Host Bob Baker

Discussion leader Harris Hester

Discussion slides: 2020 Election

GOP Election Lawsuits

Recount rules

Republican options

Host: Bob Baker

Discussion Leader: John Schlachtenhafen

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ballot-collection-battles-split-by-partisanship-move-through-courts-11590755212?st=4l91j4y2f2frvdw&reflink=article_email_share

Where Americans Can Vote by Mail in the 2020 Elections

Where Americans Can Vote by Mail in the 2020 Elections – The New York Times

Discussion at the Darien Library with Denise Merrill, CT Secretary of State

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpTTSZeZI1s

Mail-Vote Madness in Pennsylvania

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mail-vote-madness-in-pennsylvania-11599865002?mod=hp_opin_po

Secretaries of states caution that election results could take weeks to determine:

https://fxn.ws/2Zd71TM

Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. “Protecting the Right to Vote During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

HHRG-116-JU00-Wstate-FittonT-20200603

Your Host: Bob Baker

Discussion Leader: David Mace

Our current affairs group will talk about income inequality in America and what we should do about it.

Pew Survey – CA Sep 2020

The Black-White Wage Gap Is as Big as It Was in 1950

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/opinion/sunday/race-wage-gap.html?referringSource=articleShare

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality

Racism’s Hidden Toll

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/11/opinion/us-coronavirus-black-mortality.html?referringSource=articleShare

How does income inequality affect our lives

Video recording of the discussion: https://youtu.be/8x4ej7hyeA4

Host: Bob Baker

Discussion  Leader: Charles Salmans

Main topics are:

Covid infection and death rates
Latest data and possibility of “waves” this fall and next year, as in 1918

Tradeoff between economy and quarantines
Unemployment rates and issues of income replacement
Especially hard hit — hospitality and travel, small business
K-12 Schools, colleges and universities
Only the Federal government can print money; constraints on state and local budgets
Nations (and states) that have tightened after loosening (Australia, New Zealand, California, Florida)

Challenge of testing and contract tracing

Vaccine timetable
Vaccines under development
Challenge of final approvals
Manufacturing challenge to meet worldwide demand
Vaccine roll-out and priorities?
– Health care workers
– Elderly/Nursing Homes
– Other priority job categories (Police/fire, Food industry workers, Teachers)

Articles:
Covid treatment

The COvid Storm from WSJ

Covid Discussion Links Aug 2020 copy

Wall Street Journal: Lockdowns punish the economy. Months into the Covid-19 pandemic, evidence points to ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus at much lower economic cost.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-lockdowns-economy-pandemic-recession-business-shutdown-sweden-coronavirus-11598281419?st=gq8fqbf9erwckxs&reflink=article_gmail_share

Host: Bob Baker

Discussion Leader: Mark Nunan

Discussion slides: NUCLEAR_ENERGY_FUTURE_FOR_USA

Host: Charlie Goodyear

Discussion Leader: Art Baron

DISCUSSION OUTLINE ON INNOVATION 

Current Affairs, June 18, 2020 

AGENDA: 

• The Science of Innovation 
• The Digital Age . . . a Multi-Decade Transformation 
• Winners and Losers . . . Lessons Learned . . . Market Considerations 
• COVID . . . a Present Day Catalyst 
• Potential Future Industry Disruptions 

===================================================================== 

1. The Science of Innovation 

Innovation: The process of translating an idea or invention into a product, service, or business model that creates value for which customers will pay. 

Peter Drucker: “The Discipline of Innovation” HBR, August 2002 https://hbr.org/2002/08/the-discipline-of-innovation Areas of Opportunity: Unexpected Occurrences, Incongruities, Process Needs, Industry & Market Changes, Demographic Changes, Changes in Perception, New Knowledge 

Clayton Christensen: theory of “disruptive innovation”, first introduced in his 1997 book The Innovator’s Dilemma. Key insights: S-curve, market-creating innovations drive growth, (vs sustaining or efficiency innovations), innovations often come from outside the established incumbents. 

Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Steve Jobs: “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. 

“Inspiring Innovation”, HBR August 2002 https://hbr.org/2002/08/inspiring-innovation 

Other Key Enablers: Simplicity, Focus, Diversity, Cross-discipline, Innovation Culture, Risk Acceptance . . . overcoming resistance to change 

2. The Digital Age . . . a Multi-Decade Transformation 

• Dramatic transformation fueled by, (among other things), Moore’s Law, Metcalfe’s Law 
• “The Consumerization of IT” 

○ Increasingly, employees had more capabilities at home than at work 

○ Trickle down from consumer market to enterprise market, (much like prior generation trickle down from Military and NASA to private sector) 

• Adoption rates of digital products accelerating virally. Many digital products have near zero marginal cost. 

