Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Analyzing The Middle Market Debt - 2162 Words

Leveraged credit suffered from heightened volatility over the third quarter as mutual fund investors withdrew from the sector amid concerns about frothy valuations and talk of a credit bubble. We believe the high-yield bond market correction this quarter is healthy and overdue, but investors can expect choppier waters ahead. One segment we believe may help limit near-term volatility risk while capturing strong returns is middlemarket debt. One way that we identify middle-market debt is based on deal size of up to $750 million, and we specifically find value in those between $300 million and $750 million, which we classify as â€Å"upper middle-market.† As a whole, middle-market debt historically had many attractive features relative to larger†¦show more content†¦As if reacting to the tolling bells, high-yield markets sold off in July, leading to volatility that would spread across risk assets throughout the quarter. High-yield corporate bonds posted a loss of 1.3 per cent in July, the first monthly loss in 10 months, with spreads widening by 13 percent. Equities followed, with the SP 500 dropping 4 percent between July 24 and Aug. 7, climbing to record levels in August, and falling again in September. As the quarter ended, the risk-off sentiment that overtook markets was clear as defensive sectors, mainly consumer staples and healthcare, outperformed more cyclical sectors such as consumer discretionary and energy. Our outlook for the U.S. economy remains positive. Despite weakness in September, strong U.S. economic data justified the rebound to the SP 500’s highs in August. Second-quarter gross domestic product was revised upward to 4.2 percent, led by business investment. Durable goods orders surged over the summer to set the largest one-month gain on record while consumer confidence continued to hit multi-year highs. With tailwinds for economic growth gathering, we could see a strong third-quarter GDP reading of approximately 3.2 percent. While the U.S. economy is set to move full steam ahead, international economic data remain weak. Euro zone economic confidence is falling as the entire region continues to battle below-target inflation. At the start of September, the European Central Bank cut interest

