Fwd: Will we see you at AWP? Come Say Hi!

It's AWP Week! This year's conference is taking place in our backyard, and we couldn't be more excited. Stop by and visit us at booth 1056. There are so many excellent panels this year, and we've curated a list of a few each day that you should definitely check out. Take a peek below! Final Week to Enter!  $5000 Awarded – Ten Writers Recognized Just a few days left to enter our anthology, a collection of ten stories and essays written by the best emerging authors. The ten winners are nationally distributed in a printed book with their stories and essays exposed to top agents, editors, and authors across the country. We are thrilled to have guest judge, Kate Bernheimer, selecting the ten stories that will make up Anthology VIII. Send us your best work by March 31! << view FAQ here >> Add this Contest to your Calendar Recently we welcomed "Year of the Snake" by A. J. Bermudez to our New Voices catalog. A triptych following the zodiac calendar, "Year of the Snake" illustrates how much we can change—our goals, visions, definitions of success—and how much stays the same. Copyright © 2019 Masters Review, All rights reserved. We send industry news, writing contests and upcoming deadlines, as well as pertinent topics for writers who have expressed interest in The Masters Review. Our mailing address is: Masters Review 70 SW Century Dr. #100442 Bend, Oregon 97702 Add us to your address book

Fwd: March 28 public meeting preliminary agenda now available

The Preliminary Agenda is now available for the Internet Policy Task Force's upcoming public meeting.

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Copyright Alert Preliminary agenda now available for the Developing the Digital Marketplace for Copyrighted Works public meeting On March 28, the Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force will host the third public meeting on Developing the Digital Marketplace for Copyrighted Works at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Experts will discuss how developing technologies are changing the digital marketplace; provide updates to important standards initiatives; and share perspectives on developments in music, news, visual arts, movies, and other industries. The U.S. Copyright Office will give an overview of its modernization efforts, and companies will share how innovative solutions are shaping digital marketplace developments. The preliminary event agenda can be found here. This event will be webcast, however we encourage participants to attend in person. To register to attend in person or online, please visit the USPTO's event page.  Stay connected with the USPTO by subscribing to regular email updates. Visit our subscription center at www.uspto.gov/subscribe to update or change your email preferences. This email was sent from an unmonitored mailbox. To contact us, please visit our website www.uspto.gov/about/contacts. To ensure that you continue to receive our news and notices, please modify your email filters to allow mail from subscriptioncenter@subscriptions.uspto.gov.

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Fw: Global Impact Visa (GIVs): Applications closing soon

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<immigration@customer.immigration.govt.nz> wrote:

> Applications for the next EHF cohort are open. If you're interested in creating scalable, positive global impact, from here in New Zealand, make sure you apply before 31st of March.
>
> click here to view online
>
> [https://register.newzealandnow.govt.nz/mail/read/4_nl45fx55v4cfy913c89w0r7x09j6xdbw84zrl0rzbjknmd4977lb6s1t_0y_dk9b1lv26n78r80s50bm_4d?fileID=fYPQIX00BU2GJgjUBy7Hng]
>
> [https://register.newzealandnow.govt.nz/files/file/OELOCJM_xUq2EAjUA_WtPA]
>
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>
> Are you interested in creating positive global impact as an entrepreneur, investor or change-maker? You may be interested in applying for the Global Impact Visa (GIVs).
>
> Delivered in partnership with the Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF), the programme brings together world-class entrepreneurs, investors and change-makers to build innovative ventures to tackle global challenges.
>
> If you'd like to be considered, make sure you submit your application before the 31st of March via the EHF website. Submitting an application takes as little as 30 minutes to complete and costs USD $350 for entrepreneurs who apply before the 10th of February (with additional costs for those who are accepted). 
>
> Find out more and apply
>
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> Upcoming conversations
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>
> EHF is hosting a series of webinar conversations over the coming weeks to further describe the Global Impact Visa, the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, and to help address any questions you may have. If you're interested in taking part, register here.
>
> Register for an upcoming conversation
>
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> Meet the current EHF Fellows
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> Four cohorts of Fellows have been accepted into the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. To learn more about what EHF are looking for, click below to meet the current EHF Fellows.
>
> Meet the current EHF Fellows
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> Explore other visa options
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> GIVs not quite right for you? Not to worry. We have a range of visa options depending on whether you want to work, study, or invest here. Take a look on New Zealand Now to explore your visa options.
>
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> Explore New Zealand visa options
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Fw: Mergers & Acquisitions: Friday, March 22, 2019

