Communication service providers have big ideas about the future of the industry. With 5G networks, they can support amazing new use cases and revenue models: ultra-low latency industrial networks, autonomous vehicles, immersive augmented reality experiences, and more. At least, in theory. In practice, CSPs deploying 5G infrastructures are finding that, while the science fiction use cases are certainly possible, they first need to nail down the basics. Things like:
In short, operators need effective assurance for 5G networks and services. Unfortunately, the huge changes that come with 5G don’t stop at new service experiences. They also upend the monitoring approaches the industry has relied on for years. If service providers want to pin their financial futures on next-generation services, we’ll first need to master next-generation assurance.
What’s wrong with traditional assurance approaches? Nothing - so long as you’re using them in 4G networks. Try translating them to 5G operational environments though, and they quickly soon begin to struggle when dealing with the virtualized, disaggregated nature of 5G infrastructure, pigeon-holing them into very specific use cases. In every prior network generation, telco networks were composed of self-contained, self-managed pieces of infrastructure (such as core network chassis with physical line cards for all the different network functions). 5G pushes CSPs into the world of cloud-native, software-defined architectures. Every part of the network becomes a dynamic piece of virtualized or containerized software, running in one or another cloud. Which means that everything from network updates to troubleshooting gets exponentially more complex.
Complicating matters further, the monitoring tools operators have relied on for years - mostly passive probes, architected to analyze real user traffic along static network paths—are no longer sufficient. Traditional passive monitoring measures individual devices and network layers, not the overall service experience. Meanwhile, conventional service-level assurance tools focus on overall application performance with little insight into which parts of a highly complex, dynamic underlying 5G infrastructure might be causing a problem.
How do you instrument a passive monitoring infrastructure for a disaggregated, cloudified network, where services and the paths they traverse constantly change? As the scope of network functions, features, and performance attributes to measure grows, how can you map out the implications of changes in specific components or combinations of components? And how can you understand those implications before they impact services - and violate the stringent SLAs that are now a cornerstone of your business?
Fortunately, the industry has an answer to these questions: active assurance. Unlike passive monitoring, which only measures real user traffic, active assurance emulates users by injecting synthetic traffic into the network. This allows CSPs to experience the network from the user’s point of view. Think of active testing as genuine end devices that can be placed anywhere in the network. They use the same authentication and security as real devices. They run the same applications. And they can traverse and utilize the infrastructure exactly like real users do.
This active approach enables assurance that can scale with dynamic 5G networks, including automatically re-testing services anytime something changes. It’s highly flexible, allowing CSPs to conduct different tests at different locations as needed. And it provides real-time visibility into both network- and service-level performance, providing essential visibility to validate and police SLAs.
What does active assurance bring to 5G networks and services?
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming about the new service experiences that next-generation networks can enable. 5G really does take telco networks to new levels of scalability, customizability, and performance. Autonomous drone delivery, remote robotic surgery, and a thousand other amazing use cases really are now possible. But they are not inevitable.
Before CSPs can get to the science fiction future, we need to address the tangible, tactical, day-to-day complexity that 5G brings to telco infrastructure and operations. We need to make sure we’ve mastered the basics: monitoring across hybrid service environments, guaranteeing low latencies for real-world applications, ensuring that we can quickly diagnose problems. With active assurance, we can put in place a framework for deploying, managing, and troubleshooting next-generation services that’s as agile as 5G infrastructures themselves.
Harvard Business Review published its first issue 100 years ago with a mission to help leaders put the world’s best management thinking into practice. To mark our centennial, we asked eight current and former CEOs from some of the world’s top companies to describe the ideas that have propelled their own careers and organizations. Two themes emerged: first, the need for constant innovation and out-of-the-box thinking as markets become more dynamic; second, the importance of purpose and a vision that encompasses all stakeholders. We look forward to many more decades of helping leaders build a better future for customers, employees, partners, and communities.
Most people think about the future of business from the present onward. As humans we have a natural inclination to think linearly. However, this approach limits our creativity and inhibits our ability to achieve what was previously unimaginable.
Consider a better alternative. By thinking five to 10 years out and then “playing the movie backward,” you free yourself from the constraints of what is possible now. You can envision year 10 and then figure out what has to happen in year nine, year eight, and so on for the vision to become reality.
I used this approach as the founding CEO of Moderna in 2011. As a start-up, we had no past to anchor to, so it was natural to think big about where the company wanted to be in the next decade and plan backward from there. We made sure that all our stakeholders were aligned on our vision and gave people time to engage intellectually and emotionally with the path toward our goals.
In the early years, this way of thinking allowed us to successfully build robotics for preclinical research. Our aim was to industrialize Moderna’s ability to make mRNAs, or messenger RNAs, which teach human cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. We started by thinking about how many mRNAs we would need to produce (thousands) and with what turnaround time to enable scientists to rapidly experiment and learn (three years). We then worked backward to understand what needed to happen when, without relying on past models or assumptions, and designed the robotic platforms to meet those goals.
More recently, this tactic helped us envision the delivery of an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in less than a year. At the time, it was a crazy idea on an accelerated timeline, but once again we did it by thinking backward. We started with the vision of an approved vaccine and mapped backward—month by month in this case—from government authorization to completion of clinical trials to vaccine manufacture to sequence selection—an end-to-end process that typically takes years.
Reverse chronology can be a powerful management tool for any organization. It fosters the kind of unconstrained thinking that leads to big and disruptive ideas that propel business, industry, and society forward. This approach is not foolproof, of course. It can stall for any number of reasons, including failing to unite stakeholders around a clear vision and creating a plan that lacks sufficient detail. You can achieve unreasonable things only by aligning people, giving them time to engage, and creating a sound plan of action.
A future-focused mindset will continue to be an important driver of Moderna’s growth over the coming decades. We want to become the most impactful life-sciences company on the planet, and playing the movie backward will help us get there.
On November 8, 1945, the Mahindra Group, then barely a month old, published an advertisement in India’s largest circulating English daily, The Times of India. It mentioned no product or service. Instead, it listed the fundamental principles with which the company would operate. It highlighted the role of the individual within the enterprise, and, printed as the Second World War was coming to an end and India’s independence movement was gaining steam, it emphasized the role of corporations in promoting a more cohesive society. It included a call to action—to “raise the standard of living of the masses”—and emphasized that “we must have the cooperation of those who will benefit the most—the general public.”
Today, we might call that advertisement a purpose statement. The principles laid out then still form the bedrock of the Mahindra Group’s purpose and the shorthand we now use for it: “Rise.” Our modern-day motto, refined over the decades, is “Driving positive change, enabling people to rise.” It is the reason I joined the organization, and it is the reason I have stayed.
I can only marvel at the prescience of Mahindra’s first leaders for their early commitment to guiding principles that emphasized not just business success but also the greater good. By 1962, Peter Drucker was also writing about “Big Business and the National Purpose” in these pages, calling for more corporate “social responsibility.” He asserted that a large company is not “a ‘private affair’ and the concern of only its stockholders, executives, and employees”; rather, it is “a community asset and ‘public’ in its conduct, in its mores, and in its impacts.” Further thinking on ethics in management, moving beyond strategy to purpose, corporate vision, what a business is for, and shared value followed from a host of management luminaries, including Jim Collins, Charles Handy, and Michael Porter.
All the while, Mahindra held fast to its purpose, and we’ve found that those founding principles have stood the test of time and guided us through unprecedented socioeconomic shifts. They have helped us excel at a range of businesses from automotive to farming to finance to travel, embrace cutting-edge technology, and spearhead a move toward improved environmental and ethical standards. For example, we started developing and investing in decarbonization well before the emergence of ESG funds and socially responsible investing. Adherence to our founding principles has allowed Mahindra Group not only to keep up with the times but to forge ahead of them.
There’s another line in that advertisement that I want to highlight: “Neither colour, nor creed, nor caste should stand in the way of harmonious working.” Even in the 1940s, those at Mahindra knew that for the organization to succeed and serve society, it would need to prioritize diversity and inclusion. We live in an unequal world that divides us from one another. Purpose-led businesses have the potential to create a more equal world. Only when we enable others to rise will we rise.
Listening is fundamental to good leadership and management; however, to be effective, it must be practiced with great intention.
Over the years, I have learned that active listening helps to identify problems to solve, possibilities for innovation, necessary process or policy changes, new product ideas, ways to Excellerate customer service, and more.
As CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, and in prior retail leadership positions, I have always visited stores, looking for ways to make them better. I learn from our customers and our team members.
In 2022, there are so many ways to track consumer opinions—including through digital apps—but I think it’s still best to see and hear feedback live and in person. When I engage with the frontline team, the wheels really begin to turn.
As I introduce myself on store tours, I make it clear that I’m visiting to listen—not to play “Monday morning quarterback” or a game of “gotcha.” I want to engage my team members in a discussion and hear what they have to say. I want everyone to know that they have my full attention, so I do not bring any mobile devices with me. We talk about problems openly and then quickly create corrective action plans.
