<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" > <channel> <title>Robert Bole – The Bottom Line News</title> <atom:link href="https://thebottomlinenews.com/author/robertbole/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2022 15:42:57 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <image> <url>https://thebottomlinenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/cropped-YouTube-32x32.jpg</url> <title>Robert Bole – The Bottom Line News</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">63653716</site> <item> <title>International Conflict Causes Further Increase in Oil Prices</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/international-conflict-causes-further-increase-in-oil-prices/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2022 01:51:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=20352</guid> <description><![CDATA[If you have filled up at the gas pump recently, then you have probably noticed the drastic rise in the price of fuel. The cost of gas has increased at a daily rate. Currently, the average price of gas across the nation is well over four dollars per gallon, with]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have filled up at the gas pump recently, then you have probably noticed the drastic rise in the price of fuel. The cost of gas has increased at a daily rate. Currently, the average price of gas across the nation is well over four dollars per gallon, with no decrease of cost in sight. Even in Frostburg, the current gas price sits at around $4.20 per gallon. There are a variety of reasons why gas prices have skyrocketed over the past few weeks, but the root cause has been the Russian invasion of Ukraine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Prior to the invasion, the price of gas was increasing due to economic resurgence as COVID-19 restrictions began to lift. The price worsened after Russia began its assault on the eastern European nation, Ukraine. Details on this event have been covered in other articles by The Bottom Line. In the US, the previous highest average of gas was $4.11 in July of 2008 during a recession spurned on by several failing markets, such as housing and stock. This means that the current prices are the highest in the nation’s history. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oil, like any good or resource, is traded globally. Though, the case with oil is that it tends to be an excessively sensitive market and almost any disturbance can have a noticeable effect on prices globally. The United States imports a small amount of oil from Russia when compared to the European nations, but oil-rich countries still regenerate billions of dollars in profit annually. The recent imposing of economic sanctions against Russia has been one of many factors affecting the price of gas, though the announcement made by President Biden that the United States would forbid the sale or purchasing of Russian fossil fuels certainly did no favors.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The states with the most expensive gas prices currently include California, Hawaii, and Nevada, with the average price being somewhere around $5 per gallon. The states with the lowest gas prices in the nation include Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota at under $4 per gallon. Despite national concern over rising prices with seemingly no end in sight, economic experts do not expect the price of gas to increase to six or seven dollars per gallon. Another drastic increase in price would only happen if another severe global event occurred that would strain fossil fuel supplies further. These same experts also estimate that gas production from other nations will not make up for Russia’s trade deficit.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the cost of gas is not estimated to go down. There are a variety of ways for consumers to save on gas as prices continue to soar in the meantime. Using software to track the cheapest gas station prices, performing routine preventative maintenance on your car, and using public transportation are all ways that can help offset the price of fuel.</span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">20352</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Invasive Species in FSU’s Arboretum</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/invasive-species-in-fsus-arboretum/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2022 01:27:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Campus]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[College Life]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=20092</guid> <description><![CDATA[Frostburg’s arboretum is a sanctuary for the campus community. It offers a small portion of nature on campus to admire and learn about the biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountains. The beauty of Appalachia comes from the wide assortment of specimens it contains. Recently, however, this beauty has been under threat]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frostburg’s arboretum is a sanctuary for the campus community. It offers a small portion of nature on campus to admire and learn about the biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountains. The beauty of Appalachia comes from the wide assortment of specimens it contains. Recently, however, this beauty has been under threat from a variety of invasive species, the most aggressive of which has been the Japanese knotweed. This plant, amongst others, threaten to ruin the natural beauty of the arboretum. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bottom Line</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sat down with Theodore Hoxie, a board member of Frostburg’s Wildlife Society, to talk about the current situation and the consequences if proper action is not taken.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b>TBL: What can you tell the campus about the arboretum?</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The arboretum is an area of the campus set aside, kind of like a park, as a natural learning area. It’s a good place for students to go relax and destress in nature. The creek that runs through campus runs right through the arboretum. You can sit along the creek-side and relax. It is a haven for biodiversity in the otherwise built-up campus environment. Every year, hundreds of migrator birds flock to the arboretum. Mourning doves and other migrator songbirds make a seasonal stop using the arboretum to rest and replenish their fat stores. ”</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b>TBL: What about the biodiversity of the arboretum?