The surest sign of a team transformed might have come from a player sitting out of bounds at midcourt.

As Cody Riley waited to check into UCLAs last game, the sophomore forward yelled defensive instructions to his teammates.

Thats a big change for us, coach Mick Cronin said. Progress.

In recent weeks, Cronins team has been doing all sorts of new things. The Bruins have been talking, defending and winning. UCLA (12-10 overall, 5-4 Pac-12 Conference) has won four of its last five games heading into a desert duel against Arizona State (13-8, 4-4) on Thursday night at Desert Financial Arena, a surge that precipitated another kind of triumph.

The Bruins are also winning on the recruiting front.

Jaylen Clark, a senior shooting guard from Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda High who is considered an elite defender and the kind of gritty player who fits perfectly into the Cronin mold, committed to the Bruins on Wednesday after having watched their victory over Utah in person last weekend as part of his official visit.

Clark is expected to sign with the team in April, giving UCLA another talented wing player to go along with incoming point guard Daishen Nix.

Its starting to feel like a turning point for a team likely to miss the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive season, an upward trajectory borne out of defeat.

Failure is the best teacher, junior guard Chris Smith said, and weve had quite a bit of that.

Not recently. Picked by the media to finish eighth in the Pac-12, the Bruins now sit alone in sixth at the midpoint of conference play, only 1 games behind first-place Oregon. UCLAs trip to the desert, which also includes a game against No. 23 Arizona on Saturday, could determine whether the Bruins make something more out of this season than incremental progress.

Sweep the two games, and they could start thinking about making an improbable late-season run.

Split them, and theyre pretty much back where they started, left to focus on small gains.

Lose both, and their midseason surge would end with a splat.

Freshman guard Tyger Campbell acknowledged a new buzz among the Bruins after they completed their first weekend sweep in Pac-12 play with victories over Colorado and Utah.

Theres a different energy, Campbell said. You know, were winning so were all excited, were all geeked up but were not trying to get too high on it.

As evidence of his efforts to stay level-headed, Campbell mentioned the teams two big practices before departing on a trip that will start with an opponent fighting to stay in NCAA tournament contention. Arizona State proved to be a bad matchup for UCLA last season, handing it double-digit losses in each of their two meetings, including one in which the Bruins scored the games first 11 points.

The Sun Devils slew of small guards, led by Remy Martin, scurried for open three-pointers or monstrous dunks, getting whatever they wanted against a defense that seemed powerless to stop them. Smith said Arizona States style made stopping it difficult.

Theyre just like a freelance group, Smith said. Just guys that can spread you out, you know? You try and shrink the floor on teams, but they just drive and kick. Their coach, you know, he lets them play. So, its a lot of creativity on their side of the court.

UCLAs defense has stiffened considerably in recent weeks, allowing an average just 63.8 points over its last five games. The telltale defensive statistic has been the Bruins ability to defend the three-point line; theyre allowing opponents to shoot only 30.5% in the games UCLA has won compared to 44.4% in its losses.

Coincidentally, Arizona State has made exactly 30.5% of its three-pointers this season, worst in the Pac-12.

More than the numbers are starting to align for the Bruins given how far theyve come the last few weeks, particularly on defense.

Defensively, if youre not a unit, youre not going to hold people to the points that weve been holding them to recently, Smith said, so I think for sure, were coming together, were clicking finally.

UP NEXT FOR UCLA: AT ARIZONA STATE

When: Thursday, 8 p.m. PST.

Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, Ariz.

On the air: TV: ESPN2; Radio: 570.

Update: The one statistic that wont guarantee victory for UCLA but could almost assure the Bruins of defeat, especially on the road, is turnovers. They have committed an average of 12 turnovers in their Pac-12 victories and 15 in their conference losses, including 22 in their last road game at Oregon. The Ducks generated 34 points off those turnovers on the way to a 96-75 blowout. Live-ball turnovers turn into points for the other team, Smith said, which pretty much destroys team morale on your end.

Read the original here:

UCLA is making progress on and off the basketball court - Los Angeles Times

"You can't stop progress," is a cliche sometimes used to justify plans to build more warehouses in and around Joliet.

The adage doesn't quite seem to work when applied to the prospect of the former Joliet Country Club being converted into a warehouse complex.

Joliet can't support a country club anymore.

That actually had been the case for years as the club struggled with debt left over from the construction of a new clubhouse, saw membership decline in the wake of the recession, and eventually gave up ownership of its property to the ROC real estate group.

It became public knowledge in 2018 when the club announced that it was giving up management of its facilities to ROC, which opened the course to the public.

The renamed Joliet Golf Course open to the public had one season in 2019.

ROC announced last week the club is now closed.

ROC is considering warehouses for the site, although there is no rezoning proposal yet before the city.

Still, the idea is jarring enough that Councilwoman Jan Quillman declared her opposition to it at the City Council meeting last week.

"I don't want warehouses there. It's too beautiful," Quillman said.

She may be right.

But city officials may have found out what if feels like for residents on the outskirts of the city who have objected for years as Joliet approved rezonings that allowed warehouses close to their neighborhoods.

"You can't stop progress," may be a line used when NorthPoint Development takes its proposal to annex 1,260 acres into Joliet for the Compass Business Park to the Joliet Plan Commission on Feb. 24.

It may be said again on March 17 when the City Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on the NorthPoint plan.

But no one said it to Quillman on Tuesday.

Instead, the council may have sent a signal to ROC to abandon any warehouse plans it may have.

"You heard some of the council comments yesterday," Councilman Pat Mudron said the next day. "They're going to have a hard time getting enough votes."

Mudron said he would probably have to recuse himself from voting on any rezoning for the golf course. He was president of the country club when it dissolved and, as he said, "turned over the keys" to ROC.

ROC's attorney said the owners are still considering options for the Joliet Golf Club.

