need for projects to create multiple payment integrations since Worldlines platform directly connects with over 300 payment providers and methods, including fiat on/off ramps.

This development follows Worldline announced plans to provide services within the Decentraland metaverse project, indicating that web3 and crypto-oriented development are on its radar as areas to expand into.

There has also been growing anticipation about the in-development Solana phone, called the Solana Saga. This product was announced back in the summer of 2022 and has been expected to ship in early 2023. Its an Android device augmented for web3 applications and payments, and, if it arrives soon, will come at a time when crypto urgently needs to go mobile in order to demonstrate that practical integration and daily use cases are a reality.

Additionally, there is speculation about Render Network migrating to Solana. Render is specialized in decentralized hardware solutions (specifically, GPU rendering), and in a proposal about the potential move, its Founder, Jules Urbach, stated that: Solana has the right mix of speed without compromising security (vs side-chain approaches). No decision has yet been made, and there is a 21 day community feedback period, which began on March 20th.

The Foundation released a primer on RNP-002 today.

The post details RNP-002: Layer 1 Network Expansion.

In accordance with RNP-000 there is up to a 21 day community feedback period that begins today! We would love your feedback. https://t.co/90j0gmhCOw

As with much of web3 and crypto, Solanas future is unclear, but, while issues around network reliability are ongoing, and there may continue to be criticism about a perceived lack of decentralization, it appears that there are some potentially constructive developments lining up.

There was a period, back in the euphoria of cryptos 2021 bull market period, when Solana was the blockchain name of the moment, spoken about as the next big thing, and with, according to its advocates, the potential even to outdo Ethereum in the race to become the foundational network of choice for web3 developers.

There were multiple reasons for this optimism, not least the fact that it had backing from VCs keen to promote its virtues. And, on balance, it should be noted that Solana does have significant characteristics in its favor. Most advantageously, its fast and cheap, two critical factors in attracting developers, who should in turn attract further users.

Remember that this was prior to the Ethereum Merge, a time when there were significant doubts as to whether Ethereum would ever make its long-promised transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. Constant delays in the execution of Ethereums protocol change were beginning to foster a sense that scaling would, in turn, be delayed, and that sky-high fees and network congestion would never be resolved.

Additionally, Ethereum Layer 2s were not as prominent as they are now, and, although it was known that The Merge would not solve scaling issues on its own (such issues still exist), execution would at least indicate that development was proceeding in the right direction.

Keep Reading

Against this backdrop, alternative Layer 1 blockchains, including not only Solana, but also Cardano, Avalanche and others, provided a compelling alternative. From here, Solana picked up in activity, thanks to its simplicity (no friction-adding Layer 2s required) and, at a time when blockchain-based digital art was making headlines for some huge sales, its NFTs. In fact, Solana would quickly become the second most-well known network for NFTs (after Ethereum) and evolved into an active community of NFT creators, traders and collectors, who were optimistic about the future of the network.

Amidst the bullishness around Solana, the blockchain also ran into some problems, which would, over time, become increasingly conspicuous.

A recurring fault was the issue of network outages when the entire blockchain would effectively stop working. The most recent of these occurred last month and lasted for almost twenty hours, and after that came a total of fourteen outages throughout 2022. The first breakdown in Solanas history was in December 2020, the same year as its launch, and when the blockchain was still serving only a relatively small number of users.

Solana has also been criticized for a perceived lack of decentralization, a factor which is vitally important in the crypto world. One reason for this is the networks initial token allocation when, according to data from research platform Messari, almost 50% percent of the blockchains native token, SOL, went to project insiders, with very little allocated to a public presale. Since staked SOL enables the operation of network validators, we can infer that a small number of holders exercise outsized control over the validation of transactions.

Criticism of Solana as a VC-centered project became even more of an issue towards the end of 2022 when FTX collapsed. The wreckage around this catastrophe was of particular relevance to Solana due to the networks links with Sam Bankman-Fried. The disgraced CEO of FTX had invested $314.2 million in Solana Labs, through the FTX-linked Alameda Research, and had lauded Solana in interviews, creating a perception, once the post-downfall reality about FTX had come to public light, of a disreputable connection.

Solana was certainly looking worse for wear towards the end of last year, but 2023 has, lately, seen hints that a comeback may be in the works. Notably, there has been recent news about the Worldline payment services provider entering into a partnership with Solana.

This integration means web3 projects operating on Solana will gain access to the Payment Orchestration platform run by Worldline, which removes the need for projects to create multiple payment integrations since Worldlines platform directly connects with over 300 payment providers and methods, including fiat on/off ramps.

This development follows Worldline announced plans to provide services within the Decentraland metaverse project, indicating that web3 and crypto-oriented development are on its radar as areas to expand into.

There has also been growing anticipation about the in-development Solana phone, called the Solana Saga. This product was announced back in the summer of 2022 and has been expected to ship in early 2023. Its an Android device augmented for web3 applications and payments, and, if it arrives soon, will come at a time when crypto urgently needs to go mobile in order to demonstrate that practical integration and daily use cases are a reality.

