#private partnerships

[farmerstrend]

The Future of Wheat Farming in Kenya: The Economic Benefits of Israeli-Kenyan Wheat Farming Partnerships

“Explore the potential transformation of Kenya’s wheat farming through Israeli investment, focusing on innovative technologies and private partnerships to boost production and create jobs.” “Learn how Israeli investors are set to revolutionize wheat farming in Kenya, enhancing food security and leveraging advanced agricultural technologies in private-sector partnerships.” “Discover the future of…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

At long last, a meaningful step to protect Americans' privacy

This Saturday (19 Aug), I'm appearing at the San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books. I'm on a 2:30PM panel called "Return From Retirement," followed by a signing:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/festivalofbooks

Privacy raises some thorny, subtle and complex issues. It also raises some stupid-simple ones. The American surveillance industry's shell-game is founded on the deliberate confusion of the two, so that the most modest and sensible actions are posed as reductive, simplistic and unworkable.

Two pillars of the American surveillance industry are credit reporting bureaux and data brokers. Both are unbelievably sleazy, reckless and dangerous, and neither faces any real accountability, let alone regulation.

Remember Equifax, the company that doxed every adult in America and was given a mere wrist-slap, and now continues to assemble nonconsensual dossiers on every one of us, without any material oversight improvements?

https://memex.craphound.com/2019/07/20/equifax-settles-with-ftc-cfpb-states-and-consumer-class-actions-for-700m/

Equifax's competitors are no better. Experian doxed the nation again, in 2021:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/30/dox-the-world/#experian

It's hard to overstate how fucking scummy the credit reporting world is. Equifax invented the business in 1899, when, as the Retail Credit Company, it used private spies to track queers, political dissidents and "race mixers" so that banks and merchants could discriminate against them:

https://jacobin.com/2017/09/equifax-retail-credit-company-discrimination-loans

As awful as credit reporting is, the data broker industry makes it look like a paragon of virtue. If you want to target an ad to "Rural and Barely Making It" consumers, the brokers have you covered:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/13/public-interest-pharma/#axciom

More than 650,000 of these categories exist, allowing advertisers to target substance abusers, depressed teens, and people on the brink of bankruptcy:

https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/06/08/from-heavy-purchasers-of-pregnancy-tests-to-the-depression-prone-we-found-650000-ways-advertisers-label-you

These companies follow you everywhere, including to abortion clinics, and sell the data to just about anyone:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/07/safegraph-spies-and-lies/#theres-no-i-in-uterus

There are zillions of these data brokers, operating in an unregulated wild west industry. Many of them have been rolled up into tech giants (Oracle owns more than 80 brokers), while others merely do business with ad-tech giants like Google and Meta, who are some of their best customers.

As bad as these two sectors are, they're even worse in combination – the harms data brokers (sloppy, invasive) inflict on us when they supply credit bureaux (consequential, secretive, intransigent) are far worse than the sum of the harms of each.

And now for some good news. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, under the leadership of Rohit Chopra, has declared war on this alliance:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/08/16/cfpb-looks-to-restrict-the-sleazy-link-between-credit-reporting-agencies-and-data-brokers/

They've proposed new rules limiting the trade between brokers and bureaux, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, putting strict restrictions on the transfer of information between the two:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/15/tech/privacy-rules-data-brokers/index.html

As Karl Bode writes for Techdirt, this is long overdue and meaningful. Remember all the handwringing and chest-thumping about Tiktok stealing Americans' data to the Chinese military? China doesn't need Tiktok to get that data – it can buy it from data-brokers. For peanuts.

