LED Lighting Driver Market Forecast 2020-2027

The Global LED Lighting Driver Market research report is an all-inclusive study comprising of an extensive analysis of the industry that provides potentially advantageous information about development and profitability for key companies in the markets. This report covers the latest economic scenario and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the market. The pandemic has affected the dynamics of every aspect of the global industry. The pandemic has led to serious changes in the market, which the report discusses in detail. The current rapidly changing scenario and future evaluation of the impact are covered in the report. The report focuses on current and future market growth, technological advancements, volume, raw materials, and profiles of the key companies involved in the market.

The report discusses key trends that might influence the growth of the LED Lighting Driver market throughout the forecast period 2020-2027.

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The report studies the following companies:

By Type (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Tons, 20172027)

By Application Type (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Tons, 20172027)

By Region (Revenue, USD Million; Volume in Tons, 20172027)

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Years considered for LED Lighting Driver market size estimation:

Historical Years: 2017-2018

Base Year: 2019

Estimated Year: 2020

Forecast Years: 2020-2027

Key aspects of the LED Lighting Driver Market Report:

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LED Lighting Driver Market Report, History and Forecast 2020-2027, Breakdown Data by Manufacturers, Key Regions, Types and Application - Reports Watch

Global LED Lighting Market accounted for US$ 1.05 Bn in 2018 is expected to reach US$XX Bn by 2026 at a CAGR of XX% over the forecast period.

Global LED Lighting Market ,By Geography

The Global LED Lighting Market is segmented into the type, applications, end user and geography. In terms of Type, Led lamps will be in higher demand due to rise in urbanization is driving the installation of new lamps, good temporal stability, declining manufacturing cost and rising awareness of environment protection will play crucial role for growth of led lamps in led lighting market. In application, Indoor Lighting will grow fastest due to due to rise in demand for energy at global, rising consumer awareness about cost-effectiveness and eco-friendly, innovative lighting solutions will be key factor for growth in Global LED Lighting Market.

The driving factor for the Global LED Lighting Market are due to increase in energy efficient lighting solutions, longer life span, highly efficient, higher brightness and cutting the cost from huge invest in lighting system will provide better market opportunity in led lighting market. Governments norms and less price and entry of small firms will be the restrains for Global LED Lighting Market.

Among region, Asia pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The market growth in the region can be attributed to the emerging economics, increasing in disposal income, changing life style and rise in urbanization will be key step in these region to boost the Global LED Lighting Market in the Asia pacific.

Global LED Lighting Market share is consolidated, as the key multinational players occupy the major industry share. General Electric Company, Phillips Lighting N.V, Cree Inc, OSRAM Licht AG, Virtual Extension, Eaton Corporation Plc, Zumtobel Group AG, Dialight plc, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, Digital Lumens Incorporations, Toshiba Co, Lighting Science Group, Solid State Lighting Systems, Mitsubishi, Lite-On Technology, Litecontrol, Lowcled, Epistar, Everlight Electronics and GYLED with brand portfolio expansion, mergers, collaborations and acquisitions are the key strategies adopted by the top players. For instance, in 2016, Apollo Global Management to Acquire Lumileds for US $2B.

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The objective of the report is to present comprehensive analysis of Global LED Lighting Market for automotive including all the stakeholders of the industry. The past and current status of the industry with forecasted Market size and trends are presented in the report with analysis of complicated data in simple language. The report covers all the aspects of industry with dedicated study of key players that includes Market leaders, followers and new entrants by region. PORTER, SVOR, PESTEL analysis with the potential impact of micro-economic factors by region on the Market have been presented in the report. External as well as internal factors that are supposed to affect the business positively or negatively have been analyzed, which will give clear futuristic view of the industry to the decision makers.

The report also helps in understanding Global LED Lighting Market for automotive dynamics, structure by analyzing the Market segments, and project the Global LED Lighting Market for automotive size. Clear representation of competitive analysis of key players by type, price, financial position, product portfolio, growth strategies, and regional presence in the Global LED Lighting Market for automotive the report investors guide.

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Scope of the Global LED Lighting Market

Global LED Lighting Market, By Types

LED Lamps LED LuminairesGlobal LED Lighting Market, By Applications

Outdoor Lighting Indoor Lighting Residential Lighting Railway Lighting Others LightingGlobal LED Lighting Market, By End Users

Commercial Residential IndustrialGlobal LED Lighting Market ,By Geography

North America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin AmericaKey Players operating in the Global LED Lighting Market:

General Electric Company Phillips Lighting N.V Cree Inc OSRAM Licht AG Virtual Extension Eaton Corporation Plc Zumtobel Group AG Dialight plc Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Digital Lumens Incorporations Toshiba Co Lighting Science Group Solid State Lighting Systems Mitsubishi Lite-On Technology Litecontrol Lowcled Epistar Everlight Electronics GYLED

Major Table LED Lighting Market of Contents Report

1. Preface1.1. Report Scope and Market Segmentation1.2. Research Highlights1.3. Research Objectives

2. Assumptions and Research Methodology2.1. Report Assumptions2.2. Abbreviations Used2.3. Research Methodology2.3.1. Secondary Research2.3.1.1. Secondary data2.3.1.2. Secondary Sources2.3.2. Primary Research2.3.2.1. Data from Primary Sources2.3.2.2. Breakdown of Primary Sources

3. Executive Summary: Global LED Lighting Market Size, by Value (US$) and Volume (Unit).

4. Market Overview4.1. Introduction4.2. Market Indicator4.2.1. Drivers4.2.2. Restraints4.2.3. Opportunities4.2.4. Challenges4.3. Porters Analysis4.4. Value Chain Analysis4.5. Market Risk Analysis4.6. SWOT Analysis4.7. Industry Trends and Emerging Technologies4.8. Patent Registration4.9. Key trends in Global LED Lighting Market

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Global LED Lighting Market : Industry Analysis and Forecast (2019-2026) By Type, By Application, by end Users and By Geography. - Good Night, Good...

The latest report titled Global Dimmable LED Lighting Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2026 elaborates on the historical and current scenario of the global market, offering competency-based analysis and global market estimates. The report provides a comprehensive investigation into the geographical landscape, industry size along with revenue estimation of the business. The report sheds light on current and expected growth patterns. The report scrutinizes the market into various segments, regions, and players on the basis of demand patterns and growth prospects. Business owners looking to scale up their business can refer to this report that contains data regarding the rise in sales within a given consumer base for the forecast period, 2020 to 2026.

Assembling Analysis:

The report studies the market size, recent trends, investment opportunities and market dynamics such as driving factors, restraining factors, and important business activities like mergers, acquisitions, and investments. The market report provides detailed and succinct evaluations as well as predictions of structured future market growth rates. Different segments of the global Dimmable LED Lighting market are assessed based on various parameters, including product or service quality, applications, and methods. In the report, readers will know the strategies used by market players, which has the potential to change the direction of this industry.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/sample-request/56036

NOTE: Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

Primitive vendors included in the market are: MEAN WELL, Philips, Inventronics, Tridonic, Delta Electronics, Hubbell Lighting, MOSO Power, Eaglerise, TCI, OSRAM SYLVANIA, LIFUD,

This report segments the global market based on type: DALI, 1-10V, TRAIC, Trailing Edge

Based on the application, the global market is categorized as follows: Indoor Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, Special Lighting

Regions and Countries:

The report includes the regional presence and the regional significance of the market. The report identifies various key manufacturers in the market. Region-wise revenue and volume for the forecast period of 2015 to 2026 are analyzed in the report. This information will help the reader to understand the potential worth of investment in a particular region. The report claims to split the regional scope of the global Dimmable LED Lighting market into: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

The report analyzes customers, distributors, sales channels, and the value chain of the global market. The report also makes a point to highlight the areas which can experience immense growth during 2020 2026. Historical revenue and deals volume is displayed as well as key areas enveloped in the global Dimmable LED Lighting market report. Raw material sourcing strategies are further highlighted in the report.

