COVIDBoston Mayor Michelle Wu. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Mayor Michelle Wu lauded the citys progress toward a vaccinated workforce, while recognizing the pushback shes received from city workers who are opposed to getting a shot, during an interview with Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing on WBUR.

On Sunday, Wu extended the deadline for city workers to satisfy Bostons COVID-19 vaccination mandate. No employees will be placed on leave or disciplined between Jan. 25 and Jan. 30, according to a statement from the mayors office.

We did see tremendous progress in boosting our vaccination rate and closing those gaps, even over the last week, the mayor said on Radio Boston. Weve now had more than 1,600 additional city workers get vaccinated, since we announced this policy would be going into effect.

Wu said she extended the deadline to give people more time to comply with the policy. She said the city is close 94 percent of employees are vaccinated.

The goal of this was not to punish anyone for how they feel about vaccination, but to ensure our workers are safe and that anyone interacting with city workers is safe, Wu said during the interview.

Workers who oppose the policy have taken to protesting. On Monday, 100 firefighters protested the mandate outside City Hall as Wu spoke about extending the vaccination deadline. Protestors have also become a fixture outside her Roslindale home.

During the interview on WBUR, Wu said that the citys policy concerning showing proof of vaccination at public venues, such as restaurants and gyms, is going smoothly.

She also touched on a variety of other topics, from housing insecurity, the Green New Deal, and the need for more affordable public transportation.

She also noted the need to address mental health issues in the city.

There is a whole pandemic after the pandemic, of us needing to pay attention to mental health, and invest in the resources for people to feel supported and safe and feel connected to the community again, Wu said.

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Wu talks about vaccination progress and pushback, on WBUR - Boston.com

4:47 PM ET

Jeff PassanESPN

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association plan to meet again Tuesday after a Monday bargaining session led to the first sliver of progress between the sides since the league locked the players out Dec. 2, sources told ESPN on Monday.

In the face-to-face meeting, which lasted about two hours, the union offered a broad proposal in which it dropped its request for age-based free agency and significantly cut the amount of revenue sharing it asked the league to funnel away from small-market teams, according to sources.

The day before the lockout, MLB had asked the union to remove three items from its list of desires: changing the six-year reserve period before free agency, lowering arbitration eligibility to two years and adjusting revenue sharing. When the MLBPA declined to do so, negotiations ended and the league implemented the lockout, the sport's first work stoppage in more than a quarter century.

During Monday's meeting, the union rejected three MLB proposals from the first post-lockout meeting between the sides 11 days ago, sources said. MLB offered a formula-based salary system for players between two and three years of service time, a draft-pick reward for success by players who started on Opening Day rosters and a slight tweak to a draft lottery in which all non-playoff teams would be eligible to receive a top-three pick.

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The players remained steadfast in a number of their positions Monday, sources said, including raising the minimum salary from $570,500 a year to $775,000, bumping the competitive balance tax threshold from $210 million to $245 million and instituting a draft lottery among non-playoff teams for the first eight picks.

Dropping the request for age-based free agency, which would make some players eligible for free agency before the current six-year standard, helped set the stage for Tuesday's meeting. After requesting smaller-market teams receive $100 million less in revenue sharing in an earlier proposal, the union cut its ask to $30 million, according to sources.

The small meeting of four people from each party included MLB's Dan Halem and the MLBPA's Bruce Meyer, the lead negotiators, as well as longtime reliever and union leader Andrew Miller and Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, who is head of the league's labor relations committee.

Time is quickly becoming a factor in the negotiations, with spring training set to start in mid-February. While a delay of spring training is unlikely to significantly change the trajectory of talks, the specter of losing regular-season games -- which begin March 31 -- is expected to play a role.

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MLB, players' association plan to meet again Tuesday after sides make progress, sources say - ESPN

MANCHESTER, England -- Ralf Rangnick celebrated as though he had just won the Champions League for Manchester United when Marcus Rashford tapped home Edinson Cavani's cross from 2 yards, three minutes into stoppage time, to secure a 1-0 victory against West Ham at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Man United's interim manager turned to the directors' box with both arms aloft and punched the air repeatedly as the players on the pitch raced to congratulate Rashford following his second goal in two games. Rangnick was so animated because his team had just turned a disappointing draw into a potentially crucial victory -- one that ensured United climbed above West Ham and into the top four for the first time since Oct 2.

But the man charged with stabilising the team following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal as manager in November had another reason to celebrate Rashford's goal: For the second successive game, the former RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim coach had made a big call with his substitutions and got it right.

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At Brentford on Wednesday, Rangnick sparked an angry, even petulant, reaction from Cristiano Ronaldo when substituting the 36-year-old for Rashford. Six minutes later, Rashford scored United's third goal in a 3-1 win to make the game safe and enable Rangnick to explain to Ronaldo, in full view of the television cameras, just why he was right to make the change, regardless of the former Real Madrid forward's status as a football icon.

And as United toiled away against David Moyes's West Ham, Rangnick boldly chose to go all-out attack in a bid to find a goal in the closing stages. Having replaced Anthony Elanga with Rashford on 62 minutes, Rangnick threw on Cavani and Anthony Martial for Fred and Mason Greenwood in the 82nd minute, and instructed United to operate a 4-2-4 formation. It was win or bust, and it almost went bust when Tomas Soucek headed inches wide on 87 minutes, but Rangnick's gamble paid off when all four forwards linked together in the same move for Rashford to score the winner.

"Those are the best kind of wins, when the other team has not time to come back," Rangnick said. "We had to take some risks in the last 15 minutes, but in the end I wanted to show the players it is about winning this game, and I'm more than happy we scored the goal in the last minute."

Moments like that matter for a manager when he is trying to gain the trust of a new group of players. If you take a risk and it backfires, the players question your judgment, but if it comes off, it certainly helps to dilute any doubt that may have taken hold in the dressing room.

