Joe Biden began his speech to accept the Democratic Partys nomination with a quote from the civil-rights radical and Black revolutionary Ella Baker: Give people light and they will find a way. Though Baker may have been commenting on her particular approach to organizing, Biden used the line as an analogy for his campaign to replace Donald Trump. Bidens reference to Baker did not surprise so much as it confirmed that Party leaders have a central fear about his candidacy: that Biden, like Hillary Clinton, fails to excite young Black voters in ways necessary to insure victory against Donald Trump. In the 2016 Presidential election, Black voter turnout declined for the first time in twenty years, dropping from sixty-seven to sixty per cent. But, in his speech, Biden recognized Bakers person while ignoring her anti-capitalist politics. That choice only accentuated his selection of a Black woman, Kamala Harris, as a running mate without offering an explanation of how such gestures toward change will turn into the material goods that millions of Black women desperately need.

Bidens selection of Harris is, in many ways, quite remarkable. Black women are, in general, one of the most oppressed and marginalized groups in the United States. The median wealth of a single Black woman in this country is a mere two hundred dollars. Black women are overrepresented in the ranks of the poor, in part because they make only sixty-two cents to every dollar made by white men. Nearly a quarter of Black women live under the official poverty line. If the well-being of Black children may be taken as a barometer of their mothers, then the facts that twenty-nine per cent of Black children live under the poverty line and that another fifty-seven per cent are classified as low-income are dark reminders that inequality in this country is deeply bound up with race and gender. For any Black woman to rise to become a major partys nominee for Vice-President of the United States is certainly evidence that some things, indeed, have changed in this country.

But it is surprising, if not ironic, that Biden was the candidate to make this selection. For decades, as Democrats beat a race-baiting retreat from the explosion of civil-rights legislation in the nineteen-sixties, Biden, as a senator from the countrys second-smallest state, Delaware, carved out a space for himself as a cultural warrior who was particularly adept at exploiting racial resentment for political gain. In the eighties, as political winds were blowing to the right, Biden staked out his opposition to welfare as an entitlement. In 1988, he remarked about public assistance in the United States, Unfortunately, our current system of welfare has failed to meet the goal of self-improvement and has relieved the recipients of the incentive to take control of their future. By 1996, when then President Bill Clinton signed landmark legislation that ended welfare as a public entitlement, Biden was one of twenty-four Democratic senators who voted for the regressive legislation. The attack on welfare in the nineteen-eighties and nineties used poor Black women as fodder to dismantle the countrys barely existent welfare state. White women were the majority of welfare recipients in 1996, yet when Clinton signed the legislation, he had two Black women who had been recipients standing beside him.

Bidens role as the architect of the 1994 Crime Bill has been well interrogated, but his rhetoric painting Black communities as nests of crime has not been properly acknowledged, as part of a pattern of demonizing poor Black women and mothers for political gain. In 1993, as Biden drummed up support for his crime bill, he described Black juvenile offendersotherwise known as childrenas predators on our streets. He went on to describe a cadre of young people, tens of thousands of them, born out of wedlock, without parents, without supervision, without any structure, without any conscience developing, because they literally... have not been socialized, they literally have not had an opportunity. He added, It doesnt matter whether or not they were deprived as a youth. It doesnt matter whether or not they had no background that enabled them to become socialized into the fabric of society. It doesnt matter whether or not theyre the victims of society. The end result is theyre about to knock my mother on the head with a lead pipe, shoot my sister, beat up my wife, take on my sons.

This, of course, was not only about supposedly out-of-control youngsters; it was also an indictment of Black families and Black mothers as a source of disorder that, if unchecked, threatened to undermine white families as well. Biden has never taken responsibility for his overheated rhetoric and its role in demonizing Black families and thoroughly racializing crime. Unlike Bill and Hillary Clinton, who both accepted some modicum of responsibility for their role in promoting racist narratives about African-Americans and crime, Biden has blithely offered that, I havent always been right. I know we havent always gotten things right, but Ive always tried.

