Valvoline Establishes ESG and Equality Council to Support Continued Progress on Sustainabilty, DE&I and Governance Matters – Marketscreener.com

Valvoline Establishes ESG and Equality Council to Support Continued Progress on Sustainabilty, DE&I and Governance Matters  Marketscreener.com

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NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid

After disappointing setbacks and delays, NASA has finally got its mission to an invaluable asteroid made of precious metals back on track.

Rock of Riches

After disappointing setbacks and a delay over the summer, NASA says it's finally reviving its mission to explore a tantalizing and giant space rock lurking deep in the Asteroid Belt.

Known as 16 Psyche, the NASA-targeted asteroid comprises a full one percent of the mass of the Asteroid Bet, and is speculated to be the core of an ancient planet. But Psyche's size isn't what intrigues scientists so much as its metal-rich composition, believed to be harboring a wealth of iron, nickel, and gold worth an estimated $10 quintillion — easily exceeding the worth of the Earth's entire economy. Although, to be clear, they're not interested in the metals' monetary value but rather its possibly planetary origins.

Back On Track

Initially slated to launch in August 2022, NASA's aptly named Psyche spacecraft became plagued with a persistent flight software issue that led the space agency to miss its launch window that closed on October 11.

But after surviving an independent review determining whether the mission should be scrapped or not, NASA has formally announced that its spacecraft's journey to Psyche will be going ahead, planned to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as early as October 10, 2023.

"I'm extremely proud of the Psyche team," said Laurie Leshin, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement. "During this review, they have demonstrated significant progress already made toward the future launch date. I am confident in the plan moving forward and excited by the unique and important science this mission will return."

Although the new launch date is only a little over a year late, the expected arrival at the asteroid Psyche is set back by over three years — 2029 instead of 2026 — due to having to wait for another opportunity to slingshot off of Mars' gravity.

Peering Into a Planet

Once it arrives, the NASA spacecraft will orbit around the asteroid and probe it with an array of instruments, including a multispectral imager, gamma ray and neutron spectrometers, and a magnetometer, according to the agency.

In doing so, scientists hope to determine if the asteroid is indeed the core of a nascent planet known as a planetesimal. If it is, it could prove to be an invaluable opportunity to understand the interior of terrestrial planets like our own.

More on NASA: NASA Announces Plan to Fix Moon Rocket, and Maybe Launch It Eventually

The post NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid appeared first on Futurism.

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NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid

OIG Wants More Progress from CISA on Cyber Threat Information Sharing – HS Today – HSToday

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) says the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) made limited progress improving the overall quality of threat information but has addressed basic information sharing requirements.

OIG recently published the findings of its evaluation of CISAs progress in meeting the Cybersecurity Act of 2015s requirements for 2019 and 2020. The Act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a capability and process for Federal entities to receive cyber threat information from non-Federal entities. The Act also requires Inspectors General from the Intelligence Community and appropriate agencies to submit a joint report to Congress every two years on Federal Government actions to share cyber threat information.

CISA created an Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) capability in 2016 to enable the real-time exchange of unclassified cyber threat information and defensive measures to participants of the AIS community. According to OIG, in 2019 and 2020 CISA continued to leverage its AIS capability to share cyber threat information between the Federal Government and the private sector. During that time, CISA reportedly increased the number of Federal participants by more than 15 percent and increased the number of non-Federal participants by 13 percent. CISA asserted it increased the overall number of cyber threat indicators it shared and received by more than 162 percent, but it could not validate this number.

OIG determined that the quality of information shared with AIS participants was not always adequate to identify and mitigate cyber threats.

Cyber threat information must contain enough contextual information to help decision makers take necessary and appropriate actions. Examples of contextual information may include Internet Protocol addresses, domain names, hash files, uniform resource locators, or anomalies in the network traffic. Real-time access to the right information is critical for mitigating risks. For example, recent sharing of cyber threat indicators, including malware information, related to the 2021 SolarWinds Orion supply chain compromise led CISA and the Department of Defense Cyber National Mission Force to analyze these malware variants and trace their origins to prevent future cyber incidents.

However, according to the Federal and private sector entities the watchdog interviewed, most of the cyber threat indicators did not contain enough contextual information to help decision makers take action.

Stakeholders also stated that the cyber threat indicators contained false positives, which could mislead entities into believing threats were malicious, resulting in unnecessary upgrades or security protocols. Federal agency officials also noted that some participants had shared unconfirmed malware cyber threat indicator information, or low confidence threat information, that resulted in false positive alerting within security tools. Additionally, private sector feedback identified concerns with AIS customers experiencing false positives from the AIS Public Feed that were later identified as known good indicators. CISA responded to this by improving the AIS allow list to ensure that these types of known good indicators are not distributed via AIS to stakeholders. Federal stakeholders can filter out some of these lower confidence indicators while others may not have the expertise or intermediate tools to further refine relevant cyber threat indicators and defensive measures.

