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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services debuted a website Wednesday in which people can sign up to participate in clinical trials related to potential COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
The website, or network as it’s officially called, was developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is affiliated with the National Institutes of Health.
The NIAID said that the website, known as the COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network, was built from the merger of “four previously existing clinical trials networks that focused on HIV/AIDS.”
After people choose to enroll in the various clinical trials via the website, officials will contact and screen the potential volunteers for participation.
“Having a safe and effective medical countermeasure to prevent COVID-19 would enable us to not only save lives but also help end the global pandemic,” NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a statement. “Centralizing our clinical research efforts into a single trials network will expand the resources and expertise needed to efficiently identify safe and effective vaccines and other prevention strategies against COVID-19.”
As CNN noted, the number of required volunteers is unclear.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle will oversee the new clinical trial project.
Resonate is a new collection of modular lounge furniture from Haworth that was originally scheduled to launch at last month’s NeoCon. The series was born from a collaboration between the Haworth Design Studio and Gensler New York, who came together to create the casual design. Resonate is built on a uniform platform structure and formed wire base that evokes a visual lightness, perfect for modern workspaces.
A handful of modules allow for a variety of configurations for working solo or in a group to collaborate, interact, and socialize. Each element measures the same square dimensions and height to help form a cohesive finished look. In addition to the seating pieces, there are freestanding or integrated tables to complete the setup.
Resonate will be available later this year in a choice of upholstery, paint, laminate, and veneer at haworth.com.
The U.S. Army wants future armored vehicles to instantly make decisions about terrain navigation, target identification, incoming enemy fire, force positions and warfare strategy. In fact, the military wants this to happen in a matter of seconds and all without every nuance needing to be controlled or micromanaged by humans. It is a known and often discussed concept, rapidly gaining traction as new technology continues to emerge at rocket speed.
Such initiatives are now taking on a newer, more advanced character as AI-enabled sensors, computers and targeting systems increasingly process and organize information more quickly, enabling ever-advancing measures of autonomy.
Dr. Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics & Technology, told Warrior that weapons developers are seeking a ground vehicle “sensor fusion” to enable soldiers to make rapid decisions when faced with fast-changing combat variables.
“Vehicle crews are seeking optimal data to understand the terrain in front of them, to decide whether or not they should drive into it. Can I activate additional sensors, whether active or passive, to discern what really is there?” Jette told Warrior.
Commercial applications of autonomy, such as those now used for driverless cars, have been advancing for quite some time, however, Army developers have been taking on something quite different. Combat vehicles need autonomy not just for linear navigation but rather for an integrated series of complex, fast-changing variables such as incoming attacks, rocky terrain, air integration, and means to optimize methods of attack.
SOLDIERS USE AI TO FIRE PRECISION GRENADES, GUIDE DRONE ATTACKS
“We don’t want soldiers to be operating these remote-controlled vehicles with their heads down, constantly paying attention to the vehicle in order to control it. We want these systems to be fully autonomous so that these soldiers can do their jobs and these autonomous systems can work as teammates and perform effectively in the battlefield,” Dr. John Fossaceca, artificial intelligence for maneuver and mobility program manager, Army Research Laboratory, Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Futures Command, said in an Army report.
M1A2 Abrams Tanks from A Company, 2-116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (CBCT), Idaho Army National Guard run through field exercises on Orchard Combat Training Center – file photo.
(Thomas Alvarez/Idaho Army National Guard)
Jette used an interesting term when describing the Army’s sought-after technological advantages, calling it a kind of “sensor fusion.” This term was not likely used by accident, as it often refers to the integrated sensor applications now operational in the F-35.
Using early iterations of AI, computers on-board the F-35 are able to take otherwise disparate or stovepiped streams of combat relevant data, perform analytics on the information, organize it and present a single coherent picture for pilots to view. A single-screen display, therefore, contains integrated navigational, targeting, flight details and threat information simultaneously. It merges a 360-degree camera system called Distributed Aperture System with a long-range Electro-optical Targeting System and other crucial flight variables.
A ground equivalent to this kind of application would seem to call upon an even greater measure of complexity, as ground autonomy must account for a wider range of variables. The concept is aligned with ongoing research into new generations of AI being engineered to not only gather and organize information for human decision-makers but also advance networking between humans and machines. Drawing upon advanced algorithms, computer technology can organize and disseminate otherwise disaggregated pools of data in seconds.