Monday, December 23, 2019

Federal Crime And The Civil War - 1594 Words

Federalization of crime has expanded dramatically in the 200 plus years since the drafting of the U. S. Constitution. The original scope of the federal criminal jurisdiction was very narrow, and crime control was left largely to the states. Until the Civil War, there were only a small number of federal offenses, and they dealt with injury to or interference with the federal government itself or its programs. The federal offenses during this time were treason, counterfeiting, piracy, and felonies committed on the high seas (Marion Oliver, 2012). Except in those areas where federal jurisdiction was exclusive, the District of Columbia and the federal territories, federal law did not reach crimes against individuals; such as murder, rape, arson, robbery and fraud, were absolute concern of the states. State laws defined these offenses which were prosecuted by state or local officials. Congressional activity making essential local conduct a federal crime has accelerated greatly, not ably in areas in which existing state laws already criminalize the same conduct. One must examine the history of federalization of crime to clearly understand why the U.S. Government began to federalize crime and the arguments for and against the federalization of crime. The first major expansion of federalization of crime occurred immediately after the Civil War. Congress enacted a series of criminal laws in regards to the misuse of the mails and interstate commerce (Marion et al., 2012).Show MoreRelatedHistory of the Fbi Essay726 Words   |  3 Pages The Federal Bureau of Investigation was founded in 1908 when the Attorney General appointed an anonymous force of 34 Special Agents to be investigators for the Department of Justice. Before that, the DOJ had to borrow Agents from the U.S. Secret Service. In 1909, the Special Agent Force was renamed the Bureau of Investigation, and after countless name changes, it became The Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. When the FBI was established, there werent an abundance of federal crimes, so itRead MoreFederal Asset Forfeiture Is The Driving Force Behind Money Laundering Today1666 Words   |  7 Pages Civil forfeiture Frank Regueira Dustin Dariano, MS Research Methods October 11 2015 Introduction Madinger (2011) Argued that Civil asset forfeiture is the driving force behind money-laundering today is forfeiture. The act allows the government or law enforcement officials to confiscate, sell or keep any property alleged to be involved in criminal activity without convicting the individual, massively threatens the right to own property. Speculations, allegations and suspicionsRead More The F.B.I. Essay1111 Words   |  5 Pagesinvestigation of violations of federal criminal law; to protect the U.S. from foreign intelligence and terrorist activities; to provide leadership and law enforcement assistance to federal, state, local, and international agencies; and to perform these responsibilities in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the public and is faithful to the constitution of the U.S.: this is the mission of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The agency now known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation wasRead MoreMass Incarceration : The United States1628 Words   |  7 PagesThe rhetoric of â€Å"law and order† first came about in the late 1950s as white opposition to the Civil Rights Movement was encouraged by southern governors and law enforcement. They argued that civil rights movements and Martin Luther King Jr’s philosophy of civil disobedience was the leading cause of crime. Protesters were seen as criminals. Richard Nixon (Vice-President at the time) said, â€Å"The increasing crime rate can be traced directly to the spread of the corrosive doctrine that every citizen possessesRead MoreThe New Jim Crow Essay1052 Words   |  5 PagesInstead of a formalized institution such as slavery or Jim Crow, America has found a new way to continue the marginalization of blacks by using the criminal justice system. In Michelle Alexander’s book â€Å" The New Jim Crow†, she shows how Americaâ€⠄¢s â€Å" War on Drugs â€Å" has become a tool of racial segregation and how the discretionary enforcement of drug laws has resulted in an overwhelmingly negative affect on its black population. In the early days of colonial America, slavery was not as common as weRead MoreThe Policing Model : Brazil1160 Words   |  5 Pagesthe federal police, he federal highway police, the federal railway police, the state military police and fire brigade, and the state civil police. Brazil police officers only have two main functions which is to keep order and to make sure laws are not broken. The Federal Police: The federal police main function is to investigate crimes that are against the federal government, to fight international drug trafficking, and terrorism, and are the immigration and border police as well. The Federal HighwayRead MoreThe Current Japanese Justice System1045 Words   |  5 Pageselements of the American justice system. This is not to say that the systems are similar, far from it. They are quite different due to the perception of the purpose of a justice system based on history and differences in culture. Japan: Pre- World War II â€Å"Modern† Japan is predominantly known as the Meiji Era in 1868. Before this era, Tokugawa governments (between 1503 and 1868) adopted Confucianism and were mostly based on dogmas of social hierarchy and harmony. (Henderson, 1965). These dogmas forcedRead More Tribunals Essays1344 Words   |  6 Pages President Bushs decision to consider establishing military tribunals to prosecute accused terrorists has set off a major debate on civil liberties in the United States. Supporters argue that such a measure is a constitutional necessity to address terrorism of an unprecedented scope. Opponents claim that the tribunals would undermine the rule of law and deprive defendants of the protection provided for in the American system of justice. My research and personnel experience on the subject has foundRead MoreFederal Republic of Brazil1653 Words   |  7 Pagesmore Roman Catholics than any other country in the world.† (Brazil, 2004) The government of Brazil is a Federal Republic. In this system the President is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as the head of a multi-party system. The political and administrative organizations of Brazil include federal and state governments, federal districts and the municipalities. The federal government controls the central government and is divided in three branches. Like America it is dividedRead MoreThree branches of government1113 Words   |  5 Pagescriminal courts, civil courts, and corrections. Federal Government Criminal Justice System The United States federal government is made up of three branches, which all serve different purpose but are equal in power to ensure a system of checks and balances. Just like the federal government has a separation of powers and different components, the United States criminal justice system not only has many components, but is also ruled by both federal and state authorities