</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The natural biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountain region is incredibly high. This area is one of the more biodiverse areas of the whole country. Especially one of the more biodiverse regions in Maryland. This is due to the changes in elevation. When the glaciers receded at the end of the last ice age, lots of species like blue spruces trees were left behind on the tops of mountains in the Appalachian region. Where everywhere else, the blue spruce moved back up north to areas like upstate New York, Maine, and Pennsylvania. There are all these remnant species and an endangered species of salamanders in the upstream of the creek that runs through campus. There are native brook trout. Trout Unlimited has put a lot of work into making it a more viable habitat for native brook trout. Maybe in the future, we can once again have a viable population this far downstream. There are still occasional brook trout that are both caught and electroshocked in the stream. They still come down here.”</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b>TBL: What invasive species are in the arboretum?</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There’s a multitude of invasive species on campus. There is bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, and Japanese knotweed. Those are the main species I’ve seen in the arboretum. Japanese knotweed is the worst. It forms very dense monoculture stands, shading out all the native plants. It even has the ability to prevent forest regeneration. If it grows in the understory as the overstory trees die out, the understory trees are not replaced. Because the thick stand of knotweed will choke everything else out, decreasing overall biodiversity and ecosystem function. It’s been on campus for over a decade. In recent years, it’s gotten worse because of reduced management efforts. As far as I can tell, the college has not completely given up but, in part, given up because it is so difficult to remove. It can spread by both the seeds and rhizomes. The roots will spread underground and pop up. When it gets established in an area, it’s very difficult to get rid of because you have to get rid of the roots and the soil. It grows as an annual. It can reach maturity in one growing season. It can grow from a seed to producing seeds in one growing season. It reproduces incredibly fast. The native shrubs, wildflowers, bushes, and grasses have no way to compete. There are no natural predators. Deer prefer to browse on native vegetation instead of Japanese knotweed, which makes it especially pervasive. The deer selectively harvest the native versus the invasive. This only adds to the problem. In the past, there have been organized efforts to remove Japanese knotweed. But, unfortunately, it comes back. Efforts have been relatively successful. It’s mainly on the football stadium side of the stream, but it’s starting to spread to the other side. If they are not dealt with Japanese knotweed has the potential to take over the entire arboretum. That’s the worst-case scenario. Japanese knotweed has the potential to out-compete for overstory trees which are vital to the recovery of the brook trout recovery efforts because the overstory trees provide shade to prevent the stream from overheating to the point where brook trout populations are no longer viable.”</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b>TBL: What are the consequences of the Japanese knotweed taking over the entire arboretum?</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The biodiversity and wildlife potential would decrease greatly over time. Most of the plant life would be reduced until it was mainly Japanese knotweed. To remove it, you can pull it by hand. This is difficult because you have to get all the roots out which grow deep. Even if you remove all the knotweed, it’s going to grow back because there are seeds in the soil. You can use herbicides, but that also harms the native vegetation in the area. Once again, it still has the potential to regrow if the applications are not done on a yearly basis and followed-up work isn’t done. It’s a constant process. You have to pull and poison the entire area and continually monitor every year. If no management is done, it will continue to decrease the incredible biodiversity of the Appalachian mountain region. Luckily, we have thousands of students on campus. Japanese knotweed removal projects are a great way for students to get involved with environmental stewardship and community service.”</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b>TBL: Is there anything you would like to say to the student body?</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As a community, we need to work towards not only increasing our human diversity but increasing the biodiversity on campus.” </span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">20092</post-id> </item> <item> <title>News of Omicron Variant Surfaces in South Africa</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/news-of-omicron-variant-surfaces-in-south-africa/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2021 23:18:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=20048</guid> <description><![CDATA[A new variant of the COVID-19 virus known as the Omicron variant has emerged. This new variant surfaced in South Africa. Scientists from the region communicated the existence of the new variant to the World Health Organization (WHO) soon after its discovery. The variant became officially recognized by WHO on]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new variant of the COVID-19 virus known as the Omicron variant has emerged. This new variant surfaced in South Africa. Scientists from the region communicated the existence of the new variant to the World Health Organization (WHO) soon after its discovery. The variant became officially recognized by WHO on November 26th. The name of this variant comes from the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, which WHO been known to do in order to classify other variants of the COVID-19 virus, such as the Delta variant. Not much information is known about this novel variant; because of the lack of full understanding. The question of how effective vaccines, such as ones produced by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, can protect against the spread of this variant is also unknown. Since a vast amount about this variant remains mysterious, governments around the world have begun to temporarily halt travel to the African countries affected. However, according to Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, who first suspected the existence of this COVID strain, has reported that the symptoms of this strain are “very mild” and can be treated at home.