Jared Scott’s Uplifting Message Sparks Positivity and Change in Hawaii

Jared Scott is a beacon of inspiration for those who aspire to leave a lasting impact on the world. He’s versatile, donning many hats – a devoted spouse, loving father, persuasive orator, compassionate counselor, wise entrepreneur, and gifted musician. His journey towards becoming a renowned motivational speaker commenced at the tender age of 15, when he resided in Midland, Texas, and lost a dear friend to the town’s suicidal outbreak. Being a songwriter and rapper, he utilized his artistic skills to create awareness and address the issue of suicide prevalent in his school district.

Jared’s talks, seminars, and initiatives are firmly rooted in the power of emotional intelligence. He aims to inspire listeners to take hold of every moment and use it as a catalyst for a purposeful and fulfilling life. According to him, the ability to handle our emotions, outlook, and responses is the key to living an authentic and honest existence. 

Jared sets his sights on the education system’s young populace, encompassing students, teachers, and authority figures, along with entrepreneurs and influencers. He firmly believes that nurturing emotional intelligence in these individuals can catalyze a chain reaction of affirmative change, empowering them to make a tangible difference in their communities. Furthermore, he aims to uplift the uplifters and inspire the inspirers, triggering a wave of positivity that spreads far and wide.

Jared’s uplifting trip to the enchanting land of Hawaii brought a beacon of hope to the young hearts yearning for a brighter tomorrow. The island’s youth were grappling with unfavorable economic and educational conditions, as highlighted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The pandemic had inflicted significant damage on their emotional state, plunging them into the depths of despair and worry. Jared’s adept social and emotional learning programs proved to be the ideal antidote to the daunting issues facing Hawaii’s youth.

By means of his captivating speeches and engaging workshops, Jared instilled in the students the power to embark on a fresh journey and equipped them with the tools necessary to effectively regulate their thoughts and feelings. In addition, he invested extensive hours post the assemblies by providing personalized attention to each student and conducting group exercises to foster a stronger sense of community within the school premises, with the optimistic aspiration of extending its impact beyond the boundaries of the institution.

Jared’s words of hope and perseverance came like a refreshing breeze to the young souls in Hawaii. His charismatic approach to touching the hearts of his listeners and his unwavering commitment to motivating them to strive for greatness had an indelible impact on every individual he encountered. Likewise, his uplifting message resonated deeply with the students, encouraging them to make every second count and to blaze a trail toward a life filled with significance and fulfillment, despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Jared Scott’s tireless efforts to empower the youth in Hawaii have illuminated the transformative power of a compassionate mentor and counselor. His impact has reverberated far beyond the lives he’s directly touched, inspiring a new generation of community leaders to emulate his example. Jared’s message of hope, resilience, and emotional intelligence is a beacon of light in a world that sorely needs it, reminding us all of the profound impacts we can make when we dedicate ourselves to helping others.

 

Mary Daly admits more hikes might be needed

Mary DalyA series of crises have tarnished this past year, but the effects of inflation are still being felt today.

While it has decreased somewhat, the Federal Reserve is still on course to raise interest rates in order to handle the lingering issue.

Mary Daly, President of the San Francisco Fed, likewise underlined the importance of another rate hike.

The news

Mary Daly suggested on Saturday that the Federal Reserve should not only raise but also maintain interest rates at their current levels.

She claimed that doing so would enable them to deal with increased prices caused by inflation.

“There is more work to do,” said Daly at Princeton University.

“In order to put this episode of high inflation behind us, further policy tightening, maintained for a longer time, will likely be necessary.”

“Restoring price stability is our mandate, and it is what the American people expect. So, the FOMIC remains resolute in achieving this goal.”

Mary Daly also confessed that high inflation and the Fed’s aggressive rate hikes to bring prices down frightened Main Street and Wall Street.

“The responses range from fearing these actions will tip the economy into a recession to fearing they won’t be enough to get the job done.”

Concern triggered huge market volatility with the release of fresh economic data, as uncertainty encourages investors to seek quick remedies.

Yet, Daly feels that meeting the stated goal will take time and “a broader view.”

Nevertheless, Mary Daly remarked that given the volume and length of high inflation readings, the Fed’s current tightening policy was (and continues to be) fair.

Daly also calls the disinflationary trend into question, noting significant inflation in the goods, housing, and related sectors, as well as strong economic indicators.