Additionally, there is speculation about Render Network migrating to Solana. Render is specialized in decentralized hardware solutions (specifically, GPU rendering), and in a proposal about the potential move, its Founder, Jules Urbach, stated that: Solana has the right mix of speed without compromising security (vs side-chain approaches). No decision has yet been made, and there is a 21 day community feedback period, which began on March 20th.

The Foundation released a primer on RNP-002 today.

The post details RNP-002: Layer 1 Network Expansion.

In accordance with RNP-000 there is up to a 21 day community feedback period that begins today! We would love your feedback. https://t.co/90j0gmhCOw

As with much of web3 and crypto, Solanas future is unclear, but, while issues around network reliability are ongoing, and there may continue to be criticism about a perceived lack of decentralization, it appears that there are some potentially constructive developments lining up.

See original here:

Is There a Sunny Outlook for Solana? - Finance Magnates

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called for consensus with Saudi Arabia over the presidential choice, as he reiterated that the problem is Maronite in the presidential file.

In an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri said that he is awaiting the outcome of the upcoming Christian gathering in Bkirki, when asked about who can break the presidential deadlock.

When we said yesterday that the problem is Maronite, they got dismayed. And if we say it today, they will also get dismayed, but this is the main problem, the Speaker added.

When I say that the problem is inter-Maronite, they accuse me of launching unjust accusations. Any observer can draw one conclusion: they went federalism or confederalism under the label of financial decentralization, which we reject because it was not mentioned in the Taif Accord, Berri said, in an interview with al-Liwaa newspaper.

We support broad administrative decentralization, because it involves facilitating peoples affairs and preserves the central state, the Speaker added.

Whats notable in this regard is the Free Patriotic Movements melting in the stances of the Lebanese Forces to the extent of not finding any differentiation between them, despite Dr. (Samir) Geageas rejection of meeting MP (Jebran) Bassil, Berri went on to say.

Despite competition inside the same community, Geagea has succeeded in leading the Maronite scene, and whenever he takes a stance Bassil would endorse it and try to go further, the Speaker added.

As for his recent meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari, Berri said the atmosphere was positive.

We did not agree, but we did not disagree, and accordingly consensus with the kingdom over the presidential choice is necessary, Berri added.

Here is the original post:

Berri urges 'consensus with KSA', reiterates that 'the problem is ... - Naharnet

GRAND RAPIDS A startup company backed by West Michigan investors wants to reduce costs at hospitals and outpatient surgical centers by centralizing and managing their sterile processing for surgical instruments.

Sterile Processing Express, or SPDx, opens its first sterile processing center next month in Phoenix, Ariz. The Grand Rapids-based company has been scouting for locations in Dallas, Texas, and Orlando, Fla. for the next two centers with hopes to begin construction in each market in the latter half of 2023.

SPDx aims to have six sterile processing facilities within four years and then expand it from there, CEO Julius Heil told MiBiz.

We envision a model where we have as many as 30 of these around the country in major metropolitan areas to support both the hospitals and the ASCs, Heil said.

Heil joined SPDx earlier this year after serving as president and CEO of national group purchasing organization Intalere Inc. that Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare sold to supply chain management company Vizient Inc. two years ago. Heil continued with Vizient for a transition period.

Focused primarily on orthopedics, SPDx wants to handle the sterilization process for hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and instrument manufacturers and manage their inventory. In time, SPDx also could manage sterile processing departments inside hospitals as a third-party vendor and is considering a future move into sterilizing surgical instruments for dental and veterinary practices, Heil said.

The companys value proposition is predicated on driving greater efficiency and the improving cost structure for clients through centralized sterile processing centers.

Health care is spiraling out of control from a cost perspective and were all customers, Heil said. Theres a huge shift in where the customers want to get health services performed, have access and make sure that theyre safe.

SPDx plans to pursue a $15 million Series A capital round later this year to support its expansion, Heil said. The company has garnered early interest from hospitals, surgeons who have ownership interests in ASCs, and venture capital firms and other health care industry investors, Heil said.

Grand Rapids-based Genesis Innovation Group LLC formed SPDx to play into a massive shift occurring in health care where surgical procedures are increasingly moving from hospitals to lower-cost outpatient ambulatory surgical centers, Heil said. The company will sterilize and store surgical instruments for clients and deliver them almost instantaneously when needed, whether thats the surgical center up the road or the hospital down the street, he said.

The idea for SPDx came from a limited partner at Grand Rapids-based Cultivate(MD) who has significant commercial experience in orthopedics and brought the concept to our attention, said Matt Ahearn, a director at Genesis Innovation Group.

Venture capital firm Cultivate(MD) is part of Genesis Innovation Group and invests in medical technologies.

The Cultivate(MD) limited partner noted an increasing trend within his customer base of knee and hip replacement surgeries being performed in an outpatient setting, Ahearn wrote in an email to MiBiz. He also noted that the surgeons wanted to do more knee and hip replacements in an outpatient setting, but that the surgery centers didnt have the capacity to clean and sterilize the instruments required for the surgeries

Genesis Innovation Groups due diligence validated the concept with hundreds of orthopedic surgeons and ASC owners and development groups, Ahearn said. The groups due diligence also confirmed that the market demand for services in Phoenix was incredibly high, he said.

