This is part 2 of the 2019- 2020 mini-stories episodes where I interview the staff about their favorite little stories from the built world that don’t quite fill out an entire episode for whatever reason but they are cool 99pi stories nonetheless…

We have centuries old bonds, standard tunings mandated by international treaty, abandoned mansions, and secret babies. If you ever need a conversation starter, the mini-stories are our gift to you.

Mini-Stories 8

The only truly accurate map of the world would be a map the size of the world. So if you want a map to be useful, something you can hold in your hands, you have to start making choices. We have to choose what information we're interested in, and what we're throwing out. Those choices influence how the person reading the map views the world. But a map’s influence doesn’t end there, maps can actually *shape *the place they’re trying to represent and that’s where things get weird.

Map Quests

1. NECA Wins in Year-End Funding Bills

On December 17, 2019, Congress passed two funding bills, H.R. 1158, FY2020 Consolidated National Security Appropriations Package and H.R. 1865, FY2020 Consolidated Domestic and International Assistance Package, both resulting in big wins for NECA contractors.

NECA’s Look Ahead: In addition to ensuring the full operation of the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020, several of NECA’s top legislative priorities were included:

• Full repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) 40 percent “Cadillac Tax”

• Allowing 529 savings accounts to be used for costs associated with Department of Labor (DOL) registered apprenticeship programs

• Seven-year reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

• Extension of the National Flood Insurance Program

• Full repeal of health insurance tax (HIT) and the medical device excise tax

• Seven-year authorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank

• An extension of 179D energy efficiency tax deduction retrospectively from 2017 and prospectively through 2020

• $1 billion for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants

Summaries of the package can be found below:

Full Package Summary – H.R. 1158

Full Package Summary – H.R. 1865

Division Q – Summary (Revenue Provision Amendment)

2. USMCA Passes the House

On December 19, 2019, the House passed, in a 385 to 41 vote, the NECA-supported United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), H.R. 5430, to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

NECA’s Look Ahead: Now that the USMCA has passed the House, it will move to the Senate. Under the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the bill procedurally spends up to 15 legislative session days in the Senate Finance Committee. Then, there are up to 15 session days for the Senate to vote on the floor. With Impeachment Articles passed from the House taking precedent, USMCA is unlikely to see a Senate vote any time before late February.

3. Impeachment Update

On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives took up impeachment procedure and  passed H. Res. 755 – “Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors” by a vote of  230 – 197, 1 for Article I and by a vote of 229 – 197, 1 for Article II.

NECA’s Look Ahead: It remains unclear when the two articles of impeachment will reach the Senate. When they do arrive to the Senate, it is expected that the Senate will begin the trail immediately.  

Eidos Montreal's Mary DeMarle chats about art and business of writing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, a game about conspiracy theories, terrorism, and fear released into a world awash in the same. ...

Developer Chris Crawford bemoans the industry's short-sighted outlook, and suggests it might be better to plant oaks than short-lived weeds. ...

The Team Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang deliver original, acquired and classic animated and live action entertainment. With digital and gaming businesses, in-house animation production facilities, and studios on both coasts, the division is both grassroots and cutting edge. The combination draws talented people to our doors and audiences to our channels. Check it.   The Job Adult Swim Games is looking for an experienced Senior Brand Manager to join our game publishing team. As a Senior Brand Manager, you will be in charge of leading all marketing initiatives for an exciting upcoming video game. The unannounced game will be a close extension of one of the best-known television shows in the universe. This is an incredible opportunity to become immersed in the creation of innovative and fun PC, Console and Mobile games, as a key member of one of the greatest entertainment companies in the world.   Perhaps you're also a marketing pro by day, and a gamer at night? Awesome! We'd love to hear about your gaming experience and familiarity with Adult Swim.   The Daily Serve as brand lead across global markets, working closely with key stakeholders within WarnerMedia to drive awareness and conversions for current and upcoming games. Lead the full marketing life cycle for games, including market analysis, acquisition campaigns, and retention programs. Manage the marketing KPI's for our games to identify and react to opportunities and challenges. Collaborate across multiple disciplines and departments, including external studios, to inform and coordinate integrated marketing campaigns. Represent marketing initiatives with senior leadership, to help guide long-term corporate strategies. Work closely with production teams to help define and refine features to improve marketability of games. Partner with business development to identify and grow co-marketing and partnership opportunities. Work with internal and external creative, media and digital agencies to produce key art, screenshots, trailers, websites and other creative work. Travel approximately 30% of the time in conjunction with promotion of games   Who You Are You have 5+ years of experience in consumer and product marketing, preferably in either entertainment or technology. You have a track record in launching and sustaining digital products or services. You're results oriented and understand how to apply demonstrable ROI and KPI's for marketing campaigns. You're skilled in data analysis and reporting, particularly for launch marketing campaigns. You have strong product management experience, with a solid understanding of live services product life cycle. You have proven experience in strategic marketing and creative production, leading cross-functional teams to successful execution. It's a plus if you have video game industry experience! You have excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple assignments at once. You're a polished professional who is comfortable serving as the main contact for executives, internal stakeholders, partners, and third-party agencies You are a self-starter and strong team player who can work independently and responsibly. You are a strong spoken/written communicator with the ability to develop creative, clear, and concise storytelling for a variety of audiences You're just as nutty and passionate about gaming and our beloved Adult Swim brand as we are!     The Perks! Full-time position (40+ hours/week) Eligible for full benefits package (medical, vision, dental) + retirement benefits (401k matching!) Fantastic paid time off package (includes vacation, sick and personal days, plus holidays) Competitive compensation package Paid time off every year to volunteer 2018 Best Company for Working Mothers AND Dads An industry leading in-house learning and development team to help shape and grow your career Working for incredible WarnerMedia brands like HBO, CNN, WB, TBS, TNT, Turner Sports, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and more!   The WarnerMedia Story  WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO,  Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, Turner Sports, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others.     Warner Media, LLC and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.   