Rangnick still has plenty to do at Old Trafford to secure the full, unequivocal support of his players and, considering he is only likely to be in charge until a permanent manager is appointed this summer, he might never get close to universal backing. But in a slow, painstaking manner, the 63-year-old is gradually steadying the ship at United, even if it can still be hard to watch at times.

Under Rangnick, United have lost just once in 10 in all competitions -- a 1-0 defeat at home to Wolves earlier this month. Yet, they have managed to score just seven goals in six home games -- and three of those came against Burnley, the Premier League's bottom team. Man United have conceded just seven goals in 10 games under Rangnick, too, and tightening up at the back was crucial with Solskjaer's side conceding a staggering 25 goals during his final 10 games in charge.

Rangnick has turned off his side's dripping tap in defence, but the downside is that it has created a drought of chances and goals at the other end of the pitch. Against West Ham, Manchester United had 18 efforts on goal, but only three hit the target -- with such a poor conversion rate, it is no surprise that they are finding it difficult to beat teams comfortably.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

Ronaldo, for instance, has scored just two goals in seven appearances under Rangnick and one of those was a penalty. He played in a central role against West Ham and did little to affect the game. His main contribution was heading the ball at the near post when defending corners, and as important as that is, it is not why Ronaldo was brought back to the club last summer.

The key to any successful football team, however, is a solid defence. Once those foundations are in place, a team can break forward and attack with the confidence that they are safe to leave gaps at the back. Man United aren't at that stage yet, but progress is being made, and Rangnick is able to look ahead to the international break having seen his team win back-to-back games for the first time since he took charge in December.

The race for fourth is intense, with Man United, West Ham, Arsenal, Spurs and Wolves separated by just four points, but Man United have a run of fixtures in February that give them the opportunity to pull clear of some of their rivals. They face Burnley, Southampton, Leeds and Watford next month before a daunting March against Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool, but Man United are in a better place than they were when Rangnick arrived, so there are positives to focus on.

And everything looks better after a stoppage-time victory, no matter how uninspiring the performance may have been.

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Man United's progress has been slow and painful, but it's clear after win over West Ham - ESPN

SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTHI) - Over in the City of Sullivan, the progress parade continues.

On Monday, community members broke out the golden shovels to break ground on an exciting addition to the Sullivan Greenway System.

It's called the "Lover's Lane Loop."

This was made possible thanks to over $1 million in funding provided by the Indiana Department of Transportation. This money allows for the expansion of the Sullivan Greenway system to the historic Lover's Lane.

The Greenway System or "The Sully" is an outdoor trail system. It promotes connectivity throughout the community.

Mayor Clint Lamb says that the connection of The Sully to Lover's Lane is the next step in the revitalization of the city.

"There is no silver bullet to revitalize rural Indiana or rural America. It's a combination of bringing folks together, and getting them excited -- caring about the emotional well-being of the citizens of the community. This is more than just fancy sidewalks and a tangible project. It gets people out and moving again. It gets people exploring their community," Lamb said.

Lover's Lane pays homage to a historical sidewalk that cuts down the middle of a block.

The project is scheduled to be completed this coming April or May.

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The Progress Parade continues in the City of Sullivan - a new addition is coming to The Sully - WTHITV.com

Firefighters are gaining control of a brush fire called the Colorado Fire that erupted Friday along the Big Sur coast, with the blaze now 35 percent contained and about 700 acres still burning.

While evacuation orders remain in place, the emergency shelter in Carmel closed Monday morning.

About 500 people live within the Colorado Fire evacuation zone, but Maia Carroll with Monterey County Office of Emergency Services said only a couple of people stayed at the emergency shelter set up at Carmel Middle School this weekend.

Big Sur residents are pretty resilient and are used to fires," Carroll said. "When they have to evacuate, they dont always use the evacuation centers and shelters.

Carroll said because they know many people decided not to evacuate, there is a boil your own water notice for those in the evacuation zone who are not California American Water company customers and power outages are expected to continue.

There is a dumpster at the north bound shoulder of Highway 1 and Pfeiffer Ridge Road for people to bring spoiled food.

Cari Dighton with the Red Cross said although theyve closed the emergency shelter due to lack of use, people in the evacuation zone can still seek help by calling 2-1-1.

2-1-1 will be a great resource for people looking for hotel accommodations," Dighton said. " I know there are some area hotels that have made some special accommodations for those that have been affected.

As firefighters continue battling the blaze, Highway 1 continues to stay closed from Garrapata Creek to Point Sur.

Carroll with Monterey County Emergency Services said she understands people may be frustrated by the road closures, since they cant go back into their homes yet.

As frustrating as it may be, respect the closures, take a breath," Carroll said. "We are looking at some really good progress on the fire, according to Cal Fire. So hopefully those road blocks will be done away with soon.

Dighton with the Red Cross said although a blaze like this in winter is unusual, it's becoming more common, and she urges people in fire risk zones to have to-go bags ready all year around.

Over the last couple years, weve seen an increase in the number of major disasters that happen across the nation and in our own state," Dighton said. "They are more frequent, they are more impactful and a lot of people are at risk of facing a disaster of this nature.

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Firefighters making progress on winter wildfire burning in Big Sur, but evacuation orders remain - KCBX

A developers proposed $90 million mixed-use development in St. Pete Beach is inching closer to breaking ground.

Earlier this month, the St. Pete Beach city commissioners unanimously approved the allocation of 150 dwelling units from the citys residential pool reserve, which allows developer Ram Realty Advisors to create 243 luxury residential units for its Corey Landing project.

The entire vision for Corey Landing entails building 243 Class-A residential units, along with 12,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, and 5,000 square feet of restaurant space on four acres at the east end of Corey Avenue.

The property is adjacent to The Blue Parrot and includes the site of the former Leverocks restaurant.

The city commission also approved conditional use approval for commercial docks and plans for the waterfront, dock-up restaurant.

The approval is one of several steps needed toward making the waterfront development a reality. South Florida-based real estate firm Ram Realty Advisors is the group behind the project.