SPDx launched in 2021 with capital from Cultivate(MD) and The 4100 Group Inc., the Lansing-based investment arm of dental insurer Delta Dental of Michigan and its Ohio counterpart.

Attracted by the operating efficiencies that SPDx can generate and the growing market for ASCs around the nation, The 4100 Group invested $2 million in SPDx, said Chief Investment Officer Scott Lancaster.

Lancaster learned about SPDx last year when he was introduced to Ahearn through a professional connection. After looking into the company, The 4100 Group concluded this was intriguing enough that we decided to participate, Lancaster said.

Partners at Genesis Innovation Group found a pretty unique segment of opportunity in SPDx with the potential to drive cost and capacity efficiencies for hospitals and ASCs that can outsource an operation that typically has been a cost center, he said.

A lot of whats going on in health care is decentralization of services away from the highest expense centers, which are typically hospitals, Lancaster said. This is a complementary service that fits nicely into that whole decentralization model.

Continued here:

Venture capital-backed SPDx eyes nationwide network of med ... - MiBiz: West Michigan Business News

The Alpha:

Web3 gaming remains one of the most prospective NFT use cases in existence. With the global gaming market size reaching over $200 billion in 2022, the industry is ripe with potential. And it seems that Nexon is hoping to capitalize on some of that potential with one of its most beloved titles.

MapleStory is a cherished and storied name in the gaming community. One of Nexons primary IP offerings, the game has generated over $4 billion in revenue and secured 180 million registered players, according to a recent earnings report.

The blockchain-based iteration, MapleStory Universe, will be built on Polygon Supernets, a blockchain development platform aimed at helping Web3 developers create their own blockchain protocols. Polygon Supernets perform a similar function to that of Avalanche Subnets, to which theyre often compared. These networks allow developers to build and utilize a blockchain sub-network for individual projects, protecting them from sluggish performance issues on the main networks theyre a part of.

Polygon Labs, which is a development and growth team for the Polygon protocol, is set to provide technical and business support for the MapleStory Universe.

We are looking forward to expanding the NFT ecosystem envisioned by MapleStory Universe by building on Polygon, the top protocol for web3 gaming. It is the perfect choice to power the ecosystem, MapleStory Universe group leader Sun-young Hwang said in the press release. We will work closely with the team at Polygon Labs to develop and market the game.

In an article explaining why Nexon decided to turn to blockchain technology, the company noted that its goal is to create an NFT-centered ecosystem that allows players to have a full view of the decision-making, participate in IP development, and have actual ownership of their assets.

While there are many benefits of blockchain technology, Nexon has focused on three in particular: (1) Transparency, with all information recorded on-chain for anyone to see. (2) An open ecosystem, where anyone can contribute to the project and earn rewards for their contributions. (3) Extended utility, through the free movement of in-game assets, they wrote.

To this end, the team noted that users will have a clearer view of the decisions and changes that are made, as the developers design and decision-making processes will now be fully visible on-chain. And since the entire process is recorded on-chain, it will be more difficult for developers to change the rules on a whim, as they are fully visible to all users. The transparent governance of the blockchain and the decentralization of power that it provides makes developers design and decision-making processes fully visible and trustworthy. In this way, users can immerse themselves more easily in the virtual world, the team explained.

Whats more, Nexon will no longer be acting as an administrator with complete control of the server. Instead, it will be a developer participating in an open ecosystem. As a result, other contributors will be on more equal footing, and it will be easier to identify these other contributors. The company explains that this allows for more proactive contributions and ensures that contributors are fairly rewarded for their work.

This increase in transparency and decentralization certainly sounds like a good thing. But unfortunately, would-be players will have to wait a bit to see exactly how this all plays out, as the game currently has no release date.

See the article here:

MapleStory's Integrating NFTs: Here's What Players Should Expect - nft now

WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today introduced legislationto prohibit the Federal Reserve from developing a direct-to-consumer central bank digital currency which could be used as a financial surveillance tool by the federal government. Sen. Cruzs bill was cosponsored by Sens. Braun (R-Ind.) and Grassley (R-Iowa).

As countries like China develop CBDCs that omit the benefits and protections of cash, as well as the control and security of many existing digital cryptocurrencies, it is more important than ever to ensure the United States digital currency policy protects financial privacy, maintains the dollars dominance, and cultivates innovation.CBDCs that fail to adhere to these three basic principles could enable an entity like the Federal Reserve to mobilize itself into a retail bank, collect personally identifiable information on users, and track their transactions indefinitely. It is important to note that while the Fed does not, and should not, have the authority to offer retail bank accounts, it is already looking into what establishing a digital currency would look like.

Unlike decentralized digital currencies like Bitcoin, CBDCs are issued and backed by a government entity and transact on a centralized, permissioned blockchain. Not only would this CBDC model centralize Americans financial information, leaving it vulnerable to attack, it could be used as direct surveillance tool into the private transactions of Americans.