Finally, consider Bidens performance at the congressional hearing to adjudicate Anita Hills charges of sexual harassment against Clarence Thomas. At the hearing, in 1991, Biden, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, would not allow three women to testify in corroboration of Hills version of events; he also stood by as white men from the Republican Party verbally pummelled Hill in an effort to discredit and undermine her claims. Last year, in response to renewed criticism of his passivity in the face of the Republicans orchestrated harassment of Hill, Biden once again averted responsibility. Im sorry for the way she got treated, he said. Look at what I said and didnt say; I dont think I treated her badly.

Given this history, it is, as Kamala Harris has said, absolutely audacious that Biden has selected her, a Black woman, as his running mate.

Biden has avoided any clear apology for his role in deepening the systemic racism in public policy that he now pledges to oppose. Nonetheless, his defenders dismiss his critics on the left as puerile and pedantic for rehashing this history. Dont let perfect be the enemy of good, they hector. But Bidens failure to meaningfully acknowledge his role in constructing the color-blind racial regime of the post-civil-rights era, structured around calls for law and order and the coded deprecation of poor Black women, has clouded his newfound epiphany concerning racial justice. It has obscured the credibility of his claims that, as President, he would essentially abandon the most notable feature of his political past: weaponizing reactionary thinking about poor Black women in order to curry favor with white voters, during a period when Democrats felt compelled to prove that they could hate Black people, too.

Biden has pointed to his selection as Barack Obamas Vice-President, and his dutiful embrace of the role, as evidence that he has abandoned his provocative past positions. Now he has chosen Kamala Harris to perform the same perfuming role. There is an assumption that the selection of Harris means that her racial and gender identities will guide the policymaking of a Biden-Harris White House. This is the heralded power of representation in politics, and it is a powerful corral for the hopes of many Black Americans. The rise of Barack Obama convinced many Black voters that they might finally get a fair shake.

See original here:
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Limits of Representation - The New Yorker

Radical extremists, displaying ignorance of history, tear down monuments; reminders of political conflict, violence and inequality; the unflattering history of the Democrat party: also found in old movie scripts; claimed to harm the psyche of viewers.

Rewriting the history of the Democrat Party; a cover up; simply adds another sordid chapter. Is the destruction of all history books next? They certainly dont wish to repeat that embarrassing history. We should learn from, not stumble over what is behind us.

Strange, superficial and hypocritical; a cohort, for years claimed routine exposure to violent video games had no impact on users violent behaviors, but now a passing glance at a statue (in their midst for years) must be eradicated for their inner peace. Seeking equality, but accepting marginalization, (the bigotry of low expectations) with handouts or reparations, rather than a hand up is self defeating; Rev. Sharpton, et al.

Pursuing superficial change of street decor and old movie scripts; when the greater need is in improving living conditions, family cohesion, education, job opportunities and healthcare; the means by which all Americans attain success; especially crucial for those facing inequality; doesnt advance their cause; especially when accompanied by violence, looting and arson.

Black lives, et al, can take positive steps following this unrest; (when all of the non-conforming statues and scripts have been removed) by addressing issues with significant meaning; ie, what really matters: restored families, excellent education, (the best schools and teachers in the places of greatest need) personal improvement, self sufficiency, job opportunities; working to become model citizens.

Both Democrats and Republicans have failed to provide these life necessities and neither has protected minorities from the disadvantage they face because of open borders. Hopefully, the current divide hasnt caused unfixable damage to our country.

Melvin Pete Snyder, West Donegal Township

Original post:
Both Republicans and Democrats have failed to address racism | PennLive letters - pennlive.com

Dustin Johnson holds the trophy after winning the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

NORTON, Mass. (AP) Dustin Johnson is back to No. 1 in the world and wants to stay there as long as he can.

The manner in which he obliterated one of the strongest fields of the year at The Northern Trust is to wonder how he ever left in the first place.