Even after I’ve looked at data to understand an issue and worked with my team to come up with a recommended resolution, I meet with store managers to put the proposal in front of them. I ask, “Do we have this right? Endorse it or tear it apart, but tell me how this stacks up with your experience in the store. I am listening.”
I encourage my leadership team to visit stores too. Sometimes they come back and share, citing an outdated policy or process and saying, “I can’t believe we did that. Did we really think that was a good idea?” Usually it’s a decision we’d made having no idea it would hamper customer experience. Then we discuss the problem, unravel it, and fix it as a group.
After a store visit, I often send a note to the team members I met with. I thank them for sharing their perspectives and explain exactly how and when we’re going to make changes as a result. Then, when they see the change come across the wire, they know their voices matter and that frontline innovation and problem-solving are deeply valued.
As management scholars have written in HBR for at least a decade, leadership is a conversation. Active listening can be one of your most powerful tools.
One of the biggest challenges facing any multinational company is how to stay locally relevant while still driving economies of scale and maximizing global reach. In a 1983 article in HBR, Harvard Business School marketing professor Theodore Levitt argued for globally standardized products. His contemporary, the sociologist Roland Robertson, posited in HBR and elsewhere that the solution was instead “glocalization”—that is, tailoring global products, services, and business practices to local laws, customs, and preferences.
At L’Oréal, we have tackled this dilemma with an approach we call universalization: a centrally led strategy brought to life through local execution. Concretely, this means that our teams in individual markets have a high degree of autonomy but operate under a clear, globally aligned frame. To support this, we have a worldwide network of manufacturing sites, research and innovation centers, and marketing design hubs to develop, make, and distribute products in various geographies.
Founded in Paris in 1909, L’Oréal now has a total of 85,400 people working in 68 countries and a presence in more than 150 markets. We’ve been able to create a flotilla of truly global brands, from Maybelline to Lancôme to Kérastase, while offering tailor-made products to meet the beauty aspirations of consumers in every part of the world.
For example, L’Oréal Paris, the world’s largest beauty brand, offers a full range of highly advanced products in five categories: makeup, skin care, hair care, hair color, and male grooming. At the same time, our teams on the ground allow us to quickly identify emerging trends and issues in local markets, such as consumers’ concerns about dark spots in Southeast Asia and Latin America or the exponential rise of independent hairstylists in North America. They also help us spot promising opportunities to support local initiatives. Our Active Cosmetics Division teams work hard to strengthen partnerships with health professionals and health influencers in various geographies.
Our approach spurs local innovation, which we can then roll out to other areas of the world. This was the case with the Garnier Bright Complete range of products, including the popular Vitamin C serum, which was originally designed for consumers in Southeast Asia and is now a hit in Mexico, France, and many other countries.
The balanced partnership we have between global and local teams encourages and rewards entrepreneurship, because anyone, anywhere, can make a real difference. During my career, I have been lucky enough to work at our subsidiaries in Mexico and the United Kingdom and see firsthand how a bottom-up idea can have companywide impact and how adapting top-down ideas, resources, and guidance can provide an extra local edge.
Universalization also underpins our large transformation projects, pairing global vision with local implementation. Take our sustainability program, “L’Oréal for the Future.” While we are working toward the same goal of protecting the beauty of the planet in all our markets, the specific actions taken may vary according to local context, regulations, and expectations. Through our impact investing funds, L’Oréal supports the regeneration of degraded ecosystems and rebuilding of biodiversity, including local initiatives to restore mangroves in Kenya, revitalize 50,000 hectares of land in the United Kingdom, and facilitate low-carbon agriculture in France.
The trust and tight partnerships between our global and local teams also guide us in crisis situations. For example, during the latest pandemic, we relied on our teams on the ground to identify global supply-chain disruptions and rapidly changing market conditions and worked together to navigate them. Just one example: Globally produced guidelines and materials enabled our teams in individual markets to work with their own authorities to put in place the enhanced sanitation protocols needed to ensure the safe reopening of salons.
As the world becomes ever more volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous (VUCA), not to mention fragmented, I remain convinced that our approach will provide us the adaptability we need to continue to succeed. Whether you call it glocalization or universalization, it can benefit any organization that strives to serve many markets.
As I have moved from one job to another in my career, culminating in my current role as CEO of China’s largest restaurant company, innovation has emerged as perhaps the most important part of my leadership philosophy.
Customer preferences are constantly evolving, while new technologies transform the way we interact. I have always believed that the companies that survive and prosper in dynamic, competitive markets are not necessarily the strongest or the smartest; they’re the ones that can respond quickly and adapt effectively to changing circumstances. That requires empathy for those we’re serving, resilience, and creativity—lessons that I learned during my relatively humble upbringing and that I’ve tried to provide to the teams I manage.
In times of comfort, many companies stop innovating because they lack a sense of urgency, and as the late HBS professor Clayton Christensen demonstrated, in doing so they open themselves to disruption. In times of crisis, innovation is even more important, as the pandemic showed us. In my industry, the firms that quickly adopted new health and safety measures for employees to keep their restaurants open and designed new solutions like contactless ordering and pickup were the ones that came out stronger.
To drive organizational growth in good times and in bad, you need to build an innovative culture. At Yum China, our vision is to be an innovation pioneer in the restaurant industry, from the way our supply chain operates to how our food is flavored and prepared to the ordering and dining experience we offer our customers. By following this vision, we have been able to expand by more than a thousand stores a year while maintaining healthy payback periods. New formats for our restaurants help us cater to different business needs, like delivery and takeaway services, as well as extend our presence into lower-tier cities. We launch, on average, more than 500 new or upgraded—and often localized—products across our brands each year, helping us diversify into adjacent categories to drive additional growth. Suggestions for new menu items or service improvements routinely come from our frontline team members, who understand that as an organization, we want to grow rapidly, work in a more agile way, and create more value for customers. At Yum China, reasonable risk-taking is accepted, and employees are encouraged to think outside the box. Our Shanghai Innovation Center is where we experiment with and perfect both bottom-up and top-down ideas: From our business model to digitalization to the quality of our French fries, every area of our operation can always be improved.
Another key part of our innovation culture is making sure that our decision-making is fast, while still of high quality. We have worked hard to reduce the layers of bureaucracy that can slow the process and the speed at which we respond to changing customer preferences. We also focus on technology, upgrading our systems and introducing new tools like smart watches that enable our restaurants’ general managers to track operation metrics in real time. Innovation is the lifeblood of our business—as it is or should be for every organization trying to be successful today.
Yum China has been operating for 35 years and has grown with new generations of customers. That is thanks to a relentless focus on continuous innovation. In the future, we will keep exploring new ways to enhance customer and employee experience, deliver value, and drive growth. Successful companies never rest on their laurels.
I was born in Sudan to Sudanese parents, and although I’ve lived in Britain since my university days, I hold fast to many aspects of African culture. One key principle I learned from my ancestors is the importance of caring for one’s neighbors. In my business ventures, that commitment has translated to what I call inclusive capitalism. (Others might use the term stakeholder capitalism.) As an entrepreneur and a CEO, my aim is to ensure that everyone who helps me achieve success—employees, investors, customers, members of the community—shares in the rewards.
In 1989, I founded MSI, a consultancy that advised telecommunications companies on software and network design, with $50,000 of my own money. When we sold it 11 years later for $900 million, I was proud that 33% of the company was held by our employees. At that time, there wasn’t a culture of employee share ownership in the UK. But every December, I offered equity to our people at well-below-market prices. (One year, the employee price was 16 pence a share even though an investor had just offered to pay £15 a share!) As the sole owner, I could make decisions like that, and I did so without hesitation. It was fair and just for our people to participate in our collective value creation. And at a time when technical talent was in high demand, it was a fantastic acquisition and retention strategy. MSI had some of the best engineers in the world, and together we designed half the mobile networks in Europe along with several in Asia. I often told the group, “It’s thanks to you that we landed this contract and execute on it. If the company is making money, let us all make money.”
My next venture was the one I’m best known for: Celtel, which brought mobile phone service to Africa. From the start, in 1998, I knew it would be a winning proposition. With a huge geographic spread and barely any landline service, the continent was in dire need of a telecommunications network. By building one, we would help millions of Africans stay in touch with loved ones and better manage their own lives and businesses—and we could earn good revenues and profits doing it. However, neither industry players nor banks wanted to bet on a tech company in Africa.
This time around, I couldn’t finance the project alone: We wanted to build networks in dozens of countries, which is extremely expensive. So I secured funding from various investors—seven rounds in six years. Those shareholders became key partners: Any institution holding a stake of more than 2% got a seat on our board, and we all committed to the highest governance standards. Celtel’s operating companies—we eventually had about a dozen, one for each country in which we launched—would pay no bribes. To keep everyone honest, any expense over $30,000 had to be approved unanimously by the directors, and since our business was growing extremely rapidly—100% year over year—that meant being on call to provide approvals virtually 24/7. We also refused to play the tax avoidance game that remains common in Africa and thus became the largest taxpayer in nine countries, happily funding roads, schools, and other critical infrastructure and services.