Upon introducing the legislation, Sen. Cruz said:

The federal government has no authority to unilaterally establish a central bank currency. This bill goes a long way in making sure big government doesnt attempt to centralize or control cryptocurrency and instead, allows it to thrive in the United States. We should be empowering entrepreneurs, enabling innovation, and increasing individual freedomnot stifling it.

Sen. Braun said:

"Allowing the government to centralize Americans financial information and increase surveillance of Americans financial activity is simply a bad idea. The federal government should not have even more control over your own money. I support this legislation to allow entrepreneurship to prosper and keep the federal government from further encroaching on your privacy rights."

Sen. Grassley said:

The American people ought to be able to spend their money how they choose without the possibility that every transaction could be tracked by the government. Policy this impactful should be made by Congress, not government bureaucrats, and our bill would ensure that no one is snooping on the finances of hardworking Americans. Every American deserves that peace of mind.

Adam Brandon, president and CEO of FreedomWorks, said:

"The Federal Reserves exploration into Central Bank Digital Currency raises serious questions regarding the continued development of the digital economy, consumer privacy, and the eventual transition to a cashless system of payments. One of the most significant features that draw people to digital assets is decentralization, and there is no central authority that manages the supply and value of most digital assets. The United States must not follow countries like China down the path of digital authoritarianism but instead preserve a payment system that promotes consumer privacy and security."

Sen. Cruz previously introduced this bill in2022.

###

See more here:

Sen. Cruz Introduces Legislation to Prohibit the Fed From ... - Senator Ted Cruz

What are the main findings of the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment 2

The second Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA2) carried out by the World Bank in coordination with the EU and the Ukrainian Government covers a full year of the unprovoked and unjustified aggression by Russia against Ukraine, from 24 February 2022 until 24 February 2023. It finds that thepriority needs for 2023 amount to around USD 14 billionandfocus on restoration of energy, housing, critical and social infrastructure, basic services for the most vulnerable, explosive hazard management, and private sector development. It is estimated that the Ukraine's budget already covers up to USD 3 billion of USD14 billion and the funding gap of Government of Ukraine is assessed to be approximately USD 6 billion.

Looking at a 10-year perspective for the reconstruction efforts, as set out by the report, the direct damage in Ukraine has reached overUSD135billion, with housing, transport, energy, and commerce and industry identified as the most affected sectors. Damage is concentrated in the frontline oblasts, particularly Donetska, Kharkivska, Luhanska, Zaporizka, as well as those brought back under government control, such as Kyivska and Khersonska.

Disruptions to economic flows and production losses amount to aroundUSD290 billion. Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 30.4 percent in 2022, and poverty is expected to have increased from 5.5 percent to 24.2 percent in 2022.

As of February 24, 2023, for the next decade, reconstruction and recovery needs are estimated at aboutUSD411 billion. These needs include critical steps toward becoming a modern, low-carbon, disaster- and climate-resilient country that is aligned with European Union policies and standards, and where the country's vulnerabilities are addressed.

The full report of the RDNA2 will be officially published on the 4thof April 2023.

What are the priority needs for 2023 of theRDNA2?

The priority needs for 2023 take into account strategic priorities set out by the Ukrainian government as well as existing financing and implementation capacity of Ukraine. The five key recovery and reconstruction priorities are:

Critical and social infrastructure(USD 5.7 billion), and basic service delivery to vulnerable populations. This will include renewal of housing utilities, repair and reconstruction of transport infrastructure and repair and reconstruction of schools, health facilities, and other social and administrative infrastructure.

Energy infrastructure(USD3.3 billion ), including restoration and repair of transmission and distribution lines and generation capacity, development of renewables and protecting the power grid.

Housing(USD1.9 billion), including quick repairs and capital reconstruction.

Private sector development(USD 2.7 billion), including grants, credit lines, and risk facilities to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), microenterprises, the agriculture sector and exports.

Humanitarian demining(USD 0.4 billion)- focusing on building the strategic and operational capacity for demining operations.

What is the EU doing to address the priority needs in Ukraine?

In 2022, EU provided substantial support to Ukraine's short-term recovery. This included EUR 7.2 billion MFA and more than EUR 660 million budget support. EUR 330 million of our emergency support package in grants also largely focused on emergency support for damaged infrastructure needs EU has allocated for instance EUR 100 million for the construction of new social housing for IDPsin Western Ukraine as well as EUR 50 million support to liberated cities for emergency repairs and reconstruction of social and municipal buildings in Kyiv region. In addition, EUR 100 million have also been mobilised to rehabilitate schools damaged by Russia's brutal attacks against Ukraine's education system. EU has also reoriented projects funded with IFIs, including NEF and IFC, to support refurbishment of municipal buildings and provide medium - to long-term housing for IDPs in Western Ukraine.