Corey Landing would be seven stories high and would wrap around the parking garage, shielding the garage from view.

Weve been working it for over a year already to get to where we are today, said Travis Williams, vice president for development with Ram Realty Advisors.

Williams added how Ram Realty Advisors specializes in high-end luxury developments and has funds earmarked for this project.

A major component of Corey Landing is a 0.7-acre linear public park, which would turn the vacant site deemed as an eyesore into a vibrant meeting place and connect to the proposed docks that would surround the waterfront property. The city would retain the entitlements to the park while the developer would be responsible for redeveloping it. The park would feature bike racks and a waterfront overlook.

Site maps presented to the city show the project would be broken up into two main areas.

Area one includes the proposed dock-up restaurant that would have 3,500 square feet of indoor dining space and 1,500 square feet of outdoor space. Its the same area where the public docks would be located.

The second area includes the 243 residential units and the 12,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, which encompasses 8,264 square feet of retail and 3,959 square feet of co-working/commercial space adjacent to the planned public park. The retail would be located on the corner of Bay Street and Corey Avenue.

Attorney Elise Batsel, with the law firm of Sterns, Weaver and Miller, reiterated how the clients proposed project aligns with the citys 2015 Corey Avenue Vision Plan, which outlines goals for Corey Avenue such as creating housing, a public space, and overall an east-end anchor to spur economic activity.

The site is currently zoned TC-2, which permits residential and commercial use.

The team also noted how the property currently takes in $94,000 in tax revenue, but the development would bring in $1.3 million of annual revenue for the city.

However, city commissioners discussed how residents have expressed concerns for the project, such as the density with the number of units and scale of the project, and the vehicular traffic it may bring.

We want a pretty city, not just a pretty area. They [the developers] are trying to make the math work for an amenity-rich project, commissioner Melinda Pletcher said, explaining the need for balance in the city as well as the citys goals to help raise the Corey Avenue corridor. When you come over that bridge, it [Corey Landing] sets the vibrancy and the bar a lot higher.

As far as the concern with the flow of traffic, a traffic study was completed and it was determined the roads can handle the increased activity, City Manager Alex Rey said.

Ram Realty Advisors is known for other sophisticated projects, such as Curv in Fort Lauderdale, which Williams had previously compared to the Corey Landing site. The urban infill mixed-use Curv development was completed last year. It is on three acres of land and includes an eight-story luxury apartment complex with Whole Foods as the anchor.

The team is working with North Carolina-based design consultant Kimley-Horn and Florida-based LRK (Looney Ricks Kiss) Architects.

The next step is for the city to review the conditional use permit, on Feb. 2.

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Progress on St. Pete Beachs $90M Corey Landing project - St Pete Catalyst

New report shows the incredible disparities not just in president positions but also among deans and provosts.

It doesnt take a Ph.D. to see just how wide the gaps are between women and men in power positions in higher education. They are, and have been, easily recognizable.

Just 22% of Research I institutions have women leading as presidents, and only 26% of their boards have women in chair positions. The division among academic deans and provosts is an alarming 20% or more. Those data come from a national report from the Womens Power Gap Initiative at the Eos Foundation and the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that highlighted the pervasive differences at 131 of the top universities.

Its alarming to see that women are still so vastly underrepresented at the top levels of academic leadership, said Gloria Blackwell, AAUW CEO. Historically, universities have been catalysts for social and economic progress in America and AAUW has supported pathways for women in academia for over a century. Its extremely disappointing that most institutions are still failing to give womenespecially women of colorequal opportunities to rise in their careers. We need immediate action to eliminate the barriers against women and people of color whose perspectives, brilliance, and leadership we need to move us all forward.

Women might be the dominant gender on campuses across the U.S.they have been since the 1970sbut when it comes to earning some of the most significant roles, those by and large still go to men. They havent even been able to get past 39% and 38%, respectively, in provost and dean positions, let alone get to the 50% threshold.

Its time for new approaches. Lets stop trying to fix the women and instead fix the system. The lack of women presidents is not a pipeline issuewomen serve as nearly 40% of all provosts. What we are seeing is systemic bias, said Andrea Silbert, President of Eos. Change must start with governing boardsonly 38% of universities were willing to share board diversity data. If boards dont provide transparency, what message does that send?

The AAUW and Eos noted in their report that of those that did, only 8% of boards have gender equity. One of the most significant findings was just how few women of color are in power positions nationwide at these institutions. There were two Asian, two Black and two Hispanic presidents among all of them. Meanwhile, Black male presidents have doubled in less than two years while women of color still lag.

Ive experienced firsthand gender bias and would have never ascended to university president had it not been for the support of two women board members who supported my leadership, said Juliet Garcia, former president of The University of Texas at Brownsville and first Latina to serve as president of a college or university in the U.S. The UT system once required reporting on race and gender among leadership positions; however, once the path-breaking women were replaced on the board, the disclosure structure was eliminated.

Speaking of states, it might be surprising to learn that of the eight Massachusetts R1 universities, only three have ever installed women as presidents. None currently occupy those positions. Meanwhile, California has been far more progressive, with 8 of 11 having women in that leadership post. Six institutions have had at least three women presidentsCUNY graduate school, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Iowa and the University of California-Santa Cruz. But 60 institutions have never had a woman as president.

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What progress? Women still far behind men in elite university power positions | - University Business

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ: STX) (the Company or Seagate) today announces publication of its third annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Report: Crafting an Inclusive Datasphere, covering fiscal year 2021.

The Report highlights global workforce initiatives and positive progress towards our DEI initiatives. Technology leadership underpins Seagates success, and it is our employees who bring that technology to life. Innovation thrives in a culture that embraces different voices, where employees are equal contributors and are empowered to express themselves authentically. Building this culture takes constant work and willingness to be transparent about progress.

At Seagate, inclusion is so much more than just a core valueits how we lead and do business all over the world, says Dave Mosley, Seagates chief executive officer. When we lead with inclusion, we create a space for diverse voices to be heard, valued and elevated, which in turn inspires greater innovation throughout our products, technologies, partnerships and communities.

