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After analyzing fluid from the lungs of patients in the recent vaping-disease epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control reported last week that every victim had traces of an additive used in marijuana vaping but never used in nicotine vaping. That should not come as a surprise, because there was never any evidence or suggestion that nicotine e-cigarettes such as Juul makes had caused any harm to their users. But the CDC had pretended otherwise in August, warning people not to use any kind of e-cigarette.

The CDCs warning, amplified by alarmist media coverage, confused the public about the risk of vaping THCthe active chemical in marijuanawhile discouraging smokers from switching to a safer source of nicotine. A national survey in September found that 58 percent of American adults mistakenly believed that the new epidemic was related to e-cigarettes like Juul, and that only 22 percent believed e-cigarettes were healthier than tobacco cigarettes. In reality, researchers have so far failed to find any long-term harm from nicotine vaping, and British public-health authorities have declared e-cigarettes at least 95 percent safer than tobacco cigarettes.

The CDCs scare, coupled with a subsequent announcement that the Food and Drug Administration planned to ban the flavors used by more than 80 percent of adult vapers, amounted to welcome news for the declining tobacco industry. Cigarette sales had been plummeting (along with smoking rates among adults and young people) since Juuls rise to popularity three years ago. But after the CDCs and FDAs actions, the Wall Street Journal reported, tobacco-industry analysts said that they expected cigarette sales to improve and were already seeing signs of that trend.

The industrys prospects were dimmed, though, by another development in Washington: President Trump was reported to have rejected the FDAs plan to ban e-cigarette flavors after being lobbied by vape shop owners and warned by his political advisers that it could cost him crucial support in swing states. Trump, who had earlier supported the flavor ban, was pilloried in the press for putting politics ahead of public health.

But whatever his motivations, at this point Trump seems to be the administrations only voice of sanity on vaping. As Guy Bentley of the Reason Foundation noted in RealClearPolicy, It should be a source of embarrassment that the public would be better informed on this issue if they listened to a vape shop owner or a cannabis website rather than the nations top public health authority. The CDC, despite finding no evidence implicating nicotine in its new study, last week continued to warn Americans that the only way to assure that you are not at risk while the investigation continues is to consider refraining from use of all e-cigarette, or vaping, products. It did at least recommend that nicotine vapers not go back to cigarettes, but what were they supposed to do instead? The CDC suggested using nicotine gum and other nicotine-replacement therapies that have proved far less effective in keeping people off cigarettes.

No ethical doctor would knowingly put his patients life at risk by deceiving him into abandoning the best treatment in favor of an inferior one, but the CDC operates by its own standards. Despite its new study, and despite the many reports of ex-smokers going back to cigarettes because of the agencys false alarms, the CDC goes on jeopardizing the lives of millions of smokers in Americaand the rest of the world, too, because its advice is taken seriously abroad. Shortly after the CDC started this years vaping panic, all e-cigarettes were banned in India, where 1 million people die annually from smoking-related illnesses.

American smokers can still vape flavored e-cigarettes, but that could change after next years election. Some congressional Democrats support legislation banning flavors, and the newest Democratic presidential candidate, Michael Bloomberg, is a leader of the anti-vaping movement. In September, he announced that his Bloomberg Philanthropies would spend $160 million campaigning to ban e-cigarette flavors in at least 20 cities and states. Bloombergs campaign will appeal to progressive prohibitionists who favor restricting nicotine, but hell hear a different message from Americas vapers, estimated to number at least 8 million. Theyre the ones who helped change Trumps mind by showing up outside the White House to chant, We vape, we vote.

John Tierney is a contributing editor of City Journal and a contributing science columnist for the New York Times.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Originally posted here:
The CDC Proves Trump Right on Vaping - City Journal

If there was a winner of Friday nights Question Time grilling of the party leaders, it was the audience. It was one of the best events of its type Ive seen the crowd irreverent and uncowed, unwilling to accept the usual political blather, hacked off and up for a scrap.

It all had a fascinating impact on the politicians. Faced with this 100-strong, grumpy human lie detector they found themselves forced to speak frankly, to admit to mistakes, to (largely) avoid the platitudes and clichs that were usually treated to on the campaign trail. And they came across much better as a result less pompous, less evasive, a bit more like the standard form of the species.

I found this fascinating because for some years now Ive had a particular view of how politics needs to change. A number of things, including the rise of consumerism and the march of social media, has altered the terms of public engagement.