In 2023, the EU's priority is to support Ukraine to ensure its immediate financial needs, the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and initial support towards sustainable post-war reconstruction, through the EUR 18 billion MFA+ package. First two instalments in the value of EUR 4.5 billion have already been made and EUR 1.5 billion monthly payments will follow until the end of the year. In addition, in 2023 as part ofthe announcement of President von der Leyen and Commissioner Varhelyi during the College to Government meeting and the EU-Ukraine Summit in Kyiv in February 2023, EUR 1 billion will be mobilisedfrom the NDICI grants and EIB loans for Ukraine's fast recovery. It will contribute to the priority needs including for example in the area of energy, as well as critical and social infrastructure. The updated RDNA will inform the ongoing discussions with Ukraine on what priority sectors this funding will support.

What assistance has the EU already been providing to Ukraine, since the beginning of the war, to support recovery and reconstruction?

In response to Russia's war of aggression, the EU's economic, humanitarian and military support pledged to Ukraine and the EU Member States supporting Ukraine is around67 billion. It is composed of 50 billion that have been made available by the EU, Member States and the European Financial Institutions as well as 17 billion that have been made available from the EU budget for Members States, which are hosting around 4 million people under temporary protection. The 50 million package includes among other 18 billion macro-financial support package for 2023 (MFA+), accompanied by reforms, to keep the Ukrainian state afloat; 12 billion of military support(3.6 billion via the European Peace Facility and EU Member States bilateral contributions) and an additional 17 billion have been made available to help cater for the needs of Ukrainians forced to flee the war in Member States.

Regardingenergy, the EU is providing vital support to Ukraine's energy sector damaged by Russia's continuous strikes on civilian infrastructure. This includes an additional 2.400 generators on top of 3.000 already delivered; EUR 157,5 million from the Energy Support Fund, as well as a total of 35 million LED light bulbs already contracted (15 million delivered) to help Ukraine significantly reduce energy consumption). Upon the invitation of the EU, Ukraine will take part in the Jointgas purchasing platformof the EU set up in April 2022 to secure gas supplies for the coming winter. In addition, the European and Ukrainian electricity grids have been synchronized in March 2022, allowing for electricity trade. The EU is committed to increase electricity exports to Ukraine to two GW (from 700 MW all hours currently).

EU also supports building back better in line with EU standards and core principles, in order to facilitate progressive integration of Ukraine into the EU single market.

What are the overall principles to guide the recovery and reconstruction process in Ukraine?

The key principles to guide the recovery and reconstruction process in Ukraine as set out by both RDNAs are:

Balancing urgent needs and medium- to long-term goals -strategic prioritization of reconstruction across all sectors and locally driven reconstruction efforts

Differentiated approaches that prioritize impact and needs and that promote decentralization. Investments should reflect the specific needs of communities, oblasts, regions, and stakeholders.

Resilience and building back better for amore sustainable future.Investments should be made to avoid stranded assets and to reduce depletion of natural resources, cut emissions and waste, and protect people and the environment. They should go hand in hand with reforms that will allow Ukraine to support harmonization of its legislation and policies with EU law and to meet European Union standards and theacquis communautaire.

Durable solutions for return of refugees and integration of displaced people, prioritizing their needs for housing, access to basic services, social protection, and livelihoods.These could include housing, access to basic services, social protection, mental health and psychosocial support, livelihoods and business financing and facilitation of return and integration of refugees and IDPs.

Continuous data collectionas it's important to receive feedback and data on damage, loss and impacts of the war as well on ongoing, completed and planned repairs and reconstruction efforts to help identify needs for future years.

These main principles build on and complement the existing principles, outlined in many documents, including the July 2022 Lugano Declaration for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and the Government's Recovery Plan. The first document includes the principle of partnership, reform focus, transparency, accountability, and rule of law; democratic participation; multi-stakeholder engagement; gender equality and inclusion; and sustainability. The latter reflect the need to start now and ramp up gradually; grow prosperity in an equitable way; integrate into the EU and be consistent with and supportive of the accession path; build back better for the future; and enable private investment and entrepreneurship.

Is it possible to start reconstruction while the war is ongoing?

The reconstruction process of Ukraine needs to commence now, to help restarting the country's economy and help the people of Ukraine. It will build on the five priority areas: critical and social infrastructure, energy infrastructure, housing, support to private sector and humanitarian demining.

The EU and other key Ukraine's international partners are already helping to both keep the country running and support Ukrainian economy, while preparing for rebuilding the country. To address Ukraine's most urgent needs, the EU is providing regular and predictable financing under the new macro-financial assistance plus (MFA+) programme.

The EU is also providing emergency and humanitarian support, focusing its economic assistance on rapid rehabilitation and recovery. The main focus is on housing solutions and measures for integration of Internally Displaced Persons, support to the host communities, rehabilitation of some critical infrastructure, including energy, social infrastructure (schools, kindergartens, and hospitals), cybersecurity and media. This fast recovery measures are already being implemented, including in liberated areas. The EU is working with partners such as the G7, international financial institutions and in close coordination with Ukraine itself.

The Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine launched on 26 January coordinates the support for Ukraine's immediate financing needs and future economic recovery and reconstruction. Its Steering Committee is co-chaired by the European Commission, the United States and Ukraine. The Platform can help channel the effort of supporting Ukraine in addressing its immediate financing needs, including the 2023 priority needs, and those of the future economic recovery and reconstruction, as identified by the WB RDNA in collaboration with Ukraine.