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Global Dimmable LED Lighting Market 2020 In-depth Research Studies on Products, Countries, Companies and Industry Segmentation by 2026 - Galus...

COVID-19's enormous impact on Australia's aviation and tourism industries has been brought back into focus with Qantas reporting a $2 billion loss and issuing another warning about the resumption of international travel.

The Federal Government is also stepping up pressure on premiers over problems caused by state border closures, an issue that will be on the agenda at today's National Cabinet meeting.

So what's the latest and what can we expect today?

State border closures are becoming an increasingly heated national debate, with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and business groups suggesting some are being driven by local politics.

They want National Cabinet to develop consistent guidelines on when borders should be opened or shut, arguing both travellers and the industry need more certainty.

It's not yet clear whether that will be raised in today's meeting but leaders will discuss problems experienced by border communities, such as difficulty accessing medical treatment and farmers being told to put their sheep on planes.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud warned the meeting will be a "flashpoint for the future of Australia's federation".

"Unless premiers commit to work with one another to find workable solutions to state border issues for regional Australians then they risk states becoming irrelevant to modern Australia," he said.

The Federal Government warns the rates of coronavirus overseas mean it's still too dangerous to allow widespread travel in and out of Australia.

"We are taking a very cautious approach," Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said.

"From where we are here today, we can't foresee the timetable by which international borders will be able to open."

Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham is still hopeful a travel bubble with New Zealand could be in place by the end of the year, despite the Auckland outbreak.

But New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made it clear she won't be opening up corridors with other countries until they've had 28 days without any community transmission.

Mr Joyce said he was not expecting Qantas to start international flights again until mid-next year, while its United States routes may not resume until a coronavirus vaccine is found.

"The medical advice we have, a lot of the medical advice I think governments around the world are having, is that we potentially could see a vaccine by the middle, the end of next year and countries like the US may be the first country to have widespread use of that vaccine," he said.

"So that could mean that the US is seen as a market by the end of '21, hopefully that we could, dependent on a vaccine, start seeing flights again."

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), there are still nearly 19,000 Australians overseas who want to come home.

They're mostly in countries such as India, the Philippines and South Africa and several thousand are considered "vulnerable" because they're facing medical or financial difficulties.

Pressure on hotel quarantine systems has led to caps on overseas arrivals and DFAT said that has made it more difficult for Australians to get seats on limited flights.

It has provided emergency loans to help nearly 400 people book tickets but said it has "limited leverage" with airlines when it comes to getting people onto planes.

After almost six months living in the shadow of COVID-19, many Australians were hoping they'd be able to reunite with loved ones and take a much-needed break over summer.

With international travel highly unlikely by that point, and state borders still uncertain, the Government and tourism operators are urging people to holiday closer to home.

Mr Joyce said some domestic routes, such as Brisbane to Cairns and Perth to Broome, were booming compared to pre-COVID-19 levels.

But some in the industry warn many businesses will collapse if intrastate travel is the only thing trying to prop them up.

"Australians will not spend like interstate or even international visitors in their own backyard," John Hart from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry told a Senate committee this week.

Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast podcast.

Margy Osmond from the Tourism and Transport Forum said many regional towns were still missing out or weren't prepared.

"Nobody seems prepared to drive more than four hours out of a capital city and in the main, it's only two to four hours out of a capital city," she said.

"Many of those places in the two- to four-hour zone don't normally see this volume of tourists, they haven't got anywhere near the kind of infrastructure to support it. Some of these places have got one public toilet."

Senator Birmingham conceded Christmas plans for many were unclear but said people should still turn their mind to where they'd like to go.

"I understand the hesitation that people have, but if you're not willing to book at this point in time, at least do some planning," he said.

"If you're fortunate enough to be able to afford that holiday and to undertake it safely, then you're not only going to have a great time but you will be helping to save the jobs of fellow Australians."

Aside from border issues, one of the main topics will be the impact COVID-19 is having on aged care facilities.

Leaders are expected to discuss the lessons learned from outbreaks in Victoria's aged care sector as well as their own response plans.

There'll also be an update on Australia's efforts to secure a coronavirus vaccine and briefings from Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy.

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Travel and coronavirus border closures on the agenda at National Cabinet after Qantas chief Alan Joyce's criticism - ABC News

Two weeks after Gov.Steve Sisolakannounced a strike forceto help resolve a backlog of unemployment claims, the head of the effort former Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley says several key initiatives are getting off the ground this week.

Buckley said shes prioritizing the claims of those who havent received payment at all above other issues such as catching current beneficiaries up on individual missed payments. It was the desperation of some of those unpaid Nevadans, many of whom called her in her current role as head of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, that prompted her to accept Sisolaks invitation to lead the strike force.

My assistant will come in and say, so the guy on the phone, hes been waiting for eight weeks and he needs his insulin and he has no other payment source. What can I tell him? Buckley said in an interview on Monday withThe Nevada Independent. I have been so concerned about the growing backlog, and about individuals who are frantic to be paid, and I had been obsessing over it.

She said the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is piloting a proposed solution this week that could speed up the process of verifying claimants identities. Tens of thousands of claims are held up over questions about authenticity and possible stolen identities.

Fraud has been a major concern, and Buckley experienced it firsthand someone recently filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name. She estimates that there are upwards of 200,000 phony claims in the system, but as with many statistics including the precise size of the backlog Buckley said its difficult to determine exact numbers right now. Her plan to create an online dashboard to show the agencys progress in processing the applications is still in the works.

To combat the fraud, the state also brought on a new chief of the fraud unit this week. And to ramp up staffing, DETR is enlisting and working to train some 300 welfare eligibility workers this week to assist colleagues in the unemployment division.

The strike force also includes experts from the private sector. The goal is to offer a fresh pair of eyes on a mammoth task that state workers have been trying to tackle for months.

I told some of the Employment Security people, Look, youve been inside the house fighting the fire for five months, youre exhausted. Reinforcements are here, Buckley said. So maybe we can just bring a different way of viewing it, and a private sector way of doing something.

Below are highlights from the interview, which have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: Do you feel like you found any silver bullet to the big holdup?

A: I dont think theres a silver bullet. I think theres a series of things that we need to do to try to reduce the backlog.

We had a very low unemployment rate. I think I heard there were like 10 people working in the Southern Nevada unemployment claims office. And based on the number of new filings it got, it probably needed 500. The depths of it cant be [overestimated]. And the number of people filing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.

What were trying to do is just bring in a fresh look. What can we do right now? What solutions can we find right now?

Were looking at a couple areas. The first is [whether] there are folks in a similar situation where we can come up with a solution to move on with their cases. Im going for bang for the buck. If there are 30,000 people stuck with this issue, can we come up with a solution and then move out those 30,000?

One area is trying to identify the true filers, Nevadans in need who do qualify, and to separate them from the fraud. Because there are hundreds of thousands of fraudulent applications clogging up the system. But we want to focus first on whos really eligible and how do we connect them with benefits.