AI-empowered sensors can bounce incoming images, video or data off a seemingly limitless existing database to assess comparisons and differences and perform near real-time analytics. This kind of phenomenon seems to represent exactly what Jette was thinking of when he mentioned integrated armored vehicle sensors analyzing the upcoming terrain to make immediate decisions. At the speed of the most advanced computer processing, various AI systems can simultaneously organize and share information, perform analyses and solve certain problems otherwise impossible for humans to address within any kind of comparable timeframe. At the same time, there are many key attributes, faculties and problem-solving abilities unique to human cognition.
Jette explained that the technology has made massive leaps forward since earlier iterations of sensor integration were pursued previously in the Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. FCS, which began to take shape more than 10 years ago, built a small fleet of Manned-Ground Vehicles engineered with advanced sensors to provide a 360-degree camera view of surrounding terrain. The Army’s now-canceled Non-Line of Sight Cannon, for instance, was built with integrated surrounding cameras, however, Jette explained the system lacked the maturity to make key combat-sensitive distinctions.
Jette, who participated in FCS development while at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., years ago, said the FCS “optical systems would try to figure out what they were seeing in a ‘dark spot.’ They could not tell whether it was a shadow or a VBIED (Vehicle-Borne IED). You needed multiple sensors from different angles with a more holistic view.”
Interestingly, while canceled more than a decade ago, the fundamental networking concept pursued for the FCS program remains largely intact, if with different and far more advanced technical systems.
FCS was engineered upon the technical premise that a fleet of forces would operate in a coordinated “networked” fashion wherein otherwise disparate sensors would share information in real-time. It was envisioned as a layered system of sensors. For example, the MGVs were built to be lighter weight than other comparable combat platforms due to what developers called a “survivability onion.” The concept here was that an armored combat vehicle could be faster, lighter weight and more expeditionary by virtue of having a surrounding layered sensor system with which to detect and destroy incoming enemy fire.
While this basic premise, as made manifest in early MGV prototypes, was deemed insufficiently survivable and canceled, the fundamental strategic effort to sustain survivability while optimizing lighter-weight combat vehicles, persists. Moreover, it is informing many of the parameters of the Army’s more expeditionary “light tank,” the Mobile Protected Firepower vehicle.
PENTAGON APPROACHES MASSIVE NEW AI, MACHINE LEARNING BREAKTHROUGH
New technologies, including active protection systems, lighter weight armored materials, new sensor applications and rapid advancements with AI are now making the initial FCS vision much more attainable. Reconciling or optimizing a seemingly contradictory balance between survivability and mobility very much informs the Army rationale for its family of next-generation combat vehicles. Given this, it is not surprising that the advent of advanced, AI-empowered computer algorithms are greatly impacting the developmental equation, as explained by Jette.
Using AI, sensor integration and integrated command and control, the Army is already demonstrating new applications for autonomous systems in combat. For instance, teams of Army robots conducted a “deep assault through a breach” during an exercise last year. The experiment was intended to prepare the service for a new kind of man-machine drone warfare.
The Army exercise, which pitted groups of unmanned vehicles or ground drones against a mock enemy “tank ditch” and “minefield,” was part of a massive service-wide modernization effort to prepare for a new generation of combat – one where self-navigating drones directly confront enemy fire in high-threat war scenarios while humans perform command and control at safer distances.
During the Army demonstration, which took place several months ago, there “was not a single soldier in any vehicle” conducting the initial breach, Gen. John Murray, commander of Army Futures Command, told reporters a few months ago.
Various kinds of advanced autonomy, naturally, already exist, such as self-guiding aerial drones and the Navy’s emerging “ghost fleet” of coordinated unmanned surface vessels operating in tandem. Most kinds of air and sea autonomous vehicles confront fewer operational challenges when compared to ground autonomy. Nevertheless, the concepts and developmental trajectory between air, land and ground autonomy have distinct similarities; they are engineered to operate as part of a coordinated group of platforms able to share sensor information, gather targeting data and forward-position weapons – all while remaining networked with human decision-makers.
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“Future military missions are going to require autonomous vehicles that can determine what the passable routes might be, calculate the best route and make an assessment about what’s happening in the environment,” Fossaceca said
— Kris Osborn is the managing editor of Warrior Maven and The Defense Editor of The National Interest ––
6 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The rules governing your retirement accounts have been loosened in the year 2020. You have more time to put money in, can take money out early without penalty, and the required minimum distribution rules (RMD) for those 72 and older have been removed entirely.
