Watt later indicated he and his wife Kealia were traveling to Arizona on Cardinals' owner Michael Bidwill's plane. He tweeted two photos, one of himself posing with Bidwill and the other of himself and his wife sitting in Bidwill's plane.
pretty convenient when the owner is also a pilot...
Four days later, Watt's former Texans teammate and current Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins posted a photo of himself and Watt photoshopped in a Cardinals uniform on Instagram with the caption: "Let's finish what we started..."
Hopkins reacted to Monday's news by tweeting: "Life is good in Arizona!"
Watt will reunite with Vance Joseph, the Cardinals' defensive coordinator, who was the Texans' defensive backs coach during Watt's first three seasons in Houston.
In Arizona, Watt will be paired with fellow pass-rusher Chandler Jones, who leads the NFL in sacks since he was drafted in the first round in 2012 with 97. Second during that span is Watt with 95.5.
Watt's addition meant minimal changes to the Cardinals' odds for the 2021 season from Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill. Their odds to win the Super Bowl remain 40-1 and to win the NFC remain 20-1. Arizona's odds to win the NFC West moved from 7-1 to 6-1, still the longest odds of the four teams in the division.
In 2020, Watt ranked 15th out of 119 qualified pass-rushers in pass rush win rate, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He finished the season with five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception he returned for a touchdown. He has been plagued with injuries recently, having played 16 games in a season only twice since 2015.
After the Texans drafted Watt with the No. 11 pick in 2011, he became the face of the franchise, winning three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2012 to '15. Watt is one of three players to win that award three times.
A five-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro, Watt was by far the most productive pass-rusher in Texans history with 101 career sacks.
U.S. stocks surged Monday, giving the S&P 500 its best day in nearly nine months, as a weekslong advance in government-bond yields stalled and eased investors’ jitters over rising interest rates.
The broad stock market index soared 90.67 points, or 2.4%, to 3901.82, its biggest one-session rise in percentage terms since June 5.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 603.14 points, or 1.9%, to 31535.51, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 396.48 points, or 3%, to 13588.83.
The gains marked a strong rebound after all three indexes declined last week, weighed down by losses among tech stocks. Monday’s advance came as the yield on 10-year Treasury notes, the benchmark borrowing cost in U.S. debt markets, slipped to 1.444% from 1.459% Friday. Yields fall when bond prices rise.
Stocks, and particularly shares of tech companies, have been buffeted by sharp moves in government-bond markets in recent trading sessions. Rising long-term interest rates brought by an improving economy tend to make tech and other growth stocks less attractive to investors.
Yet no major power is as far along as China. Its early moves could signal where the rest of the world goes with digital currencies.
“This is about more than just money,” said Yaya Fanusie, a fellow at the Center on Economic and Financial Power, a think tank, and an author of a recent paper on the Chinese currency. “It’s about developing new tools to collect data and leverage that data so that the Chinese economy is more intelligent and based on real-time information.”
While the Chinese government has not said if and when it will officially introduce the eCNY nationwide, several officials have mentioned having it ready for tourists visiting for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Recent articles and speeches from officials at the People’s Bank of China, which is the country’s central bank, underscored the project’s ambitions and the desire to be first.
“The right to issue and control digital currencies will become a ‘new battlefield’ of competition between sovereign states,” read an article in China Finance, the magazine of the central bank, in September. “China has many advantages and opportunities in issuing fiat digital currencies, so it should accelerate to seize the first track.”
The People’s Bank of China did not respond to a request for comment.
The development of a national digital currency began in 2014, when the People’s Bank of China set up an internal group to work on one, shortly after Bitcoin gained attention in the country. In 2016, the central bank created a division called the Digital Currency Institute. Last year, it began trials of eCNY in the cities of Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiongan and Chengdu, according to research from Sino Global Capital, a financial investment firm.
People invited to the trial through a lottery on WeChat or other apps were able to click on a link and get a balance of 200 electronic yuan, which was sometimes displayed in their bank app over a picture of an old-fashioned Chinese bank note with Mao Zedong’s face. To spend the money, users can use an eCNY app to scan a retailer’s QR code or produce a QR code that the retailer can scan.