So we have a couple IT solutions that were piloting this week. Im really fortunate to have one of the volunteers join me on the rapid response team. His whole background is IT. Hes the head of an IT company. He was the former head of it for the U.S. division of Siemens. And so were looking at data matching and how can we separate out the folks who are in need.

So thats one area were working at, right off the bat. The other is a private sector IT company that verifies identity. So I think were going to launch a pilot with that this week to see if that works. And then the other big area is staffing. How can we get innovative about getting more qualified staff on board?

So weve developed a staffing plan already. The first part is retired Employment Security [Division] workers, already trained and ready to go. You can plug them in tomorrow. So weve identified some of those workers to come back.

The second is one of the members of the strike force Steve Fisher. Hes the division chief of the welfare division of HHS. So his division is stable. Hes overworked but stable. So he volunteered to join this committee.

He did a poll of welfare eligibility workers who have similar training, to see if any of them would be willing to work overtime. Their response was overwhelming. Hes identified 300 people who are able to work on these cases right now.

So today and tomorrow, hes developing a training program for them, looking at what we already have, in terms of training materials, recording it, and then tasking them on certain types of cases so they can quickly move out a couple thousand cases a day or every other day.

Im sure DETR had its own process for verifying ID before this, but did the strike force find anything that wasnt being done or a tool the agency didnt have?

In the pre-COVID world, we didnt have the amount of applications and we didnt have the amount of fraudulent applications My theory is that it is a result of one of those big data breach cases where identities across the nation were stolen.

The team never had this level both of applications and fraud. And so these two new things that were piloting, were just hoping can separate it out.

And what I keep harping on is anyone who appears eligible, were moving forward with them. We dont want to resolve all of them ASAP. We want to resolve those who are eligible ASAP. So were trying to keep that priority in mind.

DETR had previously tried to ramp up staffing with former employees. Did you find that there were a good number who still hadnt been invited back or still werent being used?

I think what happened because of the press conference and everybody learning about it, we received more offers. And it wasnt that there hadnt been offers before. But I think that the notoriety of it we received more offers within 48 hours; I got offers from cabinet members, Hey, can I loan some of my IT staff? I got volunteers. Im a secretary out at UNLV, can I help?

We received offers from just tons of different people whose hearts go out to all the people who are waiting. So I think it just helped the effort, just kind of led to a slew more calls and awareness. And of course, then they knew who to call.

Weve heard that it does take a lot of time to get staff up to speed. Does it speed up the process to have welfare division workers, for example, because theyre already state employees?

Theyre already trained on similar work. And they already know the state systems; they already know how to log in remotely to the states VPN. So theres certain things we wont have to teach them.

The other thing that were talking about is putting them on strike teams. So for example, if we have a group that is stuck because the employer said they were fired and the employee said they were laid off. OK, this is how we do it: We call the employee; we ask for X, Y, and Z; and then we call the employer and ask for X, Y and Z; and then we reconcile it and just make a decision because everybody has the right to appeal and have a third party, independent person and look at it.

The worst thing is just to be hanging on. Make a decision one way or the other. So were looking at whether there are certain people with certain categories where we can train people to be really good at that issue.

I keep preaching: speed, speed, speed. Again, we dont want to give tens of millions of dollars to fraudsters. But these Nevadans have been waiting too long. Weve got to get a system in place to move cases along.

Have you gotten a handle on the fraud numbers? Thats a source of skepticism because people dont know if fraud is being used as an excuse or if it legitimately is half of the claims. When are you going to know?

So far, it appears that the amount of fraudulent claims is very high. But were going to quantify it. And then well be releasing the solid numbers to the public so everybody can see what they are.

Were already meeting weekly with law enforcement to make sure that theyre getting the data they need. We have a new chief for fraud starting today. He was the chief of the fraud unit for [the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services]. So he came back from retirement to help stand it up.

Its not so much an individual cheating issue as much as organized fraud, meaning someone who has filed a bunch of claims using the identities of someone else. And its not like a one-off, run-of-the-mill street criminal. Its somebody with a lot of it expertise as part of a data stealing ring. Its fairly substantial.

But the bottom line is, it cant be an excuse. Weve got to solve the problem regardless of that.

At this point, do you guys have a number of fraudulent claims or are you still working on determining what it is?

Conservatively, Ive been told its 200,000. It could be higher.

Aside from ID verification, are there other things CARES Act money might go toward?

Were also going to proceed with hiring permanent workers for the Employment Security Division. This crisis isnt going to stop. And we dont want to clean up the backlog and have it come again. So we need to make sure that we have adequate staff, permanent staff, ready to continue handling cases of people who are going on and off unemployment probably over at least the next year.

Whats your sense of how we got here? Is anyone to blame, such as the Legislature failing to maintain the system over time?

Im not looking in the rearview mirror. I was asked to look forward and fix the backlog. And to figure out what mistakes were made and who made them, youd have to interview both sides. Ask, Well, why didnt you do this? Well, why did you do that? Oh, well, we didnt have more staff because we had low unemployment. And we wanted to give the money to education. There might be lots of different reasons. I dont have time to dig into those.

Sometimes I feel like Im getting pulled into other areas, and Im saying, OK, how is what Im doing right this minute helping someone get paid? The single dad, who called this morning to say, I dont know if I can hang on one more day, how is this helping him get paid? So Im trying to resist any calls to do anything else but that.

The rental assistance program is pretty much exhausted in Clark County, and then the eviction moratorium is being lifted, and unemployment payment amounts have gone down. How are you directing people? What they can do now?

Were facing a catastrophic situation. We have hundreds of thousands of people at risk of eviction. We need more rental assistance funding from Congress. We need to turn back on the $600 a month, or whatever they compromise is, if its $500 a month.

But we cant usea new FEMA systemthat might be paid, and it might be legal under an executive order, it might not be. We need some certainty. And we need it today. And the clock is ticking.

So I am nervous. I am worried. I am upset about whats coming down the pike. And all I can do is raise my voice to say what I think would help the problem.

Where is Nevada on President Trumps plan to use FEMA money to increase unemployment payments by $400? Last we heard, DETR was analyzing the cost. Has the state rejected the idea at this point?

(Editors note: DETR said on Tuesday that it is still analyzing the cost and we will make announcement and inform claimants once more information becomes available.)

Thats a question for the governor. I think theyre looking into it and figuring out how much it would cost. But again, the complexity of it all leads to uncertainty getting FEMA involved, and then theres another agency, and then you have to figure out what their rules are. Why does this have to be so complex?

We were at least able to give most people stimulus checks. Maybe we should just give monthly stimulus checks. The first step shouldnt be to create another bureaucracy and another program. Lets get the money on the street.

The Legislature passed SB3, including a provision to backdate so that folks that maybe lost out on a payment would get that money. How far are we into getting those folks the money that theyre entitled to?

Right now were on the backlog. So the additional provisions, including encouraging the part-time folks to go back to work and have them not lose out on funding I think those two programs will be in the next phase. First, we need to get the money out on the streets to those who are legitimately waiting.

You are really focused on just those who have gotten nothing at this point?

Yes. That is what I say at the beginning of every conversation. Theres a team working on cases that need to kind of true up the right amount of benefits. Theres 25 people working on those. I said Those people at least are getting weekly checks. Maybe the true up work needs to be done, but could it be done last.

And sometimes youre choosing between bad decisions and worse decisions. But to me, the person who hasnt received a dime needs to be prioritized first.