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand, researchers are continuing to discover the traits of this variant compared to the original COVID-19 virus. According to WHO on the severity of Omicron’s symptoms, “It is not yet clear whether infection with omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of a specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those of other variants.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since Omicron’s initial discovery, it has spread across several nations in Southern Africa. WHO has requested that nations begin to implement precautionary tasks to reduce the risk of Omicron transmission. African countries, such as Morocco and Kenya, have begun to take action to curb the spread of the virus. Canceling and altering flights, mandating quarantine orders, and actively testing travelers are some of the measures being taken.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers believe that this variation of the virus has been present in other nations for a significant amount of time before South African officials brought it to the attention of WHO. Cases of the variant have been reported from European countries such as the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Germany. The United States has also had its first case of the Omicron variant. A traveler from South Africa that landed in Northern California is confirmed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to be infected with the variant. The rate of those who are infected with this novel variant is likely to increase within the United States and countries worldwide.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response to this new variant, the CDC released a statement on their official website stating, “CDC is following the details of the new variant, first reported to the WHO by South Africa. We are grateful to the South African government and its scientists who have openly communicated with the global scientific community and continue to share information about this variant with the US Department of Health and Human Services and CDC. We are working with other US and global public health and industry partners to learn more about this variant, as we continue to monitor its path.”</span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">20048</post-id> </item> <item> <title>United States Oil Auction</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/united-states-oil-auction/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 05 Dec 2021 13:27:20 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19982</guid> <description><![CDATA[The United States is beginning to auction off the right to drill in oil fields to private fossil fuel corporations. The area being auctioned off to drill is located in the Gulf of Mexico and contains hundreds of thousands of acres. Major companies such as Exxon, British Petroleum, and various]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The United States is beginning to auction off the right to drill in oil fields to private fossil fuel corporations. The area being auctioned off to drill is located in the Gulf of Mexico and contains hundreds of thousands of acres. Major companies such as Exxon, British Petroleum, and various others have proposed a total sum of over $190 million. The region is estimated to contain over one billion barrels of oil. The hope for these actions is that the United States will be able to achieve climate change goals with the absence of fossil fuel pollution caused by the federal government. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In order for the oil to begin to be harvested underneath the Gulf of Mexico, companies will have to establish and expand infrastructure in the region. This could take years to accomplish and goes against climate goals of reducing fossil fuel production into the upcoming decade. Federal government agencies plan on doing the same in other parts of the nation. Fossil fuel locations in states out west, such as Montana, are planned on being set up for auction in the upcoming months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the biggest oil corporations to own space in the Gulf of Mexico, Shell, has the potential to create new oil rigs if the company wins the upcoming auction. Other major oil companies, such as British Petroleum and Exxon, would do the same if they win the drilling area. The amount of capital these companies are spending for the chance to drill is immense. Offers from these companies range in millions of dollars, with some all the way up to nearly $50 million dollars.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These auctions have angered various environmentalist groups. The amount of carbon pollution from oil extraction and burning makes up a major portion of the United State’s global emissions. In 2020, oil accounted for approximately one third of the U.S. energy consumption, but it was also the source of 45% of total annual U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Environmentalists have stated that the Biden administration could find alternative solutions to auctions, one which has a less severe impact on the environment. If the federal government continues sales such as this, the footprint of United States domestic fossil fuel emissions will be difficult to decrease in upcoming years.</span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19982</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Nationwide Vaccination Mandate for Private Sector Businesses</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/nationwide-vaccination-mandate-for-private-sector-businesses/</link> <comments>https://thebottomlinenews.com/nationwide-vaccination-mandate-for-private-sector-businesses/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2021 14:36:07 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19857</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Biden administration has begun to create mandatory vaccination requirements for industries across the nation. In July, President Biden stated that there would be a vaccination mandate for the workers within the federal government. At this same time, the administration began to advocate for private businesses to enforce vaccinations with]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Biden administration has begun to create mandatory vaccination requirements for industries across the nation. In July, President Biden stated that there would be a vaccination mandate for the workers within the federal government. At this same time, the administration began to advocate for private businesses to enforce vaccinations with their own policies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As it is addressed on the White House’s official website, “The President’s plan will reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory powers and other actions to substantially increase the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements-these requirements will become dominant in the workplace.