Seagate is proud of its FY21 accomplishments, including growth in our female representation across several leadership levels, growth in our employee resource groups and external brand recognition as a best employer for women, military and LGBTQ+ equality, to name a few, says Heather Howell, Seagates director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Learn more about inclusion at Seagate, and read the Report, here: https://www.seagate.com/jobs/diversity-and-inclusion/.

About Seagate

Seagate Technology crafts the datasphere, helping to maximize humanitys potential by innovating world-class, precision-engineered data storage and management solutions with a focus on sustainable partnerships. A global technology leader for more than 40 years, the company has shipped over three billion terabytes of data capacity. Learn more about Seagate by visiting http://www.seagate.com or following us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and subscribing to our blog.

2022 Seagate Technology LLC. All rights reserved. Seagate, Seagate Technology, and the Spiral logo are registered trademarks of Seagate Technology LLC in the United States and/or other countries.

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Seagate Highlights Positive Progress Towards Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives - Business Wire

For one night only on Tuesday, March 15, hundreds of people will come together at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, for the 26th annual "Evening of Fine Food," presented by Queens Centers for Progress (QCP).

The event - which is both in-person and virtual (for anyone wishing to enjoy the event's interactive features from the comfort of their home) will raise funds to support the longtime organization's programs and services, assisting more than 1,200 individuals with developmental disabilities to lead more independent lives.

"For more than 70 years, QCP has been helping adults and children to live their best lives," said QCP Executive Director Terri Ross. "Core to our mission is the belief that all people can learn and that everyone - in spite of any developmental disability - can make meaningful choices about their lives."

Tickets for QCP's 2022 "Evening of Fine Food" are $135 per person. The event is presented from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Guests are asked to R.S.V.P. by March 13. Tickets and further details are available at https://www.queenscp.org/event/26th-annual-evening-of-fine-food/

This event has been held for more than two and a half decades and this year returns to an in-person celebration this March, after presenting last year's festivities via Zoom (and with home delivery of meals) amid the pandemic.

This March, the festivities will include an exceptional and engaging dining experience featuring culinary delicacies from the finest restaurants and beverage purveyors in the area. As guests mingle, sample gourmet foods, and enjoy an open bar, they also can enjoy Comedians Suzanne Windland and Usama Siddiquee, Magician Apollo Riego, the voice of Jim Altamore performing as Frank Sinatra, and the sounds of DJ Mike Kouros of Bravo Sound. And guests can participate in the silent auction, and take "selfies" in a Le Selfie photo booth.

"We are excited to come together in person again for an exciting 'Evening of Fine Food'," said QCP Director of Development Wendy P. Gennaro. "We are extremely grateful to our extraordinary Board of Directors, our many generous restaurants and sponsors, and everyone who plans to join us for what will be a very exciting evening."

The benefit will honor two "Chefs of the Year"- people who have made an impact and a difference in the community: Rhonda Binda, Vice President, Government Affairs and Social Impact, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation, and Thomas Rudzewick, President and CEO, Maspeth Federal Savings. In addition to being honored, they will serve their community in a different way - by cooking a family specialty!

In addition to returning Queens restaurants Marbella Restaurant, Austin's Ale House and Bourbon Street, the event features tasty delights from: Aigner's Chocolate, Caf Renis, Havana Central, Javamelts, La Casa de Julia, MadeFresh Organic, Max Bratwurst und Bier, MumsKitchen NYC, One Station Plaza, Schmidt's Candy, and The Wine Room for Forest Hills. Additional restaurants will be announced in the coming weeks.

This year's fundraiser boasts a robust group of sponsors: Long Island Employee Benefits Group, Maspeth Federal Savings & Loan, and Mutual of America (Golden Delight Sponsors); Investors Bank (Entertainment Sponsor); and, Raymond Chan Architect, P.C. (Selfie Booth Sponsor). Media sponsors are: Metropolitan Airport News, QNS.com, QPTV, Queens Courier, Queens Ledger, Times Ledger, and Yelp.

For sponsorship opportunities or more information, please contact Wendy Phaff, (718) 380-3000, ext. 325, or email WPhaff@queenscp.org

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Queens Centers For Progress Presents The 26th Annual EVENING OF FINE FOOD in March - Broadway World

We all know that innovation is central to human progress. It allows individuals to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. It has given us the technology to make goods and services cheaper, safer, and more widely available. More importantly, innovation transforms lives for the better whether it is financial technology allowing low-income Americans to become financially healthy through budgeting tools or an app that allows people to track their health habits.

We value the ability to live more convenient lives, but we often forget that innovation requires an environment in which it can flourish. It needs risk-takers and entrepreneurs, whether they are individuals or small businesses. It depends on an environment in which the right allocation of capital is supported. And it needs a stable and predictable government to create clear rules of the road.

Under the Biden administration, the climate for innovation in this country is at its worst in memory.

This is a direct result of its misguided ideology and the administrations hard-left swing. Democratic policies emphasizing regulation and more government have created an unfavorable environment for technology and innovation. It is nearly impossible to build upon something under constant attack of new regulations and out-of-touch standards. This limits economic growth, ultimately harming consumers and households. Moreover, it's these same heavy-handed policies that protect and reward large incumbent corporations and suppress competition, entrepreneurship, and risk-taking.

Theres no better example of these dangerous policies than in the long-awaited release of the Presidential Working Group on Stablecoins. Rather than seize the opportunity to move the United States forward and provide clear rules of the road for the digital asset industry, the Biden Treasury Department punted, acquiescing to the loudest voices in the room and perpetuating the turf wars already hindering this nascent industry.

Over the last decade, weve seen an explosion in the development and use of digital assets. Digital assets and their underlying technology hold great promise in facilitating cheaper payments both here and abroad for consumers. The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to call digital assets one thing, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission another, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency something else. The Biden administration could have brought clarity to this market and its participants to help it grow. Instead, it chose to reward incumbent regulators and empower uncertainty. This will only deter investment in new technology and limit the markets ability to reach its full potential.