At his best, no one makes golf look easier.

"He can absolutely dismantle a golf course," said Kevin Kisner, who used to ride to junior golf tournaments with Johnson when they were kids in South Carolina. "I've been watching it for 25 years. I'm pretty accustomed to it. When he's on, I just step to the side and try to add on to my bank account."

The numbers that defined Johnson's dominance go well beyond the $1.71 million he earned for his 22nd career victory on the PGA Tour, his second this summer since golf returned from the pandemic or his fifth title in the FedEx Cup playoffs, tying him with Rory McIlroy for most in the postseason.

He started with a five-shot lead Sunday and matched the low score of the final round with an 8-under 63. Former Baylor School star Harris English, playing with Johnson in the last group, shot 32 on the front nine and lost ground.

"Kind of had my own tournament that I was playing," English said.

His 11-shot victory was the widest margin on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson won by 13 at the TPC Sugarloaf outside Atlanta in 2006, a week before the Masters.

When he tapped in for birdie on the final hole at TPC Boston, he was at 30-under 254, both personal bests.

Johnson became only the third player to finish at 30-under par or better on the PGA Tour. He was one shot from the record Ernie Els set in 2003 at Kapalua. Jordan Spieth was 30 under at Kapalua in 2016. He also was one shot from the 72-hole record Justin Thomas set 253 when he won the Sony Open in 2017.

Johnson wasn't aware of either record. "What is it?" he said when it was over, and then added, "That's all right. Next time."

What led to those numbers was missing only three greens over his last 54 holes none on Sunday while posting rounds of 60-64-63 the final three rounds, the lowest closing 54-hole total in tour history.

The 60 in the second round was noteworthy for Johnson being 11 under through 11 holes. It might have been the first time golf was buzzing about the prospect of a 57. Not many could have guessed he would finish with seven pars.

But then, Johnson is a mystery even at his best.

He shot 61 on his way to winning the Travelers Championship, but when he returned after a two-week break, he had a pair of 80s to miss the cut at Memorial, and a 78 before he withdrew from the 3M Open in Minnesota.

Since then, he has an average score of 66.25 in 12 rounds.

He came off the disappointment of another major that was in his grasp the PGA Championship was his fifth runner-up finish in the majors, including the career Grand Slam of silver medals by steamrolling the top 125 players outside Boston.

Claude Harmon III, his swing coach, recalls Johnson showing up for The Northern Trust, going to the range and then saying, "Bro, what am I supposed to be working on again? I was hitting it good in San Francisco."

And he was. Johnson had a one-shot lead going into the final round at Harding Park and shot 68, only to lose to a 65 by Collin Morikawa. There was disappointment in not adding to his lone major (2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont) but not in the way he played that week.

"I didn't feel like I really did anything wrong at he PGA," Johnson said. "Generally, you shoot 68 on Sunday in a major with the lead on a tough golf course, you're going to win most of the time. So obviously, Collin jut played very, very well. Went home and took a few days off, and then got back to work. The game started feeling really good."

He moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, the fifth time in the postseason he has been at the top. The trick is being No. 1 when it ends at East Lake in two weeks, and that has proven difficult.

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Johnson back to No. 1 with performance that looked the part - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Mill Creek Mayor Pam Pruitt at a city council meeting in 2018. She resigned Monday after more than six years in the job. (Lizz Giordano / The Herald)

Pam Pruitt, a figure in city politics since the 80s, stepped down Monday with little formal notice.

MILL CREEK Mayor Pam Pruitt abruptly resigned Monday after more than six years at the helm of a city that has long shown signs of underlying turmoil.

Pruitt told her fellow City Council members in a letter that she is retiring effective immediately to focus on friends, family and helping those in need.

Ive missed spending time with my friends and family, Pruitt wrote in the letter, dated Monday, which she provided to The Daily Herald. Ive had all the right excuses: Im busy, I have a conflict, etc. Thats over.