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the website, the administration addresses the specific steps that are on the way for vaccination mandates. It plans on having businesses with over 100 employees become fully vaccinated. If employees choose to remain unvaccinated, then they will have to receive a weekly test before being present at the workplace. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The vaccination mandate also extends to those federal employees found within the executive branch. Contractors that are working in conjunction with the federal government will be required to be vaccinated as well. A variety of governmental agencies, including the Department of Defense and the National Health Institute, will be helping the administration with this.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nationwide facilities involved with Medicare and Medicaid will have some regulations imposed regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. Facilities such as hospitals and home health organizations will be required to have their employees and staff to be fully vaccinated. The administration hopes that by imposing these regulations on the healthcare industry, uniform guidelines will be established across the nation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These regulations will also be affecting the entertainment industry. The Biden administration’s plan is to require entertainment establishments that can host a significant number of people to require proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the amount of time it will take to vaccinate all of these individuals, the administration is planning on implementing a rule requiring businesses to pay employees while being vaccinated. This includes the potential time an employee might have to take off, if needed, to recover from receiving the vaccine. This rule will only be extended to businesses with over 100 employees.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The response to this wide array of new rules has varied amongst business leaders. Some praise the new implementations while others consider that it could be catastrophic to their business. Governmental agencies have come to the conclusion that once the January 4th deadline is reached, business leaders and their employees will follow the plan. If businesses do not follow the plan as listed, the number of fines they can receive can reach over $100,000. The amount increases for each individual employee who does not comply.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an overwhelming response to these upcoming regulations, a majority of states are suing to prevent implementation. These states include Nebraska, Iowa, New Hampshire, and multiple others. The outcome of these lawsuits is yet to be seen. </span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://thebottomlinenews.com/nationwide-vaccination-mandate-for-private-sector-businesses/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19857</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Accounting Department to Offer New “Life Skills for Money Wellness” Course</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/accounting-department-to-offer-new-life-skills-for-money-wellness-course/</link> <comments>https://thebottomlinenews.com/accounting-department-to-offer-new-life-skills-for-money-wellness-course/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 31 Oct 2021 14:39:04 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Campus News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[College Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19785</guid> <description><![CDATA[Managing finances is a life-long skill that allows one to become self-reliant and independent. Stepping into the financial world can be overwhelming to those who are not familiar with the topic. This is why Frostburg State University’s Accounting Department is beginning to offer ACCT 101, ‘Life Skills for Money Wellness’]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Managing finances is a life-long skill that allows one to become self-reliant and independent. Stepping into the financial world can be overwhelming to those who are not familiar with the topic. This is why Frostburg State University’s Accounting Department is beginning to offer ACCT 101, ‘Life Skills for Money Wellness’ to all Frostburg State University student this upcoming Spring 2022 semester. This course will cover the basics of financial stability and teach students real-world skills. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bottom Line</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sat down with Dr. Chelsea Schrader, head of Frostburg’s accounting department, to talk about the new program.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Students of all ages have requested that a course about finances be taught at Frostburg. The Accounting Department had been planning to implement this course for about a year and a half, but the plan was halted as a result of the pandemic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We pulled some students and got a lot of feedback over time that students wanted a financial literacy course. They want to know the basics. I have been asked by a number of different groups around campus to do workshops about debit cards, credit cards, managing debt, and taxes. So, we wanted to offer a course across campus that is going to cover all of these different things.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The class is offering students from every major a chance to be educated on the fundamentals of finance that everyone can use. “I apply these skills in my life…” Dr. Schrader commented, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“it’s going to be a practical hands-on course. A lot of courses tend to be more theoretical in nature. We’re going to have actual hands-on activities in this course that will allow students to use these skills. One of the things we are going to do is create a personal financial plan.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The creation of a student’s financial plan will give students solid groundwork on which they can successfully build their financial lives. “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">56% of Americans have less than $10,000 in retirement savings, and 44% of them can’t cover an emergency of $400 without going into debt. When you look at those numbers in today’s environment, when emergencies happen quite frequently, we want to have the opportunity to provide that kind of knowledge to our students,” Dr. Schrader continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We don’t want people to be scared by the ‘ACCT’ code. We want to make sure that people understand what the course is actually going to be about. I’m not saying that it’s going to be a breeze of a course, but it’s not going to be a purposefully difficult course. It’s going to be something that helps you with those skills that everyone asks for.