When our small businesses and economy need it most, we should be encouraging their risk-taking and entrepreneurship. More government, bureaucracy, and uncertainty will not result in progress. It will not lead to better products or services. It will not make our lives better. Instead of Congress and this administration working together to promote and encourage tangible financial opportunity in a sustainable way or ensuring that the U.S. remains a global leader, Democrats are working to undo anything accomplished under the Trump administration, even if it means sacrificing the good of the people. When political theater and fear-based legislation meet, innovation is stifled, and consumers suffer.

Real long-term economic growth in the U.S. depends on innovation, as it always has. Innovation and real economic growth flourish when there is a free exchange of ideas and low barriers to entry. The federal government's job is to create clear rules of the road where innovators and Americans alike have certainty. It should support risk-taking and entrepreneurship. And it should create a clear regulatory framework and get out of the way. We should prioritize open access to financial services and work to protect and promote innovation in our markets so that consumers have as many pathways as possible to prosperity and achieving the American dream.

Congressional Republicans stand ready to implement policies to do just that. These are the policies Members of the Republican Jobs and Economy Task Force are focused on to ensure innovation will flourish, Americans will prosper, and the U.S. will maintain its leadership in the global economy. We are the nation we are because of the movers, shakers, and innovators. We cant let the spark of the American entrepreneurial spirit die.

Byron Donalds represents Florida's 19th Congressional District.

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Democrats are undoing Trump's progress on digital assets - Washington Examiner

LOS LUNAS, NM On January 14, 2022, at around 5:35 p.m. a New Mexico State Police officer was on patrol in Los Lunas when he saw an OReillys Auto Parts employee running after two individuals from the store located at 1401 Main Street SW. The suspects were wearing all black clothing with black face masks running towards an open field behind the store.

The NMSP officer jumped out of his marked State Police patrol unit and gave chase. After a brief foot pursuit through the field, the officer caught one of the suspects. The suspect, later identified as Armando Piro, 27, of Los Lunas was arrested without further incident.

Through investigation, the officer learned that Piro and the second suspect had stolen motor oil and transmission fluid. In the store, the manager approached Piro, who lifted his shirt to reveal a handgun in his waistband. Piro and the second suspect then took off running from the store with the oil. The manager followed them but stopped when he believed Piro was reaching for the handgun in his waistband.

The stolen oil was recovered, and Piro was booked into the Valencia County Detention Center. He was charged with Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Piro was also on probation for Residential Burglary, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Fraudulently Obtaining a Motor Vehicle. The identity of the second suspect is under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.

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Officer Stops Armed Robbery in Progress - KRWG

As U.S. President Joe Biden completes his first year in office this week, how should his Asia policy be judged? Set against the lofty expectations of his early months in power, the reality has disappointed many observers. Seen against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis with Russia, the current relative calm of the Indo-Pacific looks like a success.

The real problem Biden faces, however, is more complexnamely, he is running three Asia policies at once. One focuses on China, another on the United States regional allies and partners, and a third on non-aligned nations, most obviously in Southeast Asia. The last year has underlined the tensions between these often mutually conflicted approaches, creating something akin to an Asia policy trilemma that makes it just about impossible to make simultaneous progress on all three fronts.

Take China first. Bidens team ditched the pugilistic chaos of its predecessor, laying the groundwork for Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet virtually in November. Their conversation, if hardly groundbreaking, was at least positive in tone. Elsewhere, the administration has crafted a rhetorical middle path. We are not seeking a new Cold War, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained recently. What we're looking for is effective competition with guardrails.

As U.S. President Joe Biden completes his first year in office this week, how should his Asia policy be judged? Set against the lofty expectations of his early months in power, the reality has disappointed many observers. Seen against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis with Russia, the current relative calm of the Indo-Pacific looks like a success.

The real problem Biden faces, however, is more complexnamely, he is running three Asia policies at once. One focuses on China, another on the United States regional allies and partners, and a third on non-aligned nations, most obviously in Southeast Asia. The last year has underlined the tensions between these often mutually conflicted approaches, creating something akin to an Asia policy trilemma that makes it just about impossible to make simultaneous progress on all three fronts.

Take China first. Bidens team ditched the pugilistic chaos of its predecessor, laying the groundwork for Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet virtually in November. Their conversation, if hardly groundbreaking, was at least positive in tone. Elsewhere, the administration has crafted a rhetorical middle path. We are not seeking a new Cold War, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained recently. What were looking for is effective competition with guardrails.

While this sounds sensible, it is less coherent than it appears. So far, at least, Bidens team has neither pushed the kind of competition that might trouble Beijing, nor eliminated an ongoing confusion about the overall aim of their China policy. Is it to maintain U.S. strategic primacy, as former U.S. President Donald Trumps Indo-Pacific strategy stated? Or is it something more akin to the approach outlined by Kurt Campbell, Bidens Asia advisor at the National Security Council, who said recently the United States seeks a kind of coexistence with China, with an understanding of Chinas critical and important role?

Campbell is also a central figure in the United States second front, namely strengthening its network of Indo-Pacific alliances and partnerships, with the aim of balancing China indirectly. Here the Quad grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States looks increasingly purposeful. Traditional alliances with South Korea and the Philippines have been patched up. Washingtons friends are also drawing closer to one another, developing new bilateral and trilateral pacts.

Yet this process, too, comes with complexities, as illustrated by the fierce backlash over last years AUKUS pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The subsequent diplomatic crisis with France is said to have dismayed Biden, and will now likely make it harder for Campbell and other officials to push similarly ambitious new deals. More to the point, it is now clear that deepening ties with some U.S. partners risks backlashes from others.