OIG has attributed the shortcomings to limited AIS functionality, inadequate staffing, and external factors challenges it previously reported on in its Cybersecurity Act evaluation for 2017 and 2018.

Following this most recent evaluation, OIG made four recommendations to CISA: improve information quality by increasing participants sharing of cyber information, complete AIS upgrades, conduct additional training and outreach, and hire the staff needed to improve the AIS programs operational effectiveness.

DHS concurred and reminded OIG that since the watchdogs fieldwork CISAs Cybersecurity Division launched its next generation version of AIS, AIS 2.0, which created the capability to apply a CISA opinion score to cyber threat indicators. This score provides an assessment of whether the information can be corroborated with other sources available to the entity submitting the opinion to AIS. AIS 2.0 addresses some of the weaknesses found in OIGs evaluation. In addition, DHS told OIG that during the past 18 months, CISAs Cybersecurity Division has added additional contractual resources to better support its efforts and is also assessing a longer-term approach to allocate resources to fully support the cyber risk mission area.

Read the full report at OIG

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OIG Wants More Progress from CISA on Cyber Threat Information Sharing - HS Today - HSToday

Jimmie Johnson Making Progress: NASCAR World Reacts – The Spun

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 19: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, prepares to drive during qualifying for the NTT IndyCar Series XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 19, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Longtime NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson continues to make progress in the IndyCar world.

Johnson, a longtime NASCAR star, has been making progress in his IndyCar pursuit.

"My first IndyCarrace under the lights and I came home in P14," Johnson wrote.

NASCAR fans are impressed.

"Great job Jimmie!! Still making that progress. It's just gonna keep getting better from here," one fan tweeted.

"+7 from start. Inside top 20 in standings. Progress. Proud of you and your team," another fan wrote.

"I will forever be a fan, 21 years and counting. Watching you race is a privilege, I got to see you run NASCAR in person and hopefully someday I get to see you run Indy in person," one fan added.

It will be fun to watch Johnson moving forward.

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Jimmie Johnson Making Progress: NASCAR World Reacts - The Spun

Pirates raise average with runners in scoring position – MLB.com

PITTSBURGH -- One of the Pirates biggest deficiencies this season has been their struggles with runners in scoring position. Theyve had their chances. Theyve missed their chances. Over the last couple days, the Pirates appear to have taken a small step forward.

The Pirates went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position in their 9-5 loss to the Reds on Sunday at PNC Park and are 13-for-36 (.361) with runners in scoring position on this current homestand. The sample is all of a handful of games, but for Pittsburgh, this stretch is a much-needed deviation from a season-long trend.

"Really encouraging, said manager Derek Shelton. It's something that we're continuing to work on, and we're kind of seeing the benefits of that. I think it's really important, and our guys need to keep going. We had some run scoring opportunities and we capitalized on them and gave us a chance to be in games. That's really important."

Entering this homestand, the Pirates were hitting .209 across 803 at-bats with runners in scoring position, the worst mark in the league. At the conclusion of Sundays game, the Pirates have raised their batting average with runners in scoring position up to .216 on the season. Thats a far cry from their performance in San Francisco last weekend, when they went 3-for-28 with runners in scoring position against the Giants.

Baseballs streaky, and it seems like right now were kind of struggling with that, said Kevin Newman, who had two hits on Sunday. [Were] hoping that well keep grinding away at-bats and its going to turn here soon, get those big hits and get those runs in.

In the bottom of the first inning, Ben Gamel drove in the Pirates first run with a single to center field to plate Bryan Reynolds, and Rodolfo Castro followed it up with a double down the left-field line to score Michael Chavis. If not for a bit of bad luck, Pittsburgh may have put up a crooked number.

With the infield in and runners on second and third, Greg Allen pulled a line drive that appeared destined for left field. Reds shortstop Matt Reynolds lept and stole Allens potential hit, then doubled off Gamel at third base. If Reynolds didnt make the catch, Gamel wouldve waltzed home and Castro, the runner on second, likely wouldve scored.

The Pirates tacked on a couple more timely hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tucupita Marcano drove home a pair of runs in the sixth inning with a double, then advanced to third on right fielder Aristides Aquinos misplay. One batter later, Jason Delay singled home Marcano, giving the Pirates four hits with runners in scoring position.

Theres still work to be done on this front. Pittsburghs average in these situations remains the worst in the league. Still, the Pirates performance in key moments over the last week represents progress.