They even approached the Joliet Park District in January to see if the park board was interested in buying the golf course. The park board, which has three golf courses now and is dealing with its own financial challenges, said no.

In the weeks ahead, we may find out what progress looks like on the 1,260 acres NorthPoint wants to annex into the city and what it looks like at the former country club at 1009 Spencer Road.

Read more:

Progress seen from a different perspective - The Herald-News

A new paper from the Ruderman Family Foundation shows that while things may be getting better, its happening very slowly.

There is Atypical, on Netflix, a coming-of-age comedy that features young adults on the autism spectrum, and This Close, on Sundance Now, about besties who are deaf. Both shows are part of a gradual trend toward the authentic casting of characters with disabilities. But according to new research, they also are anomalies.

A new white paper from the Ruderman Family Foundation reports that some 80% of all disabled characters on the small screen are portrayed by nondisabled actors. The imbalance is an indication, the reports sponsors say, that efforts to diversify Hollywood are far from inclusive. And even with examples of authentic casting on Atypical, the lead character, who is autistic, is played by an actor who is not.

We wouldnt accept it with other minorities, said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which published the report. But with disability, it is still routinely accepted. And thats wrong.

The research, covering about 280 network and streaming shows from 2018, found that roughly half featured characters with physical, cognitive or mental health disabilities. Yet, the report said, even where disability is present in television and films, it is almost always portrayed as an undesired, depressing and limiting state.

There were signs of shifts. Of the top 10 Nielsen-rated shows from 2016, just 5% of disabled characters were played by disabled performers. In 2018, that figure jumped to 12%.

See the original post:

For the disabled in Hollywood, report finds hints of progress - The Columbus Dispatch

Ontarios long-awaited connector trail along the Snake River is another step closer to seeing the light of day after the Ontario City Council approved a resolution on Thursday night during its work session.

Otherwise known as The Tater Tot Trail, a name that was proposed by Kraft Heinz one of the owners allowing an easement agreement for the trail to happen, the trail is intended to stretch along the snake river from the citys water treatment plant, underneath the overpass on Idaho Avenue near Walmart and stretch all the way to the interchange near Loves Travel Stop.

Other owners the city worked with on easement agreements include Oregon Department of Transportation and Walmart.

City Manager Adam Brown said a condemnation process which was on the agenda as new business with a resolution was the first step in the negotiations, to acquire the property from Walmart.

He stated how the corporation requested that the city go through the condemnation process in order to formally acquire the land being requested. Brown did clarify to those in attendance that Walmart asked us to take this route, adding, its not adversarial at all.

He said Community Development Director Dan Cummings prepared a legal description of the property, which is part of the condemnation process.

The next stretch of negotiations involves the larger portion of land that will comprise the trail and that is currently owned by Kraft Heinz. One of the stipulations of the citys proposed agreement with Kraft Heinz included the naming of the trail.

And Brown says he finally got a conference call.

The city manager previously told the Argus that what made the proposed trail unique was the limited amount of property owners along the way that the city would have to work with on obtaining easement agreements in order to get public access to those areas paralleling lands owned by those entities.

Councilor Michael Braden made note of the possible risk in the city purchasing the piece of the land from Walmart before knowing whether or not an agreement with Kraft Heinz can be reached. Brown acknowledged that there is a risk, but remains hopeful in the citys negotiations.

No dollar amount was mentioned, however in a follow-up interview this morning, Brown said, he did not know the cost.

Thats the next step, he said, adding that it must be appraised, and that appraisal is slated to happen today.

Read more:

City makes progress in Tater Tot Trail negotiations - Ontario Argus Observer

Its still the sad state of affairs that no universities in Omaha offer an MFA program, usually considered an essential qualification for professional visual artists.

Amplify Arts has stepped into that breach with its Work in Progress program, and the art from its first cohort of studentsTravis Apel, Elizabeth Boutin, Anne Dovali, Holly Kranker and Tyler Swainwill be on view at Bensons Petshop with an opening on Feb. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m.

During the 10-month program, the artists received feedback through critiques, practiced critical writing and participated in collaborative, interdisciplinary endeavors.

Boutin creates emotionally resonant paintings inflected by her experience with the military. Conversely, Dovali works in mythic and fantastic realms, combining sacred and baroque iconographies with rhinestones and googly eyes. Sculptor Apel explores the natural environment, often incorporating organic material into his pieces. Krankers multimedia work reflects places fixed in memory, including domestic settings that may be reflected through her imagery or her use of home construction supplies. Sculptor Swain works in a Dadaist vein, fashioning detritus with a discomfiting aesthetic.

The exhibition continues through March 27. Petshop is located in downtown Benson. Find it on Facebook.

Originally posted here:

Work in Progress - Omaha Reader

ESSEX FELLS - Players on the boys and girls soccer teams from fifth and sixth grade picked up the trophies they earned in a November tournament at the mayor and council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The girls started their season 7-0 before losing to Fairfield, then clinching the championship against Fairfield, which was undefeated, in the West Essex area recreational tournament.

The Essex Fells team finished with a 10-1 record.

We are so proud of you, the way you conducted yourselves, represented Essex Fells, but most importantly, represented yourselves, said Ash Breheney, the girls' head coach.

The boys team also finished with a 10-1 record after winning the tournament.

This was a season where we had a great group of kids that actually listened, said head coach Jeff Hug. They came together as a team.

As he called players to pick up their trophies, he introduced Cody Dong, a fifth grader who moved to Essex Fells from France last year, as my import from Paris.

After the ceremony, Cody said this was his first season playing soccer anywhere and he plans to return next year.

Ava Breheney, a fifth grader who played on the girls team, said younger players starting out in the rec program will have a great experience if they keep going with it.

I like that all the players are very nice to each other, and no ones rude or anything, she said. And we always play the game and try our best for everything.

Also during the meeting, the council authorized bid advertisements for gasoline and diesel fuel and for the 2020 state Department of Transportation municipal road project.