The lamentable failure of traditional institutions to adapt to modern life has uprooted the traditional order. The state is no longer the all-powerful force it once was. Many people today are considerably less deferential, better informed and engaged, and more sceptical when it comes to politics and politicians, and their capabilities.

The accepted style of modern political communication which perhaps started with Bill Clinton, was refined by Tony Blair, and began to fray under David Cameron and George Osborne has run out of road. These guys were masters of the soundbite, of the polished promise that was in reality no such thing. Osborne even had a name for their kind: The Guild. They operated to a kind of professional political code: pledge A, which voters liked, when you really intended to deliver B, which they were less keen on; spin the media; control and beguile the national debate. Calculation, misdirection, cynicism.

It doesnt work any more. Voters are savvy enough to see the wiring, to snuffle out the wee wizard hiding behind the curtain. Political leaders are no longer placed on any kind of pedestal. Quite the opposite.

This all requires a new kind of approach from politicians something more like the one we saw on Friday night. The theme that emerged over and again in the questioning was that of trust, or the lack of. Jo Swinson was crucified for her ludicrous policy of straightforwardly revoking Brexit. Jeremy Corbyns manifesto, which promises vast nationalisations and spending increases, was treated with remarkable scepticism. Slippery Boris Johnson was called out on the trust issue in the very first question he faced.

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed for me that she is the most impressive politician in the land. She was frank about her ambitions for a post-election pact with Labour, and throughout her questioning was frank and clear. You could see the audience responding in kind.

This is what we need from todays politicians. The conversation with the electorate must be one of equals, conducted with respect and honesty. The limitations of government must be acknowledged, and failures more freely admitted to.

Ultimately, if trust in public life is to be restored then it is the politicians, not the voters, who must change.

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Chris Deerin: Savvy, sceptical and up for a scrap... How the modern voter is rewriting the rulebook - The Sunday Post

There is an obvious next move for the Calgary Flames when it comes to the head coaching position.

But is it the right one?

With the teams ongoing investigation surrounding Bill Peters and allegations of a racial slur and physical allegations by former players on social media, there is uncertainty surrounding his future.

In the interim, the obvious choice to take over until this is sorted out is associate boss Geoff Ward, who has head coaching experience and is well-liked by the current players. Theres good reason to believe that he is the correct one for the role in the long-term, too.

After an update from the team on Tuesday night, general manager Brad Treliving indicated that would be the case at least on Wednesday, as Peters would not be behind the bench and Ward would handle the head coaching duties as the Flames wrap up a four-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres (5 p.m., Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). Treliving said the teams internal review into the allegations continues, indicating it is a very serious matter and they want to be thorough in their investigation.

The fact that the Flames are going through their third head coach in eight seasons and second in the last three-and-a-half speaks to a higher level of disappointment that must be felt within the organization: a difficulty finding the right person to steer the ship of a team that had the most wins in franchise history a year ago.

But with their on-ice business continuing and their record sliding after Mondays latest setback, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, they were 11-12-4 and 3-5-2 in the last 10 games the team must move forward.

Ward ran Tuesdays practice and spoke to the media afterwards, saying their job is simple.

We just have to worry about the things we can control Tree has addressed the (allegations), Ward said. For us, were trying to finish up a road trip on a real strong note. We just want to come here and control what we can control. Its how we practice, its how we play. We showed (the players) a lot of the things we did well (on Monday). We talked about how were starting to come on an upturn we want to carry it on.

He was asked about the potential added duties on his plate, specifically Wednesdays game.

Im not worried about that right now, said Ward, a proud father of four Cody, Sawyer, Kylie and Hannah. Right now, my focus was just on getting the group ready (Tuesday) and having a good practice, and well take it from there.

Weve talked about it right from the beginning of the year, and we talked about it (regarding) expectations we emphasized in training camp, its important for us to put all the stuff theyre hearing on the outside, to keep it to the outside and just really worry about ourselves in the dressing room as a team and as a family and grow it from within there.

Ward has been a head coach but not at the National Hockey League level, although its been a long and winding journey to this point. But it also should be noted that Ward has experience in calming the waters during times of turmoil.

Calgary Flames assistant coach Geoff Ward, pictured during the 2019 playoffs.Al Charest/Postmedia

The 57-year-old native of Waterloo, Ont., started his coaching career in 1989 as an assistant at the University of Waterloo and spent some time with the junior B Waterloo Siskins before coaching with the Ontario Hockey Leagues Niagara Falls Thunder through the 1992-93 season.