Theres a lot of people who have applied who arent eligible. They kind of think everybodys getting money, right? They have no UI wages. Theyve never received a W-2. They havent worked in a year and a half. And some of those people are not a gig worker, either. So they just think, Because Im not working, can I get on unemployment? But there wasnt a COVID reason for their 1099 loss of work. Some of the requirements that the federal government puts on these programs I feel bad for them, too, because now for five months, theyve been thinking theyre getting money and they were never entitled to it in the first place.

So even then, they should get a timely decision so they can move on and figure out, Should I be applying for welfare? Or Im just not going to apply for anything. And I move in and double up with somebody or figure out what their next steps are.

The Alorica call center has been criticized on several fronts. Even the court-appointed special master had recommended getting rid of them if we hadnt been bound by a contract. Are you working on trying to improve the Alorica services?

Im not. [DETR Administrator] Elisa Cafferata and DETR will be making decisions about Alorica. Im just focusing on the processes what processes work? What dont work? And how can we get people paid quicker?

Certainly in my mind having two separate systems for UI and PUA I dont think works very well. And thats because its one person, but they may be in two systems. In our new economy, someone can bartend two days a week and drive for Lyft. Well, if they have enough wages for UI, they can only get UI and they cant get PUA another federal government rule.

But what if in one quarter, they dont have enough for UI but they qualified for PUA? We dont want to bounce people around. We want one person, well-trained, to give them a decision and to let them know what it is. So no matter what, I think we need a team of folks who know both systems, are state employees, are able to timely give good answers to people and get them the benefits they need. No matter what, that has to be an outcome of this.

When you guys expect to be releasing a dashboard?

Wed like it to be soon. But then then we run into things like, In the backlog, we dont count claimants, we count issues. Well, thats not really helpful. They dont want to know if one person has four issues.

Then were kind of pushing back: Well, can we count them? We have that data. Why cant we say it? What were focusing on right now is just drafting what we really want to see. And then well send it back to the IT folks.

How much of a backlog is there in PUA of legitimate but unpaid claims?

For me, its really a rough guesstimate. But the bottom line is, we shouldnt be guessing. We should be finding out whos eligible and then issuing them their favorable determinations. If theyre not deemed eligible, get that determination out so that if the system is wrong and human errors occur, get them the ability to appeal.

Is this different than you expected when you were on the outside looking in?

One thing I underestimated every potential system needs improvement. The computer system, the UI computer system, the PUA computer system, not having enough staff. Its not just one issue that the staff is dealing with. So thats one thing.

The other thing that has struck me as it did in all my times as a speaker [of the Assembly], is how hard the line staff are working. Some of these people have been working overtime for five months now. They bring the cases home with them; theyre worried about the clients, our state. We have some of the best state employees, you know, ever. And theyve really been shouldering a lot. And you know, when they get beat up in the press, they take it personally when it has nothing to do with them. It has to do with the system thats not working.

Any message to the claimants who are continually calling and saying its week 21 without pay?

Every time I hear one of them, it just encourages me to urge the team to hurry. People have waited long enough.The Nevada Independent is a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization. We are committed to transparency and disclose all our donors. The following people or entities mentioned in this article are financial supporters of our work:Barbara Buckley$1,260.00Elisa Cafferata$765.00Steve Sisolak$3,200.00

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Q-and-A: Barbara Buckley on progress of Nevada 'strike force' tackling backlogged jobless claims - Northern Nevada Business Weekly

Two weeks after Gov. Steve Sisolak announced a strike force to help resolve a backlog of unemployment claims, the head of the effort former Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley says several key initiatives are getting off the ground this week.

Buckley said shes prioritizing the claims of those who havent received payment at all above other issues such as catching current beneficiaries up on individual missed payments. It was the desperation of some of those unpaid Nevadans, many of whom called her in her current role as head of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, that prompted her to accept Sisolaks invitation to lead the strike force.

My assistant will come in and say, so the guy on the phone, he's been waiting for eight weeks and he needs his insulin and he has no other payment source. What can I tell him? Buckley said in an interview on Monday with The Nevada Independent. I have been so concerned about the growing backlog, and about individuals who are frantic to be paid, and I had been obsessing over it.

She said the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is piloting a proposed solution this week that could speed up the process of verifying claimants identities. Tens of thousands of claims are held up over questions about authenticity and possible stolen identities.

Fraud has been a major concern, and Buckley experienced it firsthand someone recently filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name. She estimates that there are upwards of 200,000 phony claims in the system, but as with many statistics including the precise size of the backlog Buckley said its difficult to determine exact numbers right now. Her plan to create an online dashboard to show the agencys progress in processing the applications is still in the works.

To combat the fraud, the state also brought on a new chief of the fraud unit this week. And to ramp up staffing, DETR is enlisting and working to train some 300 welfare eligibility workers this week to assist colleagues in the unemployment division.

The strike force also includes experts from the private sector. The goal is to offer a fresh pair of eyes on a mammoth task that state workers have been trying to tackle for months.

I told some of the Employment Security people, Look, you've been inside the house fighting the fire for five months, you're exhausted. Reinforcements are here, Buckley said. So maybe we can just bring a different way of viewing it, and a private sector way of doing something.

Below are highlights from the interview, which have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: Do you feel like you found any silver bullet to the big holdup?

A: I don't think there's a silver bullet. I think there's a series of things that we need to do to try to reduce the backlog.

We had a very low unemployment rate. I think I heard there were like 10 people working in the Southern Nevada unemployment claims office. And based on the number of new filings it got, it probably needed 500. The depths of it can't be [overestimated]. And the number of people filing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.

What we're trying to do is just bring in a fresh look. What can we do right now? What solutions can we find right now?

We're looking at a couple areas. The first is [whether] there are folks in a similar situation where we can come up with a solution to move on with their cases. I'm going for bang for the buck. If there are 30,000 people stuck with this issue, can we come up with a solution and then move out those 30,000?

One area is trying to identify the true filers, Nevadans in need who do qualify, and to separate them from the fraud. Because there are hundreds of thousands of fraudulent applications clogging up the system. But we want to focus first on who's really eligible and how do we connect them with benefits.

So we have a couple IT solutions that we're piloting this week. I'm really fortunate to have one of the volunteers join me on the rapid response team. His whole background is IT. He's the head of an IT company. He was the former head of it for the U.S. division of Siemens. And so we're looking at data matching and how can we separate out the folks who are in need.

So that's one area we're working at, right off the bat. The other is a private sector IT company that verifies identity. So I think we're going to launch a pilot with that this week to see if that works. And then the other big area is staffing. How can we get innovative about getting more qualified staff on board?

So we've developed a staffing plan already. The first part is retired Employment Security [Division] workers, already trained and ready to go. You can plug them in tomorrow. So we've identified some of those workers to come back.

The second is one of the members of the strike force Steve Fisher. He's the division chief of the welfare division of HHS. So his division is stable. He's overworked but stable. So he volunteered to join this committee.

He did a poll of welfare eligibility workers who have similar training, to see if any of them would be willing to work overtime. Their response was overwhelming. He's identified 300 people who are able to work on these cases right now.

So today and tomorrow, he's developing a training program for them, looking at what we already have, in terms of training materials, recording it, and then tasking them on certain types of cases so they can quickly move out a couple thousand cases a day or every other day.

Im sure DETR had its own process for verifying ID before this, but did the strike force find anything that wasnt being done or a tool the agency didnt have?