The mayor and council will meet next at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 in Borough Hall.

Read more here:

Essex Fells rec soccer teams get trophies | The Progress News - New Jersey Hills

Legislation passed by the state House Regulated Industries Committee will shield short-term rentals from excessive local regulation if the bill makes it through the Georgia General Assembly.

The measure would require cities and counties to treat short-term rentals like they would any residence and prevent local governments from banning them.

State Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, lead sponsor of House Bill 523, called it a property rights issue.

Short-term rentals also help property owners because they pay full property taxes without the heavy burden of local services and school systems, Carpenter said. They provide small communities with tourism dollars, but first and foremost these rules and regulations are an attack on personal property rights.

Carpenter said the bill would treat short-term rentals the same as long-term rentals and property thats not rented.

Short-term rentals where problems occur can be addressed like any other property, the legislator said.

I firmly believe that cities and counties have the opportunity to deal with these issues through their various nuisance ordinances, occupancy, and other ways, without having to issue bans and prohibitions, Carpenter said. Hopefully now that we have a piece in the works for tax collection, and it has been addressed, these cities and counties can realize the value these properties bring, and not over-regulate them or ban them out of business.

Marketplace facilitator legislation passed by the General Assembly provides a method to collect taxes from businesses like Airbnb and Vrbo, but that doesnt solve all the problems seen by those opposed to the bill.

State Rep. Jeff Jones, R-St. Simons Island, a member of the committee, voted for the legislation. The bill provides a carve-out for homeowner associations to regulate the properties under their umbrella as they see fit.

State Rep. Don Hogan, R-St. Simons Island, said hed rather the issue be handled at the local level.

I think that county commissioners ought to be able to make their own decision and pass local legislation on it, rather than the state getting involved in it, Hogan said. I know weve got problems in Glynn County on St. Simons weve got zoning on single residences and its really a bad situation when people rent out their homes on short-term rentals with people that nobody knows (and) dont know who theyre renting them to.

Its an issue close to the heart of Glynn County Commissioner Peter Murphy, who rejects the notion that the HOA carve-out will solve the problems he envisions occurring with the bill, among them being state control of a local issue.

Certainly, every locale will have a different set of circumstances regarding short-term rentals, Murphy said. To try to paint it with one broad brushstroke out of Atlanta is foolish.

He said the latest research identified more than 1,500 short-term rental properties on St. Simons. Thats 20 to 25 percent of all residential properties on the island.

Murphy said he discussed the issue with a Vrbo executive at a convention in Texas last year and learned the rental group backs some amount of local regulation, specifically because of what happened in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The city and the surrounding area were losing tax revenue because people werent paying their occupancy tax like the hoteliers were, Murphy said.

It was also driving up the cost of homes, he said.

All these stakeholders and constituency groups went to the legislators this was about a year ago and just banned short-term rentals, Murphy said, calling it a draconian response to a lack of local control.

Scott McQuade, president and CEO of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the facilitator bill helps but doesnt fix things like quality of life issues with short-term rentals. He also notes the bill bans registration of the rentals, which he sees as problematic in tracking tax and fees compliance, along with who needs to be contacted for emergencies and complaints.

It has been proven throughout the nation that the cities and counties that have smart and well-balanced local ordinances for short-term rentals have the best results, McQuade said. Smart local ordinances have proven effective in protecting the quality of life for residents while providing accommodations for visitors and creating a level playing field for tax compliance.

The CVB, the county and the local short-term rental committee were recently leading efforts to balance the needs of the business community with the needs of residents with the goal to draft a local ordinance to improve the quality of life in the Golden Isles. (This legislation) could potentially jeopardize all that hard work that has done over the last year.

More:

Wary eyes watch progress of short-term rental bill - Brunswick News

This article supported by Los Angeles Bicycle Attorney as part of a general sponsorship package. All opinions in the article are that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of LABA. Click on the ad for more information.

For years, safety advocates have criticized state speed limit law that makes California and Los Angeles streets increasingly more deadly. Lately, local and state efforts are seeing some momentum in the long campaign to reduce speeding.

Streetsblog readers may already know that driver speed is one of the biggest factors in how car crashes kill and injure people. The faster the speed, the more deadly the crash impact for pedestrians, for cyclists, and for people in cars including the speeding driver themself.

SBLA readers are probably also aware of the arcane 85th percentile state law that basically rewards drivers for speeding. The L.A. Times called the law absurd. If enough scofflaw drivers speed on a given street, then the city is forced to raise the speed limit there.

The same California law mandates that, for police to use standard speed enforcement (commonly called radar speed guns though generally using lidar in Los Angeles), cities must go through a cumbersome process of doing speed surveys every five to seven years. If cities allow speed surveys to go stale, then police generally cannot enforce speed limits.

For the past few years, the city of Los Angeles has been working to curb speeding within the limitations of the current absurd system.

In 2016, 75 percent of L.A. streets had expired speed surveys, which caused LAPD speeding tickets to drop off dramatically. Per LAPD testimony, the department issued 99,000 speeding tickets in 2010. In 2015, that number had dropped to 16,000. In 2017, LADOT stepped up work to complete speed surveys and to modify (mostly increase) speed limits so LAPD could issue speeding tickets. At that time LADOT brought the total number of enforceable streets from 19 percent in early 2016 to 53 percent in late 2017, emphasizing the Vision Zero High Injury Network (HIN.)

Last week, in an email to Streetsblog, LADOT spokesperson Colin Sweeney confirmed that all L.A. streets now have enforceable speed limits:

LADOT has updated all expired speed zone surveys. There are now a total 1,262 miles of radar-enforceable streets which includes 100 percent of the HIN. There are thousands of miles of additional collector and residential streets which do not have a posted speed limit. In these cases, limits are still enforceable by the prima facie rule as determined by Article 22352 in the CA Vehicle Code. Going forward, LADOT is proactively renewing speed zone surveys across the city over a five-year cycle to both level out the workload and prevent surveys expiring in the future.