The CFPB action is part of a muscular style of governance that is characteristic of the best Biden appointees, who are some of the most principled and competent in living memory. These regulators have scoured the legislation that gives them the power to act on behalf of the American people and discovered an arsenal of action they can take:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

Alas, not all the Biden appointees have the will or the skill to pull this trick off. The corporate Dems' darlings are mired in #LearnedHelplessness, convinced that they can't – or shouldn't – use their prodigious powers to step in to curb corporate power:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

And it's true that privacy regulation faces stiff headwinds. Surveillance is a public-private partnership from hell. Cops and spies love to raid the surveillance industries' dossiers, treating them as an off-the-books, warrantless source of unconstitutional personal data on their targets:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/16/ring-ring-lapd-calling/#ring

These powerful state actors reliably intervene to hamstring attempts at privacy law, defending the massive profits raked in by data brokers and credit bureaux. These profits, meanwhile, can be mobilized as lobbying dollars that work lawmakers and regulators from the private sector side. Caught in the squeeze between powerful government actors (the true "Deep State") and a cartel of filthy rich private spies, lawmakers and regulators are frozen in place.

Or, at least, they were. The CFPB's discovery that it had the power all along to curb commercial surveillance follows on from the FTC's similar realization last summer:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/12/regulatory-uncapture/#conscious-uncoupling

I don't want to pretend that all privacy questions can be resolved with simple, bright-line rules. It's not clear who "owns" many classes of private data – does your mother own the fact that she gave birth to you, or do you? What if you disagree about such a disclosure – say, if you want to identify your mother as an abusive parent and she objects?

But there are so many stupid-simple privacy questions. Credit bureaux and data-brokers don't inhabit any kind of grey area. They simply should not exist. Getting rid of them is a project of years, but it starts with hacking away at their sources of profits, stripping them of defenses so we can finally annihilate them.

I'm kickstarting the audiobook for "The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation," a Big Tech disassembly manual to disenshittify the web and make a new, good internet to succeed the old, good internet. It's a DRM-free book, which means Audible won't carry it, so this crowdfunder is essential. Back now to get the audio, Verso hardcover and ebook:

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/16/the-second-best-time-is-now/#the-point-of-a-system-is-what-it-does

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

[3416]

can't stop thinking about how o'dog said mitch was auston's superpower and whipped out the technical fact that mitch is a right handed shot, which just makes it extra easy for him to pass right into auston's wheelhouse when he has the puck.... their play styles and strengths complement each others... it's so clear when both of them are out there they're always looking for each other and making themselves open for each other, and it's so funny to me that people have tried to say that they don't work well together longterm bc they're predictable and the league will catch on... meanwhile they're pulling off the same sorts of goals they were the second they were allowed to play together back in 19-20....... just.............. it never gets old.

[identityarchitect]

so tired of people saying elias would be gay and homophobic..... that man lived through the death penalty for homosexuality. even just a letter expressing affection could be enough to get someone imprisoned. he was over a century old when it stopped being completely illegal to be gay and it was still illegal to talk about being gay until he was over 2 centuries and gay marriage wasnt even legal at that point. come the fuck on

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The nation’s millionaires and billionaires are evading more than $150 billion a year in taxes, adding to growing government deficits and creating a “lack of fairness” in the tax system, according to the head of the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS, with billions of dollars in new funding from Congress, has launched a sweeping crackdown on wealthy individuals, partnerships and large companies. In an exclusive interview with CNBC, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said the agency has launched several programs targeting taxpayers with the most complex returns to root out tax evasion and make sure every taxpayer contributes their fair share.

Werfel said that a lack of funding at the IRS for years starved the agency of staff, technology and resources needed to fund audits — especially of the most complicated and sophisticated returns, which require more resources. Audits of taxpayers making more than $1 million a year fell by more than 80% over the last decade, while the number of taxpayers with income of $1 million jumped 50%, according to IRS statistics.

“When I look at what we call our tax gap, which is the amount of money owed versus what is paid for, millionaires and billionaires that either don’t file or [are] underreporting their income, that’s $150 billion of our tax gap,” Werfel said. “There is plenty of work to be done.”