The move comes just days after City Finance Director Jeff Balentine ended his tenure at Mill Creek less than five months into the job, citing philosophical differences with city leadership.

Mayor Pro Tem Brian Holtzclaw will assume the role as mayor as the council begins the process of appointing a new council member to the vacant seat, the city said in a news release.

We offer Mayor Pruitt our profound gratitude and respect for her steadfast service to our community, and express our sadness about the news of her resignation, says the news release.

Pruitt is leaving as the city faces a pandemic-induced budget crisis that could deal a $2 million blow to its roughly $30 million general fund in 2020 alone.

The council is also in the middle of City Manager Michael Ciaravinos first annual performance review.

Ciaravino, whom the council hired in the spring of 2019, has come under fire recently for laying off longtime staffers; at the same time, hes drawn criticism for retaining two temporary staffers he worked with at past jobs.

Two of the employees who were let go told The Herald that the environment at City Hall was barely functional, with little or no communication between the administration and the slashed workforce.

The councils evaluation is taking place over the course of two closed-door meetings this month. The first of those executive sessions happened last week. The second is slated for Tuesday, according to a notice on the citys website.

Pruitt, whose term would have concluded at the end of 2021, has a long history as a city leader. She served as a councilwoman during the late 1980s and early 90s and was mayor in 1992 and 1993.

It has been a privilege and honor to serve the residents and businesses of Mill Creek since the mid-1980s both as an activist and later as an elected official, Pruitt said in her resignation letter. When I first ran for office in 1987, it was because I wanted to make life better for everyone in Mill Creek. That has never changed.

The council then again chose her as mayor after her 2013 election, and she has held the seat since.

Pruitt also previously worked as a legislative aide for Snohomish County Councilman Terry Ryan, who stepped down early this year to join the county executives staff.

When I left my employment in Snohomish County last December, it was to volunteer to help people who cannot help themselves, Pruitt said in the letter. With the pandemic, there are even more people who need help. Its in my DNA. Its what I need to do.

She cited some of her accomplishments: lobbying federal officials to get the local post office built, fighting for more than $6 million for improvements to 35th Avenue, and working on a proposal to save law enforcement and fire agencies money on radio communications.

Over the years, the council has cut ties with city manager after city manager as the governing body has struggled to find an adequate chief executive officer for Mill Creek.

A pending lawsuit against the city alleges that Pruitt sought to oust four top city officials after they filed formal complaints in 2018 about the behavior of ex-city manager Rebecca Polizzotto, whom the council later fired amid allegations that she bullied staff and misused her city credit card.

An attorney for former city spokeswoman Joni Kirk, one of the whistleblowers, wrote in the lawsuit that Pruitt penned negative articles regarding the four of them that were published in local newspapers and addressed them in an antagonistic manner during meetings.

Another one of the whistleblowers, then Police Chief Greg Elwin, parted ways with Mill Creek earlier this year after an investigation found that he failed to arrest a fugitive relative living in his home and didnt report a threatening employee comment.

Pruitt declined to comment further on the timing of her departure, aside from what was said in the letter.

The news came as a surprise to Mill Creek Councilman John Steckler.

Shes truly a public servant, Steckler said. She did work very hard for the city. I do wish her the very, very best.

Rachel Riley: 425-339-3465; rriley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rachel_m_riley.

View original post here:
Mill Creek mayor resigns mid-term, citing personal reasons - The Daily Herald

A comprehensive research study titled Global Silicone For Personal Care Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 comprises the current market scenario that demonstrates value chain structure, market size, regional analysis, application, and forecast. The report includes an important study on the global Silicone For Personal Care market along with a realistic overview of the industry. The report includes data about opportunities that will completely change the business environment in the coming years to 2025. The research covers the summary, market dynamics, competitive analysis, and leading players. This report analyzes the historical and forecasted number of companies, locations in the industry, and breaks them down by company size.