Streetsblog made an inquiry to LAPD to see how enforcement is currently working. SBLA are still waiting to hear the number of speeding tickets issued citywide in recent years; this story will be updated when that data is available.

Streetsblog spoke with LAPD Captain Andy Neiman, Commanding Officer, Valley Traffic Division. Neiman reports that, in the San Fernando Valley, LAPD speeding enforcement has increased a great deal in recent years; he estimated anecdotally that he has seen speeding tickets up roughly 150 percent compared to 2017. He did state that nonetheless, speeding remains a serious issue on the long straight wide major thoroughfares all over the Valley.

Fortunately speed limit reform efforts are not limited to the local level. Recent developments indicate needed reforms are moving forward at the state level.

As a result of legislation by State Assemblymember Laura Friedman, the state formed a Zero Fatalities Task Force. It initially appeared that speed limit reforms might be subject to death by committee. Last week the task force delivered its recommendations report, and they do call for major speed limit law improvements. The report cites many problems with the current 85th percentile rule, including speed creep, in which speed limits go up over time as limits are raised, people drive faster, and then limits are raised again.

Find lots of detail on the reports statewide implications at Streetsblog California and southern California implications at LAist.From LAist:

It [current California speed limit law] would be like increasing a persons daily recommended calories because their neighbors overeat, [LADOT General Manager Seleta] Reynolds said in a statement to LAist. Cities like Los Angeles need the flexibility to set speed limits that fit. We were grateful for the opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking work and look forward to championing these recommendations that, if implemented, will save lives.

L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin said he was grateful for the report, which properly diagnosed the problem, but hoped it had included stronger recommendations moving forward. Bonin has long been critical of the 85th percentile rule, calling it absurd and one of the stupidest pieces of legislation hes dealt with.

Not only is it a stupid law, its also a dangerous law because we know that the faster people are going, the more likely someone who gets hit by a car is going to die, he said. It actually has deadly consequences.

Bonin, who chairs the councils transportation committee, said hed like to see a speed limit system based on street type that also accounts for vulnerability and risk to all road users, rather than the current method that relies solely on how drivers behave.

This week, Friedman introduced A.B. 2121 which would make small steps toward reforming state speed limit law. A.B. 2121 would:

It is not the death of the 85th percentile rule, but given Friedmans tenacious success at wringing important results out of mundane task forces, it could be a few important steps toward much needed speed limit reform.

See the rest here:

Some Progress on Curbing Speeding L.A. Drivers, Much Reform Still Needed - Streetsblog St. Louis

The latest Senate report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, released Feb. 6, contained several broad recommendations for how the government can improve effectiveness in securing American elections.

While the Senate Select Committee on Intelligences third volume lists seven recommendations for correcting shortfalls made by the Obama administration in responding to Russian election interference, the federal government has already made progress in several of the recommended areas since the committee started its report.

The committee recommends that the executive branch bolster partnerships with countries considered near abroad to Russia. The bipartisan report states that Russia has been using these countries as a laboratory for perfecting information and cyber warfare. For example, in the military conflict between Ukraine and Russian, Russian-backed hackers have targeted the government and shut down the countrys power grid.

Expanding partnerships with such countries will help to prepare defenses for the eventual expansion of interference techniques targeting the West," the report read.

U.S. Cyber Command has taken similar measures in recent years, partnering with the Montenegrin government for the last two years to search for malicious actors in networks in the lead up to both nations elections in 2020. The U.S. Secret Service also engages with foreign states on cybersecurity issues, like in 2017 when it trained local officials in Estonia.

Having U.S. cyber personnel near the Russian cyber hot spots will help the United States learn more about Russian behavior. Tom Kellermann, a former commissioner on the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th President of the United States, said that partnerships will help the United States determine the root cause of Russian intrusions.

How did they get in in the first place and how did they stay in? How did they maintain persistence?" said Kellermann, now head of cybersecurity strategy at VMware. These are the critical lessons we should learn from assisting our allies in order to protect our democracy."

The committee also recommended that the United States lead the way on establishing international cyber norms, writing that U.S. leadership is needed to balance any formalized international agreement on acceptable uses of cyber capabilities.

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This is another area where the U.S. government has already made progress. At the United Nations, the United States has worked to establish international cyber norms and proposed creating a group to study how to enforce cyber norms, all while butting heads with the Russian and Chinese representatives.

According to Chris Painter, a former top cyber official at the Department of State, while the United States has led on establishing some norms, like critical infrastructure shouldnt be targeted outside of wartime, there is still outstanding work to be done on enforcing those norms.

We have to make sure that those norms are just not paper tigers, Painter said. They have to be accepted by countries around the world and there has to be accountability when people break them."

Another recommendation from the committee suggests that credible information about foreign information or cyber operations be shared as broadly as appropriate within government, Congress and, when appropriate, private-sector partners. The committee also adds that the federal government must have substantive and timely outreach with state and local governments when election infrastructure is targeted.

The federal government has made strides in this area, particularly with its outreach to state and local governments, an effort spearheaded by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Top election officials in states have security clearances to gain access to more threat intelligence and CISA frequently holds phone calls with state operators of critical infrastructure, which includes election officials.

Within the intelligence community, NSAs new Cybersecurity Directorate is also making an effort to share contextualized threat intelligence with the defense industrial base.

As part of the recommendation, the committee also said that feds needed to create a mechanism for notifying the public of operations.

Delaying the release of information allows inaccurate narratives to spread, which makes the task of informing the public significantly harder, the committee wrote.

Both the IC and civilian government have partnered together to establish a process for public notification of cyberthreats. Back in November, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, NSA, DHS, State, CIA, NSA and FBI agreed to a framework in which they would discuss potentially exposing an interference operation after convening leaders from all the agencies.