Cam Vieaux pitches well in return to PiratesVieauxs contract was selected about 30 minutes prior to game time, and the rookie pitched well in his return to the Major League level. In his first appearance with the Pirates since July 1, Vieaux didnt allow a run in 1 2/3 innings of relief and struck out two batters.

"He did a nice job, Shelton said. He came in and kind of put the fire out. He got Moustakas and then got the ground ball base hit. He finished the ninth. He did nice and was effective.

Vieauxs crisp outing was a continuation of the solid work he had done with Triple-A Indianapolis since being designated for assignment in mid-July.

On the surface, Vieauxs numbers during his latest stint with Triple-A Indianapolis merely look OK. In 14 1/3 innings, Vieaux posted a 4.40 ERA with 14 strikeouts. Those numbers dont jump off the page, but Vieauxs numbers were inflated by an outlier outing in which he allowed four earned runs and retired just two batters. Excluding that outing, Vieaux only allowed three earned runs across 13 2/3 innings (1.98 ERA).

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Crews make progress on lightning-caused wildfires | Fires | nrtoday.com – NRToday.com

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James Harden is Impressing Sixers Fans With Offseason Progress – Sports Illustrated

James Harden hasnt felt one-hundred percent health-wise in quite some time. After suffering a hamstring injury during his 2021 playoff run as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Harden went through a strange offseason going into the 2021-2022 NBA season.

For a player who has been relatively healthy throughout his successful career, Harden wasnt used to spending an offseason rehabbing an injury. Therefore, when he showed up for training camp going into his second season with the Nets, Hardens shape was being questioned.

Even throughout the 2021-2022 season, Harden dealt with a nagging hamstring. While he felt healthier after getting some time off following his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers, the process to get Harden going in Philly felt rushed and didnt pay off the way the team had hoped.

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Another second-round exit in the playoffs was in the cards for the Sixers. While Harden was expected to be the difference-maker for Philadelphia, the star guard wasnt the best version of himself in the postseason. Harden never used his hamstring issues as an excuse for poor performances with the Sixers, but he made it clear he looked forward to having a healthy offseason.

Several videos have made their rounds on the net, displaying Harden getting in some critical offseason workouts. While videos of a professional basketball player working to improve his game in the offseason is typical, a pair of photos posted on social media on Friday left fans impressed with Harden.

Ever since his final season in Houston, Harden has received a lot of criticism for the shape he was in. While he continued to produce at a high level for the Rockets and the Nets many wondered if Hardens alleged poor conditioning would eventually catch up to him and cause his game to regress.

With his numbers down in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, many believed that Hardens best days were behind him. But it seems Harden is consistently working to change that narrative as his second run with the 76ers is on its way.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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James Harden is Impressing Sixers Fans With Offseason Progress - Sports Illustrated

Jameis Winston competes in 7-on-7, Saints hope he’ll progress to full team work this week – NOLA.com

It had been a while since New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston took part in a competitive period of practice, but he got some extensive work in during a 7-on-7 period at Sundays practice in the Caesars Superdome.

Winston, whom the team has been bringing along slowly since he sprained his right foot in an August 8 practice, completed eight of his 10 attempts in the drill. He fired at least one touchdown in the red zone, to receiver DaiJean Dixon, but also threw an interception to linebacker Demario Davis.

He did not participate in full team drills Sunday, but coach Dennis Allen said he could play in those later in the week.

That was good, Allen said of Winstons participation. Obviously well go back and take a look at the tape, see what it looked like, but this is part of the natural progression.

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Jameis Winston competes in 7-on-7, Saints hope he'll progress to full team work this week - NOLA.com

Packers’ special teams still a work in progress – Packers Wire

The Green Bay Packers special teams unit is still having issues.

In Fridays preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay had 12 men on the field for a punt return during the third quarter. Then, on the following punt return, only 10 men were on the field.

These kinds of mental mistakes were a common occurrence for one of the worst special teams units in history last season when the 2021 Packers finished dead last in Rich Gosselins annual special teams rankings.

A dismal year led to the firing of Maurice Drayton after just one season. Green Bay replaced him with Rich Bisaccia, who is considered one of the best coordinators in the game, however, even Bisaccia is having trouble curing the Packers special teams woes.

Not having enough guys on the field is an easy fix, but it is also easily avoidable.

It is what it is, and thats something were well aware of, and well clean up, head coach Matt LaFleur said postgame.

Its an odd oversight from someone like Bisaccia, who is one to harp on the details. Hes one of the most vocal coaches at practice, who is not afraid to correct a player if something is not done exactly the way he wants. After all, hes a football savant with nearly 40 years of experience.