July 15, 2020 is the deadline for making 2019 contributions to your IRA, Roth IRA, Health Savings Account (HSA) or Coverdell education savings account. It’s also the SEP IRA deadline for sole proprietors and independent contractors who file their income on schedule C with their personal tax return. The typical deadline for prior year contributions is April 15, but these were extended by the IRS in response to the pandemic, along with the extension of the personal tax return deadline. While you can extend your personal tax return deadline until October 15 with the filing of an extension request to the IRS (form 4868), you cannot extend the 2019 contributions to your IRA, Roth IRA, HSA or Coverdell past July 15. For those who are self-employed and want to contribute to a SEP IRA for 2019, you can extend that contribution deadline if your company return is also extended. For sole proprietors, the company deadline is your personal tax return deadline, which is now July 15, 2020, but can be extended to October 15, 2020.
IRA, SEP IRA, and HSA contributions are great last-minute tax savers. A self-employed person could generate more than $60,000 in tax deductions by maxing out SEP IRA and HSA contributions by July 15. For example, a self-employed person who had $250,000 in self-employment income could contribute 25 percent of their income (the SEP IRA contribution rule) up to the maximum of $56,000. Because of their income, they would be able to contribute the maximum of $56,000. And, if they had a high deductible health plan (HDHP) in 2019, they could also contribute $7,000 (family amount, $3,500 if single) to their HSA. In the end they could generate $63,000 in last-minute tax deductions. Assuming the person is in a 35 percent federal and 10 percent state tax bracket, they would save over $28,000 in taxes by making these two last-minute contributions. They will also see their SEP IRA grow tax-deferred, and their HSA will grow and come out tax-free for medical expenses.
Related: ITR Filing and Tax-Saving Investment Deadlines Extended. Check the New Dates
Many self-employed persons with no employees opt for a solo 401(k) instead of a SEP IRA as it has more benefits, but the solo 401(k) must have been established back in 2019 to make 2019 contributions. The SEP IRA, on the other hand, has a major advantage to last-minute persons still making 2019 contributions as it can be set up and funded up until the 2019 deadline of July 15, 2020. The 2019 contribution limits for the accounts you can still contribute to for 2019 are as follows….
The CARES Act gave us stimulus checks and PPP loans, but it also created penalty-free early distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s for those who are financially affected. These distributions can occur from 401(k)s, IRAs, SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, pension plans, 457 plans and 403(b) plans. These COVID-19 distributions are exempt from the usual 10 percent early withdrawal penalty that would apply when taking funds from any of these plans before you turn 59½. Congress decided to unlock these funds and remove the penalty people would incur when accessing their own retirement savings.
To qualify for a COVID-19 distribution, the account owner must have experienced “adverse financial consequences” from the pandemic. This is a broad definition and one that the account owner self-reports and claims with their account administrator. Adverse financial consequences include being subject to a quarantine (most states have had shelter in place by now), being furloughed or laid off, having your business closed or negatively affected, or hours reduced or being unable to work due to childcare changes and availability (closed schools, closed childcare facilities). The rule also includes anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or whose spouse or dependent is diagnosed with the virus. The limit on penalty-free COVID-19 distributions is $100,000, and they can be taken up until December 31, 2020.
One additional perk to the COVID-19 distribution is that any tax due on the distribution can be spread over three tax years. This three-year rule helps ease the burden of the tax due from taking a distribution, as those amounts would otherwise be included entirely in your gross income in the year taken. However, if the distribution is a COVID-19 distribution, you can spread the income and tax liability over three years (2020, 2021 and 2022).
You are also allowed to return the funds to the same account or to an IRA of your choosing within the three years, and you can avoid the taxes owed and can get that money back into a tax favorable account for future investing. The IRS has issued guidance on how to recoup any taxes you may pay on the distribution if you return the funds in later years. For example, if you end up re-paying a 2020 COVID-19 distribution to an IRA in 2022, but already paid tax for 1/3 of it on your 2020 tax return and another 1/3 with your 2021 tax return, then you can amend your 2020 and 2021 returns to seek a return of the tax paid. The goal of Congress was to provide penalty-free access to those who needed it, while easing the tax due on the distribution and giving investors up to three years to get the money back in. It is a careful balancing act, but it is one Congress did an admirable job at when crafting the retirement account provisions found in the CARES Act.