The committees other recommendations were that the executive branch prepare for the next attack, integrate responses to cyber incidents, prioritize collection on information warfare, and clarification of roles and authorities within the IC.

View original post here:

The progress the government has made on election security - fifthdomain.com

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According to user ColtsMcgee on Reddit, Johns hand fell off today during a performance of Walt Disneys Carousel of Progress. Based on the image, it appears his right hand fell off during the first scene, or the 1900s section of the show.

This isnt the first incident for the Carousel of Progress in recent memory, because, in December, a guest climbed onto the stage during the same scene and touched some of the props. While all damages from that incident were repaired, many readers have messaged us since then to report on numerous issues with the attraction. For example, scenes have been running without background music, leading the audio-animatronics to sing eerily acapella.

Walt Disneys Carousel of Progress has been long slated for a refurbishment, and we reported back in August that the attraction will have a large scale refurbishment after Walt Disney Worlds 50th anniversary.

Stay tuned to WDWNT for updates on this story and many more.

Related

More:

PHOTO: Animatronic's Hand Falls Off Mid-Show at Carousel of Progress in the Magic Kingdom - wdwnt.com

Treasury yields rose on Wednesday amid reports that researchers had made progress in coming up with cures and treatments for the rapidly spreading coronavirus. The rise was extended after an estimate of private-sector jobs growth.

The 10-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD10Y, +0.00% rose 4.6 basis points to 1.649%, its highest since Jan. 24, while the two-year note rate TMUBMUSD02Y, +0.00% was up 2.6 basis points to 1.441%. The 30-year bond yield TMUBMUSD30Y, +0.00% climbed 5.1 basis points to 2.132%.

Some of the coronavirus fears abated amid efforts by scientists to develop drugs to counter the virus. Researchers at Zhejiang University said they found an effective drug to treat coronavirus patients, according to a Chinese newspaper. A British team of scientists have also claimed that they shortened a part of the development time for a vaccine.

Still, the World Health Organization has said that there are no known effective therapeutics against the virus, in response to the media reports.

The number of coronavirus cases have continued to march higher. Chinas National Health Commission reported more than 24,000 confirmed cases and 490 deaths within the country.

Traders faced a rush of economic data in the morning. Automatic Data Processing said the U.S. economy added 291,000 private-sector jobs in January. The December trade deficit fell 1.7% in 2019, its first annual decline in six years, reflecting the impact of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

The Institute for Supply Management reported its January nonmanufacturing index rose to a six-month high of 55.5%, from 54.9% last month. Any number above 50% reflects an expansion in economic activity.

As for the Federal Reserve, Gov. Lael Brainard will speak later, at 4:10 p.m. Eastern. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said in an interview with CNBC she did not expect the impact of the coronavirus on the U.S. economy to be material.

Traders of fed fund futures had started to price in increased odds of a rate cut this year following the pathogens outbreak, but improving manufacturing data has weighed on the case for further monetary easing.

The Treasury Department announced it would bring back the 20-year bond this year, but details on the timing and size of the auctions wont be forthcoming until May.

Tremendous selling hit [Treasury] prices early this morning on China reports of promising early results from a treatment for coronavirus. Headlines that it was a vaccine sparked the stampede as a vaccine would imply quarantines could ease faster than expected, wrote Jim Vogel, an interest-rate strategist at FHN Financial.

Broadly, the American economy and the developed economies of the world dont need China as a demand driver, as much as they use it as a supply driver. That makes a Chinese slowdown from the coronavirus a bit more easier to deal with, especially if it lasts for only a couple of months, said Tom Graff, head of fixed-income at Brown Advisory, in an interview with MarketWatch.

See more here:

Treasury yields climb on reports of progress toward virus treatment - MarketWatch

Example of light rail in Taipei (Photo by Subscriptshoe9 via Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0)

This year is the 15th anniversary of the ongoing proposed Nassau Hub planning effort and study. Under several grants worth $10 million, most of these funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have been spent on this study with no significant progress to date.

Since 2005, Nassau County has conducted a series of ongoing planning and environmental efforts to support a number of potential transportation improvements, such as bus rapid transit, light rail or other options for the Nassau Hub. The cost for design, construction and implementation could be several hundred million dollars, depending on the transportation mode and route(s) selected. Some estimate a $450 million total cost.

The success of the LIRR $2.6 billion main line third track and $11.8 billion East Side access to Grand Central Terminal projects are also dependent upon the NICE bus being able to expand feeder service to LIRR stations. How will NICE bus be able to accommodate future expansion for accommodation of new LIRR riders with additional service?

One potential source of funding is the Federal Transit Administration discretionary competitive New Starts program. This project is not included in the latest FTA March 2019 New Starts Report for the federal fiscal year 2020. There is no indication that Nassau County has even initiated a dialogue with the FTA for admission into this program. Dont be surprised when the next FTA New Starts Report for the federal fiscal year 2021 does not include this project. The report is due for submission to Congress by March.

After 15 years of planning, the project not being admitted into the federal New Starts process is disappointing. This first step in obtaining permission to enter the project development phase of the FTA New Starts Program is just the start of a long multiyear process.

The initial approval to enter the project development phase is only the first step, and the project still faces myriad hurdles. Completion of this work includes the FTA issuing an environmental finding, along with reaching agreements with the project sponsor, in this case Nassau County, concerning proposed project budget, scope and milestones.

This is followed by the project being given permission by the FTA to advance to the next stage, known as final engineering. Progression of final design and engineering from 30 to 100 percent averages several more years. This could include review and approval by various village, town, county, state and federal permitting or regulatory agencies along with financial, user, operations and maintenance groups. How long would the Nassau County Interim Financial Review Board take before providing approval?

Based on the lack of progress to date, Nassau County may be unable to obtain federal funding for the Nassau Hub Bus Rapid Transit project until 2024. Who knows how many years it would take before anyone can board the first vehicle in passenger service?

Larry Penner is a transportation historian and advocate who previously worked 31 years for the United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York office.