How does Ukraine's reconstruction relate to the EU enlargement process?

Ukraine was granted the status of an EU candidate country in June 2022. This is a recognition of Ukraine's reform efforts over many years. At the same time, as a candidate country, Ukraine needs to pursue further significant reforms on its EU path. This will likely work as an essential leverage for Ukraine to attract support and investments for its reconstruction It will also ensure that investments do not create stranded assets but are converging towards climate, environmental and digital EU policies and standards, which will help Ukraine emerge stronger and more resilient from the devastation of the Russian invasion.

The reconstruction of Ukraine is to be guided and framed by the EU enlargement process. This means investments need to go hand in hand with the reforms supporting Ukraine in pursuing its European path. They should also be implemented in line with the EU rules including rule of law reforms and fight against corruption as well as core standards and principles, based on the European Green Deal and supporting digital transformation.

Scope of the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment

The first Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, launched by the World Bank together with the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission was published in September 2022 The It assessed the war damage sustained between February 24, 2022 and June 1, 2022, analysing short, medium and long-term reconstruction and recovery needs of Ukraine and covered the following sectors: social, productive, infrastructure and cross cutting. It was prepared jointly by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations and supported by other partners including Kyiv School of Economics, civil society organizations, and the private sector.

RDNA follows a methodology jointly developed by the European Commission, the World Bank and the United Nations based on the globally accepted UN standard Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) that is tailored to the war in Ukraine. The (DaLA) methodology was initially developed by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in 1972. It was used so far in many countries like Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Albania. Following this methodology, RDNA 2 quantifies and validates physical damage to infrastructure, buildings as well as losses such as disrupted services and economic impacts, clearance of debris, mines and support to Internally Displaced People. It will also identify and quantify corresponding recovery and reconstruction needs: overall, by sector, and by oblast, based on the damage and losses.

The goals and scope of RDNA2

RDNA 2 was prepared in a similar way and with similar goals in mind to the first RDNA but with a much longer time span as it takes stock of Ukraine's damage and losses borne over one year until 24 February 2023. It assesses the scale of damage, losses and economic and social needs for Ukraine's survival during the war and after. RDNA2 report is divided into following sectors: 1. social including housing, education, health; 2. productive including agriculture, irrigation, commerce and industry; 3.infrastructure - including energy transport, digital and 4. cross-cutting including environment, emergency response, justice and public administration. Complementary to the standard methodology used for the first report and the estimation of short- and long-term needs, this RDNA 2 report also includes priorities for recovery and reconstruction investments for 2023. The RDNA 2 is based on the same set of concepts and their definitions as the first RDNA, namely:

Damagesare defined as direct costs of destroyed or damaged physical assets and infrastructure valued in monetary terms with costs estimated based on replacing or repairing physical assets and infrastructure, considering the replacement price prevailing before the war.

Lossesreflect changes in economic flows resulting from the war; valued in monetary terms, for example increased operating cost or loss of revenue for authorities/private sector.

Needscorrespond with value associated with the resumption of pre - war normality through activities such as repair and restoration, including a surcharge linked to building back better principles (e.g. improved energy efficiency, modernization efforts and sustainability standards), as well as factors such as global inflation and higher insurance. Needs are expressed in monetary value according to market prices prevailing as of February 24, 2023. Needs do not equal the sum of damage and losses.

Comparison of results between RDNA and RDNA 2

The RDNA2 assesses the impact between damage and losses borne over one year until 24th of February 2023. In doing so, it builds on the foundations and analytics provided during RDNA1 which covered a slightly shorter period, namely the period between February 24 and June 1, 2022, which estimated USD 97 billion in direct damage, USD252 billion in losses, and USD 349 billion for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction needs.

See more here:

Questions and Answers: Main findings of 'Rapid Damage and ... - Language selection

Today I want to write about mastering the fundamentals of life and success. In life, there are certain principles that, when followed, can help us achieve our goals and live fulfilling lives. If you want to achieve success, you need to master them.

Five significant pieces to the life puzzle are essential for anyone who wants to live a successful and fulfilling life.

These five pieces are:

Our philosophy is the foundation of everything we do in life. Our philosophy is the mental model we use to understand and make sense of life. It shapes our attitudes, beliefs, and values, ultimately determining our actions and results. To succeed, you need to develop a philosophy grounded in success principles. By developing a strong, positive mindset and consistently applying it to our actions, we can ultimately shape our destiny and achieve our goals.

Here are some principles to consider:

Your attitude is a reflection of your philosophy. If you have a positive attitude, you are more likely to achieve success than if you have a negative attitude.

Here are some tips for developing a positive attitude:

Taking action is essential for achieving success. You can have the best philosophy and attitude in the world, but if you dont take action, you wont achieve anything. Here are some tips for taking action:

Results are the outcome of your actions. If you want to achieve success, you need to focus on getting the results you want. You will see positive results if your strategy for achieving your goals is valid. Focus on following a process that works and you will eventually see the desired results.