In the pre-COVID world, we didn't have the amount of applications and we didn't have the amount of fraudulent applications ... My theory is that it is a result of one of those big data breach cases where identities across the nation were stolen.

The team never had this level both of applications and fraud. And so these two new things that we're piloting, we're just hoping can separate it out.

And what I keep harping on is anyone who appears eligible, we're moving forward with them. We don't want to resolve all of them ASAP. We want to resolve those who are eligible ASAP. So we're trying to keep that priority in mind.

DETR had previously tried to ramp up staffing with former employees. Did you find that there were a good number who still hadn't been invited back or still weren't being used?

I think what happened because of the press conference and everybody learning about it, we received more offers. And it wasn't that there hadn't been offers before. But I think that the notoriety of it we received more offers within 48 hours; I got offers from cabinet members, Hey, can I loan some of my IT staff? I got volunteers. I'm a secretary out at UNLV, can I help?

We received offers from just tons of different people whose hearts go out to all the people who are waiting. So I think it just helped the effort, just kind of led to a slew more calls and awareness. And of course, then they knew who to call.

We've heard that it does take a lot of time to get staff up to speed. Does it speed up the process to have welfare division workers, for example, because they're already state employees?

They're already trained on similar work. And they already know the state systems; they already know how to log in remotely to the state's VPN. So theres certain things we won't have to teach them.

The other thing that we're talking about is putting them on strike teams. So for example, if we have a group that is stuck because the employer said they were fired and the employee said they were laid off. OK, this is how we do it: We call the employee; we ask for X, Y, and Z; and then we call the employer and ask for X, Y and Z; and then we reconcile it and just make a decision because everybody has the right to appeal and have a third party, independent person and look at it.

The worst thing is just to be hanging on. Make a decision one way or the other. So we're looking at whether there are certain people with certain categories where we can train people to be really good at that issue.

I keep preaching: speed, speed, speed. Again, we don't want to give tens of millions of dollars to fraudsters. But these Nevadans have been waiting too long. We've got to get a system in place to move cases along.

Have you gotten a handle on the fraud numbers? Thats a source of skepticism because people don't know if fraud is being used as an excuse or if it legitimately is half of the claims. When are you going to know?

So far, it appears that the amount of fraudulent claims is very high. But we're going to quantify it. And then we'll be releasing the solid numbers to the public so everybody can see what they are.

We're already meeting weekly with law enforcement to make sure that they're getting the data they need. We have a new chief for fraud starting today. He was the chief of the fraud unit for [the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services]. So he came back from retirement to help stand it up.

It's not so much an individual cheating issue as much as organized fraud, meaning someone who has filed a bunch of claims using the identities of someone else. And it's not like a one-off, run-of-the-mill street criminal. It's somebody with a lot of it expertise as part of a data stealing ring. It's fairly substantial.

But the bottom line is, it can't be an excuse. Weve got to solve the problem regardless of that.

At this point, do you guys have a number of fraudulent claims or are you still working on determining what it is?

Conservatively, I've been told it's 200,000. It could be higher.

Aside from ID verification, are there other things CARES Act money might go toward?

We're also going to proceed with hiring permanent workers for the Employment Security Division. This crisis isn't going to stop. And we don't want to clean up the backlog and have it come again. So we need to make sure that we have adequate staff, permanent staff, ready to continue handling cases of people who are going on and off unemployment probably over at least the next year.

What's your sense of how we got here? Is anyone to blame, such as the Legislature failing to maintain the system over time?

Im not looking in the rearview mirror. I was asked to look forward and fix the backlog. And to figure out what mistakes were made and who made them, you'd have to interview both sides. Ask, Well, why didn't you do this? Well, why did you do that? Oh, well, we didn't have more staff because we had low unemployment. And we wanted to give the money to education. There might be lots of different reasons. I don't have time to dig into those.

Sometimes I feel like I'm getting pulled into other areas, and I'm saying, OK, how is what I'm doing right this minute helping someone get paid? The single dad, who called this morning to say, I don't know if I can hang on one more day, how is this helping him get paid? So I'm trying to resist any calls to do anything else but that.

The rental assistance program is pretty much exhausted in Clark County, and then the eviction moratorium is being lifted, and unemployment payment amounts have gone down. How are you directing people? What they can do now?

We're facing a catastrophic situation. We have hundreds of thousands of people at risk of eviction. We need more rental assistance funding from Congress. We need to turn back on the $600 a month, or whatever they compromise is, if it's $500 a month.

But we can't use a new FEMA system that might be paid, and it might be legal under an executive order, it might not be. We need some certainty. And we need it today. And the clock is ticking.

So I am nervous. I am worried. I am upset about what's coming down the pike. And all I can do is raise my voice to say what I think would help the problem.

Where is Nevada on President Trumps plan to use FEMA money to increase unemployment payments by $400? Last we heard, DETR was analyzing the cost. Has the state rejected the idea at this point?

(Editors note: DETR said on Tuesday that it is still analyzing the cost and we will make announcement and inform claimants once more information becomes available.)

That's a question for the governor. I think they're looking into it and figuring out how much it would cost. But again, the complexity of it all leads to uncertainty getting FEMA involved, and then there's another agency, and then you have to figure out what their rules are. Why does this have to be so complex?

We were at least able to give most people stimulus checks. Maybe we should just give monthly stimulus checks. The first step shouldnt be to create another bureaucracy and another program. Let's get the money on the street.

The Legislature passed SB3, including a provision to backdate so that folks that maybe lost out on a payment would get that money. How far are we into getting those folks the money that they're entitled to?

Right now we're on the backlog. So the additional provisions, including encouraging the part-time folks to go back to work and have them not lose out on funding I think those two programs will be in the next phase. First, we need to get the money out on the streets to those who are legitimately waiting.

You are really focused on just those who have gotten nothing at this point?

Yes. That is what I say at the beginning of every conversation. There's a team working on cases that need to kind of true up the right amount of benefits. There's 25 people working on those. I said Those people at least are getting weekly checks. Maybe the true up work needs to be done, but could it be done last.

And sometimes you're choosing between bad decisions and worse decisions. But to me, the person who hasn't received a dime needs to be prioritized first.

There's a lot of people who have applied who aren't eligible. They kind of think everybody's getting money, right? They have no UI wages. They've never received a W-2. They haven't worked in a year and a half. And some of those people are not a gig worker, either. So they just think, Because I'm not working, can I get on unemployment? But there wasn't a COVID reason for their 1099 loss of work. Some of the requirements that the federal government puts on these programs I feel bad for them, too, because now for five months, they've been thinking they're getting money and they were never entitled to it in the first place.

So even then, they should get a timely decision so they can move on and figure out, Should I be applying for welfare? Or I'm just not going to apply for anything. And I move in and double up with somebody or figure out what their next steps are.

The Alorica call center has been criticized on several fronts. Even the court-appointed special master had recommended getting rid of them if we hadn't been bound by a contract. Are you working on trying to improve the Alorica services?

I'm not. [DETR Administrator] Elisa Cafferata and DETR will be making decisions about Alorica. I'm just focusing on the processes what processes work? What don't work? And how can we get people paid quicker?

Certainly in my mind having two separate systems for UI and PUA I don't think works very well. And that's because it's one person, but they may be in two systems. In our new economy, someone can bartend two days a week and drive for Lyft. Well, if they have enough wages for UI, they can only get UI and they can't get PUA another federal government rule.