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A major challenge for college students across the country is the massive amount of debt that is piled onto them as a result of getting a degree. Increasing understanding of debt created by college will be addressed by the course. Dr. Schrader mentioned, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">“one of the biggest things that I’ve seen with my friends and personal life, and what some students have talked to me about, is student loan debt. Just understanding the true cost of revolving debt over time and then how you can manage your student debt and how you can pay it off quickly can help.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ACCT 101 is a three-credit course that will be required for the University’s accounting minor. For the rest of Frostburg’s student body, it is a completely open course, meaning that no prerequisites are required to enroll. The course will go over a wide variety of finance-related topics such as retirement savings, taxes, W-2’s, W-4’s, credit card interest rates, budgeting, and investments. The course will be taught by Professor Kiersten Bradley, a Frostburg alumni, in the upcoming Spring 2022 semester and then by Dr. Chelsea Schrader in the following semesters. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This course is going to help give a practical approach to understanding financial skills. It’s going to give you hands-on coverage of the introductory financial literacy skills to help you gain confidence when it comes to your money. We all want to be independent, and I think having that knowledge will not only give financial confidence, but it will give financial independence.” </span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://thebottomlinenews.com/accounting-department-to-offer-new-life-skills-for-money-wellness-course/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19785</post-id> </item> <item> <title>The Build Back Better Act</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/the-build-back-better-act/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:30:20 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19673</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Build Back Better Act, as described on The White House’s official website, “is an ambitious plan to create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families – all paid for by making tax code fairer and making the wealthiest and large corporations pay their fair share.” Briefly put,]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Build Back Better Act</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as described on The White House’s official website, “is an ambitious plan to create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families – all paid for by making tax code fairer and making the wealthiest and large corporations pay their fair share.” Briefly put, the Bill, according to a summary by Congress, includes items such as:</span></p> <p>Providing Funding to:</p> <ul> <li>Management of the National Forest System</li> <li>Job placement and career services</li> <li>Safe drinking water, energy-efficiency, and weatherization projects</li> <li>Electric vehicles and zero-emission, heavy-duty vehicles</li> <li>Public health infrastructure and supply chain resiliency</li> <li>Housing, rental, and homeowner assistance programs</li> <li>Cybersecurity programs</li> <li>Tribal infrastructure, housing, environmental, and health programs</li> <li>Wildfire prevention, drought relief, conservation efforts, and climate change research</li> <li>Small business assistance and development</li> <li>Transit services and clean energy projects in low-income communities</li> <li>Infrastructure and administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs</li> </ul> <p>Establishing programs to provide:</p> <ul> <li>Up to six semesters (full-time or part-time) of free community college</li> <li>Free child care for children under the age of six</li> <li>Free universal preschool services</li> <li>Health benefits for eligible individuals who reside in states that have not expanded Medicaid</li> </ul> <p>And includes provisions that:</p> <ul> <li>Establish a methane fee for certain petroleum and natural gas facilities</li> <li>Expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision care</li> <li>Provide certain aliens with a path to permanent resident status (e.g., those who entered the United States as minors)</li> <li>Provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave</li> <li>Restructure and increase the tax rates for certain corporations and high-income individuals (e.g., individuals with income over $400,000)</li> <li>Require the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate maximum prices for certain brand-name drugs under Medicare</li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From the listing above and the official outline located on the White House’s website, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Build Back Better Act</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is truly an ambitious one. It tackles a wide array of issues from cutting expenses to the American family to creating jobs that can help take on climate change. The Build Back Better Act</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a bold piece of legislation that has goals in many of the issues at the forefront of American society.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The specifics of The Build Back Better Act include a number of plans to help decrease the financial burden on American families. Decreasing the cost of child care for families is one such plan. It also projects on making the required amount of payment for childcare to be a maximum of seven percent of the family’s income. Nation-wide free preschool is also outlined in the bill. Advanced education will also be tackled with free two years of community college for Americans. As housing has become increasingly expensive across the nation, the act plans on curbing the amount Americans pay to landlords through the use of government subsidies and tax credits. Healthcare and prescriptions are also outlined to be reduced in cost. With the burden of these costs being alleviated, it is estimated that it will save working American families thousands of dollars.