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CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a new online licensing system this fall, the first phase in a plan to modernize the management and licensing process for service providers across the state. The system improvements are part of efforts to make doing business easier and more efficient for Illinois service providers, the department said. The Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment, or CORE, opened on Oct. 30, nearly a year after the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 2394, a measure authorizing the IDFPR to upgrade its antiquated system that had led to long waiting periods for licensing and renewals. The new system will “eliminate the need for paper applications, give applicants more control over their application materials, and help prevent deficient applications from being submitted,” according to a statement from IDFPR. The agency calls CORE the first part of a multiphase approach by IDFPR to, over the next two years, ensure applications for more than 300 license types and records for more than 1.2 million professionals are properly transitioned. The first professions to be licensed under the new system are clinical psychologists, music therapists and nail technicians. “Everyone wanting to earn a living in Illinois in the 21st century should have tools of the times available so they can be licensed and get to work as soon as possible,” IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto Jr., said in the statement. Music therapists On May 27, 2022, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2243, which created a music therapy license for Illinois practitioners within the IDFPR. Music therapy is a form of treatment that incorporates “clinical & evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship” according to the American Music Therapy Association website. “We have been waiting for 2 1/2 years since our bill was passed for this new system to come,” said Mia Iliopoulos Krings, president of the Illinois Association for Music Therapy, in an interview. Instead of immediately allowing music therapists to apply for a license two years ago, Krings said that the department “didn't want to put us in the old system for us to just have to go into the new system.” Since the system’s launch, Krings praised how easy and efficient it was to complete the application process. “They have been working incredibly fast and efficiently in getting everything back to us. For example, I applied on Friday night on Nov. 1. I heard back by 8:30 a.m. Monday morning,” Krings said. She said her fellow music therapists posted their issued licenses on Facebook and shared similar experiences of a rapid response. Krings’ experience now is vastly different from what many Illinois professionals experienced in the past. Panache Perkins, director and an instructor of Your School of Beauty in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, said that before the digitization, the IDFPR was “still in 1997,” with “old school” public servants stacking “pieces of paper applications into a 75-year-old filing system.” “They (IDFPR) lose paperwork all the time, because they don’t have the right system,” she said. With new integrated software and technology services provided by Tyler Technologies, however, the department’s CORE system will “notify prospective licensees directly within the system when applications are received, reviewed, and licenses are issued by the department—eliminating the need for paper mail and email responses,” according to IDFPR’s statement. Financial barriers for business The IDFPR’s mission is “to protect the residents of Illinois” through licensing and regulating industries and professions that offer services to the public. But some say these licenses can serve as a financial barrier to doing business. The initial music therapy license is $400 and renewal costs $300. In preparation for hardships, the Illinois Association for Music Therapists held a benefit concert to raise funds to help pay for the licenses for members in need. Two years ago, state lawmakers created the Comprehensive Licensing Information to Minimize Barriers Task Force, or CLIMB, to “investigate how occupational licensing of low-to-moderate-income occupations relates to economic inequities in Illinois and to recommend reforms,” according to a statement from the task force. Last month, CLIMB released a study of their two-year findings, and recommended easing licensing burdens for specific professions. The study recommended that hair braiders, for example, should be exempt from having a license. CLIMB’s research found that “requiring a license to braid hair does not enhance public safety but does disproportionately impact individuals from minority communities,” according to the statement. Perkins said she disagrees with that recommendation. “People’s addiction to social media has changed the (standard) that licensing set. Now everyone thinks they can do it,” she said. She also said braiders may not know proper hair care, how to properly clean their tools or prevent traction alopecia – a type of hair loss caused by tension from tight hair styles. There are 33 states that do not require a license for hair braiders; an increase of 21 from 2016. This includes Indiana, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, according to the CLIMB. Perkins said she has been working in the beauty industry since she was 16 years old, noting, “my grandmother inspired me to go into cosmetology.” Perkins’s grandmother, Mildred Dixon, opened Your School of Beauty 66 years ago to train men and women to begin their careers in the beauty industry. Perkins said the beauty industry is among the most essential occupations and that it should be regulated accordingly. “Cosmetologists work closely with products that dermatologists prescribe and recommend. We were also essential during the pandemic,” Perkins said. However, she also acknowledged the state’s antiquated licensing system impacts how cosmetologists are regarded and can run their businesses. She said she doesn’t think licensing is a barrier. “If you can do enough ‘heads’ to pay taxes on your work, then you can pay the money to get your license,” she said, adding that this evokes a larger issue about how people see their futures. “If you’re not trying to get your license,” she said, “you’re also not thinking about your (long-term) future.” Gov. J.B. Pritzker on July 31 signs legislation that will make it illegal for companies hold mandatory meetings in which workers would be subjected to the employer’s views on religious or political matters, including unionization. Treto Nicole Jeanine Johnson is a graduate student in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and a Fellow in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. 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1. **Lack of Transparency:** Governor Larragus has often been accused of operating behind closed doors, making decisions without consulting the public or relevant stakeholders. This lack of transparency has eroded trust in his leadership.