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Global Silicone For Personal Care Market 2020 Industry Outlook Dow Corning Corporation, Momentive Performance Materials, BASF SE - Scientect

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Personal Mobility Devices Market is Booming Worldwide 2020-2027 | NOVA Medical Products, Performance Health, Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, Medline...

WASHINGTON A rising generation of Republican stars offered an optimistic view of President Donald Trumps leadership, but were undermined on the opening night of the GOPs scaled-back convention by speakers issuing dark warnings about the countrys future and distorting the presidents record, particularly on the pandemic.

As Trump faces pressure to expand his appeal beyond his loyal supporters, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senates sole Black Republican, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, sought to cast the GOP as welcoming to Americans of color, despite the partys overwhelmingly white leadership and voting base.

I was a brown girl in a black and white world, Haley said Monday night, noting that she faced discrimination but rejecting the idea that America is a racist country. She also gave a nod to the Black Lives Matter movement, saying of course we know that every single Black life is valuable.

But the prime-time convention proceedings, which featured a blend of taped and live speeches, focused largely on dire talk about Joe Biden, Trumps Democratic challenger in the November election. Speakers ominously warned that electing Biden would lead to violence in American cities spilling into the suburbs, a frequent Trump campaign message with racist undertones. One speaker called Trump the bodyguard of Western civilization.

Scrambling to find a message that sticks, Trumps team tried out multiple themes and tactics over the course of the night. They featured optimism from those who could represent the GOPs future, attempts to characterize Biden as a vessel for socialists and far-left Democrats despite his moderate record, and humanizing stories about the 74-year-old man who sits in the Oval Office.

Trump and a parade of fellow Republicans misrepresented Bidens agenda through the evening, falsely accusing him of proposing to defund police, ban oil fracking, take over health care, open borders and raise taxes on most Americans. They tried to assign positions of the Democratic left to a middle-of-the-road candidate who explicitly rejected many of the partys most liberal positions through the primaries.

The opening night of the four-day convention reflected the rising urgency fueling Trumps push to reshape a presidential contest that he is losing, at least for now, with Election Day just 10 weeks away. It will continue on Tuesday when first lady Melania Trump will deliver remarks from the White House.

Biden and his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are keeping a relatively low profile this week. In a tweet Monday night, Biden told supporters to stay focused.

The emphasis on diversity at Trumps convention was an acknowledgement that he must expand his coalition beyond his largely white base. Polling shows that Black Americans continue to be overwhelmingly negative in their assessments of the presidents performance, with his approval hovering around 1 in 10 over the course of his presidency, according to Gallup polling.

One of several African Americans on Monday nights schedule, former football star Herschel Walker, defended the president against those who call him a racist.

It hurts my soul to hear the terrible names that people call Donald, Walker said. The worst one is racist. I take it as a personal insult that people would think I would have a 37-year friendship with a racist.

But that emphasis clashed with Trumps instinct to energize his die-hard loyalists.

He featured, for example, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple charged with felonies for pointing guns at what prosecutors deemed non-violent Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their home.

What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country, Patricia McCloskey said, sitting on a couch in a wood-paneled room.

Theyve actually charged us with felonies for daring to defend our home, her husband said.

And Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida said Democrats will disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your home, and invite MS-13 to live next door.

Trumps political future may depend on his ability to convince voters that America is on the right track, even as the coronavirus death toll exceeds 177,000 and pandemic-related job losses also reach into the millions

A deep sense of pessimism has settled over the electorate 10 weeks before Election Day. Just 23% of Americans think the country is heading in the right direction, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Trump and his supporters touted his response to the pandemic while standing alongside front-line workers in the White House, although he glossed over the mounting death toll, the most in the world, and his administrations struggle to control the disease.

Organizers also repeatedly sought to cast Trump as an empathetic figure, borrowing a page from the Democrats convention playbook a week ago that effectively highlighted Bidens personal connection to voters.

Those cheering Trumps leadership on the pandemic included a coronavirus patient, a small business owner from Montana and a nurse practitioner from Virginia.

