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Tomorrow, millions of people will gather around dining tables across the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving a day traditionally reserved for food, football, and reflecting on life's blessings. There'll be turkey and stuffing. And pie. But also: political conversations with relatives. To get you ready, we've imagined what some of the most important world leaders are thankful for this year:

Donald Trump: Mueller, the Ukraine scandal, impeachment proceedings. It's been a miserable year. Ok? Thankfully the economy is very, very strong unemployment near 50-year lows, and just look at the stock market. Record highs! Senate Republicans will never vote to impeach me with the economy humming like this. So much to be grateful for, America! All thanks to me. You're welcome! Enjoy!

Vladimir Putin: On New Year's Eve I will mark 20 years in power in Russia. I am thankful to have made Russia great again after the humiliation by the West in the 1990s. I'm grateful for the internet and social media, which help me sow confusion and undermine my rivals; but most of all, this year, for the US withdrawal from Syria, which has confirmed Russia's status as a major power broker in the Middle East.

Xi Jinping: Yes, my economy is slowing. Yes, Hong Kong is a mess. And those leaked files on Uighur detention camps are terrible for China's overseas image. But I'm still the country's most powerful leader since Mao, with an ability to invest and mobilize state resources that few, if any, Western leaders can match. Thank goodness for that.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Gratuitous Turkey reference on Thanksgiving, huh? Ok, I'll play. Like Vlad, I'm grateful that Trump withdrew those troops from Kurdish-controlled northern Syria: without that I'd never have been able to clear the buffer zone I need to resettle millions of Syrian refugees who are causing me political headaches.

Boris Johnson: I couldn't have asked for a weaker opponent in next month's general election than my friend, Jeremy Corbyn. Three years of Brexit omnishambles should have voters lining up to punish my Tory Party when they hit the polls on December 12, but the Labour leader's hard-left policies and fence-sitting on Brexit have given Remain voters a difficult choice. If I can maintain our comfortable lead in the polls, we'll be out of the EU, with a deal, by January. Then the real negotiations over the UK's future relationship with the EU can begin. Thanks, Jeremy!

Theresa May: I'm so thankful I no longer have to deal with this.

Carrie Lam: I'm thankful that once my term is up, or Beijing finally lets me resign, no one can force me to run for Hong Kong chief executive again. Staying in Hong Kong might be tough. Maybe I can apply for one of those new UK skills visas.

Mark Zuckerberg: Sorry, this content is not available to our community right now. This year Priscilla and I have decided we'll only be sharing what we are thankful for with a small group of family and friends in an encrypted WhatsApp chat.

Read this article:
What theyre thankful for - GZERO Media

Hi there! From ETMarkets.com, this is Abhinav Kaul with Your Evening Briefing.

LETS START WITH THE TOP HEADLINES AT THIS HOUR

>> CSB Bank IPO subscribed over 87 times on Day 3>> Moody's warns BPCL of rating downgrade>> RBI revises framework on currency swap for SAARC>> OYO's net loss widens to Rs 2,385 cr for FY19>> Investors fret as India bars brokerage Karvy>> Rupee spurts to over 2-week high of 71.50

Now, a quick glance at what happened in the stock market.

Sensex closed 65 points lower at 40,821, while Nifty slipped 36 points to 12,038.

Earlier in the day, Sensex rose as much as 231 points to record high of 41,120, while Nifty climbed 59 points to all-time high of 12,132.

Market breadth tilted in favour of the bears.

In broader market, BSE midcap and BSE smallcap indices fell 0.79 per cent and 0.38 per cent, respectively.

All, but three sectoral indices closed lower. BSE telecom index was the top loser, shedding 4.93 per cent.

We have with us Ajit Mishra, Vice President of Religare Broking to talk about market fundamentals.

Do you think Sensex and Nifty can extend positive momentum?

Where do you see value in midcaps and smallcaps?

Nifty hit an all-time intraday high on Tuesday, before giving up the gains and closing the day in the red amid high-voltage political developments in Maharashtra.

Lets go across to Manav Chopra of Indiabulls Venture to talk about market technical and derivatives.

What is your take on the banking sector?

How are midcaps looking on the charts?

Thats all for now, folks. Do check out ETMarkets.com for detailed market analysis and download the ETMarkets app on your phone for round-the-clock market coverage, investment tips and dozens of stock recommendations.

Continued here:
ETMarkets Evening Podcast: Will the bears take back control now? - Economic Times

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.

See more here:
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

See original here:
Geoff Ward the obvious choice for Flames head coach - Calgary Sun