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Where's The Progress? Little Movement On Proposed Nassau Hub In 15 Years - Long Island Weekly News

VAIL When he first arrived on the job early lsat year, Vail Health CEO Will Cook wore a tie to work and had a very long to-do list. The tie is gone now, and there are some important items on the list crossed off, or at least well begun.

Cook recently sat down with the Vail Daily to talk about the past year and the months to come.

That first year is everything I thought it would be, Cook said, particularly regarding being able to see quick results from new and continuing initiatives.

Cooks most recent experience was working in large hospital systems. In those big-city settings, You couldnt mobilize the community as easily.

In the Vail Valley, mobilizing people and resources can happen fairly quickly.

Vail Health in April of 2019 announced it would pledge $60 million over the next decade to bolster the valleys behavioral health resources.

While the idea for increasing services had been percolating before Cook took the job, he said hed made that focus on behavioral health a priority when talking to Mike Shannon, the former chairman of the Vail Health and Vail Health Services board of directors.

Cook recalled that he told Shannon I need the support of the board, both financially and politically, Cook said.

That request came early on in his tenure.

It was by far the most wonderful experience Ive had in a boardroom, Cook said.

Today, Vail Health has added 30 behavioral health specialists out of a goal of 50.

Cook credited Eagle Valley Behavioral Health Director Chris Lindley for the progress on the initiatives. Lindley is a galvanizer, Cook said, adding that Lindley was instrumental in putting together the core working group.

Even with progress over the past several months, Cook said theres still a lot of work to do. But, he added, the support is in place.

Another big initiative was the acquisition last year of Colorado Mountain Medical. That acquisition of the physicians group will help create a more proactive system, Cook said.

Getting people to see doctors on a regular basis means patients can sometimes get early help and referral to specialists on potentially disastrous health problems.

All of that costs money, Cook said. But if you dont (have early care) and have a heart attack, a $10,000 issue becomes a $100,000 issue.

Vail Health entering that part of the care spectrum requires a big provider network. Cook said Vail Health could build its own network and compete with Colorado Mountain Medical, or Vail Health could merge with the established provider.

That expansion also allowed Vail Health to negotiate reimbursement rates with Anthem, the only insurance company for valley residents with private insurance.

The insurance landscape is shifting, and may change even more as the fight over a public option insurance option heats up in the state legislature.

Co-sponsored last session by Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, and Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, the public option bill directed state insurance regulators to draft a proposal for a state option insurance plan. The proposal was vetted in stakeholder meetings around the state before beingpresented to the legislature earlier this month.Roberts is now working on a bill based on some version of that plan, which has been opposed by many hospitals in the state.

Cook said he needs to learn more about the bill before offering support or opposition.

I need to see more of the details, Cook said. Im open to solutions that enhance (care).

Providing care to more people is important, not just for residents, but for the local hospital.

Cook said people leaving the valley for care tend to go either to Front Range-based providers or Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs.

Cook said theres a widely-held perception that Vail Healths services and procedures are more expensive. But, he said, a recent Rand Corporation study showed Vail Health is less expensive, on average, than either Valley View or St. Anthonys Summit County.

Part of getting people to stop seeking care elsewhere is a matter of education, Cook said. Thats particularly true in the western part of the valley, he added.

We have to rebuild trust, in the western valley, Cook said.

Part of building trust is working to be a more transparent organization. Vail Health is a private, nonprofit operation. Board meetings dont have to be open to the public.

Cook said hes working to open up one or two meetings a year. But, he added, that wont happen for a while.

Transparency also includes being more open about Vail Healths finances.

Some transparency is coming in the form of a federal mandate to post prices for procedures and services. Cook said he intends for Vail Health to go beyond whats required by law.

But, he added, Vail Health which is a complex organization that includes both nonprofit and for-profit arms needs to be better about its financial reporting.

That includes billing, which Cook acknowledged is broken.

That takes time, he said. We have to untangle how its been done, and totally rebuild it.

As Cook is becoming better known in the community, he fields plenty of questions when hes out and about. Most of those questions are about costs.

Most of those questions are from people who want to understand what Vail Health is doing to make care more affordable.

The answers are complicated, and could be some time in coming, he said.

Vail Daily Business Editor Scott Miller can be reached at smiller@vaildaily.com or 970-748-2930.

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Vail Health CEO gives a progress report on his first year on the job - Vail Daily News

Posted: Feb 7, 2020 / 04:04 PM HST / Updated: Feb 7, 2020 / 04:04 PM HST

(DPW)

HONOLULU (KHON2) Repairs are in progress to Alii Drive, which fronts Coconut Grove Marketplace.

This was due to a sinkhole that developed in late December 2019.

According to the Department of Public Works, the repairs initially would reduce traffic to one lane of alternating travel between Hualalai and Walua Roads from 7 a.m. to sunset, Monday through Friday.

However, due to construction conditions encountered during the repairs, starting Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the road will be reduced to one lane of alternating travel 24 hours a day for the duration of the project.

Its possible that Alii Drive may be completely closed within the work zone if the road becomes unstable during excavation work. Road crews may also work on Saturdays to ensure the repairs are completed as expeditiously as possible.

Repairs to the sinkhole include repairing road damage caused by erosion, as well as stabilizing the area surrounding the sinkhole to prevent future erosion. The makai shoulder of the road, which has been closed to pedestrians since the sinkhole appeared in late December, will remain closed while repairs are performed.

Motorists are advised to be aware of traffic delays and to drive with caution in the work zone. Signs will be posted on Alii Drive advising motorists of the roadwork and traffic signals will be installed on Alii Drive at either end of Coconut Grove Marketplace to facilitate traffic flow.

For questions or concerns, call the Engineering Division at 961-8423.