The tension between these two approaches is made clear by two as yet unpublished documents. The United States has hinted that it will launch separate China and Indo-Pacific strategies. The former is expected to be tough-minded. Meanwhile, the outline of the latter was visible in an inoffensive speech by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jakarta last month, which included plenty of diplomatic boilerplate about forging stronger connections and building a more resilient region. Whether it actually makes sense to have separate approaches to China on the one hand and Indo-Pacific partnerships on the other is less clear.

Blinkens remarks in Indonesia underline the problems Washington faces in the third area, namely winning over nations caught in the middle as a new era of geopolitical competition unfolds. To its credit, Bidens team has at least visited Southeast Asia regularly, with numerous trips from Vice President Kamala Harris on down. More will likely follow. A summit between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in the works, while Biden himself is likely to visit Asia later in 2022 to take part in a run of ASEAN-related summits.

Will more substance follow? One of our most important, if not our most important, initiatives here in the White House, is to do everything possible to upgrade all of our engagement with ASEAN, Campbell said recently. But so far, details of this upgrade have been scarce, while moves to court ASEAN could still be undermined by attempts to ramp up pressure on China, which makes most ASEAN members nervous.

This trilemma is not unique to Asia. In its tussles with Russiaboth today and during the Cold Warthe United States had to calibrate separate policies for its main adversary, its allies, and non-aligned states. But the problems Washington faces in Asia remain unusual, not least because of the widely noted gap between the United States military strength and its declining economic clout.

On the right, security hawks want Washington to pursue a large military build-up fit to deter Beijing. Yet if the United States does indeed plan to rearrange its global military footprint to balance China, such moves were hard to spot in Bidens first defense budget last summer, or the subsequent Global Posture Review from the Pentagon. More to the point, if the United States does end up doing more of the military heavy lifting, its risks encouraging allies to free-ride, as many have traditionally done.

Bidens critics on the left, meanwhile, warn of an arms race in Asia and argue for a greater focus on economic diplomacy and climate cooperation with China. But now there is no chance the United States will take the most obvious route to achieving renewed economic influence and join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade deal negotiated by then-President Barack Obama and abandoned by Trump.

Instead, the Biden administration is left trying to cobble together a new economic policy that talks up engagement in Asiaalthough without doing much to achieve itwhile also aiming to reduce U.S. dependence on China in the name of supply chain resilience. All of this is hard to square in terms of basic economics, not least given how closely intertwined China is with the rest of the region commercially.

Taken together, the record suggests Bidens team has made modest progress in Asia during its first year. But as the administration enters its second year, there are more questions than answers about what competition with guardrails means with regard to China and what greater engagement with allies and partners might actually deliver.

Much now also depends on Chinas actions. Last summer Beijing produced a list of U.S. wrongdoings that must stop with demands notable for being far less revisionist and aggressive than those now being pushed by Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine. In time, Beijing might become much more assertive.

Meanwhile, the list of potential flash points with China looks alarmingly long, from Taiwan to Chinas border with India. When viewed from Washington, perhaps the best one can say for now is that Asia remains mercifully free of outright crises. The risk to Bidens Asia strategy is that this wont last forever.

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Biden and Asia After One Year: Modest Progress, Ongoing Confusion - Foreign Policy

Structural systemic racism sounds really bad, because it suggests pervasive racism that cannot be overcome. In reality, discussing structural racism is a sign of progress. Racism through the 1950s was generally accepted and overt. The Civil Rights movement helped society dramatically change its views on race. No longer was it accepted as a fact that African Americans were genetically inferior to whites. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged us to live up to the ideals of equality that were espoused by the founding fathers (but not always achieved). Since the 1950s, racism has declined dramatically. For example, in 1973 64% of whites who participated in the General Social Survey thought that it should be OK for home owners to refuse to sell their home to someone because of their race. By 2014, only 28% thought that way.

But 28% is not insignificant, so racism has not disappeared. With events like the resurgence of white nationalism that was displayed in Charlottesville in 2017, some argue that progress on race has stalled, if not gone backwards. Republican politicians now fear being primaried if they push back against Trumps exploitation of racial fears. In 2006, the Voting Rights Act was extended by an uncontroversial vote of 98-0, including 16 Republican senators who are in the Senate today. But last week, in light of the Supreme Courts gutting of the VRA, those same senators refused to even allow restoring it to be debated.

Judging someone based on their appearance is a survival skill; as people evolved, we had to learn who would be more likely to hurt us and who wouldnt. It made sense to think that people who looked like us were less likely to be dangerous than strangers who didnt. We cant know everything about everyone so our brain tries to detect patterns and groupings to allow us to navigate the world with less than perfect information. So judging people as a group when we dont know them as individuals is something we may be inclined to do. But that doesnt mean we cant correct that.

For example, when I was in college I was mugged in Chicago by a group of Black youths, one of whom had a gun. After that experience, groups of Black kids that looked like them made me nervous for a while. Ironically, after graduating from college I was a resident tutor in a program for minority youth. These kids I came to know well as individuals, so of course I was not nervous around them. Stereotypes (rednecks, frat bros, preps, jocks, nerds, theater kids, Wall Street traders, etc.) exist because it is easier to group people who share some characteristics than it is to treat them as individuals. But nobody likes to be known only as part of a group, and it is not fair to attribute characteristics, either positive or negative, to all members of a group. While we may not be able to resist our initial instincts, we can control how we act on those instincts. And over time we can adjust those instincts.

Racism is not unique to whites, though because whites are the majority, white racism has the most impact. Jesse Jackson at the peak of the crime wave in the early 1990s famously said: There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved. Prior to the Black is beautiful movement, light skin in the Black community was seen as preferable. Prejudice is universal.

Systemic racism means that there is a racial bias in the system, not necessarily due to the actions of an individual choosing to be racist. For example, historical racial discrimination in housing and employment means that white families live in wealthier communities than Black families. Because of a system in which education is funded by local taxes, mostly white upper-class suburbs tend to have many more educational resources than low-income minority communities. Historic inequities have been perpetuated by the existing system.