“For complex filings, it became increasingly difficult for us to determine what the balance due was,” he said. “So to ensure fairness, we have to make investments to make sure that whether you’re a complicated filer who can afford to hire an army of lawyers and accountants, or a more simple filer who has one income and takes the standard deduction, the IRS is equally able to determine what’s owed. And to us, that’s a fairer system.”

Some Republicans in Congress have ramped up their criticism of the IRS and its expanded enforcement efforts. They say the wave of new audits will burden small businesses with unnecessary bureaucracy and years of fruitless investigations and won’t raise the promised revenue.

The Inflation Reduction Act gave the IRS an $80 billion infusion, yet congressional Republicans won a deal last year to take $20 billion of the funding back. Now they’re pressing for further cuts.

The Treasury Department said last week it estimates greater IRS enforcement will result in an additional $561 billion in tax revenue between 2024 and 2034 — a higher projection than it had initially stated. The IRS says that for every extra dollar spent on enforcement, the agency raises about $6 in revenue.

The IRS is touting its early success with a program to collect unpaid taxes from millionaires. The agency identified 1,600 millionaire taxpayers who have failed to pay at least $250,000 each in assessed taxes. So far, the IRS has collected more than $480 million from the group “and we are still going,” Werfel said.

On Wednesday, the agency announced a program to audit owners of private jets, who may be using their planes for personal travel and not accounting for their trips or taxes properly. Werfel said the agency has started using public databases of private-jet flights and analytics tools to better identify tax returns with the highest likelihood of evasion. It is launching dozens of audits on companies and partnerships that own jets, which could then lead to audits of wealthy individuals.

Werfel said that for some companies and owners, the tax deduction from corporate jets can amount to “tens of millions of dollars.”

Another area that is potentially rife with evasion is limited partnerships, Werfel said, adding that many wealthy individuals have been shifting their income to the business entities to avoid income taxes.

“What we started to see was that certain taxpayers were claiming limited partnerships when it wasn’t fair,” he said. “They were basically shielding their income under the guise of a limited partnership.”

The IRS has launched the Large Partnership Compliance program, examining some of the largest and most complicated partnership returns. Werfel said the IRS has already opened examinations of 76 partnerships — including hedge funds, real estate investment partnerships and large law firms.

Werfel said the agency is using artificial intelligence as part of the program and others to better identify returns most likely to contain evasion or errors. Not only does AI help find evasion, it also helps avoid audits of taxpayers who are following the rules.

“Imagine all the audits are laid out before us on a table,” he said. “What AI does is it allows us to put on night vision goggles. What those night vision goggles allow us to do is be more precise in figuring out where the high risk [of evasion] is and where the low risk is, and that benefits everyone.”

Correction: The IRS has collected $480 million from a group of millionaire taxpayers who had failed to pay. An earlier version misstated the amount collected.

[daniwib]

Shout out to my husband who annoyingly insisted I needed to go to the ED when I was very ill. It took him hours to convince me and I really only gave in because I was so tired and just wanted him to shut up. I was sure it was just an upset stomach not handling rich food after a previous bout of gastro.

It was not. It was in fact, appendicitis and influenza A. Yes, at the same time.

My Christmas wish for you all is to have someone that annoying and caring in your life.

[savage-rhi]

🫂🤟🏻

[professionalutilities1]

Online Trademark Registration Fees, Process, Documents

Trademark registration distinguishes your brand from competitors and help in identifying your product & services as source. Trademark could be a Name, Slogan, Logo or Number which a company uses on its business name, Product or services.

Registering a trademark could be a time taking process as brand registration could take minimum 6 months to 24 months of time depending upon the result of the Examination Report, that's why Professional Utilities provides Brand Name Search Report to get a fair idea about the turnaround time for registration.