Bisaccia doesnt take credit for coining the term WE-fense when referring to special teams, but that is a mantra hes adopted from his years of coaching in college and the NFL. He views special teams as a collaborative effort that is only as good as the sum of its parts.

There was a point in college where there wasnt a lot of attention paid to special teams, and I was fortunate enough to be with a college coach that thought it should be an emphasis, Bisaccia said Thursday. It just became something that we could all do together. It wasnt just guys that played on offense or just guys that played on defense. It was something that we could all do together to help our team win. And its just kind of grown from that. Coach LaFleurs done a great job of making it part of our vernacular around here.

Its a fitting term that has certainly caught on around the building, but so far, it hasnt translated onto the field. Last weeks preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers had its up and downs as Amari Rodgers returned a kickoff for 50 yards. Then, later in the game, kicker Gabe Brkic missed a chip shot from 32 yards.

The plan is to play more starters on special teams in 2022 if it means avoiding another disappointing year. However, that hasnt been the case in the preseason, as most of Green Bays starters are sitting. That includes veteran kicker Mason Crosby, who is rehabbing a knee injury.

The Packers will hope to have their veteran kicker and a healthy number of starters contributing on special teams to start the season. By then, not having the correct numbers of players on the field should be a thing of the past. Then again, more goes into fielding a successful special teams unit.

I think were a work in progress, said Bisaccia.

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Packers' special teams still a work in progress - Packers Wire

Myles Jack Seeing Progress On Defense, ‘Just Have To Close Out On Those Third Downs’ – Steelers Depot

That the Steelers defensive line room has talent is undeniable. Whether or not they can play at a consistently high level as a cohesive unit is what remains to be seen. But part of that is just putting all of the pieces together and giving them the team to form those necessary bonds that allow them to play as a collective rather than a collection of individuals.

There was a little bit of good and bad in last nights performance for newcomer Myles Jack, the veteran inside linebacker they signed as a free agent to a two-year, $16 million contract, who saw his second game of action in the defense, noting that the possession downs are what most needs work.

I think its good. Were getting them in third and longs, great opportunities. We just have to close out on those third downs, he told reporters after the game, via the teams website. I feel like were winning in the first and second downs. Its just those third down we have to get off the field. Thats something Im sure well work on, but at the end of the day, were bending and not breaking and giving up threes, so its not bad.

A former second-round draft pick of the team he played last night, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jack was a salary cap casualty this offseason, so the Steelers pounced on him, ironically adding him to replace another Jaguars linebacker whom they acquired via trade a year ago in August, Joe Schobert, whom they released after the March signing.

He is being prepared to be the Steelers mack linebacker, including wearing the green dot, with Devin Bush and Robert Spillane ostensibly competing for playing time next to him. Bush continues to be the primary starter alongside him, but they have worked various combinationsincluding different linebackers as the dime linebackerin practice.

Outside of changes along the central interior, there is also Larry Ogunjobi as a newcomer on the defensive line, and Levi Wallace at cornerback. Ahkello Witherspoon is also entering his first full season with the team, now as a starter, and Damontae Kazee is another possible contributor in his first year with the Steelers.

Outside of on-field personnel, the unit is also reckoning with a changing of the guard at coordinator following Keith Butlers retirement, replaced with senior defensive assistant Teryl Austin. And Brian Flores was hired this offseason to a new senior defensive assistant post.

Of course, we havent seen much during the preseason from T.J. Watt (though he did have a sack), Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Heyward, their trio of All-Pros, so we certainly cant fully evaluate what this unit looks like without them out there. But getting off the field on third down is definitely an area in which there is room for improvement.

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Myles Jack Seeing Progress On Defense, 'Just Have To Close Out On Those Third Downs' - Steelers Depot

Can Dallas afford the price tag of progress? It doesnt have another choice – The Dallas Morning News

Dallas is on a long march toward equity, and a new study and a recent City Council discussion of a future $1 billion bond program illustrate just how long, arduous and expensive that trek will be.

According to a recent Southern Methodist University study, Dallas is dotted with 62 infrastructure deserts, areas that lack sidewalks, crosswalks, public transportation access or even connections to the citys water and wastewater systems. After reviewing nearly 800 neighborhoods based on the quality of infrastructure, the researchers concluded that low-income communities, many in southern Dallas, are up to four times more likely to have highly deficient infrastructure than their high-income counterparts in other parts of the city.

Reports such as this remind us that Dallas is in the midst of a reckoning after decades of neglect, disinvestment, racism and poor policy decisions in southern Dallas neighborhoods. Dallas is largely divided by race and wide gaps in income and opportunities that ultimately threaten the citys overall economic health and potential.