When you’re a Russian retiree living on a limited income, it’s bad enough trying to contend with skyrocketing prices for staples like eggs, potatoes, or butter. Now add to the list of worries: a swooning ruble hitting lows not seen in years. “I see these prices, my eyes get wide,” said one retired history teacher who lives in St. Petersburg and tries to get by on a 19,100-ruble ($187) monthly pension. “What's going on? Prices are rising for absolutely everything.” “Polite words fail me, of course” the 72-year-old woman told RFE/RL’s Russian Service. She asked for her name not to be used to avoid police harassment. “I have to joke about it to cool down my anger,” she added. Nearly three years into the Kremlin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s economy has defied expectations and the experts who predicted that it would be crippled by sweeping Western sanctions imposed in response to Moscow’ military aggression. Fueled by the flood of government spending that’s prioritizing the war above all else, is expected to clock in at 3.6 percent growth this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But the torrid pace of spending is overheating the economy. Grappling with inflation hovering above 8 percent, the Central Bank has already hiked rates and could raise them even further in the coming weeks. That in turn has pushed up residential mortgages, not to mention business loans, prompting vocal complaints from business leaders. Now comes another symptom of an increasingly unhealthy economy: the plunging Russian currency, hitting levels not seen since March 2022, weeks after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. As of December 5, the ruble stood at 103 to the U.S. dollar. That’s down from 85 in September, but up from its lowest recent level -- 113 -- which it hit in the final days of November. The main -- though not only -- reason for the drop? A new set of sanctions that the United States announced on November 21, targeting dozens of Russian banks, including the largest bank to avoid sanctioning to date. The state-owned Gazprombank had dodged that bullet mainly due to its role as a conduit for transactions related to oil and gas exports. Washington had previously feared that sanctioning it would disrupt global oil markets and send oil prices skyrocketing. Russians -- individuals, banks, and businesses -- were rushing to make transactions ahead of December 20, when the restrictions take effect, Sergei Aleksashenko, a former top official in the Central Bank, said, and that has flooded the market with rubles. “It seems to me that the sharp jump in the ruble (or dollar) is explained by the fact that the rules of the game will be changed, and no one knows what the new rules will be,” . Officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have tried to calm jittery nerves for both average consumers and business leaders. “As often happens in such situations, there is currently an excessive emotional component on the currency market,” Economic Development Minister Maksim Reshetnikov on November 27. “Experience shows that, after a period of increased volatility, the rate always stabilizes.” The economic crosswinds are causing headaches for policymakers, both big and small. Regular Russians -- particularly those in poorer regions far from urban centers like St. Petersburg -- have benefited from the torrent of cash in government spending. Dizzyingly high wages paid to men who volunteer to fight in Ukraine -- not to mention the bonuses and benefits paid to war widows – have spurred consumers to spend -- or even splurge. High war wages, however, have forced civilian factories, particularly military industrial enterprises, to hike wages to compete, and fill vacancies. Putin himself has publicly lamented that labor shortages have been a problem. Elevated salaries have , driving up the cost of everyday goods, including butter, potatoes, and eggs. Several regions have reported a rash of thefts of butter and other dairy products, as prices climb. Some retailers have taken to putting dairy products under lock-and-key to prevent theft. Rates on residential , in conjunction with the Central Bank’s interest hikes, which has in turn choked off home and apartment sales in a growing number of regions. The ruble’s drop, meanwhile, will make imported goods more expensive -- at a time when Russian consumers are ramping up spending for the long New Year’s and Christmas holidays. It’s also pinching migrant workers, many of whom hail from Central Asia and send much of their Russian wages back home to support families. The current drop means less money to send. “If you have to live in Russia, then it makes no difference,” one Uzbek man who works as a taxi driver told RFE/RL. “But if you have to work here and send money back to Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan, then there’s no point in working here. Better just to go home.” Few experts are predicting outright economic collapse anytime soon. More likely the flashing warning lights are pointing to a