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>  
>
> Contact us | Subscribe | Send to a Friend
>
>  
>
>  
>
> Insurance Mergers & Moves
>
> --------------------------
>
>  
>
> March 22, 2019
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
> ### Business Moves & Mergers of Special Note
>
>  
>
> #### The Strategy Behind Hamilton Insurance's Move to Buy Pembroke, Ironshore Europe
>
> Mar 15, 2019 -- Strategy plus some remarkably good timing helped lead to Hamilton Insurance Group's first acquisition deal under the leadership of CEO...
>
>  
>
> #### Italy's Generali to Seek Acquisitions in Europe, Asia and U.S., Says CEO Donnet
>
> Mar 15, 2019 -- Italy's top insurer Generali said it was ready to look around for growth opportunities in Europe, Asia and the U.S. on Thursday and said...
>
>  
>
> #### Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Connecticut's Merit Insurance
>
> Mar 11, 2019 -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Shelton, Conn.-based Merit Insurance Inc. Founded in 1950, Merit Insurance is a retail...
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
> ### Business Moves & Mergers
>
>  
>
> #### Swiss Re-Backed FWD in Talks for Biggest-Ever Southeast Asian Insurance Deal
>
> Mar 22, 2019 -- FWD Group, backed by billionaire Richard Li, has revived talks about a potential acquisition of the life insurance operations of...
>
>  
>
> #### Liberty Mutual Opens European Headquarters in Luxembourg in Preparation for Brexit
>
> Mar 21, 2019 -- Liberty Specialty Markets, part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, said it has re-domiciled its European insurance company Liberty Mutual...
>
>  
>
> #### BNP Paribas' Insurance Unit Cuts Exposure to Coal on Climate Change Concerns
>
> Mar 19, 2019 -- The Cardif insurance division of BNP Paribas, France's largest bank, on Monday outlined new targets to reduce its exposure to coal as...
>
>  
>
> #### U.S. Fintech Firm to Buy Worldpay for $35B in Biggest Ever Digital Payments Deal
>
> Mar 18, 2019 -- Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS) agreed to buy Worldpay for about $35 billion on Monday, with the U.S. financial...
>
>  
>
> #### Allianz Explores Deal with Deutsche Bank's Asset Management Arm: Sources
>
> Mar 18, 2019 -- Allianz SE is exploring the possibility of a combination of its asset management arm with Deutsche Bank AG's DWS Group to create a...
>
>  
>
> #### TriSure Corp. of North Carolina Acquired by Alera Group
>
> Mar 18, 2019 -- TriSure Corporation has been acquired by Alera Group, a national insurance firm, effective March 1, 2019. Terms of the transaction were...
>
>  
>
> #### SPG Acquires Assets of Insurance Programs of America, Risk Advisors of America of Florida
>
> Mar 15, 2019 -- Specialty Program Group LLC (SPG), an operator of specialty insurance brokerages and underwriting facilities, has acquired the assets of...
>
>  
>
> #### Risk Strategies Acquires New York City's Krauter & Company
>
> Mar 14, 2019 -- Risk Strategies, a privately held, national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, has acquired Krauter & Company LLC, a...
>
>  
>
> #### Hamilton to Buy Pembroke Managing Agency, Ironshore Europe DAC from Liberty Mutual
>
> Mar 14, 2019 -- Hamilton Insurance Group Ltd., the Bermuda-based holding company of re/insurance operations in Bermuda and at Lloyd's, announced it has...
>
>  
>
> #### Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires First Iowa Insurance Agency
>
> Mar 13, 2019 -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Hammerberg Insurance Services Inc., dba First Iowa Insurance Agency...
>
>  
>
> #### The Hilb Group Acquires Massachusetts' Marsh-Kemp Insurance Agency
>
> Mar 13, 2019 -- The Hilb Group LLC (THG) has acquired Massachusetts-based Marsh-Kemp Insurance Agency Inc. (MK). The transaction became effective March...
>
>  
>
> #### RenaissanceRe Gets Regulatory Nod to Proceed with Tokio Millennium Re Purchase
>
> Mar 13, 2019 -- RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. announced it has received all regulatory approvals required in connection with its planned acquisition of...
>
>  
>
> #### Towne Insurance Acquires Virginia's Straus, Itzkowitz & LeCompte Insurance
>
> Mar 12, 2019 -- Towne Insurance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TowneBank, has acquired Straus, Itzkowitz & LeCompte Insurance, a full-service,...
>
>  
>
> #### Hub International Limited Acquires The Insurance Exchange in Maryland
>
> Mar 11, 2019 -- Hub International Limited has acquired The Insurance Exchange Inc. Based in Rockville, Md., The Insurance Exchange is an independent...
>
>  
>
> #### China Re Launches Renewable Energy Consortium for Offshore Wind Farms in China
>
> Mar 11, 2019 -- China Re Corp. announced the launch of a renewable energy consortium at Lloyd's, focused on project specific reinsurance for the...
>
>  
>
> #### Brazil's Caixa Aims to Raise $3.9B via Listings of Units, Including Its Insurer: Report
>
> Mar 11, 2019 -- State-owned Brazilian bank Caixa Economica Federal is hoping to raise 15 billion reais ($3.88 billion) through the listing of four of its...
>
>  
>
> #### H.W. Kaufman, Burns & Wilcox Canada Buy TRU Transportation Risk Underwriters
>
> Mar 8, 2019 -- H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox Canada announced they have acquired Toronto-based TRU Transportation Risk Underwriters Ltd....
>
>  
>
> #### Pool Re Funds £10M Initiative to Help UK Businesses Improve Resilience to Terrorism
>
> Mar 8, 2019 -- Pool Re, Britain's terrorism reinsurer, is collaborating with UK government agencies to help businesses proactively protect against the...
>
>  
>
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> Contact us | Subscribe | Send to a Friend
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> Copyright © 2019 by Wells Media Group, Inc.
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Fwd: Economic Themes from the National People’s Congress; "Stability Maintenance"; China’s New Foreign Investment Law; China’s Venezuela Policy