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Futility Case Free Essays

Baby Chris was born at 23 weeks gestational age (40 weeks gestation is full-term) and weighs about 1. 2 pounds. Because of extreme prematurity and extremely low birth weight, this baby has less than a 10% chance of surviving. We will write a custom essay sample on Futility Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Even if the baby survives, the likelihood of very serious physical and developmental damage (cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairments, respiratory impairments, and other problems) is very high. (In one recent study, ALL of the infants who survived long enough to be discharged from intensive care had significant long-term damage. ) Treatment, that is, treatments, would be invasive, painful, and would continue over a long period of time. It is really so sad that a newborn baby would begin his life under such very difficult circumstances. What is worse is that the treatments that would supposedly save him would instead condemn him into the most compromised existence possible. Instead of living the normal, carefree existence of a child, Chris would have a life that is forever associated with pain, medicines, surgeries, and rehabilitation. Not even an adult can handle such a distressing way of life. But the doctors of Chris cannot just refrain from giving him treatments. They are doctors, after all, and it is their duty to cure the sick. Even the hospital policy and the courts would certainly agree with them. Furthermore, it is the right of the sick to receive treatment that would cure him or her of his ailment. Does this mean that the physicians of Chris can virtually turn him into a human guinea pig? While a doctor has an obligation to cure the ailing, the welfare of his or her patient must always be prioritized above this duty (Cohen-Kohler and Illingworth 366). In the context of the subject of the limits of medicine, the concept of patient welfare is synonymous to the rights to informed consent and to have a say on the treatment plan that the doctor devised. Simply put, any steps that a physician will take to continue or withhold treatment must be fully explained to the patient beforehand and carried out with his or her consent. Furthermore, the wishes of the patient must be taken into consideration. However, because Chris is a newborn baby (making him a minor in the eyes of the law), it is his parents who should make the final decisions on a treatment plan for him. In both the legal and the social perspectives, the parents are considered as the primary custodians of their children (Maccoby and Mnookin 282). Unless it has been proven that they are incapable of carrying out their responsibilities as parents, it is they who are supposed to decide for their minor children. It is permissible to make Chris comfortable but not start treatments that would prolong his life. It must be remembered that because he is premature and has very low birth weight, his survival rate it less than 10%. Should Chris survive, he will spend his entire life battling serious health conditions such as cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairments, and respiratory impairments. Furthermore, the treatments that will be administered in order to prolong his life are invasive and painful and would last indefinitely. The problem with many doctors is that in their excessive zeal to carry out their duty, they reduce the concept of human life to biological normality (Stark 6). Their idea of a cured patient is someone who is biologically alive and is free of infirmity, never mind if the treatments that are given to him or to her severely reduce the quality of his or her life. Medicine should not be limited to the elimination of disease or the treatment of an injury. Rather, medicine must treat illness and/or injury with the goal of restoring the overall health and functionality of a person. As the World Health Organization (WHO) puts it, health is â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† (qtd. in Furber 192). Under the present circumstances, therefore, it is not permissible to do everything possible to save Chris’ life. Even the most radical treatments would save him only in the sense that he would be kept biologically alive. These would not completely spare Chris from the debilitating effects of cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing impairments, and respiratory impairments. Worse, these treatments would make him suffer even more pain. Subjecting Chris to more treatments defeats the very purpose of medicine – restoring people to their fullest functionality by curing them of their disease and or injury. How can Chris live the life of a normal child if he cannot even get out of bed without machines attached to him? How can he and his parents enjoy life as a family if he constantly has to undergo painful and invasive long-term treatments? What is the point of keeping Chris alive if he will just spend the rest of life in illness and pain? Putting him on aggressive lifesaving treatment would merely worsen the situation. To begin with, his chances of survival are only less than 10%. Should Chris live, he will endure a host of complications that would most likely end in death. He could likewise die while undergoing treatments – the human body can only take so much pain, medicines, surgeries, and rehabilitation. Simply put, with or without treatments, Chris is likely to succumb at any moment. By putting him on aggressive lifesaving treatments, his doctors are giving his parents false hopes. Instead of enabling them to prepare themselves for the impending death of their son, they are making them hold on to futile case. Babies are human beings and therefore, they also have the right to live and die with dignity. Doctors do not have the right to withhold this from them simply because they do not have the capacity to decide for themselves and/or because of a misplaced idea of what medicine should accomplish. Works Cited Cohen-Kohler, Jillian Clare and Patricia Illingworth. â€Å"Access to Medicine and the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Need to Craft a Global Pharmaceutical System with Integrity. † The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics Eds. Peter A. Singer and Adrian M. Viens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 359-368. Furber, Christine. â€Å"Promoting Health to Men. † Men’s Health: An Introduction for Nurses and Health Professionals. Eds. Tony Harrison and Karen Dignan. London: Harcourt Brace and Company Limited, 1999. 191-210. Maccoby, Eleanor E. and Robert H. Mnookin. Dividing the Child: Social and Legal Dilemmas of Custody. 3rd ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1992. Stark, Andrew. The Limits of Medicine. New York, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. How to cite Futility Case, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