Once a Trademark application is processed with the government department, applicants can start using the TM symbol on their mark & ® when the registration certificate has been issued. The registration of the trademark is valid for ten years & can be renewed after ten years. (Read More)

NOTE: If you are a manufacturer then you should also read about EPR Registration

[halechief]

you know you’d never think it because of all The Affairs she has in the show, but claire in my mind is a very . . . monogamous kind of person. i think the main thing that people ( men ) who were fans of the show and would constantly criticize her kept missing is that claire made a life and career out of choosing francis. she was aware of and accepted every part of him. the unfortunate fact, however, is that the favor was not really wholly returned. if we’re being totally honest, it might be owed in part to the fact that the version of claire that he met and married, is a different version than the one he ended up married to. but while claire sees different levels of francis revealed over time and holds to those as much as she had held to the original version, francis does not always know what to do with the revelations of claire’s character. he doesn’t know what to do with her sensitivity, at times. with her reflective nature, her porosity. 

claire is one of the few things that can actually affect francis, while almost everything affects claire, large or small, it’s just a matter of how much she allows it to show. those parts of her have no place in a union rooted in pragmatism, and power, and control. and for a woman who has always remembered her husband as the only man who understood her, to feel like a stranger in his eyes or out of place in the life they have built is an incredibly unsettling feeling. that’s why she falls for adam, however shallowly, and she thinks to herself she can exist in those factions. be half a person with each, and somehow keep both contained, and not allow them to spill over and taint the other self. but they do. and when they do, francis doesn’t understand. it doesn’t make sense to him. francis has affairs, but they’re largely for gain, political or otherwise, and claire’s are just ... not like that. they’re more. but the THING IS. she is not that person, that wants to cordon herself off into little pieces, she wants to be seen in her entirety and understood in her entirety ... by one person. and it's not just any old person she wanted that from it was francis specifically. she wanted him to see all of her, and want all of her. claire being with other people was never about .. just sex, or comfort. her affairs were ways to keep herself from breaking apart, or drowning in the absence of that understanding. endorsed and encouraged by her husband, even if they hurt him, too. I WISH. that i could better articulate how much that fucks with me.

[legalman1]

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Firm Registration: Benefits, Process, and Requirements | Legal Man

A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) combines the advantages of both a company and a partnership, making it a popular choice for entrepreneurs. Here's a detailed overview of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Firm Registration in India:

What is LLP?

An LLP is a hybrid entity that offers the benefits of a partnership while limiting the partners' liabilities. It was introduced in India by the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008. Unlike traditional partnerships, LLPs protect partners from personal liability beyond their investment, making them a safer option for business owners.

Benefits of LLP

LLPs have numerous benefits, which make them a preferred choice for professionals and businesses:

Limited Liability: One of the main advantages is that the partners’ liability is limited to their capital contribution. This means that the personal assets of the partners are protected in case of losses or business debts.

Separate Legal Entity: An LLP is treated as a separate legal entity, independent of its partners. This allows the LLP to own assets, enter into contracts, and sue or be sued in its own name.

No Maximum Limit on Partners: While a traditional partnership can have a maximum of 20 partners, an LLP can have an unlimited number of partners.

No Minimum Capital Requirement: Unlike companies, there is no minimum capital required to form an LLP. This feature is attractive for startups or small businesses.

Less Compliance and Regulations: LLPs have fewer regulatory compliance requirements compared to private limited companies. For instance, they don't require annual audits unless their turnover exceeds a certain limit.

Tax Benefits: Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Firm Registration  enjoy tax advantages such as avoiding Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT), which applies to companies. Profits distributed among partners are tax-free after they pay the income tax.

Easy Transfer of Ownership: Transfer of ownership or changes in partners is simpler in an LLP as compared to a traditional partnership or company.

Steps for LLP Registration

Obtain Digital Signature Certificate (DSC): Since the registration process is online, all the designated partners of the LLP need to obtain a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). The DSC is used to sign electronic documents.