○ Time to reach 50 million users 

■ Automobiles, 62 years 

■ Telephone, 50 years 

■ Credit Card, 28 years 

■ Mobile Phones, 12 years 

■ Facebook, 3 years 

■ PokemonGo, 19 days 

• Brand new product categories, e.g. Streaming content, Smart phones, Virtual Assistants, AI, Social Media 
• Increasingly Mobile First as the Innovation platform 
• New Business Models are Transforming Industries 

○ SaaS, Cloud . . . new players, e.g. SalesForce.com, Workday 

○ Sharing Economy . . . Uber, Lyft, Airbnb 

• Crisis driven change and leadership, e.g. Estonia, cyberattacks, 2007 

3. Winners and Losers . . . Lessons Learned . . . Market Considerations 

• Top valued companies as of 3/31/20: Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook. 

○ Leadership with brand new product & services categories 

• Why did Microsoft miss the Internet in the mid-90’s, but recover and thrive, while Digital Equipment missed the microcomputer in the 80’s and didn’t 
• Blackberry vs iPhone . . . dynamics in the marketplace 
• Industry evolution:. Visacalc and the PC, then Lotus 123, and then Microsoft Excel 
• Early internet successes, (AOL and Yahoo), superseded by newer ones, (Google and Facebook). 

○ As consumers became more proficient with the Internet, the access advantages of AOL and Yahoo gave way to the continuous innovation of companies like Google and Facebook. 

• Xerox Parc, (GUI and Mouse), vs Apple 
• A 19th Century Example: Steel industry leadership shift from U.K. to U.S. with Carnegie Steel’s adoption of Bessemer Steel Process. 
• Fast Company: The World’s Most Innovative Companies, 2020 and 2019 

https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2020 

https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2019 

4. COVID . . . a Present Day Catalyst 

• Medical: Vaccines, Therapies, Ventilators, PPE,… 
• Telehealth: technology available for years, but limited adoption due to business model, (insurance, provider fees) —> current urgency now driving coverage and deployment. Many post-COVID benefits. 
• Online services 

○ Collaboration and Work from Home 

■ Zoom Video, simplicity vs competition, 20 million to 200m users, fierce competition: Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Facebook, Apple,… 

■ Consumer apps, e.g. Caribu 

○ eCommerce Delivery, e.g. Amazon, Walmart 

○ Food delivery services, Restaurant services, Supermarket delivery, Instacart 

○ Location services enabling individual tracking, social distancing compliance, temperatures, etc. 

○ Behavior change, e.g. increase in digital banking across populations, Gucci, reducing runway fashion shows 

5. Potential Future Industry Disruptions 

• Healthcare 
• Education, new cost dynamics, pathway for greater equality and opportunity 
• CyberSecurity 
• Food Supply, risks, (global hunger, climate change, drought, income security), reduce waste, (e.g. Apeel Sciences), new sources, (e.g. Beyond Meat, milk substitutes), new processes, (e.g. precision agriculture, restaurants delivery, kits, home cooking) 
• Environment, Efficiency, Energy Transition, Pollution, Advanced Manufacturing, Circular Economy, Hydrogen, EVs 
• Social/News Trust and Accountability, beginning to see some take action, (Twitter, Zoom), but others resist. Much more is needed given the harmful power of digital media. 
• Resilience, Markets, Supply Chain, Transportation, Financial Systems, Global/Deglobalization Balance, . . . .

Host: Charlie Goodyear.

Speaker Mike Critelli. Bio  Critelli, Mike

Outline of the electric grid. OUTLINE OF ELECTRIC POWER GRID

8:30am, Lilian Gade Room at the DCA.

Cliff van Voorhees and Carolyn Bayne will discuss the challenges of recycling in Darien.

Introductory slide show.

DMA Recycling

Examples of what should and should not be in single stream recycling:

Click below to see what’s allowed and not allowed in Darien Single Stream.  Just because it isn’t listed here, doesn’t mean it can’t be recycled – there are separate areas for paint, lightbulbs, batteries, electronics, tires, appliances, food waste, metal, large plastic, yard waste, mattresses, clothes, corrugated, plastic bags, construction debris, …  And the Swap Shop is a way to recycle usable stuff.  (Or gain more clutter you don’t really want.)   You can also pick up shredded mulch, leaf compost, and sometimes food compost.