Individuals with IRAs, SEP IRA, 401(k)s and other employer plans are required to take certain required minimum distributions (“RMD”) from these accounts at age 72. The previous age limit was 70½, but this was increased to 72 beginning in 2020 courtesy of the SECURE Act, which was signed into law late last year. The good news for those 72 and older who must take RMD is that they are not required to do so for 2020. The rationale is that while the markets are low it would be unwise to force someone to sell their investments during the pandemic while their account values are low. The benefit to those 72 and older is that they skip RMD for 2020 if they want. They can keep their entire account invested and look to 2021 to sell and then take their annual RMD.
Related: How AI-Based Software Can Optimize Your Tax-Prep
There are strategic moves that can be made in 2020 given the favorable rules for retirement accounts found in the CARES Act and from executive action from the IRS. Whether it is tapping a 401(k) or IRA to help survive financially or whether you are looking to make late 2019 contributions for retirement, health or education savings accounts, the laws for 2020 give you more options and flexibility than we’ve had in years.
Good evening, readers. And apologies for the late send—we’ve had a busy few days.
We just wrapped up our first virtual Brainstorm Health conference. There’s no way that I can sum up the fascinating interviews, panels, discussions, and post-session write-ups in a single newsletter. We’ll be trickling through a whole bunch of the issues we addressed over the next few days (and for general coverage from our Fortune team, head right over here.)
But one of the main themes of this conference has centered on digital health and whether or not such such technologies can give a much-needed assist during the coronavirus pandemic.
The trouble is that these new resources, whether apps, better data-sharing, or better devices, are still guinea pigs. When it comes to contact tracing for COVID-19, “countries have just started to use it,” said Dr. David Feinberg of Google Health following a session on innovation and health care during the conference.
Coronavirus isn’t the beginning. But it has the potential to be the catalyst. That was a sentiment echoed by numerous panelists including former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Margaret Hamburg and her fellow attendees Baxter International CEO Joe Almeida and GE Healthcare CEO Kieran Murphy for those who have chronic conditions outside of COVID.
“We need to create a safety net where people can feel protected,” said Almeida during the session. Murphy added that GE has “deployed real time data to show where such capacity exists and divert patients to there… There needs to be a market where we can deploy telemedicine.”
It’s an issue that speaks to the needs of chronic disease, rare disease, and underserved communities all in one. Whether telehealth can confront these ills is a much broader question we’ll be tackling for years.
Read on for the day’s news, and look to this space for more coverage of our conference.
Sy Mukherjee
sayak.mukherjee@fortune.com
@the_sy_guy
It’s the middle of summer for many of us which means we need to protect our eyes from the blazing sunlight. Instead of selecting basic frames, we dove further to look for cool brands that make eco-friendly sunglasses out of materials like recycled plastic bottles, old skateboards, discarded marine plastic, cork, and reclaimed wood. Since these materials have minimal impact on the environment, and in most cases, help clean it up, they’re great options to choose from so you can feel good about wearing them all year long.
Roeper Classic Black + Dark Gray Sunglasses by Genusee
Genusee has taken a negative – an overabundance of plastic water bottles caused by the Flint water crisis – and turned it into a positive – creating eyewear made from the surplus. Instead of using new materials, they upcycle 15 water bottles, all collected in Flint, Michigan, to make each frame thereby closing the loop, reducing the amount of bottles being thrown out, and creating desperately needed jobs in the hard-hit city. The Roeper frame is a classic round shape with a keyhole bridge that will work on just about any face shape and size.
Recycled Wooden Skateboard Sunglasses by SKRP
Based in Ottawa, Canada, SKRP handcrafts a line of sunglasses made from 100% reclaimed skateboard decks. Each unique frame features layers of colored maple wood veneer from old skateboards that you know have seen some things in its previous life being ridden. The boards have been collected by Canadian skate shops, ski resorts, and US and Canadian distribution and manufacturing companies, and then acquired by SKRP who helps keep them from taking up space in a landfill. The sunglasses come in a classic shape, leaving the color and pattern choice up to you.