With equity spread among many investors, I couldn’t provide discounted shares to employees, as I had at MSI, but our board committed to full insurance and health care benefits for them and their families—an important step as AIDS ran rampant—and awarded significant stock options. By the time we sold the company in 2006 for $3.4 billion, 13% of the shares were in workers’ hands. To paraphrase Harvard Business School professor Felda Hardymon, a former Celtel board member, you never lose by giving employees a stake in the business.
At both MSI and Celtel, we focused on providing a service that customers needed and that would enhance communities from Spain to Singapore to my native Sudan. We rewarded our employees handsomely and earned deep loyalty as a result. And we partnered with our managers and shareholders to deliver impressive financial results and make a positive impact on people within and outside our firm. That approach wasn’t yet fashionable. But it was the right thing to do.
Today, I lead the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which focuses on expanding good governance and principled leadership in Africa. My hope is that more companies on the continent—and around the world—will embrace the principles of inclusive capitalism.
In 2001, when I joined Iberdrola as CEO, sustainability reporting was not a top priority for the business world and certainly not for companies in the energy sector.
Indeed, it would be another three years before the acronym ESG—standing for environmental, social, and governance goals and metrics—was coined in a 2004 report entitled “Who Cares Wins,” from the UN Global Compact, the International Finance Corporation, and the Swiss government.
In the 18 years since, the term has become something of a cliché in corporate circles, as leaders promise that their organizations will pollute less, contribute more to their communities, and operate ethically. However, as the old management adage goes, it’s only what is measured that gets managed. That is why we decided early on not only to commit to becoming the leading provider of clean energy in Europe and other markets (with operations in the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Japan, among others) but also to regularly release information on our progress toward that goal, including publishing a detailed annual environmental performance report.
In the introduction to the first edition in 2002, I made it clear that our company was on a transformative journey. At that time, fossil fuels were king, and most regulators, governments, and investors had little interest in shifting to alternatives, such as wind and solar. But we could see that renewables, supported by networks and storage, were the best way to reduce emissions and provide a more secure, self-sufficient, competitive, and climate-friendly energy solution.
I wanted to galvanize our employees, shape our corporate culture, and prove to investors and analysts that we were serious about our plans to be both sustainable and profitable.
In releasing the annual report, we exposed ourselves to an additional level of scrutiny not demanded of us by regulators or stakeholders. But another benefit of transparent and systematic reporting is that it helps us understand where problems and opportunities lie and find ways to rectify or take advantage of them.
Our commitment to “ESG+F” principles and reporting (where the F stands for finance) continued to evolve, and a few years later we created the concept of “social dividend” to reflect our commitment to creating value for all our stakeholders. Delivering a social dividend is mandated in our bylaws, and we report on it every year, just as we handle financial dividends.
And our two decades of efforts have been rewarded. We are now widely recognized as a top performer by external ESG indices, and at our 2022 annual general meeting, shareholders approved every agenda item by an average yea vote of 98% but expressed even more overwhelming support—99.9%—for our governance and sustainability management.
Today investors, regulators, and the public fully expect ESG performance to be robustly reported and closely tied to corporate strategy. It is no longer just a matter of compliance. It is about being an active participant in the societal transformation that communities are demanding from private and public organizations. Reporting is a vital tool in successful management—and it is absolutely essential in the fight against climate change.
When I was named CEO in 2006, I was determined to run PepsiCo so that it would both deliver good short-term performance and thrive in the long term, years after I was gone. The company was already in good shape, but I dreamed of creating a defining corporation of the 21st century, proud of its roots, yet global, nimble, and responsible in the shifting times.
For six months or more, I quietly read all I could about the big societal trends influencing business, the consumer sector, and food and beverage in particular. I walked the market, observing customers in action. I pored over buying data, employee feedback, and the external noise in our industry and categories. I also dug deep into the duties and responsibilities of public corporations. From all of this emerged a vision for PepsiCo that guided us for the next dozen years or so. I called it “Performance with Purpose.”
The goal was to deliver great financial returns, as we always had, with three additional clear imperatives: to nourish humanity and the communities in which we live, to replenish our environment, and to cherish our people. We would alter how PepsiCo made money by tying our business success to those objectives: adding more-nutritious products to our portfolio, reducing water usage and plastic waste, and attracting and retaining the very best talent.
My motivation was wholly to “future proof,” or de-risk, PepsiCo for the benefit of all—shareholders, employees, communities—by anticipating how the world would change in the decades to come. And it worked. In my 12 years as CEO, total shareholder return was 149%, dividends grew 10% a year, and net revenue jumped 80%. We cut the salt, fat, and sugar in soda and chips, added more-healthful brands and products, and lowered the amount of water needed to make a bottle of Pepsi by 40%. We built a magnificent R&D operation to keep innovation going. Our design studios won many awards. Our talent academy was so robust that nine senior executives left to take CEO jobs elsewhere, a bittersweet accomplishment of which I am proud.
I believe that leaders must commit to the hard work of thinking from the future back, even when things are going fine. And we now have a framework to help: the evolving templates for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics that, in essence, serve to de-risk companies and markets. These criteria force discussion of hard truths for anyone with the ambition to stay relevant in the long term. If the metrics are carefully selected, ESG is not contrary to investors’ interests. Importantly, de-risking the company actually creates shareholder value.
“Performance with Purpose” wasn’t easy to implement and presented tough moments for me, including when one money manager exclaimed, “Who do you think you are? Mother Teresa?” But skepticism faded when a collective mission took hold that included both the bottom line and much beyond. This was my hope from the start.
Time waits for no one and financial markets are no exception. Especially in the uncharted territory of cryptocurrency trading, keeping up with the fast-paced changes in prices is key to success. A plethora of cryptocurrencies, a few viable trading strategies and numerous tools accessible to new traders may all cause confusion.
Fortunately, technology has made it possible to automate several trading processes, including market analysis, predicting trends and order execution. This frees up more time for strategic planning and establishing a solid foundation for long-term cryptocurrency trading success.
Automated crypto trading, sometimes called automated cryptocurrency trading, is the practice of using computer programs (crypto trading bots) to buy and sell digital currencies on one’s behalf. These software applications are intended to react to market changes to trade at the optimum moment. Furthermore, automatic crypto trading removes the element of uncertainty and emotion from manually buying and selling cryptocurrencies.
Although some newer crypto bots utilize smart contracts and operate directly on the blockchain, most automated crypto trading platforms are still APIs. The term API refers to an application programming interface that allows your account to communicate with a cryptocurrency exchange so it can open and close positions on the user’s behalf according to certain predetermined conditions.
Automated cryptocurrency trading has many advantages over manual trading, including the fact that bots can work continuously without rest. They are also unbiased by emotion, so they will always adhere to their game plan and follow any new market trend or event immediately after it happens.
Several types of crypto trading bots are available, each differing in terms of features, functionalities and price. The most popular ones tend to be arbitrage or grid trading bots. Arbitrage bots take advantage of the price differences on different exchanges, while grid trading is focused on the “buy low, sell high” strategy.
Some automated crypto platforms have different characteristics, such as the hodl function on 3Commas. This doesn’t just trade; it also allows users to buy and hold crypto automatically by buying at low prices. It is up to the user to choose the cryptocurrencies they want and a bot to assist them in doing exactly that.
In general, automated crypto trading goes through four steps: data analysis, signal generation, risk allocation and execution:
Though one might think otherwise, manual trading is less popular. In fact, algorithmic trading bots have taken over the financial industry to such an extent that algorithms now drive most of the activity on Wall Street. It is not just crypto that is being traded by bots, almost everything including equities, bonds and foreign exchange is now being bought and sold through algorithms.
The main reason for this shift is simple: Bots can make decisions faster than humans. They are also not biased by emotions, so they can stick to their trading strategy even when the markets are volatile.
Keep in mind that crypto trading bots aren’t perfect and they can’t eliminate all risks. However, they can automate trading procedures to help both new and experienced traders make a profit. To properly configure a bot, it’s crucial to have a basic understanding of the market as well as the regulations and tools associated with trading.
How much does a crypto trading bot cost? It all depends on what features and functionalities a user is looking for. Some crypto trading bots are free, while others can cost a few hundred dollars per month.
There is nothing illegal about utilizing a trading bot in any jurisdiction where cryptocurrency trading is permitted. In the traditional financial market, the use of bots is quite common and well-regulated. Machines now execute a large number of stock trades, and the same is true for cryptocurrency trading. A bot is simply a way to trade that doesn’t require a person to execute the trades manually — it isn’t breaking any laws.
However, there are several limitations to this. Some crypto bots are outright frauds, while others utilize shady tactics that could be considered unethical or illegal. Pump-and-dumps and directing consumers to unregulated brokers who may take your money without delivering any service are examples of this. These bots operate potentially outside the bounds of legality.
Do automated trading bots work? The problem isn’t whether they work; it’s how well they operate. Their impact is also determined by a variety of factors, including the platform and bot used, as well as the level of expertise and experience the user has.