The design of eCNY borrows only a few minor technical elements from Bitcoin and does not use the so-called blockchain technology, a ledgerlike system, which most cryptocurrencies rely on, officials from the People’s Bank of China have said.
Newsom and state lawmakers struck a deal Sunday that would push school districts to open classrooms to the youngest students by the end of March. | Richard Vogel/AP Photo
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers struck a deal Sunday that would push school districts to open classrooms to the youngest students by the end of March while stopping short of new requirements regarding vaccines and collective bargaining.
The deal more closely aligns with what the governor originally proposed in December than what Democratic lawmakers detailed in a bill in February. It does not require schools to open but instead offers financial incentives for those that do, according to sources close to the deal who asked not to be named because it had not yet been made public.
The new proposal would offer $2 billion in grants to schools that open transitional kindergarten through second grade by the end of March and bring back at-risk students in all grades. That includes districts in counties that are still in the state's purple tier, with infection rates higher than what teachers unions previously said are too unsafe for reopening.
Under the plan, once counties move into the red tier — with daily case rates below 7 per 100,000 residents — schools eligible for the grant funding must open to all elementary grades, plus at least one grade in middle and high school.
The deal speeds up the clock and more strictly ties the grants to in-person instruction than what the Legislature proposed. If schools do not open by the end of March, they will start to lose a percentage of money for each day they remain closed starting April 1.
Most of California's 6 million public schoolchildren have been out of classrooms for almost a year. The state's deference to local school decision-making, along with union resistance and high winter case rates, have made it difficult for California to bring students back. While a Capitol deal may propel districts toward reopening, local school boards and their labor unions still have final say — and many want safety assurances that include vaccines and ventilation improvements.
The deal could lead to California reopening most schools by President Joe Biden's 100-day deadline at the end of April, but not necessarily for five days per week. The bill would allow hybrid schooling to qualify for in-person instruction grants, and some large districts are considering plans to bring back elementary school students for two days a week or less.
The initial legislative proposal would have offered the funding to K-6 schools that opened by April 15 in the less restrictive red tier. Newsom's plan had proposed schools open Feb. 15 and allowed schools to reopen to K-6 grades in the purple tier as long as they were in a county with an average daily rate of infections under 25 positive cases per 100,000 residents.
The Governor had publicly criticized the legislative bill, saying it was stricter than what the Biden administration recommends for schools and would make California "an extreme outlier."
A December bill proposed by Assembly Democrats would have forced all schools except those in the purple tier to reopen by March, but teachers unions quickly mobilized against it.
While both Newsom's plan and the Legislature's plan made union signoff a requirement in order for schools to be eligible for grant funding, the new proposal avoids any mention of collective bargaining after superintendents said that language could upend existing agreements or create more hurdles than solutions.
That doesn't mean that unions can't or won't push to negotiate reopening requirements with their districts. The California Teachers Association did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
While SB 86 and AB 86, the identical school reopening bills, contained language that said counties shall offer vaccines to in-person school staff, the new deal makes it clear that schools can open without teachers being vaccinated.
However, all sides may have seen that language as less necessary now that counties are quickly moving to vaccinate teachers and Newsom has earmarked shots for educators for the first time. Starting Monday, the state will set aside 10 percent of first doses for those reporting classrooms or planning to soon, with weight given to those who serve high numbers of low income students, foster youth and other at-risk students.
Newsom initially said he expected 75,000 doses to be dedicated for teachers this week, and the California Department of Public Health on Sunday night suggested the state will exceed that by a fair amount. Los Angeles County alone is planning to devote more than 50,000 for school staff, according to CDPH.
The vaccine push has given new momentum to local negotiations already. San Diego Unified and Elk Grove Unified, two of the state's largest districts, have reached conditional agreements with their teachers unions, while others are in serious talks about reopening this spring.
The legislative plan required county public health departments to make vaccines available to on-site school personnel where class is in session, but the bill language left districts confused about what they were required to do and what could be negotiated in collective bargaining regarding vaccines.
The deal also addresses concerns about virus testing requirements being too stringent for schools in order to be eligible for the grants. Under the new plan, only schools opening in the purple tier will be required to regularly test students and staff for the virus, and schools that are already open or plan to do so soon will be exempt from those requirements.