It is unacceptable that poverty, crime, educational opportunities, health and family income and wealth can be mapped by ZIP codes and race. Roughly 45% of the citys residents live in southern Dallas neighborhoods that make up only 15% of the citys tax base, a disparity that hurts all of the city.

Unless this changes, property tax burdens will remain significant and uneven, and city services will be further strained. Public safety investments will continue to consume larger portions of the city budget, effectively edging out other investments needed to rebuild underserved neighborhoods. Private businesses have a role to play in neighborhood revitalization. But so does the city through investment in the water mains, street lights and sidewalks that make a neighborhood more livable.

No single city budget or bond program will instantly undo these disparities, many of which have been pointed out in countless reports over decades. Progress, however, hasnt always been strategic, efficient or ample enough to uplift neglected neighborhoods to a level that they can better contribute to and share more fully in Dallas future.

The citys to-do list is long, and each operating budget and bond program must strategically provide infrastructure improvements, sustain growth and improve quality of life in underserved neighborhoods. During a recent bond discussion, council members wavered between concerns that the citys preliminary $1 billion bond proposal wont provide enough money for key priorities to whether a $1 billion price tag is too much debt.

The inescapable reality is that Dallas is in the spot that many homeowners face. Not replacing a bad roof or crumbling foundation may save money today, but ultimately it makes the home less livable and erodes its overall value. Dallas future requires significant resources to rebuild neighborhoods and make city government more efficient and responsive to residents. And no, this is not a choice. It is an imperative that requires the city to step up its game.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.

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Can Dallas afford the price tag of progress? It doesnt have another choice - The Dallas Morning News

Progress of a Different Kind – National Catholic Register

People, by and large, said eminent psychologist William James, become what they think of themselves.

I am not sure its worth it.

Zach, my 15-year-old son, and I were standing on the side porch that we had just completed. The project had originally started the previous fall, with the help of our neighbor, as we looked to add increased outdoor space for our home. Like most projects, this one had taken longer than expected, especially with a winter break in the middle. Midst an already frenetic schedule that included up to five sports seasons, fitting in porch construction and the finishing process had not been easy, and had certainly created its own level of stress.

Yet standing on the side porch with Zach, having finally taken care of the finishing touches, I had rationalized that despite all of the time, money and effort, the porch itself would ultimately be worth it in what it would provide. But Zach isnt afraid to voice his honest opinions, and he questioned whether this was the case.

Although my first inclination was to quickly counteract his negative thinking, I found myself pondering over this statement in the hours and days that followed. The reality was that the porch was finished, and it certainly didnt make sense to neglect the opportunities that it would provide us, for both leisurely and hosting purposes. But as I thought more about what he said, I started to consider more seriously the truth these words might hold.

We have a way of rationalizing away all sorts of negatives that come with progress. Take, for instance, the mobile/communication revolution that exists today. As has been widely documented, for all the advances that have occurred with the internet and smartphones, many negative effects have also surfaced over the last couple of decades, questioning how much real progress has been made. While it is understandable that humans will always naturally seek out advancements that bring about more resources, convenience and experiences, the challenge lies in just how we view the idea of progress itself. As with our extended porch area, progress is often seen in an external sort of way, as if saying that our lives will be improved by something that can be acquired or enhanced outside of ourselves (e.g., faster internet speed, larger homes, easier ways to communicate with people, etc.).

Yet in taking this view of progress, we are at risk for falling into two particular traps. One is the idea that progress as we perceive it will necessarily lead to happier, healthier and more harmonious lives, and thus is ultimately worth the unfortunate side effects that might ensue from pursuing it. The second is foregoing opportunities for internal progress the kind that comes from a change in attitude or perspective that ultimately provides for a more contented, joyful outcome, no matter what changes (or not) happen around us.

William James was a well-known psychologist and philosopher born in the mid-1800s, who later became known as the Father of American Psychology. Toward the end of his career, he was asked to be the keynote speaker at the annual conference for the American Psychological Association, where upwards of 10,000 people were expected to be in attendance. He was asked to share the most important lesson learned from 50 years of psychology research. After all the introductions and accolades were announced, he finally walked on stage, introduced the topic, and then said the following:

People by and large become what they think of themselves.

Seconds later, he walked off the stage and left the conference.

As I have reflected more on this statement, and my conversation with Zach, I found myself particularly struck by the connections between the two. While it is certainly understandable that a family of 10 living in a smaller home (given modern standards) would seek to provide for more space, the broader question remains just what it means to be moving forward in this world. We certainly like to think of ourselves as people of progress, but if William James words are true, it should give us pause to consider just what kind of progress we think we are making.