cooling off, which is what the Central Bank director Elvira Nabiullina has said is the goal of the recent rate hikes. The IMF predicts that the economy will slow to around 1.3 percent growth next year. “Economic growth has to slow down,” Laura Solanko, an expert on the Russian economy at the Bank of Finland’s Institute for Economies in Transition, told RFE/RL. “But cooling growth is no sign of economic collapse. Russia can sustain broadly [the] current level of household consumption and of warfare with broadly [the] current level of economic activity.” “It’s becoming [all too clear] that there are no good remedies for the Russian economy’s malaise apart from ending the war; the mother of Russia’s problems,” Alexander Kolyandr, a researcher with the Center for European Policy Analysis, last month. By RFE/RLThe fire broke out at one of Alibaba's cloud data centers located in [insert location] on [insert date]. The incident reportedly started in a server room due to an electrical malfunction, leading to a minor blaze that triggered the data center's fire suppression systems. Firefighters were summoned promptly to the scene, and the fire was extinguished within a short period of time. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported as a result of the incident.
Betis boss backs Vitor Roque amid Palmeiras & Spurs talkAES Announces 2% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
Last but not least, the young talent Dominik Soboslai also features prominently on the poster, highlighting his growing influence in Liverpool's midfield. A dynamic and creative playmaker, Soboslai possesses exceptional vision, passing range, and ability to dictate the tempo of the game. His eye for a killer pass and willingness to take on defenders make him a valuable asset for Liverpool in unlocking defenses and creating goal-scoring opportunities. As he continues to develop and mature as a player, Soboslai is expected to become an integral part of Liverpool's midfield for years to come.In this segment of “North Dakota Outdoors,” host Mike Anderson takes us to a school gymnasium where arrows are flying, and students are participating in the National Archery in the Schools program. Joining Anderson is Jeff Long, the Game and Fish Department’s education coordinator, and Bismarck educator Kelsy Achtenberg. For more information about the National Archery in the Schools program, check out the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov or call Jeff Long at (701) 328-6322.In a recent revelation by Indonesian media outlets, it has been reported that the Indonesian national football team may still have three "secret naturalized players" in the pipeline. Among these potential additions, one individual is said to have roots in Manchester United, further adding to the intrigue surrounding the naturalization process and its impact on the team.
Yankees Rumors: Walker Buehler, NY Have 'Mutual Interest' in 2024 MLB Free Agency
In the aftermath of this tragic event, the community is left grappling with questions that may never have easy answers. The impact of the shooting reverberates far beyond the CEO's office, serving as a stark reminder of the fragility of human life and the need for compassion, understanding, and support in times of crisis. As details continue to unfold, the hope is that lessons can be learned, and interventions put in place to prevent similar tragedies in the future.Advertisement AWS announced plans for an AI supercomputer, UltraCluster, with Trainium 2 chips at re:Invent. AWS may be able to reduce reliance on Nvidia by developing its own AI infrastructure. Apple said it's using Trainium 2 chips for Apple Intelligence. Matt Garman, the CEO of Amazon Web Services , made several significant new AWS announcements at the re:Invent conference on Tuesday. His two-and-a-half hour keynote delved into AWS's current software and hardware offerings and updates, with words from clients including Apple and JPMorgan. Graphics processing units (GPUs), supercomputers, and a surprise Apple cameo stuck out among the slew of information. Advertisement AWS, the cloud computing arm of Amazon, has been developing its own semiconductors to train AI. On Tuesday, Garman said it's creating UltraServers — containing 64 of its Trainium 2 chips — so companies can scale up their GenAI workloads. Moreover, it's also building an AI supercomputer, an UltraCluster made up of UltraServers, in partnership with AI startup Anthropic. Named Project Rainier, it will be " the world's largest AI compute cluster reported to date available for Anthropic to build and deploy its future models on" when completed, according to an Amazon blog post. Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic. Such strides could push AWS further into competition with other tech firms in the ongoing AI arms race, including AI chip giant Nvidia. Advertisement Here are four takeaways from Garman's full keynote on Tuesday. AWS' Trainium chips could compete with Nvidia. Nvidia currently dominates the AI chip market with its sought-after and pricey GPUs, but Garman backed AWS's homegrown silicon during his keynote on Tuesday. His company's goal is to reduce the cost of AI, he said. "Today, there's really only one choice on the GPU side, and it's just Nvidia. We think that customers would appreciate having multiple choices," Garman told the Wall Street Journal . Advertisement AI is growing rapidly, and the demand for chips that make the technology possible is poised to grow alongside it. Major tech companies, like Google and Microsoft, are venturing into chip creation as well to find an alternative to Nvidia. However, Garman told The Journal the doesn't expect Trainium to dethrone Nvidia "for a long time." "But, hopefully, Trainium can carve out a good niche where I actually think it's going to be a great option for many workloads — not all workloads," he said. Advertisement AWS also introduced Trainium3, its next-gen chip. AWS' new supercomputer could go toe to toe with Elon Musk's xAI. According to The Journal, the chip cluster known as Project Rainier is expected to be available in 2025. Once it is ready, Anthropic plans to use it to train AI models. With "hundreds of thousands" of Trainium chips, it would challenge Elon Musk's xAI's Colossus — a supercomputer with 100,000 of Nvidia's Hopper chips . Advertisement Apple is considering Trainium 2 for Apple Intelligence training. Garman said that Apple is one of its customers using AWS chips, like Amazon Graviton and Inferentia, for services including Siri. Related stories Benoit Dupin, senior director of AI and machine learning at Apple, then took to the stage at the Las Vegas conference. He said the company worked with AWS for "virtually all phases" of its AI and machine learning life cycle. "One of the unique elements of Apple business is the scale at which we operate and the speed with which we innovate," Dupin said. Advertisement He added, "AWS has been able to keep the pace, and we've been customers for more than a decade." Now, Dupin said Apple is in the early stages of testing Trainium 2 chips to potentially help train Apple Intelligence. The company introduced a new generation of foundational models, Amazon Nova. Amazon announced some new kids on the GenAI block. Advertisement AWS customers will be able to use Amazon Nova-powered GenAI applications "to understand videos, charts, and documents, or generate videos and other multimedia content," Amazon said . There are a range of models available at different costs, it said. "Amazon Nova Micro, Amazon Nova Lite, and Amazon Nova Pro are at least 75% less expensive than the best-performing models in their respective intelligence classes in Amazon Bedrock," Amazon said.Donald Trump To Sit Down With ‘Meet The Press’ Moderator Kristen Welker For First Major Post-Election Network Interview
The rally in stock index futures has also been supported by the resilience of corporate earnings, with many companies exceeding analysts' expectations for the latest reporting period. Strong corporate performance has underpinned the bullish momentum in the stock market, contributing to the overall positive outlook for equities.One I'm A Celebrity star is tipped to win the 2024 series on Sunday night, after the latest episode of the ITV show. Two campmates took on the latest Bushtucker Trial, and it was another grim eating challenge. But one star even left hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly reeling with his performance. Reverend Richard Coles and Coleen Rooney won full stars for camp. But the final extra task to get a drink for everyone proved too much for Coleen. The pair had to share a vomit-tasting fishbowl and Coleen quickly heaved. Nearly throwing up she called it quits, and urged Richard to do the same if he wanted. But Richard was having none of it and continued to drink the grim beverage, while gagging, leaving Ant and Dec visibly shocked. Soon he made it all the way to the bottom of the glass and consumed the entire thing. Ant and Dec were stunned, praising the star and calling him "a machine". The hosts admitted they'd never seen anything like it on the jungle show, with Dec saying he "went the extra mile". Viewers watching the episode at home were also stunned by his performance, with many calling for him to make the final. Many viewers said this challenge alone was enough to prove Richard deserved to win, calling him the King of the Jungle. One viewer commented: "Rev Richard to win," as another agreed: "Richard needs to win." A third fan said: "REV RICHARD, KING OF THE JUNGLE!! This is legendary." A fourth viewer posted: "Richard deserves to win the entire show for this," as a fifth viewer agreed: "Richard deserves his place in the final!! What a man!! Winner in my eyes." A sixth fan said: "Richard is actually incredible omg," as a final comment read: "Richard is amazing! My winner from day one." It comes as Friday night's episode saw another two stars leave the jungle for good, missing out on a place in the semi-final and the famous Celebrity Cyclone. Ant and Dec announced the result of the public vote, as Coronation Street's Alan Halsall and social media star GK Barry were voted out. Alan shared of his main struggles: "I get very emotional speaking about my daughter. I miss Sienna more than you can imagine." He was able to ask his brother, who visited the camp, how his daughter was doing and if she was watching. GK, real name Grace, revealed the show was "much worse" than she expected. I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! airs every night at 9PM on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