Mary Daly is a member of the Federal Open Market Committee and attends policy meetings, but she does not currently vote on Fed policy.

Federal Reserve warnings

A week before Mary Daly’s speech, the Federal Reserve issued similar concerns.

Last Wednesday, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari remarked that he is open to the possibility of a bigger interest rate hike during the Fed’s March policy meeting.

“Whether it’s 25 or 50 basis points,” said Kashkari.

Likewise, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic stated that the Fed’s policy rate should be hiked by half a percentage point at the next meeting.

The next day, Fed Governor Christopher warned that interest rates might climb quicker than planned.

He highlighted a sequence of economic numbers that were stronger than predicted.

Read also: Stock market ends February with losses

Interest rate progress

In the last year, the Federal Reserve has done a lot to keep inflation under control.

It raised its target range from near zero to 4.5% to 4.75%.

After cutting half a percentage point in December, they reduced increases to a quarter of a percentage point in February.

Inflation had reached a four-decade high in 2022, but it had started to fall in the last quarter.

Yet, January inflation data showed that the rate of price increases was steadily growing again.

Gold price

As a result of the new warnings, gold prices have come to a halt.

Prices dipped from a two-and-a-half-week high on Monday as traders anticipated US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s decision for clues about future rate hikes.

On February 15, spot gold reached a high of $1,858.19 per ounce, but it is now down 0.3% at $1,849.33 per ounce.

Likewise, gold futures in the United States rose slightly to $1,855.10.

In addition, the dollar index increased 0.1%, making greenback-priced bullion more expensive for overseas buyers.

Awaiting testimony

Many people are looking forward to Powell’s congressional hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by the February jobs report due Friday.

“Currently, gold is in a wait-and-see mode,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

“There’s unlikely to be a change of script from Powell, reiterating the need for further rate hikes to bring inflation under control.”

While gold is frequently employed as an inflation hedge, rising interest rates may dampen demand for the zero-yielding commodity.

Mary Daly explored the possibility of interest rates climbing (and sticking there) if data on Saturday is hotter than expected.

According to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao, current gold prices may continue to rise into the $1,867 to $1,876 per ounce region once resistance at $1,853 is breached.

Meta proactive in adding extra protection to teens online

Meta Social media platforms have enabled individuals to connect from afar in this day and age.

Nevertheless, although social media offers advantages, it also has disadvantages.

It can, for example, be used to bully others.

Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, is well aware of how its platforms have become breeding grounds for such crimes, notably “revenge porn.”

The problem

The act of sharing graphic photographs of someone online without their consent is known as revenge porn.

Teens, in particular, are vulnerable to revenge porn, with scandalous material being posted on Facebook and Instagram.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the amount of revenge porn on the internet has increased in recent years, particularly among young boys.

Meta has created a new tool called “Take It Down” in order to combat the proliferation of pornographic photographs.

The tool

Take It Down is aimed at persons who upload graphic photos of others without their permission in order to disgrace them.

NCMEC operates and runs it, allowing minors to anonymously attach a hash or digital fingerprint to personal photographs or videos taken with their own device.

Users do not need to upload them to the new platform either.

Teens may install the program and make a hash of sexual content by visiting the official website.

Although the picture will not be saved in the database, the anonymized number will.

Because the photo is connected to Meta, if it is shared on Facebook or Instagram, it will be compared to the original, evaluated, and possibly deleted from the site.

“This issue has been incredibly important to Meta for a very, very long time because the damage done is quite severe in the context of teens or adults,” said Meta global safety director Antigone Davis.

“It can do damage to their reputation and familial relationships, and puts them in a very vulnerable position.”

“It’s important that we find tools like this to help them regain control of what can be a very difficult and devastating situation.”

Who can use it?

Take It Down works for photographs posted on Facebook, Instagram, and their respective direct messaging services as long as they are not encrypted.

Furthermore, Take It Down can be used by anyone under the age of 18 in collaboration with parents and trusted adults on behalf of a young person.

Meta covers the entire cost of the tool.

Additionally, it builds on a similar website launched in 2021 by more than 70 non-governmental organizations called StopNCII, all of which work to prevent revenge porn among adults.