All of us would like to think that as the world grows in connectivity, convenience and complexity, we are inevitably progressing as we should, or maybe just as we are programmed to do. Yet in taking this view, I worry that we are both failing to consider what true progress really looks like, and failing to consider the choices we still have in all of this. While it might be hard to turn our backs on a perceived advance or opportunity, and instead focus on changing our perspective toward a particular situation or ourselves, this might be the most important progress we can make. Just because we can do something doesnt mean that we should do something, unless it ultimately brings about greater health, harmony, happiness and ultimately holiness as God intends.

That day on the porch, I wanted to believe that all the effort and money was worth it. And maybe it will be. But it also may be that we could have been just as happy without the new addition, and instead have allocated our time and resources in a more important way. While second-guessing this decision lacks any utility, it does pose a consideration in going forward. For all of us in this age of advance, its worth considering what we think about ourselves as it pertains to true progress, and thus who we are becoming.

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Progress of a Different Kind - National Catholic Register

US and European leaders discuss progress of Iran nuclear deal – The National

The leaders of the US, Britain, France and Germany discussed efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal on Sunday during a call mainly focused on Ukraine.

"In addition, they discussed ongoing negotiations over Irans nuclear programme, the need to strengthen support for partners in the Middle East region, and joint efforts to deter and constrain Irans destabilising regional activities," the White House said.

No further details were provided on the Middle Eastern portion of the discussion among US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The EU and US last week said they were studying Iran's response to what the EU has called its "final" proposal to revive the deal, under which Tehran curbed its nuclear programme in return for economic sanctions relief.

Failure in the nuclear negotiations could raise the risk of a regional war, with Israel threatening military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

Iran, which has long denied having such ambitions, has warned of a "crushing" response to any Israeli attack.

Russian contractors work at the Bushehr nuclear reactor site in 2007. The plant opened four years later. Bloomberg

In 2018, then-president Donald Trump reneged on the nuclear deal reached before he took office.

Mr Trump called it too soft on Iran and reimposed harsh US sanctions, spurring Tehran to begin breaching its limits on uranium enrichment.

Updated: August 21, 2022, 11:08 PM

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US and European leaders discuss progress of Iran nuclear deal - The National

Work in Progress Limits: Getting started with the Agile Marketing Navigator – MarTech

We recently introduced you to theAgile Marketing Navigator, a flexible framework for navigating agile marketing for marketers, by marketers in the articleA new way to navigate agile marketing. The navigator has four major components: Collaborative Planning Workshop, Launch Cycle, Key Practices and Roles. Within these categories, there are several sub-pieces for implementation.

In recent articles we covered the Collaborative Planning Workshop and the Launch Cycle. Now were going to dive into the third of our6 Key Practices: Work in Progress.

Lets face it, marketers have a big problem theyre overloaded with too much work. A big consequence of too much work happening at once is getting a lot of work started, but nothing really finished.

In agile marketing, a primary goal is to deliver work rapidly so we can get feedback to inform future work. However, when marketers are spinning in a sea of content creation soup or email overload, work is often getting caught up somewhere in the internal workflow and not getting delivered as quickly as it should.

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Work in Progress (WIP) limits derive from the popular workflow framework Kanban and its a practice that helps teams understand optimal workflow.

Lets say that youre a content marketing team and youre visualizing your work in an agile tool such as Workfront or JIRA. The team notices that they could be more efficient at getting work from in progress to done and that limiting how much work is in progress at any given time may help them be a better-performing team.

To get started, the team should take a few weeks to track how much work they currently have in practice each day, coming up with an average. Heres a simple way to calculate the teams current WIP by jotting down whats on the teams board:

To calculate the teams current work in progress, add up the total in column 2 and divide by 14, which gives an average of 10. This means that the team averages 10 items in progress at any one time.

Now that the team understands their starting place, they can experiment by setting different WIP limits. Since they know that with 10 work items in progress at any given time they are not at optimal efficiency, they should agree to set a lower limit, such as eight, and experiment over the next few weeks by not allowing more than eight pieces of content to be in progress at once.

After that two-week period, the team should discuss how it went. Did they see any improvements in how much work got done? If yes, they may have found an optimal number. If they believe it is still too high, they can try another cycle with a lower number.

It may take several experiments to understand the teams WIP limit, and that number may change over time. The main point is that the team is empowered to set this themselves and to work together to improve their efficiency.

This isnt a beginners practice, so I recommend only trying this with teams that have been working in agile marketing together for six months or longer and have mastered the basics. This practice is more about refining and optimizing a relatively experienced agile marketing team to improve efficiency.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

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Work in Progress Limits: Getting started with the Agile Marketing Navigator - MarTech

2022 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25: Works in Progress (40-31) – Die By The Blade

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of staff writers and over 600 readers that ranked Buffalo Sabres players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2022. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.