There are a number of advantages that those who adopt automated crypto trading enjoy. Here are some of the most notable benefits of automated trading
Automated crypto trading systems help to control emotions by automatically executing trades once the set trade parameters have been met. This way, traders will not hesitate or second-guess their decisions. Crypto trading bots aren’t only for timorous traders; they can also help those who are likely to overtrade by buying and selling at every opportunity.
Automated trading systems can be backtested using historical data to generate simulated results. This process allows for the refinement and improvement of a trading strategy before it’s put into live use. When building an automated trading system, all rules must be concrete with no space for biases.
The computer cannot make assumptions and has to be given explicit instructions on what to do. Before risking money, traders can test these parameters against past data. Backtesting is a method of experimenting with trading ideas and determining the system’s expectancy, which is the average amount a trader can expect to gain (or lose) for each unit of risk.
It’s tempting to get swept up in a market rally and make impulsive decisions. Traders can take a methodical approach to their trading, even in volatile market conditions, by following the trading rules set by their strategy. By adhering to these rules, traders can avoid costly mistakes such as chasing losses or entering into trades without a concrete plan.
Crypto trading bots can monitor the market and execute trades faster than humans. They can also react to changes in the market much more quickly than a person. In a market as volatile as Bitcoin (BTC), getting in or out of a trade just a few seconds sooner might significantly affect the trade’s result.
Crypto bots allow users to trade numerous accounts or different strategies at the same time. By investing in a variety of assets, traders can reduce the likelihood of loss by diversifying their portfolios. What would be incredibly challenging for a human to accomplish is efficiently executed by a computer in milliseconds. Automated crypto trading systems are designed to take advantage of any and all profitable trading opportunities that may arise.
Although automated crypto traders enjoy a variety of benefits, there are a number of drawbacks associated with the practice, including.
When creating an automated trading system from the ground up requires both skills and time. Not to mention, these initial expenses might counteract any gains the system makes. Furthermore, operational costs such as hosting and virtual private server (VPS) services must be paid for regularly to keep the system running smoothly.
Automated trading systems must be monitored on a regular basis for problems such as network outages, software upgrades and unanticipated market events that could disrupt trade execution. These expenses might accumulate over time and reduce profits.
Crypto trading bots are built to follow a set of regulations and can’t adapt to changing market conditions. This rigidity may result in missed possibilities or poor trades.
An automated crypto trading system, like any other system, can suffer from technical problems such as network outages, power outages, and data feed errors. These failures might lead to an order being placed at the incorrect price or quantity, resulting in a loss.
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Citation From the October 6, 2022, edition of Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime
JESSE WATTERS (HOST): So, Fetterman thinks I have the hots for him because I criticized him. He's not my type, obviously. I don't go for guys like that. What do you think it is about this guy? I don't get him.
AINSLEY EARHARDT (GUEST): I think you're telling the truth about his record and he's using Fox to raise money because after he complains, he says, "Give $10 to my campaign." Let me tell you his record that you have talked about most nights. Drugs, he wants taxpayers to pay for injection sites. Abortions, no restrictions. The border, he supports sanctuary cities. Fracking, he called for a moratorium on fracking. This is Pennsylvania's economy. Their economy is fracking. He's against voter IDs. He advocated for reducing the prison population by a third, Jesse as lieutenant governor when he oversaw the board of pardons. He's called to prosecute executives of oil and food companies, and that was in the Times Leader.
Geno Smith has been good over the first month of the season but if the Seahawks are in position to take a franchise QB they'll provide it serious consideration. Levis is coming off a tough loss vs. Ole Miss, but NFL teams are much higher on how Levis' skills translate to the next level than the media.
Quarterback could be in play here, too, but Davis Mills has a chance to be a good NFL starter. If Texans stay with Mills, Anderson is a layup. He's the best defensive player to come out of Alabama in the Nick Saban era, and possibly No. 2 all time behind only Derrick Thomas.
Richardson is raw -- he attempted just 68 passes in 2021 -- and through four games this season we've seen the highs (Utah, Arkansas) and the lows (Kentucky, South Florida). But what's important to remember is that he's going to get better -- likely a lot better, and he's already doing things with the football that very few people on this planet would even consider.
The Jets have one of the NFL's worst defenses, and while this could be a prove-it year for Zach Wilson, it's more likely the team addresses needs elsewhere with a high pick. Enter Carter, who has been hobbled by an ankle injury early in the Bulldogs season, but he was arguably the best player on the '21 Georgia defense, a group that had eight players drafted.
The Georgia-to-first-round pipeline continues. A year after five Bulldogs went in Round 1, expect a handful this time around, too. Ringo is a long, physical corner who has matched up against some of the best players in the country. The Bears beefed up the secondary with early picks last spring, and perhaps offensive line or wide receiver would be better targets, just not this high.
If you told us Sam Darnold was wearing a Baker Mayfield mask to start the season we would believe you because the results have been the same. And maybe that's more a knock on the offense, in general, and not the QB. Either way, it's hard to imagine owner David Tepper doesn't finally address the position this offseason, and if C.J. Stroud is available, it's easy to imagine him being the pick.
This offensive line class isn't deep but Skoronski has gotten off to a strong start to the '22 season. He was dominant vs. Nebraska in the opener and has continued to dominate throughout September. Washington's O-line has struggled at times and if the team is happy with Carson Wentz, protecting him should be a priority.
Murphy won't be 21 until next spring and while we'd like to see him play with more consistency ... he won't be 21 until next spring. On top of that, when he's on, he's hard to stop, which makes him such an interesting prospect. The Steelers defense has been stuck in neutral since T.J. Watt went down, and adding more depth to the position seems prudent here, especially if there isn't an O-line target they like on the board.
Jeffrey Okudah is healthy for the first time in his NFL career and looks every bit like a top-5 selection. There's still room to add a another top-flight corner as the Lions go about reshaping their defense around young players Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jeff Okudah at all three levels.
Whichever wide receiver you like best, put him here. The Patriots did draft Tyquan Thornton in Round 2 but he's missed the start of the season with an injury. Maybe he returns and transforms an offense that lacks downfield playmakers. But even if that does happen, Mac Jones would no doubt still welcome the chance for more dynamism in the passing offense.
We get Boogie Basham vibes watching Wilson, who is long and thick. He's a high-motor player who consistently finds his way into the backfield, and in Las Vegas he'll beef up a defense that has been exposed during the first four weeks of the '22 campaign.
Young would be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick if he was, say, two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. There's a lot to love about his game but some NFL teams are concerned about his size and durability. But as the old saying goes, it only takes one, and Young is undoubtedly a first-round talent who could easily find his way into the top 10.
The Eagles have few holes but perhaps they could use some depth at the safety position. Johnson flies around the field like he's shot out of a cannon, looks to run through the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage, and is a wrap-up tackler in space. He can line up in deep center field or near the line of scrimmage and that versatility makes him one of the best defensive backs in this class.
The Titans miss A.J. Brown. Rookie Treylon Burks (who was injured on Sunday) has been good, but he could use a running mate. Boutte put up impressive numbers in '20 and '21, despite the lack of consistent QB play in LSU, but make no mistake: he's one of the best wideouts in this class.
Is a running back worth a top-half-of-the-first-round selection? Yeah, we think so, especially when that player is Robinson and he's going to an offense like Arizona's, where he could take some of the pressure off Kyler Murray, who spends most Sundays running for his life. Robinson is part Adrian Peterson, Derek Henry and Shaun Alexander, but he's also a threat as a receiver.
Hey, look at that, the Jags are really good! And paying Christian Kirk and Zay Jones those big-money deals appear to be the right call. Adding Mayer gives Lawrence another downfield weapon, especially with Evan Engram currently playing on a one-year deal.
The Texans bolstered the defense by taking Anderson with the No. 2 pick above, and here they provide Mills some much-needed help at wide receiver. Addison is off to a strong start for the Trojans, and it's easy to see him having early success in the NFL, too.
Gonzalez, a Colorado transfer, is a big-time athlete who is still growing into the position. He has the size, strength and speed to line up against NFL wide receivers, who needs to Excellerate in run support.
Branch isn't the first name you hear about when the conversation turns to Alabama's defense, but maybe he should be. He left Saturday's win over Arkansas before halftime because of an injury, but when he's healthy, he's on the field for just about every snap. He's a sure tackler, can blitz off the edge, and is solid in coverage, and if Saban trusts him, that's all you need to know about his NFL prospects.
Ojulari, whose brother played at Georgia and plays for the Giants, is off to a strong start for the Tigers. He has 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in his last two games against Mississippi State and Auburn, and he has many of the same explosive qualities that made his brother so hard to block for the Bulldogs. Ojulari could end up being better than his brother, and that's saying something.
Seattle found its franchise QB at the top of the draft and here it adds edge rusher Smith. Smith is listed at just 235 pounds so he'll need to add weight, but he's also scratching the surface on what he'll be able to do at the next level.
Torrence transferred from Louisiana and didn't miss a beat. He's been dominant for Florida and in Cincinnati, the Bengals should make fixing the O-line an offseason priority until they get it right.
Johnson is a consistently good run blocker, but his pass protection needs refinement. That said, his athleticism jumps off the screen and it's not every day you find a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman who can move the way he does.