As a healthcare professional, I can tell you without hesitation, Donald Trumps quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during COVID-19, said Amy Ford, a registered nurse who was deployed to New York and Texas to fight the coronavirus.

The first day of the 2020 Republican convention began early in the day as Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were renominated by delegates who gathered in Charlotte, the city that was originally selected to host the convention before the pandemic struck.

Trump paid a surprise visit and he city, where he warned delegates that the only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election, raising anew his unsupported concerns about Americans expected reliance on mail voting during the pandemic. Experts say mail voting has proven remarkably secure.

The fact that the Republicans gathered at all stood in contrast to the Democrats, who held an all-virtual convention last week. The Democratic programming included a well-received roll call video montage featuring diverse officials from across the nation.

The Republicans spoke from the ballroom in Charlotte and were overwhelmingly white before the proceedings moved to Washington for prime-time.

--By Steve Peoples, Michelle L. Price and Zeke Miller

Read the original here:
RNC 2020: Republicans open convention with rising stars, dark warnings - AL.com

By: Dr. Greg Cartin August 22, 2020

Everyone has first-tee jitters, but they can be tamed.

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Q: Whats the secret to dealing with first-tee jitters? Barker, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

A: All golfers get butterflies in the stomach on the first tee, mostly from anticipation. They creep in as you peek into the future and suddenly predict that something is about to go wrong. Because you havent yet experienced the actual moment, you feel helpless and out of control. Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle calls this the anxiety gap, and this attempt to control a future that hasnt occurred yet can be a scary proposition.

The need for control is normal. Its not the jitters that cause the bad shots; its the judgment you cast on yourself for simply feeling nervous. We judge ourselves negatively, for example, by wishing we were stronger mentally and could rule out all bad thoughts. Insisting on this kind of elusive self-control just increases tension. Instead, if you want to deal with the first-tee jitters, allow yourself to feel the anxiety without changing it. This can be a difficult task, because humans are continually seeking comfort, but accepting uncomfortable feelings ultimately creates the freedom you need to motor out of the blocks.

GOLFs new performance columnist Dr. Greg Cartin is the founder of GC3 Performance Consulting based in Belmont, Mass. He works with PGA Tour players and athletes of all levels and ages. Have questions? Send em to performance@golf.com.

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Ask an Expert: Whats the secret to dealing with the first-tee jitters? - Golf.com

Whatever we thought 2020 was going to look like, we were all dead wrong. The rapidly evolving world right now requires us to drop familiar mindsets, learn new skills, develop new habits and let go of old rules of life and making the most of it. Adaptability is required when circumstances change.

The right books can help you adapt as the world is going through a historic transformation, develop the right skills to prepare yourself for the world of work, challenge yourself professionally, practice mindfulness even when there is chaos around you and build mental toughness to keep moving.

Some of these books can help you improve your coping and adaptability skills to thrive in the new world.

The definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis from global financial collapse to a pandemic. Civilization is still standing now, but that does not mean it always will Wed better know what to do in the event of a deadly viral pandemic, major asteroid strike, unprecedented hyper-inflationary (or deflationary) economic depression, third World War, or any other global disaster, Rawles argues. The Futurist

A remarkable combination of personal mediation and psychological and artistic inquiry, The Lonely City is always superbly written, fascinating and often sharply moving. Ultimately the book has a paradoxical effect: at the same time as it makes one aware of ones own inescapable solitude, it leaves one feeling less alone.Adam Foulds, author of In the Wolfs Mouth

A goldmine of surprising insights. Makes you smarter with every page James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits

Urgent and important. . . an essential read for bosses, parents, coaches, and anyone who cares about improving performance Daniel H. Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

A complex, smart and ambitious book that at first reads like a self-help manual, then blossoms into a wide-ranging political manifesto. Jonah Engel Bromwich, The New York Times Book Review

One of President Barack Obamas Favourite Books of 2019.

