Mediaboss Marketing

EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a two-day business and networking conference June 8-9, featuring some of the states most prominent industry leaders. Tickets are limited.

Federal lawmakers took another step Friday towards eliminating the federal prohibition against cannabis with the reintroduction of legislation that would let the states decide whether to legalize the marijuana and provide help to communities ravaged by the war on drugs.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, would remove cannabis classification as a Class 1 drug along with heroin and thus end the conflict between federal and state law.

It comes as an increasing number of states, including New Jersey, have legalized the drug for either medical or recreational use.

Last year, we saw more progress toward cannabis legalization than ever before, said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., co-chair and founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. This has been driven by unprecedented reforms at the state level. Now, Congress must deal with the problems created by the failed federal policy of prohibition.

The measure passed the House in December but never came up for a vote in the Senate, then controlled by Repiblicans.

When the MORE Act was approved by the House of Representatives in the previous session, Congress demonstrated in no uncertain terms that the days of federal marijuana prohibition are numbered, said Justin Strekal, political director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

This year, with Democrats in control of the Senate, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have said they would introduce a comprehensive cannabis bill.

The House legislation would remove the need for separate legislation allowing banks to provide financial services to legal marijuana businesses, since cannabis no longer would be illegal under federal law, and would allow cannabis operations to receive Small Business Administration loans.

The measure also would take several steps to help individuals and communities hardest hit by the war on drugs. It would require federal courts to expunge prior marijuana convictions and allow those currently under supervision to petition the courts for resentencing.

In addition, a 5% federal tax on marijuana and marijuana products would fund services such as job training, drug treatment and literary programs, loans to small cannabis businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and programs to help those hardest hit by the war on drugs to enter the marijuana industry.

Im proud to reintroduce the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, remove the needless burden of marijuana convictions on so many Americans, and invest in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs, said the bills chief sponsor, House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @JDSalant.

See more here:
Legislation to remove federal ban on marijuana introduced again in U.S. House - NJ.com

An Austin-Travis County EMS ambulance moves down South Congress Avenue on Feb. 15 during the Texas freeze.

While Texas officials have confirmed that 151 deaths were related to the freeze in February, the death toll could actually be four or five times higher, according to a BuzzFeed data review.

Using mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BuzzFeed said it compared the number of deaths from all causes that were reported in Texas during and after the storm with the number of fatalities that are normally reported during ordinary conditions. That method is known as "excess fatalities" and has been employed during other disasters, like the COVID-19 pandemic, to estimate related death tolls.

"Our analysis, reviewed by three independent experts, suggests that between 426 and 978 more people than expected died in Texas in the week ending February 20 alone," the BuzzFeed report says. "Our best estimate is that 702 people were killed by the storm that week. Even the lowest end of the range is almost three times the number officials have acknowledged. Neighboring states that were hit hard by the winter storm but did not experience the widespread power outages seen in Texas did not show a spike in deaths."

The victims included medically vulnerable people with chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney problems, BuzzFeed said.

The February winter storm left thousands without power in subfreezing temperatures and caused serious damage to people's homes, leaving some apartment tenants with nowhere to go.

In Harris County alone, at least 66 people died from the storm. The county also felt the brunt of electricity and internet service outages, and the ability to obtain food or groceries, according to a report from the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs.

Texas lawmakers are currently considering legislation meant to prevent further blackouts, most of which are contained in Senate Bill 3. The bill touches on everything from regulating some retail electricity plans to establishing an energy emergency alert system, but some worry it won't do enough to make sure all of the state's natural gas infrastructure is winterized or that penalties won't be high enough to get gas companies to comply.

Additional reporting by Houston Public Medias Paul DeBenedetto.

This story originally appeared on KUT. If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it. Your gift pays for everything you find on KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.

Fill out the form below to subscribe our new daily editorial newsletter from the HPM Newsroom.

Read more:
Texas Winter Storm Death Toll Could Be Much Higher Than The States Count, BuzzFeed Data Review Found - Houston Public Media

Lines outside beach badge booths up and down the Jersey Shore are starting to get longer. But will any towns be limiting tag sales again this summer to help control crowds, even as the coronavirus pandemic slows down in New Jersey?

Last year, the Gov. Phil Murphy ordered capacity limits and social distancing on beaches and lakefronts across the Garden State, but left it up to local leaders to decide how to enforce those broad rules, whether it be restricting the sale of passes or closing access points temporarily.