In 1994-95, Ward took over head coaching duties of the OHLs Kitchener Rangers from Joe McDonnell and led that team to playoffs, remaining in the position through the 1997-98 campaign and amassing a 108-102-26-4 record through four seasons.

Then:

In 2001-02, his break came into the professional realm in North America as he joined the Hamilton Bulldogs as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers American Hockey League affiliate.

The following season in 2002-03, Ward replaced Claude Julien (who had been promoted to head coach of the Canadiens upon the firing of Michel Therrien) and led the team to the Calder Cup finals, winning the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award for the AHLs coach of the year.

Then, he spent a year with the Toronto Roadrunners before the Oilers American Hockey League team relocated to Edmonton during the 2004-05 National Hockey League lockout and, after that, a stint in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga with the Iserlohn Roosters.

He reunited with Julien in Boston during the 2007-08 campaign and spent seven seasons as an assistant, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 before returning to Germany to Adler Mannheim where he won the DEL coach of the year and the DEL Championship. Then, it was back to the NHL with the New Jersey Devils for three seasons from 2015-18.

Ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, Treliving sought out Wards services to help out the Flames struggling power play, and he did that, improving their man-advantage in one year from 29th (16.0%) to 18th (19.3%).

A former high school and elementary teacher in Ontario, Ward has a reputation of being an honest coach and likable person, and, at the moment, he fits seamlessly into the role. He knows the Flames personnel, players and coaches including on-ice assistants Martin Gelinas and Ryan Huska, and is familiar with the organization.

But Treliving, ultimately, has the final call on whether Ward is a long-term fit at the position or not.

kanderson@postmedia.comTwitter: @KDotAnderson

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Geoff Ward the obvious choice for Flames head coach - Calgary Sun

We now know that Big Data is always watching

Its been an information con job. Companies lulled us into thinking we were simply connecting with our friends, finding our way around town, or locating the perfect sweater. While we were extolling the virtues of each new digital tool and talking up the latest apps to each other, companies were building a multi-billion dollar war chest of information to use against us. As the saying goes, you are the product.

Information, data privacy and security concerns are a persistent trend that weve been reporting on nearly every year since computers started booting up. And now, the economic stakes, social consequences and technology get more and more serious and complex. Privacy issues used to be centered around evading online activity trackers as they follow you around with ads for things you dont want (or do you?). Now exposed as central to all too many political and ethical scandals, data privacy has become one of the defining social and cultural issues of our era.

What does privacy mean?

Our need to control what we hide and what we share extends from our very person, to our homes, businesses, communities, and governments. And because of the pervasive nature of technology, the data it produces and carries has burrowed into our lives in ways that we now take for granted.

Pew Research recently reported that roughly six-in-ten U.S. adults say they do not think it is possible to go through daily life without having data collected about them by companies or the government.

Andrew Hawn, my former colleague and now founder of MetaForesight, is a technology, media and content expert. Andrew has been collaborating with my analytic startup, Metametrix, and we recently spoke about privacy and its far-reaching implications.

Were seeing a social shift in the long term effects of privacy. As billions more in venture investing targets our personal data for resale in a multitude of ways, people are starting to more deeply question their growing lack of data privacy and control.

The Healthcare Industry already has lots of protections in place, with HIPAA, and regularly reminds us of how they are protecting us. Meanwhile our wearables are collecting loads of health-related data on us. Who owns that data? And now that Google has bought Fitbit, whats that going to mean for privacy? Add the millions of people that have given away their DNA to find ancestors and the Google Nightingale project to the privacy issue and its clear HIPAAs going to need an update.

Facial recognition: In what feels like a prequel to Minority Report, peoples physical safety and movements are at risk. Citizens are taking measures to protect themselves from detection, trying to avoid arrests at protests or simply not wanting to share their whereabouts in public settings like an airport.

Last August, CNN reported on varied defensive measures people have taken to protect their privacy - from rudimentary scarves and goggles to incredibly lifelike paper masks used to anonymize protesters. Big Think reported on designers using LED-equipped visors and transparent masks to protect identity.In May of this year, San Francisco became the first city to ban the use of facial recognition software by the city.

