Up to $20,000 Available for Research
into Shakespeare Authorship Question
NATION – Up to $20,000 is available for researchers who wish to explore the Shakespeare Authorship Question and the thesis first proposed by J. Thomas Looney in 1920 that “William Shake-Speare” is a pseudonym used by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford to conceal his identity. Deadline to apply for the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Research Grant Program is Nov. 30.
The purpose of SOF's grant program is to promote new research about Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, including details about his biography, his literary life, and supporting evidence for his case as the true author of the Shakespeare canon. Established in 2014, this is the only program supporting research into the centuries old Shakespeare Authorship Question dating back to the Elizabethan era. In the past, the program has helped to underwrite research in the UK, France, and Italy. Research results have including the discovery of a document written in Latin and Italian by Edward de Vere located in the archives of Venice.
Approximately one to four grants, ranging in amount from $2,000 to $20,000 will be awarded, depending on project proposals submitted. Financial need will be taken into account if noted on the application. New unpublished applicants will be preferred to encourage new researchers.
Grant applicants must focus on a specific topic for research, and not general research. Applicants must outline a specific plan of action, identify the expected results, and how this will advance Oxfordian and Shakespeare Authorship studies. Grant funds may be used for travel, materials, fees and, where appropriate, living expenses.
Proposals will be judged by a selection committee appointed by the SOF President, made up of individuals who are familiar with Oxfordian and Shakespeare Authorship studies. Grantees will be expected to complete their research within 9 months of receiving their grant award, and are required to submit a written report to the SOF Board of Trustees within the following three months.
A summary of the project will be published in one of the SOF publications, whether or not the project achieved the expected results.
Grantees will be announced in January 2020. For additional information, official terms, and grant application, visit: https://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org/shakespeare-oxford-fellowship-research-grant-program/
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USDA Invests in the Expansion of Rural Education and Health Care Access
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Investments will benefit 5.4 Million Rural Residents in 37 States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2019 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy today announced that USDA is investing $42.5 million in 133 distance learning and telemedicine projects (PDF, 238 KB) in 37 states and two U.S. territories. USDA is providing the funding through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. These investments will benefit 5.4 million rural residents.
“Distance learning and telemedicine make it easier for thousands of rural residents to take advantage of economic, health care and educational opportunities without having to travel long distances,” LaVoy said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to partnering with rural communities to help them improve their quality of life, because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
USDA is announcing investments today in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Below are examples of projects announced today:
Applicants eligible for Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants include most State and local governmental entities, federally-recognized tribes, nonprofits, for-profit businesses and consortia of eligible entities.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Supporting the rural workforce was a cornerstone recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants and Red Hanger team up for annual Warm Bodies, Warm Souls Coat Drive to benefit 13 Utah charities
Arctic Circle and Red Hanger offer special incentives for people to drop off donations
OGDEN, Utah, Nov. 18, 2018 – Providing for people in need is top of mind this winter, with the early entrance of cold weather and the growing need for shelter beds for people who are homeless in communities across the state. That’s why Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle Restaurants and Red Hanger are co-sponsoring the eighth annual Warm Bodies, Warm Souls coat drive Nov. 18 – Dec. 15, to benefit 13 charities in the state.
The public is invited to drop off new or gently-used coats, hats, scarves, gloves and blankets and new underwear and socks for adults and children at any of Bank of Utah’s 20 full-service bank branches and mortgage offices; Arctic Circle’s 33 restaurants from Tremonton to Spanish Fork and Red Hanger’s 22 locations along the Wasatch Front. Bank of Utah is also accepting cash donations that can be earmarked for the participating charities.
“The cold weather came early this year, and many charities that serve people who are homeless or struggling to provide for their families, have issued requests for these warm clothing items,” said Douglas L. DeFries, Bank of Utah president. “So, we’re trying to make it as convenient as possible to donate by offering 70 drop off locations between us.”
And to thank people for donating, Arctic Circle is offering a coupon for a free double cheeseburger to those who donate at their restaurants, Red Hanger will give customers a certificate for a free shirt cleaning for donating at their dry cleaner locations, and Bank of Utah will offer a choice of those coupons at their locations.
“Bank of Utah started the Warm Bodies, Warm Souls coat drive in 2011, as part of our effort to give back to our bank communities,” said DeFries. “Arctic Circle Restaurants and their foundation, Arctic Cares, joined us in 2014, which greatly broadened the reach of the campaign through more locations and advertising support. And now, Red Hanger has joined us for a third year to offer additional drop off sites and their trucks to pick up and collect the donations. We’re extremely grateful to these generous partners.”