Surf 06 by Sea2see
Another place with a massive plastic issue are our oceans which are becoming more polluted by the day. Luckily brands like Sea2see are doing something about it. The Spanish company works with fishing communities in 27 ports in Spain and 10 coastal spots in Ghana who collect discarded marine plastic, like fishing nets, ropes, lines, and bottles. The waste is then turned into plastic pellets that becomes their eco-friendly handmade eyewear. The Surf design is a universal style that’s available in a handful of frame colors.
Owl with Cork by Ballo
Ballo is a South African brand that set out to hand make gender neutral sunglasses out of recycled offcuts and other sustainable materials, including cork, hemp, and wood. They work with local crafts people to create the cork frames, which are also flexible and lightweight, and they also float so if you drop them in the ocean or pool, they’re easily found. The Owl cork frames are available in a choice of four types of lenses: UV400 Brown, Grey Polarized, UV400 Grey, and Brown Polarized.
Israel Maplewood Repurposed Wood Sunglasses by SOLO Eyewear
San Diego-based SOLO Eyewear uses repurposed bamboo and recycled plastic to construct their line of handcrafted eyewear. The eco-friendly company saves hundreds of pounds of unnecessary plastic from being produced every year by utilizing these used materials, which also prevents them from ending up in a landfill. SOLO is also committed to restoring eyesight by donating 10% of their profits, which so far, has restored vision for 13,000 people in need of eye exams, eyeglasses, and surgeries. These Israel Maplewood sunglasses are made from reclaimed wood and named after one of the countries the brand has helped provide vision care for people in need.
>>> To shop more sunglasses, visit the Design Milk Shop here! <<<
Through September, we are donating 1% of the Design Milk Shop sales to The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Click here to read the Design Milk Mission for our commitment to donations, diversity, equity, + anti-racism action.
The U.S. Army is working to both leverage the advantages of cloud migration and simultaneously ensure data security, taking on what could be characterized as a paradox.
Cloud migration, which is expanding throughout the service at lightning speed, naturally brings a host of previously unprecedented advantages such as more ubiquitous data access, broader information sharing and what could be called a nearly instant ability to pull down the data needed to make time-sensitive combat decisions. For instance, multiple nodes across a dispersed attack formation could simultaneously access vital intelligence stored on a centralized server. The cloud advantage is often described as “centralized” information with “decentralized” networking, execution and information transmission.
“Munitions are sensors, air vehicles are sensors… I just see a plethora of sensors. It all comes down to the data. When you talk about the cloud, it is about having someplace for that data to go where it is successful. All that data has to be available and then it is all about having the ability to get the right data out of the cloud to the right shooter through the right C2 [Command and Control] node, so that then you don’t have these massive bandwidth requirements on every platform everywhere,” General John Murray, Commander, Army Futures Command, told The National Interest in an interview.
PENTAGON APPROACHES MASSIVE NEW AI, MACHINE LEARNING BREAKTHROUGH
Murray, and his counterpart Bruce Jette, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology), are working to accelerate cloud migration while also offsetting additional security risks potentially introduced by the process. In addition to massively expediting crucial warzone networking, the cloud can also present vulnerabilities by virtue of there being widespread access for potential intruders should they be able to breach a single point of entry. Part of the answer or approach to this challenge, intended to maximize cloud benefit while reducing risk, is to implement data-transfer organization and scaling.
A U.S. Army Combat Action Badge is pinned on the uniform of a soldier during an awards ceremony for soldiers with 4th Squadron 2nd Cavalry Regiment on March 7, 2014 near Kandahar, Afghanistan.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“If you think about what a cloud is, it is a server with hard drives that can run programs remotely or transfer data via some network. I don’t always want to download all the data, but only the most appropriate information,” Jette told The National Interest in an interview.
Jette explained the dual-pronged approach in terms of transferring data from the “foxhole to the Pentagon” in a survivable way, an effort which benefits from efficiently structuring the data. Part of this emphasis is informed and strengthened by fast-growing applications of AI and computer automation which can instantly gather, discern and organize which data might be most in need for a particular combat scenario. Advanced, high-speed algorithms with instant or near real-time access to vast pools of data can bounce requests or new information against seemingly limitless amounts of information, quickly perform the needed analytics and prioritize the data needed for a specific scenario. This not only streamlines communication but also prevents larger pools of data from being more vulnerable to enemy penetration.