We now know that voice-activated devices are listening all the time. Are our phones eavesdropping on us, too, as reported on Marketplace last May? Its inconclusive, but the investigation suggests there may be more ways we give away information than we realize.We also need to mention all the Ring and Nest doorbell systems capturing video not just from your front door but all around the neighborhood, as well. Ring is actively collaborating with local law enforcement - a practice that is raising privacy questions at the local level.

Were being swiped right: All the clicks weve left behind are being used to rate us. And that can sometimes work against us. A recent piece from The New York Times outlined the industry-for-hire that creates a score for each one of us and sells it to businesses.

Right, the list goes on and this is just the beginning. Data privacy concerns extend to voting and what data protection means to democracy.Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTock, Google all have integrated with brands to hyper target us down to the tap, touch, and like, Andrew said.

Users fed up with the Facebook dishonesty have started a #deletefacebook campaign, which has had almost zero effect on Facebook other than user self-respect which (fortunately) is still worth something.

Andrew went on to say The truth is that there is only so much regular citizens can do without laws and policies that empower citizens to retake some personal data power. The EUs GDPR was a blunt first instrument, and now Californias CCPA is trying to take a slightly smarter approach starting in 2020.

Just trying to turn things off by playing whack-a-mole wont work; we need new innovations focused on protections that are more conversation driven and transparent.

Tech companies today are built by some of the smartest people in business they should be able to work within the bounds of new laws to fix this. Finding ways to claw back and respectfully manage that data will prove essential to all users.

What this means for business

Until now, consumers have been willing to lend their data (or have unknowingly given it away) to get convenience or information in return. Once they fully realize the consequences of this bargain they will be looking to government and business to safeguard data and hand control back to them, the customer.

Business needs to start thinking now about how to counteract the fear and distrust flooding the marketplace. Can you provide verifiable solutions, traceability and transparency? How will businesses balance upholding privacy concerns without annoying users with privacy notifications and too many restrictions?

Ultimately, if Jaron Lanier is right, and the solution is for consumers to share in the revenue stream as suggested in his treatise, Data Dignity, you best get the strategic planning started now.

Read the original here:
Data Privacy Will Be The Most Important Issue In The Next Decade - Forbes

An ABA Research Study

To find out how banks are now managing social mediawhat theyre doing right and what obstacles still persistthe American Bankers Association surveyed more than 430 banks of all sizes. The 2019 report, The State of Social Media in Banking, provides a detailed status on where banks stand on socialand whats changed in recent years. Here we take a look at how banks are approaching social media and compliance.

Those concerns have subsided as regulators become more social media-aware, banks gain maturity in managing social media programs and automated tools provide an essential layer of governance.

Regulatory concerns around social media

If theres a bleeding-edge legal issue with social media, its around compliance, especially when using social media for business development, says Denyette DePierro, regulatory counsel at ABA and an expert on social media policy and practice. I hear from banks that business development and lending staff want to get on social and have their individual business pagesand use those to engage with their borrowers and clients.

Its completely allowedthere are no prohibitions against that, DePierro adds. But the moment you step away from a primary bank portal and unified voice of bank-approved content, and allow individual employees to engage on their own social media channels, that becomes more complex. Those employees need to be educated and sophisticated around social mediaits potential vulnerabilities, rules and threats.

Banks are well aware that regulators are watching social media with a jaundiced eye. In the ABA survey, 68 percent said their banks use of social media was reviewed in their last regulatory exam. Specifically, regulators looked at policies and procedures (90 percent), monitoring (78 percent), use of the FDIC logo (61 percent) and employee training (44 percent).

The bankers we talked to had no concerns. Regulators are becoming more aware about social media, said Michelle Barone-Lepore, SVP at Rhinebeck Bank in upstate New York. As long as you have strong procedures of your marketing approval process, you advertise cautiously and you make sure you are complying with banking regulations, you should be able to mitigate most risks associated with social media advertising.

Joann Marsili, SVP at Fidelity Bank in northeastern Pennsylvania, notes that her experience with Fidelitys last exam was the same. They were pleased to see that we had a tool to control, a tool to approve, that we had a very specific and well-thought-out procedure to be able to use social media. They were happy that the whole bank took social media training.

She adds: Dont let compliance wag the dog. Dont be one of the banks that are not on social media because their compliance officers are afraid of risk. The reality is you have to communicate with your customersand thats where your customers are today. Youre not in the business of mitigating all risk, youre in the business of mitigating some risk. You have to be there.