Another example would be if a white mortgage banker assesses the application of a white applicant, who may share a similar background. The applicant may have something in their application that is a red flag (perhaps unsteady employment or drug use) that might discourage approval of the application. But because the banker relates to the applicant, he may go to bat for that applicant. Now if the same banker gets an application from a Black applicant with a dissimilar background but the same red flag issue, he may not go to bat in the same way. He was not consciously discriminating against the Black applicant, but the result is the same. The systemic racism is that there are fewer Black mortgage bankers so that Black applicants wont get the benefit of the doubt as often as white applicants do, which contributes to racial inequality.

Racism still exists. In a recent study of major corporations hiring practices the authors of the study sent out resumes that were exactly the same, except some had typical white names while others had names that were typically Black. While some companies had no difference based on race, in others, the white applicants were favored. That doesnt mean every decision is the product of racism, but there is often a thumb on the scale for the white majority.

This is concept of white privilege, which gained prominence a few years ago. While often used pejoratively (check your privilege) as a way to diminish someones credibility (so its use often seems counterproductive), it is a concept worth considering. It does not mean that all white people are in privileged positions. Poor whites rightly dont feel particularly privileged, but a minority who is otherwise in the same position will be even worse off.

White and Black people use drugs at about the same rates (based on surveys and ER visits), yet Black people are more likely to be arrested, if arrested more likely to be tried and convicted, and if convicted, more likely to get longer sentences than whites. So Black drug users are more likely to get a prison record for the same behavior as white drug users, making it harder for them to find employment, housing, etc. So African Americans still face racism in almost all aspects of their lives even as individual racist acts have declined. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Kent James has a doctorate in History and Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and is an adjunct in the History Department at Washington & Jefferson College.

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Discussing system racism a sign of progress | Op-Ed | observer-reporter.com - Observer-Reporter

San Francisco Mayor London Breeds December emergency declaration in the Tenderloin has led to a slew of initiatives to tackle drug use, homelessness and other neighborhood concerns. Among them is a weekly report series that includes summaries of progress made on big initiatives, along with data on conditions on specific blocks in the neighborhood.

While the initiative has received support from many advocates in the community, they expressed doubts that the metrics currently being collected could comprehensively track neighborhood conditions and the initiatives impact.

The reports cover a lot of quantitative ground, tracking the number of overdose deaths, shelter referrals and 911 calls made from the neighborhood, among many other metrics. They also include a section on priority locations, for which city workers visit several neighborhood blocks at least five mornings per week and collect data on that block over the span of two hours.

That data includes the number of tents, instances of drug use and of problem behaviors a term for behaviors associated with poverty, mental illness and drug use, such as no attempt at hygiene or reacting to internal stimuli in a way that is causing public consternation.

Francis Zamora, a spokesperson for the Department of Emergency Management, said that collecting daily metrics allows the incident management team to make adjustment(s) to our plans and operations. He added that the metrics are collected in the morning so that the team can use the data to target its operations for that day.

The counts of problem behavior and drug activity are estimates based on crowd size, according to Zamora, so they arent exact. But the rules for estimation dont appear to be applied consistently, which can be problematic when trying to compare relatively small numbers. For example: In the report for the week of Jan. 3, the 300 block of Hyde Street has all of its counts of problem behaviors and drug activity rounded to the nearest five. But for the 300 block of Ellis Street in the same report, numbers do not appear to be rounded.

Additionally, the priority blocks change from week to week depending on where city workers and neighborhood residents observe a high volume of key problems. Since the priority blocks are not always consistent from week to week, in many cases, it will not be possible to use these reports to track issues over time.

Tenderloin neighborhood advocates overall expressed support for the emergency initiative and efforts to measure its progress. But they expressed concern about some of the metrics being collected, as well as those excluded from the data.

For example, Randy Shaw, director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, said he appreciates the emergency initiative and the data being collected on drug overdoses, but would like to see the daily block reports zero in on drug sales instead of drug use.

The overdoses (are) obviously a big problem, but the statistics need to take into account the impact of drug dealers on a neighborhood, Shaw said. Overdoses can be counted, but the number of people whose lives are worsened because they dont feel safe walking down their block we cant measure that.

Shaw said that city workers should be attempting to count drug dealers at the block level instead of measuring things like problem behaviors and drug activity, a catch-all term for drug use and sales.

The drug user issue has been vastly overplayed. Its the drug dealers the families are upset about and feel unsafe in regard to, Shaw said. If youre not talking about stopping people from selling drugs, youre not helping the neighborhood.

Shaw said he believes that to curb drug dealing in the neighborhood, the city needs to increase law enforcement presence and even more importantly, provide more funding for Urban Alchemy, a nonprofit group that works in the Tenderloin during the daytime and whose workers mostly consist of formerly incarcerated people who interface directly with unhoused Tenderloin residents.

If we could have Urban Alchemy everywhere, we wouldnt need police as much, Shaw said. The problem is, theres not the funding for that.

Urban Alchemy received approximately $5 million from the city through the Mid-Market Foundation for the fiscal year beginning July 2021, including an additional $500,000 in the last 30 days that was unrelated to the emergency declaration, according to foundation director Steve Gibson, as well as $3 million last May from UC Hastings.

The latest draft of the emergency initiative plan lists funding and support for community-based projects as a possible solution to pursue, but does not explicitly call for more funding to Urban Alchemy.

In addition to Shaws call for more data on the number of drug dealers, Del Seymour, a longtime neighborhood advocate and founder of the workforce-training nonprofit Code Tenderloin, told The Chronicle he would like to see the report include daily counts of unhoused people by block.

The Tenderloin is a small enough place where we could recruit a monitor on every block to give us daily statistics (on the number of unhoused residents), Seymour said. We could recruit people to do that and be that interpreter. To say, this person isnt homeless; theyre out here for fresh air, and (provide) that classification.

Collecting such intimate details of neighborhood residents, Seymour said, would help city workers better track their efforts to help unhoused residents specifically.

