The Daily Populous

Friday May 22nd, 2020 night edition

image for LDS Church stock riches drop by $8 billion as it sells Exxon shares, buys Zoom

Ensign Peak Advisors’ drop in value wasn’t all from market losses.

A review of Ensign Peak Advisors’ latest filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shows it sold assets, too.

As of the end of March, the investment firm — whose capital comes from excess tithes paid by church members — owned stocks in 1,622 companies or funds.

While there were big sell-offs in the financial, energy and industrials sectors, Ensign Peak Advisors snatched up stock in some technology and health care companies.

Ensign Peak Advisors owned $40 million worth of stock in the company at the end of the quarter.

Church leaders have described the Ensign Peak Advisors investment reserves as a “rainy day account” to help fund operations across the globe.

The faith’s humanitarian arm, Latter-day Saint Charities, has been aiding coronavirus relief efforts, launching 280 projects in 80 countries. »

Why ‘Batwoman’ Star Ruby Rose Left the CW Series

Authored by variety.com

According to multiple sources, Rose was unhappy with the long hours required of her as the series lead, which led to friction on the set.

It was thus decided by her and the network and studio, Warner Bros. Television, that they would part ways.

She went on to say that she had attempted suicide multiple times and had been hospitalized at different times in her life. »

Scotland bans companies based in tax havens from accessing coronavirus bailout money

Authored by independent.co.uk

Scotland has become the latest country to block companies based in tax havens from accessing coronavirus bailout funds, in a move that will increase pressure on Boris Johnson’s government to introduce similar measures.

A second amendment to the Scottish legislation, introduced by the Green Party, would have required companies taking bailout money to commit to country-by-country reporting in their accounts.

The Tax Justice Network’s chief executive, Alex Cobham, said this would leave the door open to companies registered in many of the world’s most dangerous corporate tax havens. »

Social distancing one week earlier could have saved 36,000 US lives: study

Authored by thehill.com
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The U.S. could have avoided nearly 36,000 deaths caused by the coronavirus through early May if stay-at-home orders and other social distancing restrictions were implemented just one week earlier, a new study from Columbia University researchers shows.

The study, which focused on transmission in metropolitan areas, found that social distancing measures adopted throughout the nation after March 15 "effectively reduced rates of COVID-19 transmission.".

The models they used assessed how social distancing slowed the spread of the disease after mid-March and looked into how lockdown measures could have impacted the spread of the disease earlier. »