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Portion of Alii Drive reduced to one lane 24 hours a day as sinkhole repairs progress - KHON2

The blockbuster trade sending Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers is still more likely to happen than not but some involved are suggesting its not a certainty, according to reports from MLB.coms Mark Feinsand and MLB Networks Jon Heyman. According to Feinsand, the Red Sox, Dodgers and Twins are making progress on a revised deal after Boston was not satisfied with the medical records of pitcher Brusdar Graterol.

Talk between the Twins and Red Sox are going slowly, according to The Athletics Ken Rosenthal, who reports that the Dodgers may acquire a prospect from another club to help bridge the gap.

Boston, Los Angeles and Minnesota agreed to a three-way deal that would send Betts and Price to the Dodgers, outfielder Alex Verdugo and Graterol to the Red Sox and righty Kenta Maeda to the Twins on Tuesday night, but the deal still hasnt been formalized more than 48 hours later. The reason, as Rosenthal reported Wednesday, was Bostons assessment of the 21-year-old Graterol, who they now project to be more of a reliever than a starter.

The Red Sox are looking for more compensation as a result of Graterols medicals, either in the form of an additional player or further financial help. Its unclear if that would come from the Twins, who are sending them Graterol, or the Dodgers, who are sending Verdugo and paying about half of the $96 million remaining on Prices contract through 2022.

With pitchers and catchers due to report to spring training next week, the pressure is on for the clubs to finalize the much-publicized deal. The Dodgers have even more at stake than the other clubs, as they have another pending deal (sending outfielder Joc Pederson and pitcher Ross Stripling to the Angels for infielder Luis Rengifo) that is reportedly dependent on the finalization of the three-teamer.

At this point, it appears the teams are motivated to work out their differences to ensure a deal gets done. With all of the moving parts, it appears theres at least a remote chance that the blockbuster falls apart.

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Mookie Betts, David Price trade: Boston Red Sox making progress on reworking deal but talks with Twins, Dod - MassLive.com

Contributed Report

FridayFeb7,2020at12:03AM

PETERSBURG Melissa Face will read selections from her new book, I Love You More Than Coffee: Essays on Parenthood and sign copies on Friday, Feb. 14 from 4-7 at the Historic Farmers Bank Museum, 19 Bollingbrook St.

In the collection she writes about the emotions parents experience: anticipation, joy, fear, guilt, and worry. New and seasoned parents will find common ground in Faces heartfelt, humorous, and authentic stories of her life with two young children.

Face, who lives with her family in Prince George, has written for numerous local and national publications, including Richmond Family Magazine, Boomer, Guideposts, Country Woman, Farm and Ranch Living, and twenty-one volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul. She is a member of James River Writers and Hampton Roads Writers.

She has a Bachelor Arts degree in psychology from Coastal Carolina University and a Master of Arts in human resources development from Webster University. She also holds teaching certifications in English, special education, and gifted education.

She has had a varied career, including as a newspaper reporter, addictions counselor, and master control operator at a television station, and currently teaches world literature at the Appomattox Regional Governors School for the Arts and Technology.

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I Love You More Than Coffee - Progress Index

COLUMBUS, Ohio An effort to increase the minimum wage for Ohio workers is a step closer to the November ballot.

On Wednesday, the Ohio Ballot Board certified the language for the proposed amendment brought forth by Ohioans for Raising the Wage.

James Hayes, the coalition's spokesman, says the measure mirrors the 2006 initiative that indexed wage increases to inflation.

"We would be voting to raise wages to $13 by 2025," he states. "That rate would be connected to inflation so wages would continue to rise with the cost of living year after year as it has been thus far, but we would just have a higher floor to begin with."

The current minimum wage is $8.70 an hour. The coalition needs to collect about 450,000 certified signatures by July 1 to put the measure before voters in November.

While there is no formal opposition to the measure at this time, some concerns have been raised about the impact on businesses as well as the need for the measure given the 2006 amendment.

However, Hayes argues that the current minimum wage leaves even full-time workers without enough money to cover basic necessities.

"For the last 14 years the legislature has not been responding to the needs of working people as wages have stagnated," he states. "The communities that the organizations that are a part of our effort represent have been hurting for too long and we know that we can't wait for help from Columbus. "

Currently, an Ohioan working full time for minimum wage is paid just over $18,000. And according to research from Policy Matters Ohio, that would leave a full-time worker with a family of three approximately $3,000 below the poverty line.

This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by The George Gund Foundation.

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$13 Minimum Wage Initiative Continues Progress Toward Ohio Ballot - Cleveland Scene

A year ago, President TrumpDonald John TrumpFive takeaways: Fear of Trump hangs over Democratic debate Klobuchar raises million since start of debate Buttigieg, Sanders aim to build momentum from New Hampshire debate MORE announced a groundbreaking initiative to end HIV transmission in the United States by 2030. This forward-thinking and ambitious goal is achievable because of several significant developments such as President Obamas National HIV/AIDS Strategy (the first for the U.S., released in 2010 and updated in 2015), which identified a limited number of evidence-based actions to make the most significant impact on the domestic HIV epidemic; unprecedented scientific advances in HIV prevention and treatment; and community-based leadership in reducing HIV transmission in key localities nationwide.

Although fighting HIV is a truly bipartisan issue with champions on both sides of the aisle, President Trump recently claimed at a New Jersey rally that Obama"chose not to" end AIDS. I worked in the Obama White House and helped write and implement President Obamas National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

President Trumps rhetoric is not helpful. His comments overshadow real steps that his administration has made to combat the domestic epidemic in terms of funding and scaling up effective HIV prevention interventions.

More importantly, the Presidents statement highlights a blind spot: the biggest threat to achieving the goal of ending HIV is none other than the administration itself.

Various policies of the Trump Administration undermine this goal by targeting communities at the highest risk for HIV. For instance, cuts to Title X-funded providersaffect the availabilityof basic health care, reproductive, and HIV services for low-income women.