Reputational risk

Im excited about the opportunity to deepen relationships with clients and prospects in the social media space, but doing so also opens us up to other potential risks, says Paul Lewis, CMO at Commerce Trust Company in St. Louis, Missouri. Thats true for any organization that is active in social media, but more so in our regulated industry. We cant have people talking about things they shouldnt be. For example, a portfolio manager cant be talking about preferred companies or recommended stocks, whether speaking on behalf of the brand or not. Anyone who can be identified as an employee of the bank is representing our brand, no matter where they are, no matter what theyre saying or doing, so with that comes reputational risk. That part of it I lose a little bit of sleep over. I make sure our folks understand the roles and the risk of being out there on social mediapersonally and professionally.

Who can post on social media on behalf of the bank?

More than one-third of respondents in our survey (35 percent) said client-facing employees (such as personal bankers, loan officers and financial advisors) are not allowed to use social media for an online business presence, such as on Facebook or LinkedIn. Another 25 percent said employees can post, but the rules are unclear, while 27 percent said employees are encouraged to post, and the bank provides social media training to them.

There is more restriction on client-facing employees posting content for business purposes on their personal social media accounts45 percent of banks say no to that. Another 23 percent allow employees to publish content but are not sure of the best way to manage it, while 21 percent of respondents said their banks encourage employees to post bank-related content on their personal pages, profiles and feedsand they provide training for this. It is noteworthy that support for employees as voices of the bank spiked 13 percentage points in two years. In 2016, 58 percent of banks said no to bank-related content on personal social media accounts.

There are banks pushing out the bank-approved content and allowing individual employees to post on their personal pages, and that can be incredibly useful, says DePierro. Use employees to amplify your message. In some instances, such as a natural disaster or fraud incident, weve seen banks push out informational messages very quickly and easily through their employees. Due to this weather event, these branches are closed and these other branches that are not affected by the event are offering extended hours. Social media is incredibly valuable for that kind of immediate messaging.

At Fidelity bank, most content is generated by the marketing team, who are the only ones allowed to post. Marsili hopes to modify that. Weve been trying to coordinate digital ambassadorspeople within our branch networks who could post on behalf of their local markets. Weve struggled with that. We would be able to monitor and manage that activity through the Gremlin

Our policy restricts employees from speaking on behalf of the bank with posts on their personal pages, said Emily Mays, VP at Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Alabama. But they are encouraged to share the banks posts and add an encouraging top comment, or posting when theyre out in the community on behalf of the bank, such as attending a grand opening or ribbon-cutting. Thankfully we havent had anybody saying anything inappropriate. That day may come and that policy will change. Everyone who shares on social media knows how we sound, so theyre aware.

Developing employee advocates

Many banks are on social; theyre just really struggling with how to get organized in a way that will deliver the results theyre looking for, says Doug Wilber, CEO of Gremlin Social. The best way to really deliver on social is to harness the collective power of your employees.

The concept resonated with Natalie Bartholomew, VP at Grove, Oklahoma-based Grand Savings Bank, which has diverse and widespread locations. We have three locations in Oklahoma, nine in Arkansas, some in rural areas, some in more metropolitan areas. Those markets all look very different, what works there is very different. So being able to get good content from every market was a challenge for me personally.

Bartholomew created the Grand Ambassador program to have designated, trained employees serve as the banks eyes and ears at the market level. They develop content, such as photos of the team at a local event, and send it for approval and posting. Grand Ambassadors get quarterly incentives and biannual reviews, so we know if we need to provide coaching. From tellers and CSRs to managers, this expanded role empowers them and builds brand buy-in.

I probably break the mold here and will freak out a lot of people with this, but our motto is that people bank with people. Theres really nothing sexy about banking, lets be honest. At the end of the day, with a community bank, people are banking with us because of the people we have with us. By giving them the Grand Ambassadors and officersweve done personal brand training with them as wellwe just tell them keep it simple, and if you go and represent the bank at an event, post a picture of yourself at the event, do our hashtag #LifeIsGrand, and thats great.

Dont underestimate the morale-boosting effect of being a brand ambassador, said Wilber. Theres a whole halo effect with employee satisfaction. Employees who are able to publicly represent the brand feel more valued at work. It becomes a tool for employee advocacy, retention and recruitment. If Im a mortgage loan officer and looking to either stay with my present bank or switch to another bank, the bank that provides me with more tools and more ability to connect with customersand ultimately close more loan volume thats where Im going to go.

Download the full ABA report.

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Governance and Control in Social Media - ABA Banking Journal