Its so interesting to look at this years results compared to last years. We had a lot more responses, but the Sabres have also acquired a lot of seemingly solid prospects, too. Thats nowhere more evident than right here, where youll see two players who finished in last years top 25 and fell out this year.

Heres who is ranked #40 through #31.

Average Public Ranking: 38

Konecny bounced around a bit last year but spent the most team with HC Sparta Praha, where he put up seven points in 28 games. He also played for their U20 team and was loaned to both HC Bank Sokolov and HC Stadion Litomice, and skated in two games for Czechia at the cancelled World Juniors. He didnt make this summers roster.

Average Public Ranking: 37

Cederqvist is expected to make the jump to North America this year, after spending all of last season in the SHL. In 49 games last season with Djurgrdens IF, he put up 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points. In four relegation games, he averaged a point-per-game.

Average Public Ranking: 36

Novikov appeared in 32 KHL games last season with Dynamo Moskva, accruing four points and six penalty minutes. He also skated in nine playoff games. Other than that, he skated in six games with MHK Dynamo Moskva - their junior team.

Average Public Ranking: 35

Neuchev had an impressing showing in the MHL (junior league) last season, putting up 67 points in just 61 games. His season included a 40-goal campaign and earned him a game in the KHL and five games in the VHL. Hes slated to return to juniors again this upcoming season.

Average Staff Ranking: 32Average Public Ranking: 40

Kozak still has some junior eligibility, so hell return to the WHLs Portland Winterhawks for another season as their captain this fall. Last year was his third full season with the team; he averaged over a point-per-game, with 69 points (32-37) in 66 regular season games. Check out this profile on Kozak from The Buffalo News.

Average Public Ranking: 32

Biro had an impressive campaign with the AHLs Rochester Americans last season. He played a strong, physical, offensive game, with 41 points (12-29) in just 48 regular-season games. He also made his NHL debut in one game. Biro signed a two-year deal with the Sabres earlier this summer with an AAV of $762,500.

Average Staff Ranking: 27Average Public Ranking: 39

Last season saw Costantini make the jump from juniors to the NCAA. He fared well in his freshman year, making the mark for 21 points in 35 games played. The 2020 fifth-round draft pick is set to return to Grand Forks for another collegiate season.

Last Years Ranking: 23Average Public Ranking: 31

After four seasons at Wisconsin, Weissbach made his AHL debut last season in 67 games with the Amerks. He had a fine season, with 37 points, but pales in comparison to other Rochester rookies like Quinn, Peterka and Biro. This is a contract year for him.

Average Public Ranking: 30

The first goalie on our list! Leinonens size is noteworthy, at 65 and 234 pounds. Theres a reason he was the first goalie taken in the 2022 draft and a reason the Sabres chose him so high. Last season, he appeared in 21 games with JYPs U20 team, putting up a .916 save percentage and 2.28 GAA. He also appeared in five games with Finlands U18 team.

Last Years Ranking: 17Average Staff Ranking: 28Average Public Ranking: 33

Laaksonen has fallen quite a bit in the Top 25 Under 25 standings, after finishing 17th last year. He appeared in 71 games with the Amerks this past season, accrued 34 points and 44 penalty minutes and is the only 2017 draft pick still in the Sabres organization who has yet to play in an NHL game.

Stay tuned for the rest of the list.

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2022 Buffalo Sabres Top 25 Under 25: Works in Progress (40-31) - Die By The Blade

Shelton will return, Bucs GM-progress not measured now in wins/losses – 93.7 The Fan

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington said manager Derek Shelton is under contract for next season and he will return.The GM also said his coaching staff will be back as well.

I love working with Shelty and this staff, Cherington said Friday. They work their tails off every day. They care so much about getting this right, getting better. Outcomes are hard on them too, hard on everybody. He has been consistently open to feedback. Im so confident at the level of effort every day this staff puts in to get better.

Im looking forward to this group benefitting from the fruits of their labor because I believe they will as our roster matures and gets stronger.

In his third season, Shelton is 126-214, a .371 career winning percentage.

100 losses

A second straight 100 loss season is staring at the Pirates, Cherington doesnt believe that stat will accurately tell the tale of the improvement in the organization.

We made a decision to go down a path because we believe we need more talent, more players, Cherington said of rebuilding. We need to build a stronger base of players that can be here for a longer period of time. We believe thats the best chance we have to get to winning as quickly as possible and then sustain it.

Most of those decisions were made in a way that wouldnt help the team the next day at the Major League level. I acknowledge that and despite that I believe we are making progress at the Major League level. I believe the way we are playing baseball continues to improve.