With most mask requirements and most gathering limits being eliminated, many local officials say they wont impose caps on beach passes, and will simply keep an eye on crowd sizes.

Friends and families will do what makes them comfortable and self-police in regards to social distancing and crowd control, said Ventnor Business Manager Maria Mento. Although not anticipated, if there are any issues, our police are always available to assist.

But a few towns remain undecided about limiting beach passes, while waiting to see how the summer plays out. Belmar even plans to again use drones to get an aerial view of how crowded beaches are getting.

The Borough has not made a decision on whether it will limit daily badge sales, said Manasquan Business Administrator Amy Spera. We will be closely monitoring the crowd and if we feel there is a safety need to do so we will and will make an announcement at that time. We will continue to monitor crowd sizes at individual beach entrances and if we feel a beach is getting too crowded we may close the entrance and direct visitors to another entrance.

Below is a list of each towns plans for this season. And here, youll find how much a beach badge costs in every Shore town.

Daily beach tags will be limited based on capacity and at the beach managers discretion.

Not limiting daily badges unless crowd sizes are too high. Ending sales will be a day-by-day decision.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

No decision yet on limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Daily beach tags will only be sold on the online through a company called WRSTBND this year, so the town can easily monitor the number of visitors. The town will likely cut off sales around 7,500 and 8,000 daily passes, but it will be a day-to-day decision. Drones will be used to monitor social distancing and shut down overcrowded areas of the beach.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

No decision yet on limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales. The township will have beach staff, crossing guards and seasonal, special law enforcement officers present at its beaches to handle whatever circumstances occur each day.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales. The town will temporarily discontinue daily badge sales if the beach becomes so overcrowded that it affects safety a move they only made three times last summer.

Not limiting beach tag sales, but social distancing will be encouraged.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

No decision yet on limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales, but officers on the beach will encourage people to spread out.

Not limiting beach tag sales. (Margate only sells season passes).

Not limiting beach tag sales

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Point Pleasant and Jenkinsons boardwalk will not limit beach tag sales, but will monitor crowds and make a judgement call, the mayor said.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

No decision yet on limiting beach tag sales.

The beach control department will be monitoring crowds and shut down daily tag sales if capacity is reached.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales.

Not limiting beach tag sales. (Ventnor only sells season passes).

Note: Monmouth Beach, Longport and Ocean Grove did not respond to requests for comment. Atlantic City and the Wildwood beaches are free.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo.

Read more from the original source:
Will Jersey Shore towns limit beach tag sales this summer? Heres what theyre saying. - NJ.com

Dublin, May 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Precision Aquaculture Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by System Type (Feeding Systems, Monitoring & Control, Underwater ROVs), Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Farm Type (Cage-based, RAS), Application, and Geography - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global precision aquaculture market is estimated to grow from USD 407 million in 2021 to USD 794 million by 2026; at a CAGR of 14.3%.

Precision aquaculture technology has the potential to transform the aquaculture industry, making traditional aquaculture activities more efficient and economical.

The growth of the precision aquaculture market is driven by factors such as growing investments in technological research and product innovation, the surging adoption of advanced technologies such as IoT, ROVs, and AI for the real-time monitoring of aquaculture farms, the rising demand for protein-rich aqua food, and increasing support by worldwide governments for infrastructure development in aquaculture.

RAS-based aquaculture farm to register higher CAGR during the forecast period

The precision aquaculture market for RAS-based aquaculture farms is projected to register the higher CAGR during the forecast period, by aquaculture farm type. The market for RAS-based aquaculture farms is expected to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period. Currently, RAS-based aquaculture farms constitute around 5% to 8% of the total farms in the world, which is expected to reach ~30% by 2030 (As per the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations). Growing awareness about the benefits of RAS-based aquaculture farming such as the requirement for less water as compared to conventional systems and environment-friendly systems is fueling the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Feed optimization is estimated to hold the largest share of the market during forecast period

The feed optimization segment of the precision aquaculture market is estimated to register largest market share in 2026, by application. Factors contributing toward the predominance of feed optimization application over others are the increasing adoption of advanced technologies such as AI and machine learning in aquaculture equipment and tools, and the growing demand for protein-rich aqua food.