After Dec. 15, Bank of Utah and partners will distribute donations to the following charities:
For more information on the coat drive and a list of drop off locations visit bankofutah.com/warm-bodies-warm-souls.
# # #
About Bank of Utah
Beautiful evergreen trees are admired for their ability to thrive in all kinds of conditions, symbolizing strength, protection, growth and knowledge. Like the sturdy pine in its logo, Bank of Utah has thrived for nearly 67 years to become one of the strongest banks in the country. Its roots were firmly planted in 1952 by the Frank M. Browning family of Ogden, and the bank has grown to more than 350 employees and $1.4 billion in assets. Bank of Utah has 17 full-service branches in Tremonton, Logan, Brigham City, Ogden, Roy Layton, Bountiful, Salt Lake, Heber City, Lindon, Orem and Provo, mortgage offices in St. George, Price, Logan and Sandy, and corporate trust teams in Ogden and Salt Lake City. Bank of Utah offers personal and business banking, mortgage and commercial lending and trust and investment services. When you see a durable evergreen tree, remember Bank of Utah and its commitment to serve its thousands of customers for many years to come. For more information call 1-800-516-5559 or visit bankofutah.com.
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Which would you prefer―nuclear war or climate catastrophe?
by Lawrence Wittner
949 words
To: The people of the world
From: The Joint Public Relations Department of the Great Powers
The world owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Boris Johnson, and other heroic rulers of our glorious nations. Not only are they hard at work making their respective countries great again, but they are providing you, the people of the world, with a choice between two opportunities for mass death and destruction.
Throughout the broad sweep of history, leaders of competing territories and eventually nations labored at fostering human annihilation, but, given the rudimentary state of their technology, were only partially successful. Yes, they did manage to slaughter vast numbers of people through repeated massacres and constant wars. The Thirty Years War of 1618-1648, for example, resulted in more than eight million casualties, a substantial portion of Europe’s population. And, of course, World Wars I and II, supplemented by a hearty dose of genocide along the way, did a remarkably good job of ravaging populations, crippling tens of millions of survivors, and blasting much of world civilization to rubble. Even so, despite the best efforts of national rulers and the never-ending glory they derived from these events, large numbers of people somehow survived.
Therefore, in August 1945, the rulers of the great powers took a great leap forward with their development―and immediate use―of a new, advanced implement for mass destruction: nuclear weapons. Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin were all eager to employ atomic bombs against the people of Japan. Upon receiving the news that the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima had successfully obliterated the population of that city, Truman rejoiced and called the action “the greatest thing in history.”
Efforts to enhance national grandeur followed during subsequent decades, as the rulers of the great powers (and some pathetic imitators) engaged in an enormous nuclear arms race. Determined to achieve military supremacy, they spared no expense, employed Nazi scientists and slave labor, and set off vast nuclear explosions on the lands of colonized people and in their own countries. By the 1980s, about 70,000 nuclear weapons were under their command―more than enough to destroy the world many times over. Heartened by their national strength, our rulers threw down the gauntlet to their enemies and predicted that their nations would emerge victorious in a nuclear war.
But, alas, the public, failing to appreciate these valiant efforts, grew restive―indeed, disturbingly unpatriotic. Accordingly, they began to sabotage these advances by demanding that their governments step back from the brink of nuclear war, forgo nuclear buildups, and adopt nuclear arms control and disarmament treaties. The popular clamor became so great that even Ronald Reagan―a longtime supporter of nuclear supremacy and “winnable” nuclear wars―crumpled. Championing nuclear disarmament, he began declaring that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” National glory had been sacrificed on the altar of a cowardly quest for human survival.
Fortunately, those days are long past. In the United States, President Trump is determined to restore America’s greatness by scrapping nuclear arms control and disarmament agreements, spending $1.7 trillion on refurbishing the entire U.S. nuclear weapons complex, and threatening to eradicate other nations through nuclear war. Meanwhile, the president’s good friends in Moscow, Beijing, London, Paris, New Delhi, and elsewhere are busy spurring on their own national nuclear weapons buildups. As they rightly insist: The only way to stop a bad nation with the Bomb is with a good nation with the Bomb.