Here are some tips for achieving the results you want:

Your lifestyle reflects your philosophy, attitude, actions, and results. You must develop a lifestyle supporting your goals and values to live a successful and fulfilling life. Peoples success and failure show up in the lifestyle they live. Your lifestyle is usually the result of your choices over time. Optimize your lifestyle for success and achieve your goals.

Here are some tips for developing a successful lifestyle:

In addition to the fundamentals of life and success, there are also advanced principles that can help you achieve even greater success. Here are some advanced principles that can take you to the highest levels of success in life.

Continuous learning is essential for success in todays fast-paced and ever-changing world. You must constantly learn and adapt to new ideas and technologies to succeed.

Here are some tips for continuous learning:

Time management is essential for achieving your goals and maximizing your time.

Here are some tips for effective time management:

Goal setting is essential for achieving success. Without goals, you have no direction or purpose.

Here are some tips for practical goal setting:

Networking is essential for building relationships and opening doors to new opportunities.

Here are some tips for effective networking:

Persistence is essential for achieving success. There will be setbacks and challenges, but its essential to keep going and never give up.

Here are some tips for developing persistence:

Mastering the core principles that govern life and success is crucial for achieving personal and professional growth. By cultivating a positive belief system, optimistic mindset, consistent work ethic, working daily toward desired outcomes, and promoting a well-rounded lifestyle, you can equip yourself with the tools necessary to succeed.

Adopting advanced principles such as continuous learning, efficient time management, goal setting, networking, and persistence can accelerate your journey toward success. Remember, success isnt a destination but a journey that requires patience, hard work, and continuous self-improvement. I hope this discussion inspires you to take action toward achieving your goals and living a fulfilling life.

Read the original post:
Master the Basic Fundamentals of Life and Success - New Trader U

Author: Administration: (805) 781-5011 Date: 3/21/2023 3:33:17 PM

In closed session today, the County Board of Supervisors accepted Wade Hortons resignation from his position as County Administrative Officer, effective May 1st.

We cant thank Mr. Horton enough for his honorable and committed dedication to the County of San Luis Obispo. Said John Peschong, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

He has navigated the County through some of its most difficult times, including acting as Emergency Services Director during the COVID-19 crisis and recent rainstorms, setting up a Homeless Division to better address the nationwide problem of homelessness and working with local cities and community partners to provide affordable housing with professionalism, integrity, and a spirit of cooperation. He is a true public servant that has made a real difference in the County throughout his tenure.

Prior to becoming the County Administrator in 2017, Mr. Horton served as the Countys Public Works Director, starting in 2014. Before that he was Deputy Director of Utilities/Water for the City of San Luis Obispo.

It has been an absolute privilege to serve the Board, organization and residents of San Luis Obispo County for the last 8 years, Horton said. I am proud of all we have accomplished together, and I am thankful for the many opportunities the County has afforded to make a difference in our community alongside a talented staff, and so many incredible partners from local government, business, education and our nonprofit community.

The County will soon open a nationwide search for a new County Administrative Officer who can continue leading County efforts to address the challenging issues in our community, including homelessness, the statewide mental health crisis, and the regional need for affordable housing.

We will miss Wades energy, determination, and Can-Do attitude, said John Peschong. I know I speak for everyone at the County in wishing him all the best in his next chapter.

The rest is here:
The County of San Luis Obispo Announces Departure of County ... - County of San Luis Obispo

Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute is helping other cities launch teams that can respond to mental health crises and divert individuals experiencing psychiatric episodes from jail. The Dallas-based mental health policy nonprofit is in the process of providing data and training to cities like Galveston to change the way municipalities think about responding to 911 calls.

The programs around the state are being modeled after a program started in Dallas. In 2018, Dallas launched apilotof the Rapid Integrated Group Health Team, or RIGHT Care, which paired social workers with police during 911 calls that involved a mental health emergency. The team includes a police officer, a licensed clinical social worker, a paramedic, and off-site clinicians and responds to nonviolent mental health crises reported to 911.

The team is able to divert patients from the county jail by sending professionals with more experience and knowledge of resources for those with mental health issues. Prior to the launch of RIGHT Care, residents who needed care would often end up in the county jail, the countys largest mental health provider.

MMHPI partnered with the Pew Charitable Trust to produce areportabout the RIGHT Care team. It found that 40 percent of interactions resulted in a connection to services to provide healthcare or housing, 29 percent were resolved on the scene without any further assistance, 14 percent resulted in emergency detention, and 8 percent resulted in a person being taken to a hospital or psychiatric facility. Only 2 percent of the interactions resulted in arrests for new offenses.

Now MMHPI is using its experience and data to help other areas of the state replicate the results. One of the more advanced projects is in Galveston, where a team of police, mental health providers, and paramedics are expected to launch this spring. MMHPI analyzed data from call logs and 911 records to see how past calls connected to a mental health crisis have been handled. The work helped Galveston determine when they would need the teams, how many people they would need to staff them, and which types of calls the team would handle and avoid.