Underwater remotely-operated vehicles to register higher CAGR during the forecast period

The precision aquaculture market for underwater remotely-operated vehicles is projected to register the higher CAGR during the forecast period, by system type. The adoption trend of underwater ROVs in Western Europe and North America has gained significant traction in recent years. Currently, countries such as the US, Canada, Norway, and Chile account for more than 60% of the installed base of underwater ROVs.

Hardware is estimated to hold the largest share of the market during forecast period

The hardware segment of the precision aquaculture market is estimated to register largest market share in 2026, by offering. Hardware components such as sensors, monitoring and control devices, smart feeding systems, underwater remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), and climate control systems are expected to continue to account for the largest market share during the forecast year owing to the high adoption of automated aquaculture farm monitoring devices by aquaculture farm owners for increasing farm productivity and the efficient management of the farm.

South America is projected to become the fastest geographical market between 2021 and 2026

South America is expected to witness the highest CAGR in the precision aquaculture market during the forecast period due to the increasing adoption of automated solutions including underwater ROVs and smart camera systems in aquaculture farms and the growing focus on the deployment of IoT-based monitoring devices in aquaculture farms owing to various advantages such as increased productivity and the early detection of diseases among aquatic species offered by these monitoring devices.

The precision aquaculture market is dominated by a few established players such as AKVA group (Norway), InnovaSea Systems (US), Steinsvik (ScaleAQ) (Norway), Deep Trekker (Canada), Aquabyte (US), and Eruvaka Technologies (India).

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights4.1 Surging Adoption of Advanced Technologies such as IoT, ROVs, and AI in Aquaculture Farms4.2 China and Monitoring & Control Systems to be Largest Shareholders of Precision Aquaculture Market in Asia-Pacific, by Country and System Type, Respectively, in 20204.3 Farm Monitoring & Surveillance Application to Hold Largest Share of Precision Aquaculture Market in 20264.4 Hardware Segment to Dominate Precision Aquaculture Market in Terms of Size During Forecast Period4.5 Open Aquaculture Farms to Account for Larger Market Share Between 2021 and 20264.6 Americas to Gain Significant Market Share of Global Precision Aquaculture Market by 2026

5 Market Overview5.1 Market Dynamics5.1.1 Drivers5.1.1.1 Surging Adoption of Advanced Technologies such as IoT, ROVs, and AI for Real-Time Monitoring of Aquaculture Farms5.1.1.2 Growing Investments in Technological Research and Product Innovations5.1.1.3 Rising Income Levels and Demand for Protein-Rich Aqua Food5.1.1.4 Increasing Government Support Worldwide for Freshwater Aquaculture Production5.1.2 Restraints5.1.2.1 High Upfront Costs and Capital Expenditure5.1.2.2 Need for Skilled Operators for Effective Management of Complex Systems5.1.2.3 Lack of Technological Awareness Among Aquaculture Farmers5.1.3 Opportunities5.1.3.1 Surging Adoption of Aquaculture Monitoring and Feed Optimization Devices in Developing Countries5.1.3.2 Increasing Number of Cage-based Farms in Developing Regions Such as India, China, and South-East Asian Countries5.1.3.3 Growing Popularity of Land-Based Recirculating Aquaculture Systems5.1.4 Challenges5.1.4.1 Environmental Concerns due to Extensive Aquaculture Farming5.1.4.2 Lack of Common Information Management System Platform in Aquaculture Industry

6 Industry Trends6.1 Value Chain Analysis6.1.1 Major Market Players in Precision Aquaculture Market6.2 Industry Trends6.2.1 Advent of AI, AR/VR, and Blockchain in Aquaculture to Accelerate Market Growth6.2.2 Use of Farm Automation Solutions, Remotely-Operated Vehicles, and Feeding Robots to Reduce Labor Costs6.2.3 Adoption of Robotic Cages and Underwater Drones in Aquaculture Farms6.3 Pricing Analysis: Average Selling Price (ASP) Trends6.4 List of Key Patents and Innovations in Precision Aquaculture Market, 2015-20206.5 Trade Data6.6 Case Studies: Precision Aquaculture Market6.6.1 Introduction6.6.2 Open Blue: Innovasea Helps Open Blue Become Largest Open Ocean Fish Farm in World6.6.3 Earth Ocean Farms: Innovasea Enables Earth Ocean Farms to Expand Production with Rugged Evolution Pens6.6.4 Erko Seafood AS: With AKVA Group's Expertise and Quick Service, Erko Seafood as Found Real Deal6.6.5 Vermont Hatchery: Vermont Hatchery Saves Millions in Energy Costs with Innovasea-Designed Recirculating Aquaculture System6.6.6 The Kingfish Company: With Philips Lighting, the Kingfish Zeeland Fishery Aims to Obtain Sustainable Production of Premium Marine Seafood6.6.7 Gifas: Philips Led Solutions Offer New Possibilities for Salmon Industry6.6.8 Lingalaks: Philips Led Lighting Helps in Preventing Sea Lice in Salmon Production6.7 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/og9cf0