A captivating, charming read on harnessing confidence and poise. Demystifying a century of science, Amy Cuddy shows how we can achieve greater success and sincerity by changing the way we carry ourselves. Adam Grant, author of Originals and Give and Take

The Reality Revolution is a powerful movement of awareness and empowerment, helping people discover the deeper truths about life and reality. Brians work continues to establish him as a respected individual in the field of reality creation and enables people to create their lives more consciously. Im honored to have been a part of his mission! Sunny Sharma, Personal Mastery Quest

Ripley is a voyeur on a mission. . . . Her conviction: Wed all stand a better chance of surviving a disaster if we understood what happens to our little gray cells when things get ugly. . . . Spiced with surprising factoids, this book might save your life one day. Bloomberg News

Irvine excels at giving a walking tour of the many schools of Stoic philosophy, from Greek to Roman traditions, identifying individual Stoic thinkers (many more than Seneca) and their principles and techniques, which Irvine argues are even more relevant in modern times than their own. Philosophical Practice

Ill be forever changed by Dr. Egers storyThe Choice is a reminder of what courage looks like in the worst of times and that we all have the ability to pay attention to what weve lost, or to pay attention to what we still have. Oprah

Egers unique background gives her amazing insight, writes Bill Gates, and I think many people will find comfort right now from her suggestions on how to handle difficult situations.

In this best-selling book, spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle teachers readers how to shift their mindset and embrace the power of mindfulness, recognize thought patterns, and learn to detach from their emotions. Business Insider

Happy reading!

This post was previously published on Kaizen Habits and is republished here with permission from the author.

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Originally posted here:
10 Books That Can Help You Stay on Top of a Rapidly Evolving World - The Good Men Project

Paying to much in taxes in retirement is for the dogs.

Assuming you still have some form of income, tax planning does not end once you retire. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will always expect you to pay taxes on your retirement income. For those who are well prepared to maintain their standard of living in retirement, many find their tax bills are similar to when they were working full time. Some of you may even find you are paying more in taxes; this is common for retiring business owners.

As the saying goes, nothing is certain except death and taxes. How can you make the most of your retirement investments and keep more of your hard-earned retirement income from getting sucked up by taxes? First, take the time to do the necessary tax planning to avoid the following retirement income tax mistakes that can drastically reduce your financial security as you age.Making tax-smart moves can help you get the absolute maximum enjoyment from your retirement income. Ignoring these retirement tax mistakes could lead to both paying more in taxes and running out of money earlier than necessary.

The Six Retirement Tax Planning Mistakes That Could Kill Financial Security

Tax Planning can help your have a happier retirement.

Retirement Tax Mistake #1:Assuming Your Taxes Will Be Lower in Retirement

Even if they were able to live tax-free, most Americans are not prepared financially to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Still, many assume their taxes will be lower once they leave the workforce. Those who do end up paying fewer taxes in retirement often do so by simply having a smaller retirement income, which is not likely the dream retirement.

After suffering through nearly four years of the Trump Presidency, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, and the national debt has skyrocketed. Tens of millions of Americans are out of work. Thousands of baby-boomers are reaching retirement age, leaving the workforce, and moving onto rolls of government programs like Social Security and Medicare. We have known for decades that changes will need to be made to keep these expensive government programs solvent. It is hard to see how that will happen without taxes being raised at some point in the future. As a financial planner, I know that cutting benefits would be untenable, politically, and devastating for the millions of retirees who rely on Social Security to meet their basic needs.

On a brighter note,Americans have saved trillions of dollars into tax-deferred retirement accounts like a 401(k) or IRA.Keep in mind that taxes will be due once funds are withdrawn from those accounts. If tax rates increase, you may have similar, or even higher, tax bills in retirement.

Have you ever heard of provisional income? Im guessing most of you said, No. Provisional income is what the IRS uses to determine whether or not yourSocial Security benefitswill be taxed. Yes, Social Security income can be subject to taxation from the IRS.