But what if in one quarter, they don't have enough for UI but they qualified for PUA? We don't want to bounce people around. We want one person, well-trained, to give them a decision and to let them know what it is. So no matter what, I think we need a team of folks who know both systems, are state employees, are able to timely give good answers to people and get them the benefits they need. No matter what, that has to be an outcome of this.

When you guys expect to be releasing a dashboard?

We'd like it to be soon. But then then we run into things like, In the backlog, we don't count claimants, we count issues. Well, that's not really helpful. They don't want to know if one person has four issues.

Then we're kind of pushing back: Well, can we count them? We have that data. Why can't we say it? What we're focusing on right now is just drafting what we really want to see. And then we'll send it back to the IT folks.

How much of a backlog is there in PUA of legitimate but unpaid claims?

For me, it's really a rough guesstimate. But the bottom line is, we shouldn't be guessing. We should be finding out who's eligible and then issuing them their favorable determinations. If they're not deemed eligible, get that determination out so that if the system is wrong and human errors occur, get them the ability to appeal.

Is this different than you expected when you were on the outside looking in?

One thing I underestimated every potential system needs improvement. The computer system, the UI computer system, the PUA computer system, not having enough staff. It's not just one issue that the staff is dealing with. So that's one thing.

The other thing that has struck me as it did in all my times as a speaker [of the Assembly], is how hard the line staff are working. Some of these people have been working overtime for five months now. They bring the cases home with them; theyre worried about the clients, our state. We have some of the best state employees, you know, ever. And they've really been shouldering a lot. And you know, when they get beat up in the press, they take it personally when it has nothing to do with them. It has to do with the system that's not working.

Any message to the claimants who are continually calling and saying it's week 21 without pay?

Every time I hear one of them, it just encourages me to urge the team to hurry. People have waited long enough.

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Indy Q&A: Barbara Buckley on progress of new 'strike force' trying to tackle backlogged unemployment claims - The Nevada Independent

Here's the latest for Wednesday August 19th: Democratic Party formally nominates Joe Biden; Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Colin Powell hammer President Trump; Australia to produce possible coronavirus vaccine; Wildfires in California. AP Domestic

WASHINGTON Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during the second night of a virtual convention Tuesday that started with scathing criticism of President Donald Trumps administration and ended with personal reflections on the former vice presidents decades of service.

More than three decades after he first ran for president, Biden clinched the nomination following a virtual roll call featuring party luminaries from all 50 states and lesser-known Democrats who described Biden as ready to lead the nation through the twin crises of a pandemic and economic uncertainty.

We have shown that the heart of this nation still beats with kindness and courage, said Dr. Jill Biden, who delivered the evenings marquee address. We just need leadership worthy of our nation worthy of you.

The second night of the convention began with several high-profile Democrats slamming President Donald Trump. Former President Bill Clinton recited statistics about the number of infections and deaths from the pandemic, which he and others asserted could have been lowered if the Trump administration had acted differently or more quickly

Its was a preview of a tough message Biden and other Democrats are certain to reprise between now and the Nov. 3 election.

Did it have to be this way? No, Clinton argued.

America, Donald Trump has quit on you, claimed Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

We deserve a person with integrity and judgement, former President Jimmy Carter said in a video.

Despite the heavy line of attacks, the final minutes of the second night became far lighter as the party conveyed Biden as a man who had endured tremendous hardship in his own life and brokered friendships with those like the late Sen. John McCain on the other side of the aisle.

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Minutes after he clinched the nomination, Biden appeared briefly in a video with his grandchildren and family, promising to say more later. The former vice president reappeared to embrace his wife after her remarks, which became personal and emotional as she recalled how Biden handled the death of their son, Beau Biden, who died in 2015.

I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again, Jill Biden said.

But, she said, four days after Beaus funeral, she watched her husband put on a suit, take a deep breath and walk out into a world empty of our son.

He went back to work. Thats just who he is, she said. He and Kamala (Harris) will work as hard as you do every day to make this nation better.

Biden is set to formally accept the nomination Thursday.

John Fritze

Jill Biden spoke as a teacher, a mother and a wife when she addressed the Democratic National Convention on the night her husband was formally nominated to challenge President Donald Trump.

The former Second Lady described her husband as a man who has gone through the unimaginable while still managing to keep putting one front in front of the other.

He does it for you, she said of Joe Biden. His faith is in you, in us.

And she shared her own pain from the 2015 death of Beau Biden, the familys oldest child, drawing larger lessons to be applied to a broken nation.

How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole, she said. With love and understanding and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.

Biden spoke from Room 232 of the high school in Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught English when her husband served in the Senate.

A sign on the bulletin board read: Welcome back Dr. Jill Biden.

While she didn't mention Trump in her 10-minute speech,Biden used the backdrop of the school to address the pandemic, saying shes heartbroken by the magnitude of the nations loss of life and the failure to protect our communities. She said she feels the frustration of parents juggling work while supporting their childrens learning or fearful theyll get sick at school.

"Like so many of you," she said, "Im left asking: how do I keep my family safe?"

As shes done at past conventions, Biden on Tuesday told the story of Joe Biden losing his first wife and baby daughter in a 1972 car crash. His two sons, Beau and Hunter, were badly injured.

Dr. Jill Biden delivers a speech from a school in Wilmington, Delaware about COVID and closed schools for the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY

I feel in love with a man and two littleboys standing in the wreckage of unthinkable loss, Biden said. We found that love holds a family together.

After Jill and Joe married in 1977, they had a daughter, Ashley.

Beau Biden, who introduced his father at the 2008 and 2012 conventions, died of brain cancer in 2015 at 46.

I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again, Jill Biden said Tuesday.

But, four days after Beaus funeral, she watched her husband put on a suit, take a deep breath and walk out into a world empty of our son.

He went back to work. Thats just who he is, she said. I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours: bring us together and make us whole."

Maureen Groppe

Former GOP Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke in support of Joe Biden, saying he would bring the country together and not coddle dictators.

Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way, Powell said without mentioning Trump by name. What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.

Powells decision to address the virtual convention on behalf of Biden makes him one of the most prominent Republicans to play a part in the process of nominating the former vice president.

Powell, who served in President George W. Bushs cabinet, said in 2016 he would vote for Hillary Clinton, partly because of Trumps leading role in the birther movement questioning the legitimacy of Barack Obamas citizenship.

Then in June, Powell, the first African-American secretary of state, said he planned to vote for Biden while chiding Trump for his behavior, notably the decision a few days before to clear Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. of mostly peaceful protestors so he could stage a photo op in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church with a bible.

On Tuesday, Powell said Biden will be a president we will all be proud to salute.

With Joe Biden in the White House, you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversariesnever the other way around, he said. He will trust our diplomats and our intelligence community, not the flattery of dictators and despots. He will make it his job to know when anyone dares to threaten us. He will stand up to our adversaries with strength and experience. They will know he means business.

Ledyard King

After video segments highlighting Bidens health care plan, progressive activist Ady Barkan delivered a speech on the importance of access to health care for all Americans, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Barkan was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease ALS in 2016 shortly after the birth of his son and has become a prominent voice for single-payer health care.

Biden has said he wants a Medicare-like option and to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right. Everyone living in America should get the health care they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay, Barkan said.

Barkan made headlines in 2017 when he was filmed confronting former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake over a tax bill. Barkan initially supported Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president and then backed Sen. Bernie Sanders. Barkan and Biden disagree on Medicare for All, but Barkan has urged progressives not to sit out of the November election.