Volume 19, Issue 6 March 22, 2019 In this Issue   Economic Themes from the National People's Congress Illustrate CCP Concerns for Social Stability  John Dotson This month, the National People's Congress (Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui, 全国人民代表大会), or NPC, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (Zhongguo Renmin Zhengzhi Xieshang Huiyi, 中国人民政治协商会议) convened concurrently in Beijing. Collectively known as the "Two Sessions" (Lianghui, 两会), the annual meetings of these bodies—normally held for two weeks in the early spring—comprise two of the largest annual events on China's official political calendar. The two bodies hold no real power—and function as, respectively, a rubber stamp legislature for Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policy decisions, and as a nominal advisory body intended to provide the state with a veneer of political pluralism. However, while the NPC and the CPPCC are both highly scripted, the "Two Sessions" often provide insights into the concerns and policy priorities of the CCP's senior leadership. *** "Stability Maintenance" Gets a Major Boost at the National People's Congress Willy Wo-Lap Lam Since the mid-2010s, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been preoccupied with ensuring a relatively high growth rate for China, even as the economy is facing serious downward pressures. This has emerged as a perennial theme in the annual springtime meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and its counterpart, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). However, an even more striking theme this year is "stability maintenance" (weiwen, 维稳)—coded language for ensuring the CCP's "perennial ruling status," and President's Xi Jinping's quasi-permanent role as the "leadership core" of the world's largest political organization. In his annual Government Work Report to the NPC, Premier Li Keqiang gave utmost emphasis to upholding social stability through means such as job creation and raising welfare payouts to underprivileged classes (China Brief, March 22). Saving and creating jobs was first among the six major areas of stability cited by Li: "stabilizing employment; stabilizing finance; stabilizing foreign trade; stabilizing foreign investment; stabilizing [domestic] investment; and stabilizing expectations." The Li cabinet has committed itself to creating 11 million new urban jobs through 2019—a tall order given the large number of factories along the coast that are moving to other countries, either to save costs or to avoid being hit by U.S. tariffs (China Daily, March 6). *** China's New Foreign Investment Law: Quick Passage after a Long Wait April A. Herlevi On March 15th, the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) formally passed a new Foreign Investment Law (waishang touzi fa, 外商投资法) to govern the increasingly complex issues surrounding foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. According to the state news service Xinhua, under the new FDI law "A foreign company doing business in China will enjoy a better investment environment" (Xinhua Twitter feed, March 2). Xinhua also claims that "the law will create a more stable, more transparent and predictable legal environment for foreign businesses in China" (Xinhua, March 2). The new FDI law will officially come into force on January 1, 2020 (Xinhua, March 19). *** China's Policy Towards a Venezuela in Crisis Jared Ward Amid the ongoing crisis in Venezuela—in which the country faces not only economic meltdown, but also a division between two rival presidents, in the persons of incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido—the People's Republic of China (PRC) remains one of the most prominent and influential nations continuing to recognize the legitimacy of the embattled Maduro government. The PRC has refused to offer any support to the opposition, and has maintained its friendly relations with the sitting government; however, Venezuela's increasing international isolation and free-falling economy carry with them increasing anxieties that Maduro can remain a useful partner. The erosion of Venezuela's economic situation—including its ability to continue oil production—has left China scrambling for ways to respond to the worsening situation of its ally in Caracas. *** Strategic Strong Points and Chinese Naval Strategy Conor Kennedy On August 1, 2017, China opened its first overseas military base, in the East African nation of Djibouti. This was a landmark event that raised a whole host of questions for Indo-Pacific states: Is Djibouti the first of other bases to come? If so, how many? Where will China build them? How will they be used? Where do they fit into Chinese military strategy? Chinese policymakers and analysts are pondering these same questions. However, they are employing concepts unique to Chinese strategic discourse, and it is essential to grasp these concepts in order to understand how Beijing intends to project military power abroad. For the People's Republic of China (PRC), the term "overseas military base" (haiwai junshi jidi, 海外军事基地) carries significant historical baggage: foreign imperialists built them on the soil of other countries in order to colonize and exploit them. On the other hand, Chinese policymakers have come to recognize the value of maintaining locations overseas where the Chinese military—above all, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)—can concentrate resources needed to support operations abroad. To distinguish Chinese actions from the predatory deeds of Western and Japanese imperialists, Chinese military thinkers have adopted a specialized term: the "strategic strong point" (zhanlüe zhidian, 战略支点). [1] A careful analysis of the Chinese use of this concept offers valuable insights into Beijing's strategic intentions outside of East Asia. *** View PDF View Web Version Follow China Brief on Twitter Forward Share Tweet Contact Us