Simpson's athleticism is what immediately gets your attention, and in today's NFL, where sideline-to-sideline speed coupled with the ability to blow up the ball carrier is at a premium, Simpson is easy to like.
After addressing the secondary earlier in this mock draft, the Lions beef up the defensive line here with Ika, who is a one-man pocket collapser. Related: We're now living in a world where the Lions have legit playmakers at the skill position, a really good offensive line, and a QB they trust. If they can shore up a few of the holes on defense, this feels like a playoff team in the near future.
Jones is a former five-star who is off to a strong start this season for the Bulldogs. The Ravens have had injuries along their O-line but either way, Jones has the talent to be a longtime starter in the league.
Fashanu is short on experience but it's hard not to love the potential based on what we've seen so far. The Packers could be a team in transition if Aaron Rodgers retires in the offseason but whoever ends up under center in '23 will benefit from the addition of Fashanu.
Two running backs went in the first round in 2021 (Najee Harris and Travis Etienne) so it has happened recently, but that '21 class feels more like an anomaly than a trend. Whatever happens, you can't ignore what Gibbs, a Georgia Tech transfer, has done for Alabama. Look no further than Saturday's game against Arkansas, where Gibbs took over after Bryce Young left with a shoulder injury. When it was over, Gibbs rushed for more than 206 yards (with two runs of more than 70 yards) and two scores.
The Eagles double-down on defense in this mock draft, first adding a big-hitting safety in Johnson and here getting an edge rusher in Foskey. He can line up all over the field, from a seven technique to weakside linebacker to middle linebacker in subpackages. Foskey is a high-end athlete and chess piece who is still learning the position.
Johnston has gotten off to a slow start in '22 but he's an above-the-rim playmaker whose athleticism and contested-catch abilities reminds us of Chase Claypool.
Sanders is a former five-star who transferred from Alabama after the 2021 season and all he's done is dominate for the Razorbacks. He was an edge rusher for the Crimson Tide but he lines up all over the defense for Arkansas and he's been a one-man wrecking crew when he's on the field.
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Keep up with important Bills and NFL news and decisions here in our NFL Tracker
The Buffalo Bills are saying goodbye to one of their reserve linebackers ...
As the Buffalo Bills built toward what they hope is a Super season … Keep up with important Bills and NFL news and decisions here in our NFL Tracker …
OCT 17 LB RELEASED Linebacker Andre Smith has been released by the Buffalo Bills.
Smith was suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Smith has bounced between the practice squad and the main roster for the last two seasons, playing 12 games in 2020, but just one game in 2021.
OCT 12 DL SIGNED Defensive tackle Brandin Bryant is back with the Buffalo Bills. It’s a one-year deal for Bryant, who was released prior to Buffalo’s latest 38-3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of a roster shuffle necessitated by injury issues.
He has played three games this season.
Also the Bills cut cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram on Tuesday.
OCT 11 KC WATCH Yes, the Buffalo Bills are aware of the fact that the Chiefs can do this.
The Chiefs on Monday Night Football came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Raiders, 3029, with QB Patrick Mahomes and his offense scoring on five straight possessions to key the win ... and with four of those scores coming on record-setting Travis Kelce touchdown catches.
Sunday's meeting - a playoff rematch - has long been a circle-the-calendar event. What the Chiefs just did on MNF, with KC and Buffalo now both 4-1, intensifies the thing ... if that is even possible.
OCT 9 GABE TD! It's the longest play in the NFL this season, and it happened about as quickly as they come.
Bills standout Gabe Davis has been dealing with an ankle issue but he opened up Sunday by hooking up with QB Josh Allen to dig Buffalo out of a first-possession hole for the long TD and the 10-0 lead to start against visiting Pittsburgh.
OCT 1 GABE'S GOOD? “I’m playing Sunday.”
That doesn't mean the receiver's ankle is fully healed, but Bills standout Gabe Davis plans to play against the Ravens on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Bills are also holding out hope that their secondary can get a boost with the possible return of Dane Jackson (neck) and Jordan Poyer (foot). More here as we get you ready for Bills at Ravens ..
SEPT 29 GABE DAVIS OUT OF PRACTICE The Baltimore Ravens defense might have some soft spots when it comes to guarding perimeter receivers. ... all the more reason Gabe Davis is surely willing to do anything to play on Sunday.
But he was not able to practice on Thursday.
Davis has been dealing with an ankle injury that caused him miss Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, though he was able to play through the issue in Week 3 at Miami.
SEPT 28 WILLIAMS OUT Daryl Williams as potential O-line help for his old Bills buddies? Great idea … But for one problem …
As Matt Parrino writes: “It appears the former tackle/guard has called it a career. He just created new IG account for a business he’s named “Trench Mob Academy” to train o-linemen. It says he’s retired.”
That explains that.
SEPT 27 X MARKS THE SPOT?
The Bills on Monday talked of looking in-house for solutions in the secondary in the wake of an injury onslaught.
That didn’t last long.
On Tuesday, the Bills are hosting veteran corner Xavier Rhodes, as first noted by NFL Network.
The 6-1, 210-pound Rhodes, 32, was a Vikings first-round pick in 2013 and is a three-time Pro Bowler.
SEPT 24 HYDE TO IR
Word comes Saturday morning from agent Jack Bechta: “Unfortunately, client Micah Hyde will be put on IR today due to his latest neck injury. Fortunately, we expect a healthy return for 2023.”
Buffalo has major injury problems on defense as it readies for Week 3 Sunday at Miami … but this represents a long-term issue for the Super Bowl hopeful.
SEPT 20 BEAS TO BUCS
Veteran wide receiver Cole Beasley, ever since his offseason release from the Buffalo Bills in a contract dispute, has maintained that he had NFL offers in his pocket. And now we know more: The former Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys standout is signing with Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Bucs.
“I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank man,” Beasley recently tweeted, and the Buccaneers - who will start him practice squad before soon being elevated to the active roster, per NFL Network - obviously agree.
According to the report, Buccaneers quarterback Brady was involved in the push to sign Beasley, who in his last two seasons in Buffalo caught 82 balls in each.
SEP 19 BILLS ELEVATE DT CJ BREWER
The Buffalo Bills have elevated defensive tackle CJ Brewer ahead of Monday night's game against the Tennessee Titans.
Brewer, an undrafted free agent from Coastal Carolina, received minimal attention out of college, but found his way to a rookie mini camp tryout with the Bills this spring.
Brewer clawed his way up the depth chart to be elevated from the practice squad tonight. With Brewer elevated, it likely means that defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Tim Settle won't play, meaning he could have a chance to make some contributions in his NFL debut.
SEP 17 DIGGS FINED AFTER FIGHT WITH RAMSEY
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was fined $10,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct after taunting Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey during a touchdown celebration in Week 1's win.
The fine comes as a slight surprise considering there was no penalty flag issued to Diggs during the game.
Cornerback Dane Johnson was also fined $4,972 for taunting.
SEP 16 COLE BEASLEY EYES NFL RETURN
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley is a free agent, but that may not last much longer.
According to Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson, Beasley is choosing to wait for a contender to need his services and call him sometime during the season.
Beasley caught 82 passes for 693 yards and one touchdown last season, proving that he can be productive for one of the league's best offenses.
While that return likely won't be in Buffalo, there's an expectation floating around the league that Beasley will be on an NFL roster at some point this season.
SEP 4 CAPTAINS NAMED
The Buffalo Bills have announced their captains this season, a total of nine leaders getting the honor. The names:
Offense: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Mitch Morse.
Defense: Von Miller, Tremaine Edmunds, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer.
Special Teams: Tyler Matakevich, Taiwan Jones.
SEP 1 BILLS NAME 13 TO PRACTICE SQUAD
The Buffalo Bills have named 13 players to their initial practice squad, most of whom were cut ahead of the 53-man roster. Here's a look at the practice squad ...
QB Matt Barkley
OL Greg Mancz
OL Alec Anderson
RB Raheem Blackshear
RB Duke Johnson
WR Tavon Austin
WR Tanner Gentry
WR Isaiah Hodgins
DE Mike Love
DT Brandin Bryant
DT C.J. Brewer
LB Joe Giles-Harris
DB Ja'Marcus Ingram
The practice squad used to be reserved for young players only, but this team features several veterans including quarterback Matt Barkley, wide receiver Tavon Austin and running back Duke Johnson.
Adding these veterans signals that the Bills want as much veteran experience as possible going into the season and value that as they hope to hoist the Lombardi Trophy this year.
AUG 30 BILLS DOWN TO INITIAL 53 The Buffalo Bills have released 17 players to reach their first 53-man roster in preparation for the 2022 season.
QB Matt Barkley
OL Greg Mancz, Luke Tenuta, Alec Anderson
RB Duke Johnson, Raheem Blackshear
WR Tanner Gentry, Isaiah Hodgins
TE O.J. Howard
DE Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan
DT Brandin Bryant, Prince Emili, C.J. Brewer
LB Joe Giles-Harris
DB Nick McCloud, Ja'Marcus Ingram
Cornerback Tre’Davious White was also placed on the Reserve/PUP list, while linebacker Andre Smith was placed on the Reserve/Suspended list.