Nor is that all! Recently, our rulers have opened up a second opportunity for a planetary destruction: climate catastrophe. Some scientists, never satisfied with leaving the running of public affairs to their wise rulers, have claimed that, thanks to the burning of fossil fuels, rising temperatures are melting the polar icecaps, heightening sea levels, and causing massive hurricanes and floods, desertification, agricultural collapse, and enormous wildfires. As a result, they say, human and other life forms are on their way to extinction.
These scientists―and the deluded people who give them any credence―are much like the critics of nuclear weapons: skeptics, nay-sayers, and traitorously indifferent to national grandeur. By contrast, our rulers understand that any curbing of the use of fossil fuels—or, for that matter, any cutbacks in the sale of the products that make our countries great―would interfere with corporate profits, undermine business growth and expansion, and represent a retreat from the national glory that is their due. Consequently, even if by some remote chance we are entering a period of climate disruption, our rulers will refuse to give way before these unpatriotic attacks. As courageous leaders, they will never retreat before the prospect of your mass death and destruction.
We are sure that you, as loyal citizens, are as enthusiastic as we are about this staunch defense of national glory. So, if you notice anyone challenging this approach, please notify your local Homeland Security office. Meanwhile, rest assured, our governments will also be closely monitoring these malcontents and subversives!
Naturally, your rulers would love to have your feedback. Therefore, we are submitting to you this question: Which would you prefer―destruction by nuclear war or destruction by climate catastrophe? Nuclear war will end your existence fairly quickly through blast or fire, although your death would be slower and more agonizing if you survived long enough to die of radiation sickness or starvation. On the other hand, climate catastrophe has appealing variety, for you could die by fire, water, or hunger. Or you might simply roast slowly thanks to unbearable temperatures.
We’d appreciate receiving your opinion on this matter. After all, providing you with this kind of choice is a vital part of making our nations great again!
–end–
Dr. Lawrence Wittner, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor of History emeritus at SUNY/Albany and the author of Confronting the Bomb (Stanford University Press).
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Top Seattle-Area Investors Back Pre-Seed Round for Fast Growing, Female-Founded Company
Seattle, WA – November 20, 2019 – Give InKind, the social platform for coordinating community support in times of need, today announces the closure of a pre-seed investment round totaling $1.5M. Give InKind launched in beta September 2016, and released its full version in January 2019. The platform has grown 20% every month since.
“Life can change in an instant. When someone has a new baby, an unexpected illness, or anything unforeseen – friends, families, and communities all want to help, but most don’t know how,” says Give InKind CEO and Founder Laura Malcolm. “Give InKind makes it easy for people to support one another, from anywhere. Thousands of people across America have already channeled support and received help through Give InKind. With the backing of a great group of investors, I’m thrilled to help communities make life easier for everyone who needs help, anytime, anywhere.”
Give InKind participated in the Ready, Set, Raise accelerator from the Female Founders Alliance, culminating in an investor demo-day in mid-October. “By the end of demo day, our round was already oversubscribed, and we tripled our fundraising goal within weeks,” said Malcolm. “The intense six-week program gave us valuable access to mentorships, pitch coaching, and relationships with some of Seattle’s best investors.”
Give InKind was selected among the Ready Set Raise participants and awarded a $100k investment from Trilogy Equity Partners. Additional investors include Madrona Venture Group, SeaChange Fund, Keeler Investments, FAM Fund, and Grubstakes. X Factor Ventures, a venture capital fund by and for female founders nationally, also participated in the round, as did many of Seattle’s most influential angel investors.
“Give InKind solves a universal problem,” says Trilogy Equity Partners Managing Director Amy McCullough. “Everyone needs help at some point in their life, and most of us know the feeling of wanting to support our friends, families, and communities. We are proud and excited to partner with Give InKind as they become the universal solution for how we give in times of need.“
Give InKind will use the funding to continue to grow its platform and reach, and develop strategic offerings for healthcare, churches, and other organizations. Says Malcolm, “Seeing the number of lives that have already been impacted by Give InKind has been powerful, and knowing that we’ll now be able to grow that impact even faster is an honor.”