The Source of Ethical Dilemma-Free-Samples- Assignmenthelp.com

Question: Describe and Analyse an Ethical Dilemma that might be Encountered in a Commercial or Industrial Situation. Answer: Introduction: Any individual engaged in any form of work can complain of having gone through the problem of ethical dilemma. Also referred to as the ethical paradox, the ethical dilemma involves a situation in which an individual encounters problem in taking an effective decision. Usually, in such circumstances, the individual is encountered with two possible moral imperatives, out of which neither appears to be more acceptable or preferable as an option (Rom et al. 2017). The instances of ethical dilemmas are also common in universities, and Mr. Walker, a Guest Lecturer working at Western Sydney University had also complained of facing ethical dilemma within the college premise. Hence, it is important to analyze the cause of his ethical dilemma and offer probable recommendations that can help in resolving problems in similar situations. Situation Involving Ethical Dilemma: It is important to consider the case of Walker and analyze the source of ethical dilemma. Walker has always been known as a loving and caring guest lecturer, imparting education with much passion. Walker believes that his duty of teaching the students is not confined to the class rooms only, but he must care for them and cater to their academic needs even outside the classrooms. Accordingly, Professor Walker teaches the students within the class room, providing them with lecture notes, helping them analyze each chapter with a sharp focus on elaborate details. Yet, he observes that the analytical skills or reflective skills of some of the students are not admirably good. Hence, Walker feels that it is his obligation to teach and assist the students outside the classroom as well (Salvador 2017). Walker thought that this would contribute to the creation of a supportive, positive learning environment that could boost the students academic progress. However, as he started teaching some of the students outside his classroom, he found out that these students became over-friendly with him and did not even hesitate asking about additional academic support on a regular basis. This gave rise to a sense of ethical dilemma as the weaker students started asking for more hours of lectures and additional lecture notes outside the classrooms. While often some students would have clarity of concepts, they would still ask for additional notes and reference materials outside the classrooms. As a teacher, it is the duty of Walker to help the students out, and create a caring climate for them, by offering maximum help (Nucci et al. 2014). On the other hand, as a professor, it is his professional obligation to create a formal relation with his students, maintain his authority and ensure equitable distribution of educational resources amongst his students. Ethical Alternatives Available: Faced with the moral dilemma, Walker has two moral imperatives to choose from. First of all, he can offer additional lecture notes to the students, that he would not otherwise provide the students in the classrooms. As a teacher, it is his responsibility to help each one, and if a selected group of students are academically lagging behind, he should come forward and offer them assistance. Since these students are unable to derive sufficient benefit from the class notes, it is Walkers duty to provide them additional resources necessary to develop their academic skills. In a way, this is the right alternative, as he is not depriving anyone, but providing additional assistance to the weaker ones. Dedication to ones own duty is an integral moral concept and as a lecturer, it is his duty to ensure the academic success of all the students. However, the second alternative that Walker can choose is, to offer help to the weaker students as and when they require, without offering them lecture notes that he is not providing in class. As a lecturer, fairness and transparency are two integral principles that have to be taken care of. In case, he chooses the first alternative his action would be unfair as he would provide additional class notes to the weaker students and as a lecturer of the University, it is his responsibility to ensure equitable distribution of educational resources (Beck et al. 2016). Though he can offer academic guidance to the students outside the classrooms, he should not offer them any extra class note that he does not provide in his class rooms. Evaluation of the Chosen Action: The action that has been finally chosen by Walker is to help the weaker students with additional reference materials and lecture notes. While evaluating the moral imperative, it is important to understand how the decision affected people, if any. As far as this decision of Walker was concerned, it definitely helped in boosting the confidence of the students who might have scored higher because of the additional reference materials. As a lecturer, it is his duty to extend his help as and when his students require him (Nather 2013). However, Walker was unaware of the ethical ramification of his action. He should not have provided any lecture notes to the students outside the class. There could be students who were comparatively weaker inside the class and they might have been too shy to come up or ask for academic assistance outside the classrooms. This could create a situation in which some students got access to educational resources while others did not (Liu and Ditto 2013). Walker should have shared the lecture notes with the students in the classrooms, and if needed, could have explained the notes outside the class. This would at least have ensured equitable distribution of educational resources. However, in case of Walker, most of the students (deemed to be strong or moderately strong in studies) were deprived of the additional lecture notes that might have affected their grades in a way. Conclusion: To conclude, it can be stated that Walker did encounter a serious ethical dilemma that gave rise to a dramatic conflict. However, he failed to act in the best interest of all the parties concerned. While extending assistance to a handful of students, he ended up taking up an action that could be considered to be unfair. Walker should have shared the lecture notes with the students in the classrooms, and if needed, could have explained the notes outside the class and hence his chosen action cannot be deemed to be morally correct an alternative. Reference List: Beck, C.M., Crittenden, B.S. and Sullivan, E. eds., 2016.Moral education. University of Toronto Press. Liu, B.S. and Ditto, P.H., 2013. What dilemma? Moral evaluation shapes factual belief.Social Psychological and Personality Science,4(3), pp.316-323. Nather, F., 2013. Exploring the impact of formal education on the moral reasoning abilities of college students.College Student Journal,47(3), pp.470-477. Nucci, L., Krettenauer, T. and Narvez, D. eds., 2014.Handbook of moral and character education. Routledge. Rom, S.C., Weiss, A. and Conway, P., 2017. Judging those who judge: Perceivers infer the roles of affect and cognition underpinning others' moral dilemma responses.Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,69, pp.44-58. Salvador, R.O., 2017. Reexamining the Discussion in the Moral Dilemma Discussion.Journal of Business Ethics, pp.1-16. Shapiro, J.P. and Gross, S.J., 2013.Ethical educational leadership in turbulent times:(Re) solving moral dilemmas. Routledge.