NEW SMALL US AIR FORCE SATELLITES COULD COUNTER CHINESE SPACE WEAPONS
For example, a small, dismounted infantry unit on the move might have occasion to immediately access combat-critical intelligence data stored on a far-away computer system; perhaps there are documents pertaining to enemy weapons, movements or historic tendencies potentially of great value to attacking forces. Cloud connectivity can massively impact the tactical equation in circumstances like this, all while reducing the need for a large, forward-positioned hardware footprint.
“By properly scaling where you retain data and how much you replicate and update the protocols you can mitigate a lot of the risk issues that are there today,” Jette said.
Also, as part of this complete equation, there are instances wherein cloud utilization can add additional security benefits through software updates and increased virtualization. By moving beyond a more singular focus on perimeter security or hardware, cybersecurity initiatives can have a wide reach across the cloud through virtualized improvements. In essence, software upgrades can impact an entire network versus a more narrowly-configured application.
Jette, who oversees somewhere between 600 and 800 acquisition programs, addressed the now long-standing ASA ALT (Assistant Secretary of the Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) effort to engineer cyber resiliency into technical systems early in the developmental process; the intention of the initiative is to anticipate threats, harden weapons functionality and ensure prototypes are engineered to meet the requirements threshold they will ultimately need to reach prior to combat.
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“On the cybersecurity side we have an extensive effort in firewalls, layered defenses, layered detection defenses encryption in transit and at rest so cybersecurity is preeminent in our application of these types of systems,” he said.
— Kris Osborn is the Managing Editor of Warrior Maven and The Defense Editor of The National Interest ––
Join us as we sit down with Linda Findley Kozlowski, CEO of Blue Apron, to discuss the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs in today’s landscape.
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2 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Businesses have either suffered or soared during the pandemic. If you want to hear from the CEO of a company that has thrived to become one of the most in-demand services during quarantine, mark your calendars. This C-suite leadership series is hosted by Comparably co-founder/CEO Jason Nazar as he sits down for a virtual fireside chat with Linda Findley Kozlowski, CEO of Blue Apron (NYSE: APRN) — the pioneer in healthy meal prep delivery service. The conversation will center around practical “If I Knew Then…” leadership advice, personal life philosophies and guiding principles, and the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs in today’s landscape.
Other topics that will be covered include:
Jason Nazar is co-founder/CEO of Comparably, a leading workplace culture and compensation site that provides the most comprehensive and accurate representation of what it’s like to work at companies. Under his leadership, the online platform has accumulated more than 10 million employee ratings on 60,000 U.S. companies to become one of the most trusted third party resources for workplace and salary data since launching in 2016.
Linda Findley Kozlowski is Blue Apron’s President, CEO and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Before joining Blue Apron, Linda most recently served as COO of Etsy, Inc. where she held responsibilities for product, marketing and customer engagement and acquisition. Prior to Etsy, Linda spent three years at Evernote Corporation, most recently serving as COO, where she oversaw worldwide operations, managed cross-functional teams across seven countries and led the successful launch of the company’s multi-tier pricing strategy to drive accelerated revenue.
ABC is rebooting “The Wonder Years,” a beloved coming-of-age sitcom about the U.S. middle class, only this time it will tell the story of a Black family in Alabama.
“Empire” co-creator Lee Daniels is executive producing the project, alongside Fred Savage, the star of the original series, which debuted in 1988. Neal Marlens, who co-created “The Wonder Years,” will serve as a consultant.
ABC has only committed to produce a pilot of the show, which means it may never get on the air. But ABC and its owner Walt Disney Co. have made telling more Black stories a priority following the killing of George Floyd, which brought a wave of protests about racial injustice.
Hollywood has long struggled to produce shows that represent the diversity of America. ABC was once the home to both Kenya Barris and Shonda Rhimes, two of the most prominent Black writers in TV, but both have since signed deals with Netflix Inc.
Disney also announced an overall production deal with football player and civil-rights activist Colin Kaepernick earlier this week.
”The Wonder Years,” which ran until 1993, originally depicted Kevin Arnold, a young boy in what was presented as a typical American family dealing with the tribulations of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The third annual Women|Future Conference has announced that the conference, originally planned November 12-13 in Las Vegas, will now be presented virtually for the safety of attendees during COVID-19. Though the world is different today than it was this time last year, there is no time to waste when it comes to the advancement of women professionally and personally.
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