Small businesses should have better access to PPP funding after new protections put in place by Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin.

There are just a few games have managed to accurately convey how people use texting and the internet in their everyday lives. They're intriguing examples for how we might tell stories for a digital age. ...

The latest piece rounding up the week's notable writing and videos in games includes pieces on new games from Cloudpunk to Industries Of Titan, plus a bunch of neat historical writing & research. ...

Lots of great things to see this week, from Streets Of Rage's surprising comeback to an Animal Crossing talk show & far beyond. ...

For Celia Hodent, a psychology PhD, author, and freelance user experience consultant whose credits include Fortnite, Assassin's Creed games, and more, UX is everywhere. ...

Enterprise search projects start with intentions to provide ?Google for our organization' but too often fail to deliver on that promise. In our experience, these projects fail due to a lack of sustained effort and governance. The commercialization of next-generation search technologies allows you to fulfill this promise if you take a systematic approach to implementation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one?if not the?key technology of our decade. Technological advances in this field are not only fundamentally changing our economies, industries and markets, but are also exerting enormous influence on traditional business practices, many of which will disappear, while others will be transformed or completely reinvented.

Developer Chris Crawford bemoans the industry's short-sighted outlook, and suggests it might be better to plant oaks than short-lived weeds. ...

The recent Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has been a big sigh of relief for MSMEs which would, ensure faster debt recovery or liquidation process.

The Ministry of MSME, therefore, offers the Assistance to Training Institutions Scheme for providing financial aid to institutions to impart entrepreneurship development programs.

It is impractical for one or a small group of company executives to collect, and process all the information regarding the imminent threat of Covid-19 infection in their area or among their staff.

India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said that the two-week lockdown extension notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appropriately undertakes significant measures whereby economic and manufacturing activities have been reopened in a calibrated manner.

Saving lives more important than stock market numbers: Donald Trump

Indian market situation is reflection of global factors: K V Subramanian, CEA

Franklin fiasco will not have any bearing on other mutual funds: Nilesh Shah

Coronavirus impacts: No crisis within the banking system, says SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar

Lockdown distress: Karnataka govt announces Rs 1,610 cr package

3 deals in 3 weeks: Mukesh Ambani’s plans on track to make Reliance debt-free despite COVID-19 pandemic

India- UK Building Bonds: In conversation with the British High Commissioner to India

No salaries for Apr, May; hours flown-based pay for those operating cargo flights: SpiceJet to pilots

Covid-19 crisis: SpiceJet to pay part salaries to 92% of employees, no job cuts

It further said that although 2020 is a lost year, in terms of trade, India can think long-term and build relations so that it can occupy the space vacated by China.

The economy has been severely impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the government and policymakers are looking for segments that are in the best position to help revive the economic activity the quickest.

The Ministry of MSMEs offers the International Cooperation Scheme which helps fund MSMEs to participate in international exhibitions and events to get access to the latest in technology.

Siddaramaiah further stressed Karnataka's pro-NRI stance by pointing to the newly-released policy catering to their interests

There are no set scripts for leaders to follow in order to sail through this situation. This extraordinary situation has certainly placed some uncommon question like never before to the leaders around the world.

MSMEs need easy credit facilities to fulfil the financial requirements of their business. The DCE's Credit Guarantee Scheme provides easy, collateral free credit facilities to MSMEs.

Equipping the business with cutting-edge technology is essential to ensure you stay competitive in today’s industrial environment.

Making products meet international standards requires ISO Certifications, but getting it is an expensive affair. To get around this, the government provides reimbursement to SMEs seeking ISO 9000/ISO 14001Certification.