While the weekly reports track the number of shelter referrals made to residents, Seymour said he doesnt believe this kind of data point is meaningful without a corresponding estimate of how many Tenderloin residents dont have shelter. (San Francisco hasnt completed a full point-in-time count its annual count of all unhoused people in the city since 2019, citing safety concerns because of the pandemic.)

Susie Neilson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susieneilson

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Here's how San Francisco is measuring progress in the Tenderloin and why some advocates thinks it's misguided - San Francisco Chronicle

Former Obama strategist David Axelrod had this advice for President Biden Thursday on CNN.

"What we learned when I was with President Obama during the Great Recession is even as we were making progress, if we went out there and touted it in the wrong way, people resented it, because they didn't feel it in their lives," he said.

"We are facing this inflation problem that people see in their lives. They don't want to be told about all the progress we're making and how well. They'll know when they are -- they will feel the progress, you know, so don't try and sell them what they won't believe"

COOPER: Because of his experience.

AXELROD: Exactly. And you know, he did. I can see sitting over at the White House and saying, my God, we passed this Infrastructure Bill. This is historic. Other Presidents would have loved to have it. We pass this Rescue Act, it had a big impact. We've got 200 million people vaccinated, we just have to go out and sell that.

Well, the reality is, if 28 percent of the country feel you're on the right track, going out there and saying, hey, we're doing great is not going to land well and you know you're right, his great strength is his empathy, but I was surprised yesterday when he said I just need to get out there.

And you heard some of it from Phil, we just need to get out there and sell better. No, they've got to go out there and listen better and give people a sense that we're going through this national trial together, and he is connected to them in this.

PHILLIP: Every President thinks they need to go out and sell better when sometimes the problem is, what's not happening or not happening.

AXELROD: But you know what, what we learned when I was with President Obama during the Great Recession is even as we were making progress, if we went out there and touted it in the wrong way, people resented it, because they didn't feel it in their lives.

Right now, we're locked in this pandemic. We are facing this inflation problem that people see in their lives. They don't want to be told about all the progress we're making and how well. They'll know when they are -- they will feel the progress, you know, so don't try and sell them what they won't believe.

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Axelrod Advice For Biden: People Will Resent You For Highlighting Progress If They Don't Feel It - RealClearPolitics

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a news conference after an EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium December 17, 2021. Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Register

Jan 20 (Reuters) - The proportion of women in leading positions at major European companies rose last year, but fell behind schedule to reach the European Commission's proposed target of 40% for 2025, a study by an EU-sponsored non-profit organisation showed on Thursday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month she would try to unblock legislation for a quota of women on EU company boards, which has been stuck since 2012. read more

The proposal calls for listed companies in the bloc to fill at least 40% of non-executive board seats with women.

Register

Female representation at board level rose by one percentage point to 35% in 2021 after a similar rise a year earlier, according to the study by Brussels-based association European Women on Boards (EWOB), which analysed 668 top European listed companies, included in the STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) and national benchmarks.

"At the current speed of change we will not be able to reach 40% women on boards by 2025," said Rosa Kriesche-Kderli, chair of research and communication at EWOB.

Progress is also slow in top jobs: in the second year of the pandemic, only 7% of the companies' chief executives were women, according to the study, after a jump from 4.7% to 6% between 2019 and 2020.

The number of companies with high scores on EWOB's Gender Diversity Index (GDI) rose to 84 from 62 in 2020.

It defines a high score as an index reading of 0.8 and above, where zero means there are no women on the board or in senior management positions and 1 is 50% representation.

Dutch chemicals company DSM (DSMN.AS) led the rankings with a score of 1, while British insurer Admiral (ADML.L) showed the strongest annual progress, jumping to 0.94 from 0.6.

France, Norway and Britain led the country ranking with a GDI of about 0.7, while Greece, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Poland were at the bottom of the table.

Register

Reporting by Aida Pelaez-FernandezEditing by Milla Nissi and Mark Potter

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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European firms make slow progress in appointing more women to boards - Reuters

Jose Luis Ortiz

Jose Luis Ortiz

Jose (Joe) Luis Ortiz, age 62, passed away on December 30, 2021, in Las Vegas, NV. He was born in Las Vegas, NV, on July 3,1959, to Marta and Pedro Ortiz. He is one of eleven children, all raised in Moapa Valley, NV.

Joe was an outdoorsman, who enjoyed traveling and exploring nature. Among his favorite places in nature were mountain ranges and shorelines.

Joe lived life to the fullest. After graduating from Moapa Valley High School, where he was a member of the 1977-1978 winning State Championship football team, he moved to Las Vegas, NV, and worked in the casino industry. He then moved to Utah and worked in the steel industry for several years. He moved back to Las Vegas and worked at Yolies Brazilian Restaurant as a chef.

He then was blessed to meet the love of his life Barbara Jean Lackey, and together they traveled and lived in many places, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and in Rio Bravo,Tamaulipas, Mexico. Joe especially enjoyed working outdoors on farms and ranches before finally returning to Las Vegas to retire.

Joe is survived by siblings: Aurelio (Nora) Ortiz, Pedro Jr. (Maria) Ortiz, Ernesto Ortiz, and Jany Ortiz, all of Las Vegas, NV, David (Annette) Ortiz of Windsor, CO, Cenovio Ortiz and Paulita Ortiz, both of Logandale, NV, Maria (Dario) Ortega of Sandy Valley, NV, and Juanita Marcial of Overton, NV; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his life partner Barbara Jean Lackey; parents Marta and Pedro Ortiz, and his siblings: Esther Ortiz, Pancho Ortiz and Cruz Ortiz.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, a private service will be held. Flowers may be sent through The Front Porch (702) 397-8334 https://thefrontporchflowers.weddingday.pro/

The Mass will be streamed live on Facebook Friday, January 28, 2022 at 11:00 AM. The family is grateful to all for the prayers and condolences received.

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OBITUARY: Jose Luis Ortiz - The Progress - mvprogress