Some people are born with one eye. Others may lose an eye later on in life, or lose vision in one eye due to a health condition. This is known as monocular vision loss.
Monocular vision loss can be caused by:
If you only have vision in one eye, you can still drive a noncommercial vehicle in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
However, to drive a noncommercial vehicle, you must still pass an eye exam, and prove that you have adequate peripheral vision for driving.
In some instances, you may also be able to operate a commercial vehicle, such as a truck.
To drive safely, you must:
judge distances accurately
track moving objects
have adequate depth perception
Losing vision in one eye may compromise these skills, and the ability to use them automatically.
Lack of depth perception can make it hard to judge how far your car is from another car or from pedestrians. It can also make it harder for you to park.
People who grow up with vision in one eye can often judge distance and depth almost as well as a person with vision in both eyes.
If you lose vision in one eye as an adult you, may find it harder to drive, especially at first. If so, you may benefit from working with an occupational therapist or a vision rehabilitation therapist.
With training and practice, many people find that driving and parking are possible and safe.
With persistence and time, you can train your eye to do much of the work that both eyes did before. Learning how to effectively use side-to-side head movements can also help significantly.
The type of car you drive can also affect your ability to drive safely. Smaller cars may be more challenging to drive than large ones with big rear windows. Vehicle blind spots that are difficult to see in rear or side mirrors may look larger.
Some car designs produce less blind spots than others. You may have to test drive several models before you find the type that you feel safest in.
Every state in the Unites States allows people with vision in one eye to drive, provided they have a horizontal field of vision that meets specific criteria.
You may have to prove your vision criteria by taking a vision test or by obtaining a doctor’s authorization indicating that you see well enough to drive.
In some instances, requirements or restrictions may be put on your license. These may be based on the:
area
daylight
speed
You may also be required to have a rear vision mirror on the side of your blind eye, or outside mirrors on both sides of your car at all times.
Monocular vision loss reduces your horizontal visual field and peripheral vision. This can make it hard to navigate crowds while walking.
Daily living tasks, such as pouring liquid into a glass or grasping objects may also be challenging, especially at first.
If you work with hazardous machinery or farm equipment, you may need a period of adjustment and training before you can safely do your job.
Driving can be challenging, especially at night or in bad weather. Even if you are comfortable behind the wheel, it may be harder to drive when you are tired.
A 2008 study showed that sleep deprivation affects peripheral vision. The following conditions also affect peripheral vision:
glaucoma
stroke
diabetic eye disease
Some people with monocular vision loss may also find parallel and reverse parking challenging.
Some ways to maintain safety on the road include:
Stay within the speed limit.
Use visual cues, such as road stripes and landmarks, to help you gage distance.
Keep a significant distance between yourself and the car in front of you.
Only drive when you feel alert and well rested.
Avoid driving in torrential rain or heavy snow.
Rely on blind spot mirrors.
Increase your range of vision by using side-to-side head movements.
People with monocular vision can legally drive in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia.
If you lose vision in one eye as an adult, you may benefit from visual training activities with an occupational therapist.
Learning or relearning to drive with monocular vision is possible. Relying on blind spot mirrors and driving safely and conscientiously may help assure your mental comfort and physical safety while on the road.
WASHINGTON — President Biden will speak by video conference on Monday with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, one of the unexpected, yet pivotal, drivers of Trump-era policies to seal the United States to migrants that Mr. Biden is trying to unwind.
Mr. Biden is expected to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, cracking down on drug trafficking and collaborating on economic opportunities with one of Washington’s largest trading partners, according to a senior administration official. The discussion, coming just days after Mr. Biden sought to repair relations in a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, will also center on efforts to control migration as the Biden administration contends with rising numbers of unaccompanied children at the southwestern border.
Mr. López Obrador is a critical partner as Mr. Biden seeks to reverse former President Donald J. Trump’s border policies and make an immigration overhaul a centerpiece of his agenda. In Mr. López Obrador, however, the new president is not dealing with yet another relieved world leader eager to rebuild relations and move on from his abrasive predecessor.