Police should have welfare systems similar to the ones implemented by the armed forces, says Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava.

MUMBAI: Liquidity risk is increasing for Indian-based real-estate developers, as non-bank financial institutions (NBFI; including housing finance companies) are shying away from lending to the sector, said Fitch Ratings.Developers that rely on refinancing from NBFIs, particularly those with weak financial profiles, will be affected the most should conditions persist. The availability of unencumbered assets among large developers may be of limited use, as NBFIs are looking to shed their already-high exposure to the sector, especially to large borrowers.NBFIs have disproportionately increased their share of real-estate sector credit in the previous few years, owing to heightened risk aversion by banks; banks have been cutting exposure due to their own funding challenges that began in late 2018, which have become more acute in the previous few months; domestic bank exposures fell to 2.3% of loans in the financial year ending March 2019 from 2.8% in 2015-16.NBFIs are now also shying away from refinancing maturing debt of even large, proven developers to limit concentration risk to the sector. This is pushing developers towards alternative funding channels, such as private equity. The availability of such funding could be more limited than the value of maturing debt and may only be available to established developers with sufficient unpledged assets. It would also come at a higher cost. We believe banks may still consider exposure to quality real estate, but overall exposure continues to decline.Developers that are focused on high-end projects may face higher risk, as sales of such projects have slowed in the last two years. We believe these developers would be wary of taking sharp price corrections on unsold inventory to boost sales, except in extreme circumstances, as this could diminish the value of unsold inventory and weaken collateral cover for existing lenders.In addition, any boost in sales would be temporary. Meanwhile, developers with substantial exposure to affordable housing may still benefit from marginal access to lenders in light of healthy pre-sales growth, supported by India's substantial housing deficit and government incentives for buyers via the credit-linked subsidy scheme as well as for developers, including tax deductions and grant of infrastructure status, which entitles companies to some benefits and concessions.The government has announced measures to improve NBFI-sector liquidity, but their efficacy remains to be seen. For example, we believe the government's July 2019 announcement to provide a first-loss guarantee of 10% on securitised assets issued by NBFIs to banks could ease funding pressure for NBFIs in the short term. However, the provision refers only to financially sound issuers and there is a lack of clarity about the duration of the guarantee and the definition of what comprises a 'financially sound' entity. In addition, most of the actions by the authorities to alleviate the liquidity squeeze will benefit the largest and least risky NBFIs and is unlikely to address the pressure on the more property focused players.Defaults by two NBFIs - Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) in September 2018 and Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) in June 2019 - have contributed to the sector-wide liquidity squeeze, as investors have become more risk averse. Banks' low appetite for lending to real-estate developers is evidenced by the usually high risk weights attached to such loans. These are due to developers' typically low credit ratings amid high leverage, making exposure to the sector an inefficient use of banks' already-limited capital.Substantial bank recapitalisation to increase lending capacity could benefit NBFIs as well as real-estate developers, subject to the banks' risk appetite. Although a structural improvement in NBFI asset books would take time. Nonetheless, even under better conditions we expect NBFI's to tighten credit standards, with developers facing funding pressure until there is a broader improvement in their operations, with better end-user demand and pricing support.

ICICI Bank, along with issuing details on availing the moratorium on loans and credit card dues, also issued a set of FAQs on moratorium for equated monthly instalments (EMIs) taken on debit cards.

If you have a credit card from Kotak Mahindra Bank, here are some of the details of its three-month moratorium facility.

Banks have been alerting their customers of cyber frauds that can happen while availing EMI moratorium.

Back home, the workers are looking to start afresh. Their best bet seems to be rehabilitation packages.

In India, Mumbai has emerged as the most expensive city for expatriates and was ranked 118 in the Index. Last year Mumbai was ranked 114th on the list.

V K Singh said presently, a section of Indian workers facing difficulties in two major Saudi companies -- Saudi Oger and the Saad Group -- are being brought back to India.

India has allowed discounting of prolonged stay period for determining the residency status in relief for NRIs.

If you're wondering what could be common between a game of relay and a cyclical mutual fund, there are quite a few to state.

Within minutes, the site faced technical issues, prompting the missions to delete the tweet about it and repost it hours later. In a tweet posted in the wee hours of Thursday, the Indian Consulate asked applicants "to bear with it if it takes time for the page to load due to high traffic.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has issued norms for general and health insurers for quick settlement of claims filed by policyholders for coronavirus (COVID-19) disease/infection.

The US government has given a grace period of 60 days to H-1B visa holders and Green Card applicants.

"Among the top 30 H-1B employers are major US firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, Google, Apple and Facebook. All of them take advantage of program rules in order to legally pay many of their H-1B workers below the local median wage for the jobs they fill," said the report released by the Economic Policy Institute.

Stocks in news: Indigo, Voda Idea and JSW Steel