See the original post here:
Global Precision Aquaculture Market Forecast to 2026: Surging Adoption of Advanced Technologies such as IoT, ROVs - GlobeNewswire

The Congress on Wednesday said dictatorial regimes would blush at the brazenness with which the Narendra Modi government was trying to crush citizens freedom by enforcing new rules for social media that have invited allegations of political censorship.

Messaging platforms will be required to provide access to encrypted messages, which would break privacy protections. On Wednesday, WhatsApp filed a lawsuit in Delhi High Court challenging the new digital rules.

According to the new rules, the three-month deadline for compliance with which ended on Wednesday, social media platforms operating in India would have to appoint a resident grievance officer, a chief compliance officer and a nodal contact person. The rules require large social media platforms those with more than 50 lakh registered users such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to do additional due diligence. The platforms will also now be required to have a physical contact address in India.

Arguing that the Modi government should be the new go-to place for all dictators to hone their skills in controlling free speech and thought, Congress spokesperson and constitutional lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the new rules struck at the concept of encryption, which is the technological backbone of privacy.

This is particularly true of messaging apps, the most important subset of social media and digital platforms, he said.

Singhvi said the committee that would monitor content would become the Big Daddy of control, acting like social media police, a digital thana working under the information technology ministry.

His argument was that giving such powers to a regime that slapped sedition charges on people speaking about oxygen crisis during the pandemic, arrested people for putting up posters critical of the Prime Minister and hauled up journalists for negative coverage would strangulate free speech.

Lamenting that the government had refused to modify the rules despite unanimous condemnation from all segments of civil and political society, Singhvi said: The heart and soul of their highly objectionable approach was reflected in Rule 4, which obliges all social media platforms to identify the first originator of the information (in a message) if so directed by the government.

This introduces the requirement of traceability that would break end-to-end encryption. It should be noted that even previous proposals that seek to implement traceability in a manner which is supposedly compatible with end-to-end encryption have been shown to be vulnerable to spoofing where bad actors can falsely modify the originator information to frame an innocent person.

Singhvi said the grounds for such directions had deliberately been kept vague. The rules says that the government may ask social media platforms for the originator of a message for the purposes of prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of an offence related to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, or public order.

Singhvi said: Under Clause 3 (d), all platforms have to remove any content deemed objectionable by an application, not by any court, but by the ministry (with) such broad thresholds. Under Clause 3(b) (i), the government can command the platform to remove any data on the basis of such utterly broad words like belongs to another person and to which the user does not have any right. WhatsApp forwards of research or analysis to groups could be stopped under this deliberately overbroad definition.

Pointing out that countless sedition cases had been initiated against citizens for criticising the Prime Minister, Singhvi said: Any infraction of the rules would take away the protection given by the parent act, which exempts the intermediary social media platforms from direct punishment and consequently, any mischievous application would directly make the social media platform liable for third-party content over which they have no control. The government has forgotten all the safeguards and protections accorded to social media in the landmark Shreya Singhal case.

The Congress leader asserted that the rules also violate the principles of privacy elaborated in the Puttaswamy judgment of a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court in 2017. The court had held that the right to privacy is protected as a fundamental right under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

If this Big Daddy does not agree with the self-regulation done by the social media platform itself at Level-1 or disagrees with the decision of the self-regulation institutional body at Level-2, Rules 13 and 14 allow an inter-departmental government committee to make recommendations overruling the Level-1 and Level-2 decisions, exercising direct content censorship and empowering itself to direct that content of any person or sender or publisher to be blocked, Singhvi said.

Read this article:
Congress: Modi government trying to crush citizens freedom - Telegraph India