Defensive tackle Eli Ankou was waived with an injury settlement.
AUG 30 BILLS CUT PRESEASON STANDOUTS Buffalo is releasing veteran wideout Isaiah Hodgins (per Joe Miller) and undrafted running back Raheem Blackshear, per Adam Schefter.
2020 sixth-round pick Hodgins recorded 124 receiving yards on 16 receptions but was ultimately crowded out of a strong receiving corps.
Blackshear was a real surprise this preseason with 24 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns, receiving for a further 93 yards on eight receptions. As was the case with Hodgins, Blackshear fell victim to a deep running back room.
AUG 30 VETERAN WIDEOUT RELEASED The Bills are releasing veteran wide receiver Tanner Gentry, per Aaron Wilson.
This move leaves the Bills with eight active wide receivers.
AUG 30 OJ AND DUKE ARE OUT Buffalo is releasing veteran running back Duke Johnson, per an ESPN report - which means Zack Moss isn't getting traded.
Nor is OJ Howard getting traded, as the vet newcomer is also being released.
AUG 29 ROSTER TRIMMING BEGINS As the Buffalo Bills begin to trim their roster to hit the 53-man marker by Tuesday, the first six to go have been named.
Offensive lineman Jacob Capra, undrafted offensive lineman Tanner Owen, undrafted receiver Neil Pau'u, undrafted defensive end Daniel Joseph, cornerback Jordan Miller, and safety Josh Thomas were all waived on Monday morning.
Punter Matt Araiza was waived on Saturday after allegations came out alleging his involvement in the gang rape of a 17-year-old while at San Diego State last October.
The Bills worked out punters Joseph Charlton, Ty Long, Tyler Newsome, and Michael Palardy on Sunday. They also reached out to former Pro Bowl punter Marquette King.
Oh, and as predicted, the Titans just cut Brett Kern, the Pro Bowler and Buffalo-area native.
We say there’s your guy.
AUG 25 CAP ROOM MOVE Bills GM Brandon Beane said a financial move would happen, and now it has: Buffalo has restructured the contract of left tackle Dion Dawkins, converting the bulk of his $8.13 million base salary into a signing bonus.
This is a bookkeeping issue, not a "sacrifice'' on anybody's part. But in the end, the Bills gain $5.6 million in cap room.
AUG 22 BILLS CUT TAVON AUSTIN
As the Bills shrink their roster down to 80 players ahead of Tuesday's deadline, 10-year veteran wide receiver Tavon Austin was cut early Monday morning.
Austin, the 8th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, hasn't exactly lived to his pre-draft expectations but he has stayed on in the league for a decade with his speed and versatility.
Unfortunately for Austin, he was competing against a talented Bills receiving corps headlined by Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, meaning his opportunities to shine were limited.
AUG 18 MCDERMOTT SPEAKS ON KNOX PASSING
News broke on Thursday morning of the sudden passing of 22-year-old Luke Knox, the younger brother of Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. A linebacker and tight end for Ole Miss and Florida International University, his death was announced by FIU coach Mike MacIntyre.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke of the tragic news on Thursday morning.
"Our hearts go out to Dawson and his family at this time, and we’re right there with him and supporting him and his family," coach McDermott said. "Just tragic news that I woke up to this morning. We love him and we support him and just unfortunate news this morning."
The cause of death has not been revealed.
AUG 16 CUTS MADE The Bills are already thinning out the roster just one preseason game in. Buffalo has released cornerback Tim Harris and linebacker Marquel Lee.
Harris, 27, was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round (198th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft and was in his second stint with the Bills. He was initially signed to a one-year deal on August 24, 2021, but was waived on August 30, 2021.
Lee, 26, was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round (168th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft and was also making his second trip to Bills camp, having signed on March 31, 2021. He was released on August 31, 2021.
AUG 7 FB SIGNS The Bills are signing fullback Reggie Gilliam to a two-year extension worth up to $5.2 million, as first reported by NFL Network. The deal keeps the former UDFA from entering restricted free agency next spring.
AUG 5 FORMER BILL KIKO ALONSO SIGNS WITH SAINTS Former Buffalo Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso is back in the NFL after signing a contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Alonso last played in the NFL (and for the Saints) in 2019. He spent 2020 on the sidelines with injuries and went unsigned in 2021.
Alonso was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and played two seasons in Buffalo before he was traded in 2015 for running back LeSean McCoy.
AUG 2 DOLPHINS PUNISHED The NFL has just came down hard on the Miami Dolphins over the subject of tampering. .. and for general violations of "integrity of the game.''
The team, a Buffalo Bills' foe in the AFC East, will forfeit a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft and a third-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft after the investigation into tampering.
Owner Stephen Ross is suspended through October 17 and has been fined $1.5 million.
JULY 30 DID BILLS DB JUST RETIRE?
The Bills released cornerback Travon Fuller with a waived/left team designation today. He’s free to be claimed by any team, but a source tells reporter Ryan Talbot that "Fuller appears to be done with football.''
The 6-1, 180-pound Fuller finished at Tulsa last year and signed with Buffalo as a UDFA.
He was moved to make room for Jordan Miller (6-2, 190), who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and was most recently with the Saints.
JULY 25 BILLS SIGN RESERVE GUARD
The Buffalo Bills have added a body to the offensive line room, signing guard Jordan Simmons on Monday, per Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson.
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017 by the Raiders, Simmons eventually made his way into the rotation for the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 and 2020, playing in 20 games and starting nine. He did not play in 2019.
Simmons then moved on to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he played in five games in 2021.
JULY 24 JOSH ALLEN LOOKALIKE
The Buffalo Bills are back in training camp, fortified by the presence of two Josh Allens. ... Well, actually, a fan who dressed out like the Bills QB, helmet and all.
The Bills' camp tickets are hard to get, so this fella is fortunate in many ways. He's got his pass. He's got his team. And he's ready to be inserted into the workout if coach Sean McDermott calls on him.
JULY 24 WHITE & SAFFOLD MOVES
The entire squad has reported to camp for Bills, per head coach Sean McDermott, who also announced some moves and offered updates.
Guard Rodger Saffold will begin camp on the NFI list after injuring his ribs in a car accident.
Ike Boettger and Eli Ankou will also begin camp on the PUP list.
Additionally, star safety Jordan Poyer, vying for a new contract, is present and McDermott says he’ll be participating today.
JUNE 24 AGENT PRESENT
Safety Jordan Poyer has said all the right things as he is vying for a new contract, and in addition to being at camp on Sunday ... his agent Drew Rosenhaus is also present. Read here for the latest.
JUNE 24 GREAT EXPECTATIONS What does McDermott think of the "white noise'' of Bills expectations? Not much, as you can read here.
2021 camp …
Nearly two hours after the 4 p.m. deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players on Tuesday, the Bills announced their roster moves, which included the jettisoning of tight end Jacob Hollister and long snapper Reid Ferguson, though the Ferguson release was simply a procedural move, general manager Brandon Beane confirmed Wednesday.
Wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins also was the odd man out in an outstanding battle for the final wide receiver spot that was won by Jake Kumerow.
Here's how everything has transpired so far:
The Bills on Wednesday announced a 15-man practice squad composed entirely of players they cut and made no waiver claims whatsoever for players to fill any spots on their active roster.
Those decisions are the best indicator of how strong general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott believe the collection of players they've assembled this year are.
The 15: Quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Davis Webb, offensive linemen Jack Anderson and Jamil Douglas, running back Antonio Williams, wide receivers Isaiah Hodgins and Tanner Gentry, tight end Quintin Morris, linebacker Joe Giles-Harris, defensive end Mike Love, defensive tackle Brandin Bryant, safety Josh Thomas and cornerbacks Olaijah Griffin, Cam Lewis and Rachad Wildgoose.
This leaves room for one more player.
The team officially moved to re-sign Ferguson to the active roster after announcing rookie wide receiver Marquez Stevenson will be placed on the injured reserve list.
In their most surprising move, at least on the surface, the Bills have released TE Jacob Hollister.
However, because he's a vested veteran and not subject to the waiver process, they could well have a handshake agreement to re-sign him after some players land on the injured reserve list.
Reports of many others being let go have trickled in well before the deadline.
Safety Josh Thomas is one of them.
Also cut on Tuesday were LB Joe Giles-Harris, CB Cam Lewis (originally reported by Matt Parino), WR Steven Sims, TE Nate Becker, RB Antonio Williams, TE Quintin Morris, WR Tanner Gentry, OL Jack Anderson and G Jamil Douglas.
The Bills began to reduce their logjam at defensive end by trading Darryl Johnson to the Carolina Panthers
This was after they cut RB Kerrith Whyte, WR Brandon Powell, and CB Tim Harris.
Two players, DT Treyvon Hester and DE Bryan Cox Jr., are on injured reserve.
The Bills have a long way to go before their season opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 12. So their roster could be altered numerous times before then.
But for now ...