About Give InKind
Give InKind is a modern social platform for coordinating support when life is disrupted. From the birth of a baby, to loss of a family member, to medical crisis, and disasters, friends and families need ways to give and receive help, from anywhere. Give InKind facilitates comprehensive support with its Care Calendar, Wishlist, and Donations on one easy-to-use page, empowering communities to support one another through life events that need more than just money. To learn more visit: https://www.giveinkind.com
URL: https://www.giveinkind.com/articles/give-inkind-raises-1-5m-grow-social-support-platform
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It's time. End the draft, once and for all
By Rivera Sun
627 words
We may be months away from ending the US military draft, once and for all. After a court ruled that the male-only draft was unconstitutional, a Congress-appointed Commission has been studying whether or not to draft women into the US military. They make their report in March, and will likely either advocate for expanding draft registration to women or abolishing the draft, once and for all.
Instead of expanding the draft to women, it's time to end the draft for all genders.
Drafting women is a deeply unpopular idea. For months, people have been testifying against it to the Commission. Even the former director of the Selective Service thinks it's time to get rid of draft registration altogether. Currently, the US military draft is in a state of dysfunction. For decades, millions of men have refused and/or failed to register. The consequences can and do impact men's lives, including everything from being barred from government jobs to being denied drivers licenses. This situation is deeply unjust and has been opposed for decades by several generations of draft resisters.
Expanding the draft to women will only deepen its unpopularity and make it even less functional as women join the ranks of draft resisters.
Some people, particularly men, say that if women want equal rights, they should be equally drafted. Feminists of all genders reject this idea. There's nothing feminist about drafting women. While we support equal access to opportunity and employment in all sectors of the economy, gender equality cannot be achieved by forcing women against their will into the military. Involuntary conscription - for anyone - is an affront to liberty. No one should be forced into servitude against their will. There are words for that, slavery and exploitation among them.
The only moral form of equality is to end the draft for all genders.
Women, specifically anti-war feminists, have opposed the draft for centuries. They have robustly critiqued war and militarism, and continue to do so to this day. In solidarity with women around the world, they refuse to support wars and decry the specific ways that war disproportionately harms women civilians and their children. True gender equality does not mean forcing women to fight wars they oppose. It means including women's voices - in balance with people of all genders - at all levels of policy making. It means waging peace, not war. It means incorporating the practical and effective tools of peacebuilding, diplomacy, unarmed peacekeeping, civilian-based defense, civil resistance, and more into our approaches to conflict.
We stand at a crossroads. This is a moment where the United States could take a step forward in ending a policy that is deeply disliked and resisted by millions of men. The military draft is unenforceable, unpopular, unsupported, unequal, and unjust. It's time to call for the end of the military draft. The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service is soliciting comments on all forms of national service. They need to hear from people urging them to end the draft and draft registration for all genders. Make your comments to the Commission until December 31, 2019.
Here are the three main points many people are making:
1) Draft registration should be ended for everyone, not extended to women;
2) All criminal, civil, federal and state penalties for failure to register must be ended and overturned for those currently living under these penalties; and
3) National service should remain voluntary. Compulsory service, whether civilian or military, is in conflict with the principles of a democratic and free society.
Speak up. Raise your voice. This is an important moment, one that might prove to be a breakthrough moment if we speak decisively and urgently. Tell the Commission: it's time to end the draft for all genders, once and for all.
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Rivera Sun, syndicated by PeaceVoice, has written numerous books, including The Dandelion Insurrection. She is the editor of Nonviolence News and a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent campaigns.
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USDA Invests $4.3 Million in Rural Broadband for New York Families
IRVING, N.Y., Nov. 21, 2019 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $4.3 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 1,000 rural households on the Seneca Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory in western New York. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“Today, e-Connectivity is no longer an amenity. It is a necessity,” LaVoy said. “Our core mission at USDA is to increase rural prosperity, and this mission cannot be achieved without addressing the digital divide our rural communities face due to a lack of high-speed broadband internet. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in deploying this critical infrastructure, because we know when rural America prospers, all of America prospers.”
Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr. added, “This ReConnect Program award from USDA will help the Seneca Nation take a major step forward to closing the digital divide that exists for our people. Access to reliable broadband service is critical in today’s age. Bringing this service to our Cattaraugus Territory will greatly impact areas like education, health care and the overall quality of life for the Seneca people.”
The Seneca Nation, through Seneca Telecommunications, will use a ReConnect Program grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater. The funded service area includes more than 1,000 households, 58 businesses, 25 farms, three educational facilities, one health care center and one critical community facility. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people on the Cattaraugus Territory and in the local community.
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