2019_Darien_Single_Stream_Recycling_(Full_List)

A tour of City Carting Recycling Center. (hover over picture to stop scrolling)

Commercial Haulers

The haulers separate trash from SSR, even though many people seem to think they do not. I believe they do for two main reasons:

1. it’s the law and their licenses could be revoked if they are found in violation;
2. Darien charges haulers to tip MSW but not SSR.  Free tipping of SSR is an incentive to separate – and recycle – SSR. We are one of the few remaining municipalities that continues to get paid for SSR, but that could change when our contract is renegotiated.

It’s also worth noting that the haulers are only required to recycle what goes in the blue bin (ie our SSR list); many of the other items we recycle (ie batteries, light bulbs, e-waste, paint, etc.) must be brought to our facility.  We ALWAYS recommend that residents who employ a hauler also get a dump sticker so that they can recycle these additional materials; their permits are priced much lower to account for the fact that they are primarily bringing recyclables and not regular household trash.  Note that Seniors can get a free permit.

CT’s problem with waste from “Hartford Current:”
https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-ct-outofstate-trash-disposal-20191228-hprk52k2hjbzlj7xz2lztug74q-story.html

Economics and Science of Recycling from “Popular Mechanics” (note date is 2008 before China’s ban on imports):

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a3752/4291566/

Problems with Recycling in Asia from the “Financial Times:”
https://www.ft.com/content/360e2524-d71a-11e8-a854-33d6f82e62f8

Micro-plastics and their effects on humans from “The Conversation:”
https://theconversation.com/we-are-guinea-pigs-in-a-worldwide-experiment-on-microplastics-97514

Recycling facts from Recycle Across America:
https://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/recycling-facts

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-world-plastic-waste/?fbclid=IwAR0OkLn4IffTQ-O4dN9ItuQ73fBgdCSoyxg_Fi6v1ZG6Vfy751y3cR-g32g

CT’s Policies from the CT Mirror.
https://ctmirror.org/2020/02/17/is-connecticuts-outdated-recycling-system-in-line-for-an-overhaul/?utm_source=Connecticut+Mirror+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=b6d6010e90-DAILY_BRIEFING_MORNING&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_571d22f8e4-b6d6010e90-68155097

Business Roundtable—Purpose of a Corporation

Pre- August 2019 Maximize Shareholder Value

Corporate Responsibility per Milton Friedman

1970 essay- Maximize Returns to Shareholder

Friedman’s thesis: Corporations are not to make contributions for

“social causes”, shareholders can choose what to give.

Further- Corporations are to obey all laws and regulations.

If corporations make “contributions”, the directors must

conclude such donations create good will and enhance sales.

Current example: Orvis gives 5% of pretax profits for “environmental

causes”. (Could they give 15%?

Comments from Harvard Law School Forum
Re: Business Roundtable Statement on Corporate Mission

Corporate Directors have a fiduciary duty to act in shareholder interest
Thus, decisions not in shareholder interest are illegal

Actions taken by directors will be presumed to be in shareholder interest or they would not be taken.
Directors must adhere to the law so that new Legislative mandates may promote or presume to benefit other stakeholders, but at a cost to shareholders.

Overall question:  To what extent do we desire the government to impose
rules that will decrease business profits in order to strive for other benefits

What does the Business Roundtable expect or hope to change with revised statement of purpose?

Former “purpose”: “Maximize shareholder Value”

New “purpose”: “Act to benefit all stakeholders”

Stakeholders: customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and shareholders

Possible intentions:

Change corporate reporting on selective topics?

Motivate investments into areas not directly in shareholder interest?

Motivate shareholder resolutions on new corporate action

Bring about new government rules on business actions

Potential areas of Government mandates:  ESG

(Environment, Social, Government)

Action regarding global warming;

Other environment improvement measures

Reduction of income inequality

Increase diversity in management personnel

Impose unnecessary costs for named investments

Establish more “days off” for employees

From the WSJ. Financial Advisers Turn to ESG, Warily – WSJ

IEA warns oil companies doing nothing on emissions is not an option
https://eresearch.fidelity.com/eresearch/goto/evaluate/news/basicNewsStory.jhtml?symbols=XOM&storyid=202001191929RTRSNEWSCOMBINED_KBN1ZJ005-OUSBS_1