For those with distributions from retirement accounts like an IRA or 401(k), they count as part of your provisional income. These distributions are added to any 1099 forms you receive from your taxable investments and to one-half of your Social Security benefits for the year. If that income totals more than $34,000 for singles or $44,000 for a married couple, filing jointly, a whopping 85% of your Social Security benefits will become taxable at your highest marginal tax bracket.

Talk to your financial planner to determine whether you will be above those relatively small retirement-income numbers in retirement. There are a variety of ways to strategically minimize the taxes on your Social Security benefits. Lumping IRA withdrawals into one year and diversifying your retirement savings into taxable and non-taxable accounts are a couple of ways. Higher earners (above $200,000 per year) may want to check out theRich Person Roth IRA for even more tax-free income in retirement.

The contribution limit for a Roth IRA is just $6,000, per year, in 2020. For the average American, only saving that amount each year, and only having one type of retirement account, will most likely not be enough savings for retirement. Yes, you read that right. Solely contributing the maximum amount of $6,000 each year into a Roth IRA will not likely grow enough to help you achieve financial independence. Luckily, there is now a Roth 401(k) option with an annual $19,500 contribution limit.However, your employer has to offer this option as part of the employee benefits package.

Many of you reading this will likely make too much money to contribute to a Roth IRA. Married couples making more than $203,000, per year, in 2020 are not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA at all.

Some of you might be asking, Why is ignoring a Roth IRA a problem? The reason is that having both a Roth IRA account and traditional IRA or 401(k) allows you to diversify some of your tax-rate risk in retirement. If you have a big-income year, or taxes are higher in one year, you can pull more money from the Roth (tax-free withdrawals) and less from the 401(k) (taxable withdrawal).

Retirement Tax Mistake #4:Ignoring Taxes All Together

Have you ever looked at a retirement calculator, or projection, and said, I could live off that amount of retirement income.? Perhaps you did not realize that the retirement income estimate was before taxes? This problem is easy to fix when you are years away from retirement. When you have already left the workforce, it will be much harder to make up the difference. It is essential to point out that for those with large retirement nest eggs, federal taxes can be as high as 37% (current tax rates for 2020).

Additionally, state taxes can also be high. Californias tax rate is 13.3%. States with lofty tax rates often cause people to ask themselves,Should I move from my high-tax state after I retire?

Retirement Tax Mistake #5:No Strategy to Minimize Taxes

For retirees relying solely on Social Security, there is not much tax planning needed. For everyone else with higher retirement incomes, a penny saved is a penny earned, as the saying goes. Be proactive with tax planning. That will help you keep more of your hard-earned money out of Uncle Sams hands. If you need a little push, contact aCertified Financial Plannerwho can help you develop a strategy to minimize taxes.

Retirement Tax Mistake #6: Taking Withdrawals from your retirement accounts in the Wrong Order

Throughout this article, we have been talking about putting off taxes as long as possible and how to minimize taxes in retirement. This often leads people to spend down their post-tax investment accounts first, in retirement. This can lead many to feel like they have more money than they do. Without taxes being due on withdrawals, you will take home more money from a post-tax investment account compared to IRA or 401(k) accounts.

You may see your net worth continues to grow even after withdrawals. That has been especially true over the last few years of the bull market. If that has been the case, you could be sitting on a tax time bomb. Once the post-tax money is gone, all your retirement income will be taxable (assuming funds are held in IRA or 401(k) accounts). You will have little to no options to minimize taxes once that happens.

While it is a bit more complicated, most people will benefit from taking some money from accounts like a 401(k) now. Yes, you would pay taxes when you withdraw the money, but the goal would be to minimize taxes over your entire retirement while paying as little as possible on each withdrawal.

Bottom line - Do not forget about taxes when planning for retirement. A little proactive tax planning will help you earn income in your golden years as efficiently as possible. Also, you want to pay the least amount of taxes as possible so you can keep as much of your hard-earned money as you can.

See the article here:
Tax Mistakes In 2020 That Could Ruin Your Retirement - Forbes