QUARTERBACK (2): Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Emmanuel Sanders, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie and Jake Kumerow.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Dion Dawkins, Jon Feliciano, Mitch Morse, Cody Ford, Daryl Williams, Spencer Brown, Tommy Doyle, Ryan Bates and Ike Boettger.
TIGHT END (2): Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney.
RUNNING BACK (5): Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, Matt Breida, Reggie Gilliam and Taiwan Jones.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5): Star Lotulelei, Ed Oliver, Vernon Butler, Harrison Phillips and Justin Zimmer.
DEFENSIVE END (6): Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, A.J. Epenesa, Greg Rousseau, Efe Obada and Carlos Basham.
LINEBACKER (6): Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, A.J. Klein, Tyler Matakevich, Tyrel Dodson and Andre Smith.
CORNERBACK (5): Tre'Davious White, Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson and Dane Jackson and Siran Neal.
SAFETY (4): Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Damar Hamlin and Jaquan Johnson.
KICKER (1): Tyler Bass.
PUNTER (1): Matt Haack.
LONG SNAPPER (1): Reid Ferguson.
Doctors and law enforcement are waiting for the South Carolina Supreme Court to rule whether the state’s ban on most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy is allowed by the constitution.
The “fetal heartbeat” law, which Gov. Henry McMaster signed last year, bans most abortions after the detection of fetal cardiac activity, which generally occurs around six weeks — before many women know they’re pregnant. The law went into effect in South Carolina from June 27 to Aug. 17, when the state Supreme Court suspended it pending review of a challenge from Planned Parenthood and Greenville Women’s Clinic on whether it violates privacy, equal protection and due process rights.
That means abortion remains legal through 5½ months until the justices rule differently.
A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 19. It's unknown how long it will take for the justices — four men and one woman — to make a ruling.
In documents filed with the court, Planned Parenthood and other plaintiffs argue the law violates “unreasonable invasions of … personal privacy” provided in the state constitution. They state that pregnancy can create new or aggravate existing health problems for the pregnant patient, and women who carry unwanted pregnancies to term face economic hardships after the baby is born.
Therefore, they argue, the matter should be a private decision between women, their families and their health care providers. They also contend the law discriminates against women by targeting health care that only applies to them, not men.
Rep. John McCravy (left), R-Greenwood, and House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, talk before the House session at the South Carolina Statehouse on Sept. 27, 2022, in Columbia. The legislature's attempts to further restrict abortion have likely failed this year, but doctors and women's advocates say they are uncertain how the current law will affect health care and law enforcement in the state. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
“The state’s decision to promote its interest in fetal life by conscripting unwilling women into the role of mother and caregiver, while simultaneously subjecting those women to increased health risks, impermissibly codifies … outdated stereotypes about women being naturally suited — even destined — for motherhood, caregiving, and domestic toil, and it subordinates women,” the complaint states.
But the Attorney General’s Office, in filings representing the state, said the section on privacy in the constitution referred to protecting citizens from electronic surveillance. It says the constitution never explicitly mentions abortion, therefore a right to one doesn't exist.
“The further restrictions on abortion access are plainly reasonable in light of the state’s legitimate and compelling interest in protecting the life of the unborn,” the response states. “By restricting elective abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, the state is advancing a compelling interest in (that) protection.”
In light of the hearing, The Post and Courier reached out to doctors, attorneys and nonprofits dealing with women’s issues throughout the state to discuss the law and the impact it could have on women’s health and family life if it goes into effect.
The number of abortions performed in South Carolina has increased over the last few years, with 6,279 in 2021, after hitting a four-decade low of 4,646 in 2018, according to the state's public health agency.
In 2019, about 21 percent of abortions occurred at or before the six-week mark, according to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which (unlike the state) breaks down data by gestational age.
Before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, prosecutors had no reason to involve themselves in those cases. But South Carolina's law making it a felony for doctors to perform many abortions — with doctors facing fines and possibly jail, if convicted — brings solicitors and law enforcement back into the issue, said Miller Shealy, a professor at the Charleston School of Law whose specialty is criminal law and procedure.
That puts doctors and prosecutors in entirely new territory, Shealy said.
“There’s not a physician, I daresay, practicing that has … any practical memory of what it was like before 1973," he said. "Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania v. Casey just kept this from being an issue. So now physicians have to be trained on an entirely different area of the law."
The South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination, a training and resource organization for prosecutors, has been keeping solicitors' offices updated on the law's status, said Andrea Sancho-Baker, the commission's director of business services and communication, in an email to The Post and Courier. If the law goes into effect, the commission will provide training on it, which she said is "standard practice for all newly enacted or recently amended criminal laws."
If the now-suspended law goes into effect, a number of things could happen, Shealy said.
Depending on how zealous a solicitor might be, law enforcement could search medical offices and question health care employees if there are allegations a physician performed an illegal abortion, which could run up against privacy concerns. There's also the matter of solicitors understanding the nuances of reproductive health care well enough to make an argument in a case. If, for example, they were trying to argue a doctor performed an abortion when it wasn't medically necessary, they would likely have to call expert witnesses who would be able to explain complex medical issues to a jury, he said.
These are things that could be ironed out over time but create confusion and uncertainty in the interim, Shealy said.
"It's like anything else: Who wants to go first and find out?" he said.
Proponents of abortion access argue that women who want to end a pregnancy will travel to states where it is legal if they're able. In the few weeks the fetal heartbeat law was in effect, more than 60 percent of out-of-state patients seeking abortions at North Carolina Planned Parenthood clinics were from South Carolina, according to data provided by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
Prosecutors have discretion in what felonies they prosecute and how, so there is potential for the law to be enforced one way in one part of the state and a different way somewhere else, Shealy said.
That concerns some doctors, like Dr. Amy Crockett, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Greenville who also serves as chair of the South Carolina section of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
“To have the ambiguity in there, it is confusing about what is going to be enforced or how it is going to be enforced,” she said. “And it could be different in different counties if it is not clear.
"None of us want to go to jail. We want to take good care of our patients. We want to do our best to follow the law. Vague language makes that hard for us to do.”
Dr. Jeff Gray prepares retrieved eggs to be frozen in the lab at Coastal Fertility certified in Mount Pleasant on Sept. 27, 2022. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff
It's another concern laid out in the plaintiffs’ argument, which calls the exception “unconstitutionally vague.” It says doctors and patients should be able to make medical plans based on the patient’s health risk factors.
The law allows an abortion in a "medical emergency," defined as one necessary, as per the doctor's "good faith judgment," to avert the mother's death or "serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function." The same language is in the 2016 law that banned abortions past 5 ½ months, which was never challenged.
But opponents of last year's law argue the definition is far too ambiguous.
“The Death or Permanent Injury Exception thwarts this individualized medical decision-making process by forcing doctors to guess whether a patient’s individual medical situation suffices for purpose of the exception, with the threat of criminal penalties if they guess incorrectly,” the complaint argues.
That particular exception also has implications for patients of Dr. Michael Slowey, founding partner of Coastal Fertility certified in Mount Pleasant, which provides in vitro fertilization options, among other services, for families.
The law does not affect IVF, which is legal in South Carolina. But many of the women who come to his practice are at higher risk of having fetal anomalies or other complications that tests may not detect until later in the pregnancy, usually in the second trimester.
Dr. Jeff Gray places eggs from a patient of Dr. Michael Slowey (right) to be frozen in the lab at Coastal Fertility certified in Mount Pleasant on Sept. 27, 2022. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff
Slowey believes those families “should be given the choice of what they need to do,” with some choosing to go forward with the pregnancy and others not, he said.
Crockett has seen firsthand what can happen when doctors must wait before deciding whether to terminate a pregnancy during a medical emergency. Before the overturn of Roe v. Wade, she had a patient who suffered a premature loss of placenta. The patient wanted to wait for her deployed husband to fly home from the Middle East before making a decision. The wait resulted in the patient developing sepsis and ending up on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit. The patient needed a hysterectomy to get all of the infection.
While speaking to legislators over the summer, Crockett said doctors are having a hard time getting straight answers about the medical exceptions from attorneys.
But not all doctors think the law is too vague. Dr. Michael Watkins, director of the Carolina Pregnancy Center, told legislators it is extremely rare for pregnant patients to face such severe medical emergencies.
Watkins said both the pregnant woman and the fetus are doctors’ patients, not just the mother.
“Baby is alive from conception,” Watkins, an abortion foe, told The Post and Courier. “It may be only a couple of cells, but they are living cells.”
South Carolina has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the country.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the state saw just under 29 deaths per 100,000 births between 2018 and 2020. That's seventh highest in the nation. The U.S. average was 20 deaths per 100,000 births.
Abortion restrictions only complicate that problem, said Dawn Bingham, South Carolina's vice chair of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an abortion rights advocate who unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for state Senate in 2020.
Rep. Gilda Cobb Hunter proposes amendments during a House session on the Senate’s changes to an abortion ban at the South Carolina State House on Sept. 27, 2022, in Columbia. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
“You are forcing people to take on that risk for themselves without giving them (an) option,” Bingham said.