The work has resulted in a team called Compassionate Open Access to Services and Treatment, which will work 12 hour shifts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, six days a week. It consists of two groups of six professionals. There will also be a short shift on Sunday.

As with RIGHT care, there will be a police officer present for the security of the scene, but the other members will be able to provide comprehensive health screenings, address comorbidities, and connect with resources around housing, substance abuse, or food insecurity. The interaction is more likely to result in a treatment option that doesnt involve being arrested and going to jail, Meadows believes.

The whole design of the program is to alleviate law enforcement from being the primary responders to people experiencing a mental health crisis, says Max Geron, the senior director of health and public safety at MMHPI. Geron is the former chief of police in Rockwall and was once a major with the Dallas Police Department.

In addition to responding to 911 calls, the teams will also have a proactive role. They will touch base with individuals who frequently use 911 as a mental health resource and see if they can head off issues before they happen. The teams will also follow up on calls that happened overnight or in the past to see if anything can be done.

COAST in Galveston is being funded in its pilot year by PewCharitable Trust, the George and Cynthia Mitchell Foundation, the Moody Foundation and other Galveston area philanthropic organizations. Another potential financial partner is a $21 million federalgrantcurrently sought from the Department of Justice as part of Sen. John Cornyns Bipartisan Safer Communities Act focused on crisis intervention.

Meadows handled the data analysis on the front end in Galveston but will also help measure the programs impact. As in Dallas, they will look at how many residents were diverted from the jail, connected with resources, and resolved without arrest. If the program is successful and worth the investment, the city of Galveston will take on the onus for continuing its funding. After the team launches this month, MMHPI will be able to report back, Geron says.

Looking ahead, MMHPI is working with Dallas Area Rapid Transit to build a multi-disciplinary response team for public transit. Geron says they are still in the data collection stage but will look to launch a pilot in the next few months. In addition, MMHPI is in talks with others around the country who are hoping to launch their own MDRTs. Though many of these efforts were born out of the cultural shift and attitude toward policing that resulted from the death of George Floyd, Geron says the measure is about using the best tools for the job.

We are actively working to improve how law enforcement and public safety in general respond to folks in crisis to alleviate and remove that traditional law enforcement response, Geron says. Its not because law enforcement is bad, but because there are better ways of addressing those experiencing mental health crisis by introducing the clinician and the paramedic and focusing more on mental health than just the traditional responses.

Stay informed with a detailed weekly report on DFWs evolving healthcare industry.

Will is the senior editor for D CEO magazine and the editor of D CEO Healthcare. He's written about healthcare

The rest is here:
How Meadows Is Diversifying Crisis Response in Texas - D Magazine

NAGPUR: Lauding the work of civil society organizations (CSOs), Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, chief guest at the inaugural session of Civil 20 India (C20), on Monday said that being the voice of the voiceless, they have a major role to play on the world stage. The high-profile inaugural session saw a host of dignitaries on the dais including spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis among others. Satyarthi said, My respect for CSOs has gone up manifold as I have seen them work from close quarters. You are the voice of the voiceless, the face of the invisible people. You can question the government, and also give answers through solutions. Spiritual leader Amma said that humanity is facing many extraordinary challenges today. There are also numerous challenges on subtler levels, which we may be unable to perceive or understand. At this point, human beings need two qualities: Wisdom to recognize the problem, and the mental attitude and intelligence to correct it, she said. Fadnavis shared the unique aspects of Nagpur in detail while explaining to delegates things to explore around the city. We are also called orange city because of the abundance of the fruit here. Its also called Zero Mile because the trigonometric survey of milestones was started from here. Nagpur is the city where the architect of our Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. The largest social organization in the world, RSS, started its first shakha here. Mahatma Gandhi stayed in the region for a long time and started Indias biggest freedom struggle movement here, said Fadnavis. He also talked about the contributions of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj, Sant Gadge Baba and Baba Amte for the society. Hence, I can truly say that you are in the heart of India, said Fadnavis. The DyCM also lightened the mood while talking about Nagpurs status as the tiger capital of India. I hope you all go and visit some national parks and interact with the tiger, said Fadnavis, prompting laughter from the delegates. Well, we know that tiger is a gentleman, he added. Members of C20 Troika also expressed their views regarding the role of civil society. Troika consists of three countries, which includes the one which last hosted C20, then current host and the next one. This helps in a smooth handover process. Ahmed Maftuchan, Troika member C20 from Indonesia (past host) said, First of all I would like to congratulate all members for hosting such a good inception meeting of C20 at Nagpur. Civil society members are engaging with all development stakeholders here to produce innovative ideas, concrete recommendations and spirit of togetherness. Allesandro Nilo, Troika member of C20 from Brazil (future host) said, We as civil society members have to prove that the world can be a better place to live in. Through the C20, we are working on solutions for it. Vijay Nambiar, C20 India Sherpa said, Today the world is paying the price for neglecting the teachings of our elders: To live in harmony with nature and our environment. The steps being taken to tackle climate change have fallen consistently short, and much work needs to be done to ensure sustainability.

Read the original post:
Voice of Voiceless - Indiatimes.com