Apply for Director Identification Number (DIN): Each designated partner of the LLP must have a Director Identification Number (DIN), which can be obtained from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Name Reservation: An LLP must reserve its name through the RUN-LLP (Reserve Unique Name - Limited Liability Partnership) service provided by the MCA. It’s advisable to check name availability before submission to avoid rejections.

Filing of Incorporation Form: After the name is approved, the Form for Incorporation of LLP (FiLLiP) must be submitted. This form contains details about the LLP’s partners, registered office, and other necessary documents.

LLP Agreement: An LLP agreement defines the rights and duties of the partners and the firm. It must be filed within 30 days of LLP incorporation and can be amended as required.

Documents Required for LLP Registration

Partners’ Documents:

PAN Card of all partners (mandatory)

Address proof (Passport, Voter ID, Driver's License)

Residence proof (Bank statement, electricity bill, telephone bill)

Registered Office Documents:

Address proof of the registered office

NOC from the landlord if the office is rented

LLP Agreement: Drafting the LLP Agreement is essential, and it should include details like profit-sharing ratio, responsibilities, and roles of partners.

post-Registration Compliance

Once the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Firm Registration done, it is subject to annual compliance requirements such as:

Filing Annual Returns: Form 11, which contains the details of partners, must be filed annually.

Statement of Accounts & Solvency: LLPs must maintain proper financial records and file Form 8 annually, which declares solvency and financial status.

Income Tax Filing: LLPs are required to file their Income Tax Return by the prescribed date, based on their turnover and audit requirements.

Who Should Register an LLP?

LLP is ideal for:

Professionals like CA, CS, doctors, or architects who want to form a firm.

Entrepreneurs and startups looking for a flexible yet protected business structure.

Businesses that plan to scale but want to avoid the compliance burden of private limited companies.

Service providers who operate with multiple partners and wish to safeguard their personal assets.

Conclusion

The LLP structure is gaining popularity due to its flexibility, low compliance burden, and limited liability protection. It’s a smart choice for small businesses, startups, and professionals. With minimal capital requirements, tax advantages, and simplified legal formalities, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Firm Registration has become a preferred option for many entrepreneurs in India.For more details, refer to Legal Man.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

From experience, I can tell you that Silicon Valley techies are pretty sanguine about commercial surveillance: “Why should I care if Google wants to show me better ads?” But they are much less cool about government spying: “The NSA? Those are the losers who weren’t smart enough to get an interview at Google.” And likewise from experience, I can tell you that government employees and contractors are pretty cool with state surveillance: “Why would I worry about the NSA spying on me? I already gave the Office of Personnel Management a comprehensive dossier of all possible kompromat in my past when I got my security clearance.” But they are far less cool with commercial surveillance: “Google? Those creeps would sell their mothers for a nickel. To the Chinese.” What are they both missing? That American surveillance is a public-private partnership: a symbiosis between a concentrated tech sector that has the means, motive, and opportunity to spy on every person in the world and a state that loves surveillance as much as it hates checks and balances. Big Tech, cops, and surveillance agencies were made for one another.

-Why Big Tech, Cops, and Spies Were Made for One Another

[unitedbridgepartners]

Top Bridge Company 

Top Bridge Company – United Bridge Partners 

United Bridge Partners is a leading company specializing in the funding, construction, and operation of toll bridges across the United States. We provide innovative, sustainable, and privately funded infrastructure solutions that connect communities and drive economic growth. Discover why United Bridge Partners is at the forefront of bridge development and management. 

[pandorasp3s]

Not to worry, stranded astronauts! NASA will get a differrent private company to send a spaceship to rescue you. In six months. What's that? Which company is eventually coming to your rescue? Why, the same one that made this:

Anyways, see you in six months. Probably.

[townpostin]

Tata Steel Foundation Honored for TB Support in Jharkhand

Recognized for ‘Community Support to TB Patients’ under PM’s initiative Tata Steel Foundation receives accolade from Jharkhand government for tuberculosis support efforts. JAMSHEDPUR – The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Jharkhand, felicitated Tata Steel Foundation in Ranchi for its TB support initiatives. The recognition came under the ‘Community Support to TB patients’ – Pradhan…

[womensjudgesday]

SDG 16 as an Enabler of the 2030 Agenda (HLPF 2024 Side Event).