Larry Fink’s Latest Sermon

Capitalism, Alone’ Review: Inclined Toward Inequality
Capitalism Alone

Business Roundtable Redefines the Purpose of a Corporation to Promote ‘An Economy That Serves All Americans’

https://lucidmanager.org/milton-friedman-corporate-social-responsibility/

https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2019/09/26/analysis-of-the-business-roundtable-statement/

https://www.coursehero.com/file/8478280/Purpose-of-the-Corporation/

The Davos Crowd Embraces Big Global Government – WSJ

The ‘Stakeholders’ vs. the People – WSJ

Bloomberg’s Business Nanny – WSJ

Club captain: Charles Goodyear

Good intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtBnu-YtibA

https://youtu.be/ZuzwHuQPKz0

What is Cyberwar

6Cyber

cyberwar

Hack Job

The New Contours of Cyber Conflict

Rosenbach cyber

China’s Corporate Hack

New date and place:  DCA second floor for 8:15- 9:15 on Monday December 9.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-downside-of-5g-overwhelmed-cities-torn-up-streets-a-decade-until-completion-11561780801

https://www.alvareztg.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-5g/

https://www.celltowerleaseexperts.com/cell-tower-lease-news/pros-cons-how-will-5g-impact-your-city/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48616174

https://www.investors.com/news/technology/5g-stocks-5g-wireless-stocks/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/science/5g-cellphones-wireless-cancer.html

https://www.barrons.com/articles/5g-stock-opportunities-51572025082?mod=hp_DAY_7

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-government-is-tripping-over-itself-in-race-to-dominate-5g-technology-11573527840?mod=hp_lead_pos10

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6894452

Discussion leaders: Jack Fitzgibbons & Gary Banks

The microbiome is the genetic material of all the microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses) that live on and inside the human body.

It is one of the most promising, yet challenging topics in modern medicine.

The Microbiome is a new field with implications for many different areas including obesity research, causes of arthritis, intestinal ailments and psychiatric illnesses.

Here’s a short introduction to get you started.

https://depts.washington.edu/ceeh/downloads/FF_Microbiome.pdf

Introduction from MSK:

https://www.mskcc.org/blog/what-your-microbiome-and-three-things-could-change-it

Good overview of the microbiome and the many diseases influenced by it.

https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/disease/

Amish vs Hutterites – asthma

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/opinion/health-secrets-of-the-amish.html

The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5082693/

New Study Reveals Gut Microbes May Help Protect People Having a Bone Marrow Transplant

https://www.mskcc.org/press-releases/new-study-reveals-gut-microbes-may-help-protect-people-having-bone-marrow-transplant

From Harvard:

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/bugs-in-the-system/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Chan-Facebook-General

From the Harvard Medical School

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome

Antibiotics can disrupt the gut ecosystem for months.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/well/live/does-the-gut-microbiome-ever-fully-recover-from-antibiotics.html?searchResultPosition=9

Cancer Immunotherapy and the Microbiome.  A 6 minute video from Johns Hopkins

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/results/directory/profile/0002419/cynthia-sears

Prostate Cancer Therapy and the Gut Microbiome

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/brady-urology-institute/patient-information/books-publications/articles/prostate-cancer-therapy-and-the-gut-microbiome

Are ready for a challenge?  This is from journal Nature.  Not easy for the layman.  The first couple of pages give a good idea how complex and active a research area this is.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1238-8

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-019-0074-5

Animals

The microbiome is important in animals.  For instance, here is an article where altering the microbiome of a cow reduced methane production by 95%.

https://animalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42523-019-0004-4

Just to give you an idea how active the research is in animals.  Here are 4 journals that are starting up.

Antimicrobial resistance and the microbiome

Our understanding of the complex and bidirectional signalling relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain is evolving quickly. This relationship, dubbed the microbiota-gut-brain axis, is thought to be involved in many aspects of homeostasis in addition to the pathogenesis of several diseases, ranging from neurological and degenerative conditions to autoimmune diseases.

This cross-journal collection brings together both human and animal studies covering all aspects of the microbiota-gut-brain axis’ role in health and disease, as well as its therapeutic potential. The participating journals, spanning both neuroscience and microbiology, are listed below.

Submissions should be formatted according to individual journal guidelines. Please indicate clearly in the cover letter that the manuscript is to be considered for this collection.

All manuscripts will undergo standard peer review, and must be submitted through the relevant journal’s online submission system by 31st December 2019.

Engineering optimal livestock microbiomes