Read also: Severance agreement change, how it affects employees and employers

The effort

Since 2016, the NCMEC’s cyber tip line has received over 250,000 reports of online enticement, including sextortion.

The number of reports more than doubled between 2019 and 2021.

Last year, 79% of offenders sought money to prevent the images from being uploaded, with many of them taking place on social media.

Antigone Davis was probed by Senators over a year and a half ago about the Meta applications’ influence on younger users.

At the time, it was reported that the corporation was aware that Instagram may be “toxic” to adolescent girls.

While the firm did put out additional tools and protections, experts say it took too long and that more might have been done.

President Joe Biden sought more clarity regarding Meta’s algorithms and their influence on the mental health of teenage users during his recent State of the Union speech.

Davis replied by noting that the firm appreciates efforts to standardize the sector so that youngsters can browse and enjoy internet services.

She also stated that the firm is boosting its efforts to protect underage users, particularly when it comes to removing obscene photographs.

“Sextortion is one of the biggest growing crimes we see at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” said Gavin Portnoy of NCMEC.

“We’re calling it the hidden pandemic, and nobody is really talking about it.”

Portnoy also emphasized the rise in juvenile suicides as a result of revenge porn.

“That is the driving force behind creating Take It Down, along with our partners,” he added.

“It really gives survivors an opportunity to say, look I’m not going to let you do this to me. I have the power over my images and my videos.”

Other platforms take action

Apart from Meta, OnlyFans and MindGeek, Pornhub’s parent firm, are incorporating comparable technology into their sites.

However, there are certain restrictions.

Altering the original image by cropping it, adding emojis, or doctoring it is one possible loophole.

Take It Down can still identify filters such as sepia or black and white.

Meanwhile, Meta suggests that teens produce a hash for each copy of the image or altered version.

“There’s no panacea for the issue of sextortion or the issue of the non-consensual sharing of intimate images,” said Davis.

“It really does take a holistic approach.”

Take It Down is not the company’s first attempt to devote resources to combating explicit material with youngsters.

It has already made changes to the platforms to provide an age-appropriate experience for teenagers, including:

  • Supervision tools for parents
  • Age-verification technology
  • Defaulting teens into private settings on Facebook and Instagram

George Gemeinhardt Discusses How Music Brings Joy to People’s Lives

George Gemeinhardt has succeeded in every field he’s tried, including in music. As the 1972 recipient of the John Phillip Sousa Band Award, he knows a thing or two about performance and how music can improve life. In a world where more children are ignoring the world of music in favor of internet fame, he hopes to inspire at least a few to try out music to see what joy it brings them in life.

George Gemeinhardt on the Importance of Music

George Gemeinhardt has split his life between business and music, though he mostly plays for fun and enjoyment these days. Though some of his business partners don’t understand his love of playing, others get where he is coming from as a person. That’s because music is one of the most positive things in the world and a powerful way to bring people together and manage the challenges that life brings their way.

Multiple studies have shown that listening to and playing music can help with negative emotions by letting people express them adequately and constructively. Rather than feeling anxious or unable to process these negative feelings, music enables you to communicate them positively. Self-expression is critical to happiness in people of all ages, from the youngest to the oldest.

Performers, in particular, get these emotional benefits because they are creating music near and dear to their hearts. Even better, the sound of the music itself can bring joy. Studies show that people hearing music they like often feel a euphoria that fights negative emotions and improves their quality of life. Music also bridges cultural and personal gaps, bringing together people who may not have much in common beyond the love of a performer or musical style.

Just as critically, George Gemeinhardt believes music can be a healing, creative art for people who need it the most. For example, his musical skills have helped him manage anxiety, feel better about his life, and create an array of other emotional benefits. Likewise, young children and teens struggling with the stresses of reality may find that music performance provides a beneficial outlet.

Even those children or teens who don’t want to perform may still find that music creates a fascinating creative outlet. For example, some people become music critics and write about their favorite bands and performers. Others prefer just listening to music and letting the soothing tones of their favorite music calm their anxiety, hype them up for the day, or provide other real emotional benefits.

While George Gemeinhardt still believes that performance is the key to real satisfaction in music, listening to and casually enjoying your favorite bands, composers, and performers is still a significant benefit. He strongly suggests seeking outside your comfort zone and finding music you might not have listened to otherwise, such as classical and jazz players, that can soothe your heart and inspire your creativity.