She and other proponents of abortion choice say the law, if it goes into effect, will adversely affect Black women — who are overrepresented in the state's high maternal mortality numbers — as well as other women of color and low-income women who may not be able to travel out of state for abortions.
The Post and Courier previously reported on the state's shortage of OBGYNs, particularly in rural areas. The vast majority of the state's 604 licensed OBGYNs are clustered around Charleston, Columbia and Greenville. Fewer than 8 percent practice in rural areas.
The infant mortality rate is 35 percent higher in South Carolina's rural counties, where nine out of every 1,000 infants die before their first birthday.
Ann Warner, executive director of South Carolina Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network, posited abortion restrictions could result in qualified physicians leaving the state rather than risk running afoul of the law, aggravating those problems.
“Medical students and residents will choose either not to get training here in South Carolina or leave as soon as they can,” she said.
Watkins, with Carolina Pregnancy Center, said the law would only affect health care providers who perform abortions, which most in the state don't do in the first place.
There are three women's clinics that provide abortion in the state: two operated by Planned Parenthood in Charleston and Columbia, and the Greenville Women's Clinic in Greenville.
National standards for obstetrics and gynecology residency programs include training on abortion and other family planning techniques, though residents may opt out of the training if they have moral or religious objections.
That's the way it works at the Medical University of South Carolina, and that has not changed with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, spokesperson Heather Woolwine said in a statement to The Post and Courier.
Other residency programs The Post and Courier reached out to either said the programs would comply with federal law or declined to comment.
Maura Turcotte, Zharia Jeffries and Adam Parker contributed to this report.
Starting baseball practice at 10 p.m. took some getting used to, but Edgewood College senior Cooper Holewinski has adjusted.
He’s not the only one that’s had to: It’s a similar situation for athletes in all of the college’s outdoor sports programs.
Without adequate practice facilities on campus, student athletes drive significant distances to practice and play on others’ fields.
Holewinski’s baseball team, for example, plays 15 minutes away at Stampfl Field in Verona. During the colder months it practices 30 minutes away in the other direction, at GRB Academy in Windsor.
Practices often start early in the morning or late at night, when others aren’t using the borrowed practice fields.
But Edgewood College hopes a new athletics complex will solve a lot of those problems.
In early September, Edgewood purchased a former dairy farm in Fitchburg, a 40-acre parcel 5 miles from campus, for $774,000. There, the college hopes to build a new athletic facility, covering 70% of the land with athletic fields and a wellness center. The rest would revert to what the parcel was in the 1930s, when it was a wetland before it became a pasture for dairy cattle.
Edgewood College plans to build a new athletic complex and wellness center on this site along the Badger State Trail in Fitchburg, 5 miles from campus. Thirty percent of the 40-acre former dairy farm would revert back the wetland it was in the 1930s, before it became a pasture for livestock.
It’s an opportunity for the college, tightly land-locked in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood, to bring together most of its sports teams, which now compete around Dane County up to half an hour away from campus, athletic director Al Brisack said.
“We won’t be growing crops anymore, but we’ll be growing young adults,” he said. The complex should be a place “where we can just take all of our sports that currently are outside, move them all into one place, create a space where all their trainings are there, their supports are there, their competitions are there.”
The planned complex would provide both practice and competition sites for most of Edgewood’s outdoor teams, with the possibility of the college’s indoor teams having a space inside the proposed building.
The benefits of a new complex aren’t limited to having a regular schedule or a single place to go, Holewinski said.
“If we’re practicing in the fall and there’s a soccer game going on right next door, we can celebrate with our soccer team,” Holewinski said. “Having a field is great and all, but having the ability to be a closer athletic community, even though we already have a great one, that’s what I would look forward to with this new complex coming up.”
Draft design documents include an indoor athletics facility that might house practice fields and a sports rehabilitation department; outdoors, a soccer stadium could double as a lacrosse field and a track nestled between baseball and softball fields and a set of tennis courts.
Edgewood College intends to finalize its designs and cost projections by early 2023 and launch a public fundraising campaign next summer, Brisack said.
No fundraising numbers or construction timelines have been set, Brisack said, noting that the college could work on a project of this scope for a decade, with multiple phases.
“I think there is an appetite here on our campus, and with our folks, to cut that (timeframe) in half,” he said.
With the planned complex 5 miles away, students would still have to carpool to practices and games. But they’d have their own dedicated facility.
Right now, the college’s outdoor teams rely on a network of rental agreements and municipal partnerships in order to practice and play.
But Edgewood College simply has no room to build outdoor athletics facilities on campus, Brisack said.
Academic buildings and dorms fill almost all of the campus’s 55 acres. Edgewood High School and its football field border Edgewood College to the north, and the southern border edges up against Lake Wingra.
“As we’ve grown our athletic department, that’s created more of an impact on ... our student athletes,” he said. “We’re only going to get bigger, we’re only going to add things, and we need space. We need more room and it’s not going to happen here.”
The only sports that practice on Edgewood College’s campus are its four indoor teams, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, which use the Edgedome. Even that facility has its share of scheduling problems, with students practicing until 1 a.m.
The Edgedome consists of a single gymnasium with bleachers on one side of the wall and an upstairs balcony that doubles as a lunchroom for Edgewood Campus School students.
The Edgedome on the campus of Edgewood College can accommodate the practices of just four of the school's sports teams — men's and women's basketball and volleyball — with students practicing until 1 a.m.
Haylee Kasuboski, a junior softball player, said her team’s practices typically start at 5 a.m. or 9 p.m. at UW-Madison, depending on when facilities are available.
“We have to go by their terms,” she said. “Honestly, at first, I absolutely hated it, but once you ... be optimistic about it, having softball in the morning, and then being able to focus on school at night is very important.”
Moving sports to a new complex could open up opportunities at the Monroe Street campus, Brisack said, such as turning parking lots into green space or designating the Edgedome as general recreation space.
“It’s going to create some dreaming about ‘What do we look like for the next generation of college students coming here?’, as well as just giving us that elbow room, that breathing space to be able say, ‘It’s OK to dream right now, because we’re not confined,’” Brisack said.
The land will also allow Edgewood College’s environmental science students to watch a wetland come back to life.
The college plans to contract with a company for the wetland restoration near the Badger State Trail, Environmental Studies Chair Jake Griffin said. But the hope is that students will see a real-world example of urban development existing alongside nature.
It’ll be educational for the public, too, Griffin said. There are plans to place signage along walking and bike paths about the history of the land.
“It’s a real-world laboratory there, and the fact that it’s starting from scratch is really kind of exciting,” Griffin said. “A lot of times these projects are trying to retrofit into a different building, or you kind of have limitations based on what’s already existing when you start. In here, it’s an open field, so it really has the potential to be anything.”
A third of UW-Madison’s COVID-19 cases for the entire school year came in the four weeks after students started moving into the dorms.
The torrent of disruption to daily life over the past year has been inescapable.
The nursing student learned about end-of-life care in lectures. She had to put that knowledge to the test last year.
Engineering professor Akbar Sayeed left behind a "career-long string of victims," according to a recently released report.
COVID-19 complicated the transition for all freshmen last year, but especially for students who started their college careers from home. For one family, those complications were multiplied by four.
"We won't be growing crops anymore, but we'll be growing young adults."
Al Brisack, Edgewood College athletic director
This week Emma is speaking to Dr Devina Maru and Dr Liam Loftus who are both GP trainees and co-founders of The BIg GP Consultation.
Devina and Liam set up The Big GP Consultation as a platform for GP trainees and early career GPs to discuss their vision for general practice – and to come up with ideas and solutions for how to address some of the many challenges facing the profession both now and in the future.
In this interview they explain why they set up the initiative, changes they would like to see to GP training and general practice, how new GPs could be better supported and how they’re hoping to get more engagement with the project to ensure the ideas that they have come up with become a reality.
This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower. It was produced by Czarina Deen.
When Laura Robinson found a suspicious mole on her left shoulder, the 40 year old marketing consultant decided to use her occupational private healthcare to access a private GP rather than booking an appointment with her “swamped” NHS surgery. The private GP arranged by her insurer referred Robinson to a private hospital in Essex and, after a seven week wait for an appointment, a dermatologist told Robinson that the mole was likely a melanoma but that there would be another seven week wait for a biopsy. Anxious—“I just wanted it off me right there and then”—Robinson called her NHS GP surgery in tears.
“My NHS GP saw me the same day, I had an NHS specialist appointment within two weeks and the first surgery five days later,” Robinson tells The BMJ, adding that her private provider had not informed her about the NHS two week cancer pathway, a system introduced in 1999 (for breast cancer) so that anyone with symptoms that might indicate cancer could be seen by a specialist as quickly as possible. The day after what she hopes will be a final excision of the melanoma, Robinson says, “I’m so incredibly grateful, but at the same time I’m very angry about the lack of information I was given by my private insurer and private specialist, and how there seems to be no communication between the public and private systems.”
In April, Robinson wrote to her insurer about her experience, suggesting they advise patients with suspected cancer to request a tandem NHS GP referral. She has yet to receive a response.
Like Robinson, many …