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Fw: Your ABRA Investment

Fw: Workin’ on the Railroad: Help Tag Railroad Valuation Maps

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Learn more about Railroad Valuation maps, and help identify features and details to make them searchable by name and location!

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> Workin' on the Railroad: Help Tag Railroad Valuation Maps
>
> Under the Valuation Act of 1913, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) used Railroad Valuation maps to help evaluate railroad property. The original maps were created between 1915 and 1920 by ICC and railroad employees who were tasked with inventorying most of the rail lines in the United States. The information within these maps was to be used to determine rates for transportation of freight via those rail lines.  
>
> Valuation Section 7, Sheet 12, 6/30/1917, Valuation Maps for the Lehigh Valley Railroad. National Archives Identifier 100306531
>
> In the Cartographic Branch at the National Archives, these records are part of RG 134: Records of the Interstate Commerce Commission, totaling approximately 11,000 cubic feet of materials. Mostly blueprints, these maps are divided into two sub-groups: the original valuation maps and the revised maps.  
>
> The records are among the most requested records from the Cartographic Branch, and the wealth of information found within these maps makes it easy to see why. The revised maps were updated until approximately 1960, and allows you to follow changes in the railroad over time. These maps contain a wealth of detail, including information about the railroad's facilities along the rail lines, land adjacent to the railroad (sometimes bearing the land owner's name), the layout of city blocks at the time the map was drawn, and who was operating the railroad at the time.
>
> Valuation Section 16.1, Sheet 3, Valuation Maps for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. National Archives Identifier 109181929
>
> As more of these maps are digitized and available to view in the National Archives Catalog, we've created a special tagging mission for our citizen archivists: help us identify geographic locations and landowner information within each map! Tagging these features and details within the maps will help make these records searchable by name and location.  
>
> For example, in this valuation map for the Southern Railway Company in North Carolina, look for the names of cities, landowners, or grantors within the record. Type the names you see in the Tag field. The next time you search for those names and locations, this map will be among the search results!
>
> Add tags to identify geographic locations and landowner information, such as: Jim Breedlove, E.H. Jennings, Toxaway Inn N.C., Lake Toxaway
>
> Special thanks to Carol Swain, Amy Edwards, Ryan McPherson, and  Peter Brauer for their insight on this topic. Learn more about how to research these records in their post on the Unwritten Record blog.  
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> Get Started Tagging!
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> Today's Document Citizen Archivist Takeover!
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> We love finding gems to feature on our Today's Document accounts. Have you ever wanted to be the one digging through our Catalog? Here's your chance!
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> Once again, we are hosting a takeover of our Today's Document accounts for the whole month of April. Participating is easy! Simply click our search link to browse documents from April, or choose one of your own favorite April-dated docs. Once you've found a document you think would make a great feature, enter it through our submission form. You just might see the document you've chosen featured on our Today's Document account. We hope you love it as much as we do!
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> Sunshine Week Update: Mission Complete!
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> Last week, we challenged citizen archivists to completely transcribe two historic civil rights cases during Sunshine Week. You did it!
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> Within one week, 103 citizen archivists completely transcribed more than 1,800 pages, helping to make these records more searchable and discoverable in the National Archives Catalog. Thank you!
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> The fingerprint card of Rosa Parks was produced in association with her arrest for refusing to obey orders of a bus driver on December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. National Archives Identifier 279205
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