The Mexican president won the admiration of Mr. Trump for cooperating on his hard-line immigration agenda, a reversal of a campaign promise to protect migrants made in part to avoid tariffs Mr. Trump threatened to impose. Mr. López Obrador came to appreciate the Trump administration for its eventual hands-off approach to Mexican domestic policy issues, even praising Mr. Trump during a call with Mr. Biden, then the president-elect, in December.
Mr. López Obrador was also one of the last global leaders to congratulate Mr. Biden on his election victory, and recently adopted a measure to restrict cooperation with American narcotics agents in a sharp rebuke after the United States arrested a former Mexican official on drug trafficking charges.
Mr. Biden will not demand specific actions because Mexico is a sovereign nation, according to the senior official who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting. It is unclear how Mr. Biden will respond to Mr. López Obrador’s recent call to create a new guest worker program for Mexicans and Central Americans in the United States. Mr. Biden would need the help of Congress to expand visas for such temporary employees.
The two leaders, who previously talked about ways to stem migration in a call on Jan. 22, just days after Mr. Biden took office, are expected to discuss addressing the root causes of persecution and poverty that force Central American families to flee to the United States. Mr. Biden said during his campaign that he would focus on expanding opportunities to apply for refugee status in Central America and bolster foreign aid to the region. Immigration advocates have criticized Mr. Biden in recent days for reopening border facilities used during the Trump administration to hold migrant children during the weeks or months it takes to place them with their relatives in the United States.
“We will need Mexico’s cooperation. Biden keeps saying we need a regional solution, although he hasn’t talked much about Mexico,” said Theresa Cardinal Brown, the director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. “There’s a lot about working on root causes and investing in Central America, but there’s no mention of Mexico.”
After Mr. Trump threatened potentially crippling tariffs against the American ally in 2019, Mexico agreed to deploy security forces to its southern border with Guatemala to deter migrants fleeing poverty and persecution.
As a part of backing off the tariffs, the Trump administration also expanded a program across the U.S.-Mexico border that forced migrants to wait in Mexico while their immigration cases were processed. The Biden administration has now begun reprocessing many of those migrants, including those exposed to kidnappings and cartel violence, who have been stuck in limbo during a pandemic that forced delays in their cases. The administration is relying on international organizations to provide testing to the migrants in Mexico before they are reprocessed in the United States.
Mr. Biden is also seeking Mexico’s help to deter new arrivals at the border, a goal that is already facing challenges. His administration has kept in place a Trump-era policy that empowers border officers to rapidly expel migrants to Mexico, a move administration officials purport to be necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in detention facilities and border communities.
But a recent change in Mexican law that prohibits the detention of small children in the state of Tamaulipas has forced U.S. Customs and Border Protection to return to the practice of releasing migrant families at bus stations in certain areas of neighboring South Texas, a pivot that has prompted concern among leaders in the border agency. Most migrant families continue to be expelled to Mexico or Central America.
Biden administration officials have had continuing discussions with Mexico on a resolution to the breakdown, according to the senior official, who would not say whether Mr. Biden planned to bring up the recent change.
Tori Dunlap, founder of Her First $100K, a financial advice blog, agreed.
“One of the most common questions I receive: ‘Should I save first, or pay off debt first?’ If this year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of saving an emergency fund. So even if you have a good chunk of debt, prioritize saving three months of living expenses first,” Mr. Dunlap said, adding that she used a savings surplus this year to increase her emergency fund to a year’s worth of expenses.
And where should you put that money? In a high-yield savings account, like those offered by many online banks, like Ally or Marcus. (A high-yield savings account is one that offers a higher interest rate than typical banks. Here is a good place to see which banks are offering the most, though don’t expect to earn much.)
Step 2
Tackle high-interest debt
This isn’t the most glamorous path, but it is the one that will offer by far the highest returns. After padding your emergency fund to a comfortable level — around six months of expenses, give or take — consider putting any extra money you were able to save toward debt with interest of around six percent or higher, experts said.
Carrying high-interest debt makes the magic of compound interest work against you: Whereas in a savings account, the more you save the more interest you earn, with high-interest debt, the more money you owe the more interest you owe.
“You have to get very aggressive with high-interest debt, because the problem with high-interest debt is you’re turning compound interest from being a force for good and turning it against you,” Mr. Preston said. “It’s not uncommon for credit card companies to charge you 16, 17, 18 percent.”