In July, Barkan announced his endorsement of Biden. The two discussed their differences in a video interview, and Barkan said he would take Biden up on an offer to help figure out whats enough on health care should Biden be elected.

Although he & I have different perspectives on the world, winning this election is essential, Barkan said at the time.

Barkan said Tuesday that with Biden as president, progressives can continue advocating for further action on health care.

We must elect Joe Biden. Each of us must be a hero for our communities, for our country, and then, with a compassionate and intelligent president, we must act together and put on his desk a bill that guarantees us all the health care we deserve, Barkan said.

Jeanine Santucci

Ady Barkan, who confronted Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake on the Trump tax cuts effect on health care, spoke at the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY

John Kerry, the former secretary of state and 2004 Democratic nominee for president, slammed President Donald Trump for failing to confront Russia over interfering with the 2016 election or over bounties allegedly put on U.S. troops.

When this president goes overseas, it isnt a goodwill mission, its a blooper reel, Kerry said. Our troops cant get out of harms way by hiding in the White House bunker.

Republicans blasted Kerry for negotiating a deal aimed at hindering Irans nuclear program during the Obama administration and Trump withdrew from the deal. Trump has focused his foreign policy on securing the borders and renegotiating trade deals with Canada and Mexico, and with China.

Kerry served in the Senate from Massachusetts with the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Trump, Joe Biden of Delaware. Kerry said Biden, a former chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees, for having the steely grit to deal with international crises such as genocide in the Balkans or apartheid in South Africa. Kerry also promoted the Obama administrations support of the Paris climate change agreement with 195 nations and stopped ebola before it became a pandemic.

Joes moral compass has always pointed in the right direction, Kerry said. Joe understands that none of the issues of this world not nuclear weapons, not the challenge of building back better after COVID, not terrorism and certainly not the climate crisis none can be resolved without bringing nations together.

Bart Jansen

Former Massachusetts senator and former Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, John Kerry addresses the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally secured enough Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee to challenge President Donald Trump, winning one of the highest prizes in U.S. politics more than three decades after he first campaigned for it.

Though presidential nominating conventions havent been contested for decades and Biden demonstrated he had enough support for the nomination months ago, the formal roll call is nevertheless a symbolic milestone and an expression of the partys support for their candidate.

During the state primaries and caucuses, Biden collected 2,687 delegates -- more than twice the 1,073 earned by his closest rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Biden will formally accept the nomination Thursday.

The nomination completes the chief and least suspenseful - objective of the convention: Choosing the candidate that will be on the November presidential ballot. But its also done with fanfare and celebration, a moment where party rivals who vied for the nomination united behind the nominee.

Few moments have underscored the unusual nature of the Democrats' virtual convention as the roll call Tuesday that is expected to lead to Joe Biden's nomination.

All 57 states and territories are participating in the Roll Call Across America, which included video montages from each area when their turn came to announce their delegate allocations. The various party activists announcing those delegate pledges weren't just governors, senators and congressmen but also parents, teachers, and small business owners.

That meant local delegates could make their announcements with symbols of the states beauty or important landmarks, such as a fire station in Connecticut, the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama or the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C.

Marisol Garcia, a high school parent and a union organizer for the National Education Association, announced Arizonas votes with cacti in the background.

Arizona casts 29 votes for Bernie Sanders and 51 for our next president Joe Biden, she said with cacti in the background.

The display marked a major departure from past years and underscored the challenges convention planners have endured because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In normal election years, delegates gather on the floor of the hall and formally announce -- state by state -- how their delegation will vote. Though the results are almost always preordained, the roll call gives a member of a state's party a chance to offer a short speech espousing the soon-to-be-nominee and promote their areas while building a sense of drama until the candidate formally crosses the threshold of delegates needed to seize the nomination.

John Fritze and Ledyard King

National conventions usually feature politicians and party stars but not always.

I could tell he really saw me, Jacquelyn Brittany, a security guard at the New York Times who operated the elevator during a Biden visit there last year, said during the convention.

Nominating someone like that to be in the White House is a good place to start, she said.

Jacquelyn has declined to publicize her last name. Brittanyis her middle name, according to the Washington Post.

Brittany was one of several people who seconded Bidens nomination before the formal roll call of delegates.

John Fritze

The primaries are here! How does one get elected in the first place and what is in store for the Democratic National Convention in 2020? We explain. USA TODAY

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most outspoken progressives in Congress, delivered a nomination speech for Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead of the official roll call that will nominate Joe Biden as the partys candidate.

Sanders, Bidens last standing opponent in the primary race, suspended his run for the Democratic nomination in April and has supported Biden. Ocasio-Cortezs roughly 90-second speech didnt mention Biden but established the ideals of the progressive wing of the party.

The progressive movement is striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia, Ocasio-Cortez said, adding that it realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long term stability for the many.

When the length of her speech was first reported atone minute, some viewed it as a snub to progressives, noting that some Republicans were given more time to speak. Others saw her inclusion as a sign Democrats are hoping to unify progressives and centrists against Trump.

Ocasio-Cortez was a prominent backer and surrogate for Sanders campaign and has since said she will vote for Biden but hopes to influence his platform to the left.She co-chaired the climate task force to advise Biden on policy.

Sanders, who spoke on the first night of the Democratic Convention, has asked his supporters to back Biden despite their differences in ideology. He said during his speech Monday that the country cannot withstand another Trump term.

The future of our democracy is at stake, Sanders said. The price of failure is just too great to imagine.

Bob King, former president of the United Auto Workers, also delivered a symbolic nominating speech for Sanders on Tuesday.

-Jeanine Santucci

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized progressive causes as she seconded the presidential nomination of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night. The party formally nominated Joe Biden. (Aug. 19) AP Domestic

The buck never stops. Clinton hits Trump on COVID-19

Former President Bill Clinton sought to recapture some of his explainer in chief mojo during remarks Tuesday that were highly critical of President Donald Trumps response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Did it have to be this way? No, Clinton said of coronavirus infection rates and deaths, after relating several of those statistics. COVID hit us much harder than it had to.

Clinton blamed Trump for ignoring the advice of scientists and spending too much time on social media blaming others for the crisis: The buck never stops there, he said.

The 42nd president has ridden peaks of popularity between troughs of disfavor since leaving the White House in 2001. His 48-minute speech at the 2012 convention was viewed by some Democrats as a more cogent argument for President Barack Obamas second term than anything Obama had offered himself at that point in the campaign, and it earned Clinton the nickname explainer in chief.

But while Clinton has remained popular among the Democratic establishment, the controversies of his presidency and allegations of sexual assault and harassment have come into harsher light during a MeToo movement that has exposed similar, systemic problems in the workplace.

And so while Clinton played an extensive role on stage at the 2016 convention when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the nominee, his speaking time was limited to just a few minutes Tuesday and his slot fell in the 9 p.m. hour before major networks began carrying the convention in its entirety.

Clinton has addressed every Democratic convention since 1980.

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Joe Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination during night of attacks on Trump and messages of unity - USA TODAY

Cr Moore said the end-of-year celebrations would not be held if NSW Health and the police "cant be certain" that the event can be held safely.

"It would be incredibly sad if Sydney New Years Eve cannot go ahead, but that is a real possibility were facing," she said. "The communitys health and safety is paramount and it may not be responsible to encourage large crowds to our foreshore."