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lowering the amount of taxes paid by American families is a major portion of th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">e</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Build Back Better Act</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For families that have a child or multiple children, a tax credit will be offered of $2000 to $3600 depending upon the child’s age. A cut in the amount of taxes paid by working individuals without children is also on the act’s agenda. This tax cut has the potential to save between $543 and $1,502. These tax cuts will help millions of Americans work to achieve financial stability.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beyond the tax cuts working Americans and families are planned to receive, the creation of jobs for those in need of work is another item on the agenda of t</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">he</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Build Back Better Act</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Increases in resources and funding for the labor pool to promote improved job training are a major portion of the act. The jobs planned on being created will take place in the clean energy sector and will be a part of a workforce union. Another prominent piece of the act is increasing the number of teachers in schools and general educational infrastructure improvements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As t</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">he</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Build Back Better Act</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> currently stands, it will most likely not make it to the White House. Various individuals within the Democratic party have called for the act to be decreased from its current size, as it’s seen as a complex and significantly impactful document that will be difficult, if not nearly impossible, to agree upon by the parties all at once- especially during a global crisis that leaves many immediate needs uncertain of being resolved or remedied. Democrats expect to cut portions of at least a trillion dollars from the act for it to appease other members of the party. Numerous debates on the ways to downsize the act are under scrutiny. Cutting back on certain aspects of the act to keep the entire vote of the Democratic party will be necessary. </span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19673</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Facebook Outage Lasts Hours</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/facebook-outage-lasts-hours/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 12 Oct 2021 14:04:06 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19608</guid> <description><![CDATA[Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp all play a major role in contemporary society. Some rely on these platforms in order to communicate with family and friends, and others rely on them in order to make a living. Suffice to say, these applications, all of which are owned by Facebook, Inc., have]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp all play a major role in contemporary society. Some rely on these platforms in order to communicate with family and friends, and others rely on them in order to make a living. Suffice to say, these applications, all of which are owned by Facebook, Inc., have cemented a major role in the lives of billions of people’s professional and personal lives. This makes the recent outage of the platform a major concern to those who deeply rely on Facebook and its related social media platforms.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The outage took place on Monday around noon and lasted for several hours. Users faced a number of challenges, including not being able to access new content on their accounts. These same issues were present on other social media platforms owned by Facebook, such as the ones named above. Users were unable to navigate effectively through these websites. The effect was not only felt by the user, but by Facebook’s own employees and staff who were unable to do their jobs throughout the outage. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the notability of the problem, many began to speculate the cause of the globe-spanning issue. It was a popular idea that hackers might be to blame for the issue. Facebook officials have since stated that this was not the case and that the issue actually came from inside the organization. The official statement detailed that the problem was due to an update that caused a cascading effect of other issues to the social media platforms’ internal framework. The issue was able to be resolved when a group of Facebook’s engineers were able to reboot the server that was experiencing the issue.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is not the first time that Facebook has gone down for an extended period of time in the last few years. The outage on Monday still continues to cause concern even though it has been resolved. The issue continues to worry many for the possibility that it might happen again in the near future. If another outage like this occurs, it could be financially devastating to those businesses. Facebook itself lost millions in revenue as a result of this outage. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An update posted from Facebook’s engineering team had this to say, “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">People and businesses around the world rely on us every day to stay connected. We understand the impact that outages like these have on people’s lives, as well as our responsibility to keep people informed about disruptions to our services. We apologize to all those affected, and we’re working to understand more about what happened today so we can continue to make our infrastructure more resilient.” </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19608</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Working Professionals Certificates and Pharmacy Program at Frostburg</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/working-professionals-certificates-and-pharmacy-program-at-frostburg/</link> <comments>https://thebottomlinenews.com/working-professionals-certificates-and-pharmacy-program-at-frostburg/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 2021 06:02:52 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Campus News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[College Life]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19558</guid> <description><![CDATA[The amount of different major and minor programs Frostburg State University has to offer its student body is vast. From majors in graphic arts and molecular biology to minors in recreation and parks management and sustainability studies. The number of choices a student has can be overwhelming. For a traditional]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The amount of different major and minor programs Frostburg State University has to offer its student body is vast. From majors in graphic arts and molecular biology to minors in recreation and parks management and sustainability studies. The number of choices a student has can be overwhelming. For a traditional student on campus coming from high school, college can prove to be a difficult challenge. The amount of difficulty is only increased for a non-traditional student coming from the professional world into a college setting. In response to this need of working students looking to get ahead within their field, Frostburg State University has introduced a program for non-traditional students called the ‘Working Professionals Certificate Program.’ This program is one of the many resources and opportunities the university continues to offer the student body to transition from college student to working professional. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This program was created by Dr. Martha Mattare, an associate professor in the department of management, and Wayne Keefer, who produced the course’s curriculum. The program is designed to be taken completely online within a year for the ease of those who are already in the professional world. The course material includes topics that can immediately be put into practice in small business, retail, and nonprofit management as well as manufacturing leadership. The online course will have the input of specialists in the student’s professional field who will discuss with the students’ ways to adapt and overcome contemporary challenges in the workplace. The courses will continually develop to the challenges that face the professional world. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another program the university is offering to ease students’ transition into the professional world is for students looking to achieve a pharmacy doctorate. Earlier this year in August, Frostburg State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore declared the existence of a new program for students wanting to become a pharmacist. Those who complete the program will receive a degree from both Frostburg State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The program can be completed in six years, rather than eight, allowing for students to save valuable time and money that can be spent in the professional world. For students to be eligible for this program, they must be chemistry undergraduates with three years of successful academic achievement to have a real potential of entering into the program. The pharmacy doctorate program that the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is offering is a unique one. The program is not available for students to take at many other Universities around the country in both the fall and spring semesters.</span></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://thebottomlinenews.com/working-professionals-certificates-and-pharmacy-program-at-frostburg/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19558</post-id> </item> <item> <title>United States Increases Vaccine Aid</title> <link>https://thebottomlinenews.com/united-states-increases-vaccine-aid/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Bole]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 28 Sep 2021 13:50:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[National & International News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://thebottomlinenews.com/?p=19517</guid> <description><![CDATA[Across the world, leaders of nations and international organizations are continuously pointing out the inequity between developed and underdeveloped nations when it comes to COVID vaccine availability. In regards to this, the Biden administration has begun to greatly increase the number of vaccines to nations that have yet to receive]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Across the world, leaders of nations and international organizations are continuously pointing out the inequity between developed and underdeveloped nations when it comes to COVID vaccine availability. In regards to this, the Biden administration has begun to greatly increase the number of vaccines to nations that have yet to receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The administration will also increase spending for the organizations providing access to vaccines in these nations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These donations come in light of criticism from various nations about how the Biden administration is providing boosters to vaccinated Americans, as less than half of the population of the world remains unvaccinated. With the new vaccinations on the way, this means that the United States has sent over a billion vaccinations to countries in need. Currently, the United States is the leading distributor of COVID-19 vaccination aid compared to any other nation. The United Nations wishes that wealthier nations would step up the amount of aid being given to the developing nations, seeing as the wealth gap are making these populations in desperate need of vaccination.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite this massive increase in aid, it is not close to what the United Nations and the global community are attempting to reach by next September. The United Nation’s goal is to have at least 70% of the global population vaccinated, despite various under-developed nations having less than a three percent vaccination rate. As time progresses, the United Nations and World Health Organization hope to reach these goals.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In light of this, the United Nations has begun its meeting of the general assembly. Vaccination inequity is one of the topics at its forefront. Various nations from Africa stated their concerns, most of which having to do with a majority of their nations’ populations still not receiving a single dose of the COVID vaccine. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some African foreign officials are worried that developed nations are not going to fulfill their promises of sending vaccines to the nations in need, creating further inequities. This pandemic has proven challenging for African nations, specifically those within the eastern portion of the continent. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">African officials continue to stress the message to other nations within the United Nations General Assembly that the world is not safe until everyone is fully vaccinated.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p> </p> ]]></content:encoded> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">19517</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>