According to the UN Secretary-General in his Progress Report of the SDGs, in 2023 only 15% of the goals were on track to meet their targets by 2030, with SDG 16 falling severely off track. Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels have a significant impact on public and private society, in formal institutions and de facto norms. SDG 16 is thus an enabler, accelerator, and one of the key conditions for achieving all SDGs through its cross-cutting nature that impacts many types of sustainable development that are foundational for addressing the complex interlinkages between poverty, inequality, climate change, and economic instability. 

---

Organized by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), this event will highlight the interlinkages between SDG 16 and the 2030 Agenda drawing from the findings of its new report, and showcase how policymakers working across the 2030 Agenda can accelerate action on development outcomes by supporting and investing in SDG 16 moving forward. In partnership with Member States, Civil Society and other stakeholders, this event will also highlight the importance of partnerships for the effective implementation of SDG 16 and its impact on all other goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Related Sites and Documents

Concept Note

Watch the SDG 16 as an Enabler of the 2030 Agenda (HLPF 2024 Side Event)!

[africa-space-com]

The role of private companies in Mars exploration

Mars has always fascinated humanity. From ancient mythologies to modern science fiction, the Red Planet has sparked our imagination and curiosity. Today, the dream of exploring Mars is closer than ever, thanks in large part to private companies. Let's dive into how these companies are shaping the future of space exploration and our journey to Mars.

Innovation at its best

Private companies bring a fresh wave of innovation to Mars exploration. Unlike government agencies, which often have to navigate through layers of bureaucracy, private firms can move faster and take more risks. This agility allows them to develop cutting-edge technology and explore new approaches to space travel.

For example, SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has revolutionized rocket technology. Their Falcon Heavy and Starship rockets are designed to be reusable, drastically reducing the cost of space travel. This innovation is crucial for making Mars exploration more affordable and sustainable.

Collaboration with government agencies

Private companies are not working in isolation. They are partnering with government agencies like NASA to pool resources and expertise. This collaboration ensures that the missions are well-planned and executed efficiently.

NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually Mars, is a prime example of such a partnership. Private companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX are providing the technology and infrastructure needed to make these missions a success. This synergy between public and private sectors accelerates progress and helps achieve ambitious goals.

Economic opportunities

Mars exploration is not just about science; it's also about creating new economic opportunities. Private companies see the potential for developing new markets and industries related to space travel. From mining Martian resources to developing habitats for future colonists, the economic possibilities are vast.

Investors are increasingly interested in space exploration, pouring funds into startups and established companies alike. This influx of capital drives further innovation and makes Mars exploration a viable business venture.

Inspiring future generations

One of the most significant impacts of private companies in Mars exploration is the inspiration they provide. Companies like SpaceX capture the public's imagination with their bold plans and dramatic launches. This excitement motivates young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Educational programs and outreach efforts by these companies also play a crucial role in inspiring the next generation of explorers. By making space exploration more accessible and relatable, private firms are ensuring that the dream of exploring Mars continues to thrive.

Challenges and the road ahead

While private companies are making significant strides, Mars exploration is not without its challenges. Technical, financial, and logistical hurdles remain. The harsh environment of Mars poses risks that require robust solutions.

However, with continued collaboration between private companies and government agencies, these challenges are being addressed. The combined efforts and shared vision will likely lead to successful missions to Mars in the coming decades.

The role of private companies in Mars exploration is transformative. They bring innovation, collaboration, economic opportunities, and inspiration to the forefront. As we look to the future, it's clear that these companies will continue to play a pivotal role in making the dream of exploring Mars a reality. With their help, humanity's journey to the Red Planet is not just a possibility but an impending reality.