An estimated 1 million people flocked to Sydney Harbour last New Years Eve to watch the fireworks display, despite calls for the $6.5 million festivities to be cancelled because of the bushfire crisis.

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said last week Sydneys New Years Eve celebrations should go ahead after such a putrid 2020.

Perhaps they dont do two sets of fireworks at nine and at midnight, they maybe even do a scaled-down version of the fireworks, he told 2GB radio.

A spokesman for the Department of Premier and Cabinet said event organisers were required to follow any public health orders and health advice current at the time of the event. New Years Eve fireworks and events are a matter for individual councils, he said.

North Sydney Council does not hold events on New Years Eve, but manages crowds that gather on the Sydney Harbour foreshore for the fireworks on Sydney Harbour.

Cr Gibson said she understood the reluctance to cancel the fireworks given it was months away.

We are obviously concerned about how we would deliver the event without becoming the next cluster, she said. If we are to attempt it, we need a decision now.

Bayside Council mayor Joe Awada said last week there would be no New Year's Eve celebrations at Brighton Le Sands.

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"How can you possibly comply with health orders and restrictions with 1.5 metres with 70,000 people? It would be impossible to control," he said.

Marylouise McLaws, professor of epidemiology at the University of NSW, also told 9News the end-of-year celebrations should not go ahead.

Cr Moore said the council was working with the state government to assess the impact of COVID-19 on major events, including Christmas, Sydney New Years Eve and the Sydney Lunar Festival.

These events are subject to the NSW Governments public health orders, which are continuously amended to address the local impact of the pandemic, she said. Ultimately, if NSW Health and police cant be certain that the event can be held safely, it wont go ahead.

Cr Gibson said the fireworks could be staged in a secret location so there are no crowds and we can all stay home to celebrate.

Alternatively, the City could get out all that old footage and give us the best fireworks from the last 20 years, she said.

Andrew Taylor is a Senior Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Clover Moore says it 'may not be responsible' to hold New Year's Eve fireworks - Sydney Morning Herald

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) releases this months edition of the Bank Treasury Newsletter, the Bank Treasury Newsletter Chart Deck, and Bank Talk: The After-Show.

This months newsletter, Bank Treasurers in Need of a Free Upgrade, highlights the widening gap between loans and deposits in the banking system, with $5 trillion of excess deposits as of mid-August, compared to $3.6 trillion in March 2020 and $1.1 trillion back in August 2010. The deluge of deposit inflows since the onset of the pandemic has slowed in the last month, which may help relieve the dilutive pressures on bank net interest margin (NIM) and profitability. With expectations these pressures will continue, bank managers are redoubling efforts to wring costs out of their operations and hope to leverage the growing acceptance of virtual meetings to save on travel and entertainment expenses in the coming year, and perhaps more permanently.

With the LIBOR transition continuing to progress, the financial industry in the U.S. is preparing for a big bang in mid-October, when the industry switches from the LIBOR-OIS rate to SOFR when discounting collateralized derivative positions. The relationship between LIBOR-OIS and SOFR has flipped over recent months, coinciding with changes in the level of bank excess reserves. The newsletter also reports on the implementation of a new stress capital buffer (SCB), which the Fed will require institutions with $100 billion or more in assets to use in place of the Basel 3 capital conservation buffer, to reflect the new tailored approach to bank capital requirements.

The Bank Treasury Newsletter Chart Deck looks at how the financial industry has tightened credit underwriting standards in residential mortgages but still managed to generate near-record volumes, with higher-quality borrowers in the months since the onset of the pandemic. On the other hand, credit card volumes are falling as the public reduces debt in contrast to its behavior after the global financial crisis, when it drew down on available lines. With ample liquidity in the system, later slides in the chart deck look at the shrinking balance of the Feds central bank liquidity swaps, while the PPP lenders still make limited use of the Feds liquidity facility.

Finally, this months edition of Bank Talk: The After-Show discusses the industrys struggle to leverage efficiency gains with profitability under pressure. While the industry cut noninterest expense by 121 bps of average assets, net revenues has fallen 250 bps, leaving its efficiency ratio stuck above 60%.

Click below to view the reports:

About KBRA and KBRA Europe

KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider and is a certified Credit Rating Agency (CRA) with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered with ESMA as a CRA. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is located at 6-8 College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.

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KBRA Releases the Bank Treasury Newsletter, the Bank Treasury Chart Deck, and Bank Talk: The After-Show - Business Wire

Despite the crowds jubilation in Bamako, the arrest of President Ibrahim B. Keita, Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, the minister of finance, the president of the National Assembly,and other government officials seems unlikely to result in fundamental change. An estimated half of Mali's population lives in severe poverty, ethnic divisions are chronically unaddressed, and Islamist jihadisroam much of the northern half of the country. Those realities are unlikely to change as a result of a coup. Subsequent to their success, the coup makers are justifying themselves by citing the corruption, nepotism, and all-around bad governance of the Keita regime.

Initial media accounts tied the coup to popular discontent spearheaded by civil society and a charismatic imam and linked it to fall-out from corrupt elections earlier in the year. But, rather than a popular revolution, this coup appears to have been carried out by five colonels, calling themselves the National Commission for the Peoples Salvation. This entity is led by Gen. Cheick Fanta Mady Dembele, whom some local commentators see as the real leader of the coup, though he remains in the background. The coup makers likely have the support of the broad political class, based in Bamako, dissatisfied by the Keita government's response to popular unrest. The military and the political class, based on past performance, is uninterested in the fundamental social and political change that would be necessary to address the country's dysfunction.

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Once falsely viewed by Western commentators and policy makers as the poster child of African democracy and good governance, Mali's current descent into unending crisis is usually dated from the 2012 military unrest and Tuareg efforts to establish a separate stateAzawad. (Tuareg separatism reflects unresolved ethnic differences dating from French colonial times.) Then, radical jihadiscaptured the Tuareg separatist movement and were soon seen as threatening the destruction of the Bamako government. French intervention forestalled that outcome. Since then, the Malian and French militaries, African regional forces, and a UN military presence has failed to defeat the Islamists, and security has continued to deteriorate. (The United States has provided significant financial support to the anti-jihadieffort and provides logistical and other support to French forces.) Insofar as this latest coup highlights the dysfunction of the Malian state, it will likely benefit the jihadisthat have been expanding their area of operation in the wider region.

Thus far, international reaction to this latest coup has been hand-wringing.The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has denounced it and called for sanctions. The French and American governments have issued statements condemning the coup. The UN Security Council is expected to discuss it and will likely denounce it.

France has the largest modern military force in West Africa, with some 5,000 personnel. Successive Paris governments have viewed the Sahel as the "near abroad" and of vital national interest. But, French military intervention in the past has been denounced as "neo-colonial;" some local commentators are suggesting that Gen. Dembele is staying in the background because of fear of the perception that he is backed by France. The Macron government is saying that France will remain engaged in Mali, but for how long and under what circumstances remains to be seen. The French public appears increasingly fatigued by the seemingly never-ending fighting in the Sahel, "our Afghanistan." It is also unclear what the restoration of the Keita regime or new and likely flawed elections could accomplish. Nevertheless, a possible, perhaps likely, outcome will be a dealamong the military and the political class that leads to new elections and another "rearrangement of the deck chairs on theTitanic."The coup makers have already announced that they will establish a "civilian" government to carry out new elections.

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Mali

Elections and Voting

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Sub-Saharan Africa

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Mali Coup: "Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic" - Council on Foreign Relations