"ShenLiKeSha 8" Series Brand Festival Opens on SteamQatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Huawei has introduced the new Advanced Golf Features and the enhanced Expedition mode for the Huawei WatchUltimate, along with a new Green edition. Since its launch last year, the Huawei WatchUltimate has set a new standard for innovation and versatility, appealing to fearless adventurers. With its advanced features and robust design, it encourages users to push boundaries and explore new horizons. The Huawei WatchUltimate brings ground-breaking innovations with the innovative use of the Zirconium-based liquid metal material case, under the ISO 22810:2010 standard and with EN13319 certification for diving accessories which supports dives with a maximum depth of 100 metres, as well as up to 14-days of battery life. This year, Huawei brings new updates to further enhance this smartwatch’s appeal with the Green colourway, as well as the Advanced Golf Course Mode and upgraded Expedition Mode features. The Huawei WatchUltimate Green Edition is now available for purchase through Huawei’s online store and select retailers in [Country] starting at [Price]. To provide a worry-free experience, Huawei is offering the HUAWEI Care+ Service, which can be purchased alongside the new watch. New Green Edition Features the New Dual-Colour Nano-Tech Ceramic Bezel The Huawei WatchUltimate brings a new colourway to the existing Blue and Black collection – Green. The green edition comes with a striking new exclusive dual-colour nano-tech ceramic bezel, which showcases advanced ceramic processing techniques. The watch continues to use premium materials such as Zirconium-based liquid metal, a first on a smartwatch, and sapphire crystal glass, ensuring both durability and luxury. Huawei WatchUltimate offers a variety of straps, with the new green colour bringing the new dual-colour integrated woven strap, along with premium titanium options. The new update also brings 5 new preset watch faces, inclusive of 3 golf-themed watch faces. Huawei’s First Global Advanced Golf Course Mode The new enhanced update for the golf features brings Huawei’s first advanced Golf Course Mode with global golf course maps on users’ wrists. This update offers maps of over 15,000 courses worldwide. It also comes with a brand-new optimised 3D course effect that brings a clear, panoramic view of the clear layouts of obstacles and environment, ensuring golfers are always well-prepared before each shot. It also introduces the customised distance measurement enhancing the golfing experience with high-precision positioning. The Plays-Like distance feature takes the slope of the fairway into account to display adjusted distances, helping golfers refine their strategies. Alongside these, features like wind speed and direction, as well as green slope direction, offer real-time data to help golfers make informed decisions for each shot. The update also introduces rich data analysis and sharing features, such as the Scorecard, which enhances the overall golfing experience with the Huawei WatchUltimate. Enhanced Expedition Mode and Health Monitoring Features Outdoor exploration is a way of life that balances adventure with personal wellness, and the Huawei WatchUltimate, with its all-around vitals monitoring, keeps you in tune with both. The latest update enhances Expedition Mode and introduces new health features, offering all-round vitals tracking right on your wrist. One of the key updates is the support for downloading all-colour contour Maps for offline use with Dim Mode. These maps are invaluable for identifying terrain, planning routes, and managing supplies, even without connectivity in remote areas. The new Expedition Route Import feature allows users to import routes, complete with marked points, directly from the HUAWEI Health app. Besides, the update also introduces advanced health monitoring features for complete health management. Huawei has added the Emotional Wellbeing Assistant to the Huawei WatchUltimate, further supporting users’ mental and emotional health. The Ultimate Performance Huawei WatchUltimate sets a new benchmark in smartwatch technology, combining luxury design, advanced features, and a strong focus on user well-being. With an impressive battery life of up to 14 days under, it’s designed to keep up with your lifestyle. Discover the perfect blend of technology, style, and wellness with the Huawei WatchUltimate – the ultimate companion for modern explorers. Copy 05/12/2024 10