Thepublic chargerule discourages non-citizens from seeking government assistance (including health services) at a time when HIV rates are increasing among a segment of the Latino population. And anti-immigrant rhetoric and crackdowns only exacerbate HIV transmission when fearful undocumented immigrantsdelayseeking health care.

The administration has actively sought topermitdiscrimination against transgender populations in health care settings, supportsworkplacebias against LGBT people (note: many Americans are insured through their jobs), and wants to allow health care workers to object to providing care to LGBT individuals morally.

The administration alsofiredgay and HIV-positive U.S. Air Force airmen because of their HIV status, only to be rebuffed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that said the administrationspolicyis at odds with current science. None of these actions help to engender trust with communities at risk for HIV.

Access to health care remains fundamental to eliminating HIV. Following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a large proportion of people living with HIV in the U.S.gainedaccess to comprehensive health insurance.

Medicaid expansion has enabled more people with HIV to obtain coverage. People living with HIV who are insured are less likely to transmit the virus, which explains why HIV diagnoses in Louisianafellto the lowest level in a decade two years after the state expanded Medicaid.

Yet, unlike President Obama, the percentage ofuninsuredAmericans has increased under President Trump. Although President Trumpclaimsthat he has saved Americans with pre-existing conditions from being denied health care, ampleevidencesuggests otherwise.

The administration downplays the impact of these policies on the Presidents goal of ending HIV transmission, but these issues demonstrablyunderminethe realization of the Presidents HIV initiative. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published astudyshowing that states with greater overall levels of health care coverage and LGBT anti-discrimination laws had lower mortality rates among adults living with HIV (aged 34-54).

Bold goals matter, but ending an epidemic remains hard work,we need things like:

1. A long-term commitment that will require an increase in investments in subsequent years

2. Public-private partnerships to help fill gaps in access to services and medicines

3. Supplementing sparse health services and health personnel in rural settings

4. Expeditious and affordable access to new HIV prevention and treatment innovations as they become available

5. A concerted effort to find an effective vaccine and ultimately a cure for HIV

6. Recognition that funding for HIV research hasbenefitedand led to scientific advances for other chronic health conditions.

I want President Trumps initiative to succeed and am encouraged by those people in the administration who are working in good faith to realize its goal. But it remains to be seen whether the administration and its policies will stop undermining their worthy objective.

Greg Millett is Director of Public Policy at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, a former scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an architect of President Obamas National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

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Progress and stumbles one year into Trump's plan to end HIV | TheHill - The Hill

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp discussed the teams quarterbacks during the National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday.

Two new players were added to the position last month: 4-star Luke Doty and Colorado State graduate transfer Collin Hill.

Luke Doty has been outstanding, Muschamp said, as he updated the progress on some of the teams midyear enrollees.

Hill, who suffered a torn ACL during his final season with the Rams, continues to recover from the injury, which will keep him sidelined during spring practice. Day 1 of spring ball is scheduled for Feb. 26.

Collin is still rehabbing the knee and they think he is ahead of where he should be, as far as his strength is concerned, as far as his quad is concerned, Muschamp said. Thats the biggest thing, is strength levels, and they think hes ahead of where hes supposed to be. Hes working extremely hard to rehab the knee.

Muschamp added, I dont think Collin is going to take any snaps during the spring, based on what Ive been told. Ive been told he will not be fully cleared until June, possibly May Im trying to get my months (properly counted). He wont take any snaps this spring.

When asked about the quarterbacks picking up the system thats being installed by first-year offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, Muschamp referred to four players.

I think, as much as anything, theres going to be some new terminology, Muschamp said. Collins familiar with (it) and Ryan (Hilinski) and Luke and Jay (Urich) are not, at this point, but they will be. Those guys are working extra on their own every single day to come up here and learn, so when we do start with the coaches, theyve got a pretty good grasp of what were trying to do.

Weve got an outstanding group, as far as work ethic is concerned and intelligence is concerned and maturity is concerned. Those guys will be ready to go. Certainly, having Collins experience, can do nothing but help.

But Mikes also got a lot of experience in coaching young quarterbacks, so he can understand what a guy can handle, what he cant handle and what we feel like we can do on the field and what we cant do. I think that his experience will certainly help us with that.

Hill began last season as Colorado States starter, before he was injured in the third game. He finished his final season there with 840 yards and eight touchdowns. He completed 69 of 102 throws and had two interceptions.

Hilinski is South Carolinas returning starter. As a freshman in 2019, he completed 236 of 406 passes for 2,357 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Doty, a 4-star recruit, was trying to lead Myrtle Beach (S.C.) High School to a second-straight 4A state title before his senior season ended prematurely with a thumb injury.

Urich played some at quarterback last season for the Gamecocks, but he also saw time at wide receiver.

Redshirt sophomore Dakereon Joyner also split time between the positions. Joyner, however, was not mentioned by Muschamp on Wednesday, during his comments about the quarterbacks.

The belief is that Joyner will be among the returning skill players for Bobo to utilize during his first season with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

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Muschamp updates Hill's rehab, progress by Doty and other QBs - 247Sports.com

Vigneault said he believes Claude Giroux, goal-less in his last 11 games, was pressing and trying too hard. .... Jonathan Bernier (2.92 GAA, .907 save percentage) is expected to get the call for Detroit, which dropped a 6-1 decision to the Flyers on Nov. 29. The Flyers pulled away from a 2-1 lead by getting three goals (Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Oskar Lindblom) in a 69-second span that started late in the second period. Jake Voracek had three assists in that win against Red Wings goalie Cal Pickard. ... James van Riemsdyk and his wife, Lauren, are expecting their first child, a girl, in May. Van Riemsdyk said it will be his parents first grandchild. Ive never seen my dad so excited besides hockey and boating, he said with a smile. ... Nolan Patrick (migraine disorder) did not make the trip.

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Flyers injury updates: Carter Hart continues to make progress; Shayne Gostisbehere to miss another game but wi - The Philadelphia Inquirer