I dont know what our record will be at the end of the year. I hope it shows progress, I believe it can. All of that is happening when the decision we are making arent helping the roster the next day.

I think we are at a moment in time that progress should not be measured entirely by wins and losses. That doesnt mean the games arent important, I do not think right now its the best way to measure.

We are getting closer to better outcomes.

We really do see progress and we will need more of it. Eventually the outcomes matter, but those get better because of more players, players maturing and that will happen.

Frustration

Cherington said its not that they arent frustrated by what is going on with the team, but it also motivates them to get better.

In baseball there is no single solution, Cherington said. No single move or shortcut that will get us from Point A to Point B. Its a lot of stuff that adds up over time and all of a sudden you are in a better spot and you are winning games.

You need a lot of good players. It takes some time to get a lot of good players. Then even after you have them, they have to go through a transition. Good young players dont always show up in the big leagues on day one and helping you win. It takes some time.

Too much youth

Cherington disagreed with the notion when presented in a question that they could have too many young players at one time in the majors.

No. because every one of them is getting benefit of their experience, Cherington said. Its a fact of life, thats what we need to do. Even if there are going to be some struggles, weve got to be willing to do that because sooner or later they will have to. We trying to pick the best spots.

I dont think we will ever be hesitant to give young players an opportunity here even if its a bunch at one time. Obviously as you get to a deeper, stronger roster and get to winning more games the complexion of the team looks different because its more mature. We think we are really getting benefit of this young group playing and well see more of that.

Its really valuable that weve had so many young position players have as many reps as theyve had at the Major League level and its only going to help some of them be stronger contributors sooner rather than later. Its part of the process. We are going to have to rely on young players. I think that represents progress.

On the pitching side, we are excited about the group of young pitchers we are accumulating and starting to get either at or close to the Major League level. Obviously, we still need to improve but we can see guys either taking steps forward in a rotation and becoming guys you can look at as part of a good rotation or other young starting pitchers who are getting experience and steps.

We are excited about the direction of our pitching. We understand it has to be better, but we are excited about the direction of it.

Hodgepodge of Nothingness

Cherington asked by the Post-Gazettes and 93.7 The Fans Jason Mackey about the Red Sox broadcasters comments on Tuesday including the one of the Bucs lineup being a hodgepodge of nothingness.

I was disappointed for our players that anybody would speak about a player in the Major Leagues or any professional player in that way, Cherington said. What our players said about it, I thought was completely appropriate. I will let that speak for itself.

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Shelton will return, Bucs GM-progress not measured now in wins/losses - 93.7 The Fan

Richmond has made monumental progress on public transit. We must keep moving forward. – Greater Greater Washington

GRTC Pulse Richmond BRT. Image by Richard Hankins

Even just a decade ago, the state of Richmonds transit was a sorry affair. The same city that constructed the worlds first electric streetcar system burned it to the ground 60 years later. Richmond then razed Black neighborhoods with interstate highways, and became a de-facto transit wasteland by the early 21st century.

In 2011, the policy think-tank Brookings Institute found that out of the top 100 metro areas, Richmond ranked 92nd for transit access, a dismal finding even in a country not known for its public transportation. Thanks to segregation, redlining, and other racist policies, many of Richmonds, carless, Black, and poor residents were dependent on a woefully inadequate transportation system well into the 21st century.

But then things started to shift by 2018. Richmond overhauled the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC)s bus network, streamlining routes and connecting residents to employment centers with an emphasis on frequent service and equitable mobility. Concurrently, Richmond constructed the first bus rapid transit line in Central Virginia along the regions busiest corridor, Broad Street, thanks to a federal grant. As a result, ridership immediately increased 17%, and over 5 million people have ridden the Pulse since it opened for service just three and a half years ago.

Even COVID-19 couldnt stifle this momentum. The City of Richmond and GRTC just finished painting over four miles of the Pulses dedicated lanes red, aligning the route to international standards and increasing safety for riders, drivers, and pedestrians alike. Even more impressive is that ridership today is 10% higher than before the pandemic. This is an impressive anomaly, bucking national trends in the wake of the pandemic. To our north in DC, Metro ridership hovers at a dismal 30% of pre-pandemic levels while WMATAs bus service is at only 60%.

Perhaps most exciting of all, GRTC is leading a national trend in equitable access to transportation by piloting one of the countrys biggest zero-fare programs. That means riding the bus around RVA could stay completely free through at least June 2025 thanks to an $8 million grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. If Central Virginias localities and business leaders support the backdoor boost to riders wages with further funding, GRTC could stay fare-free permanently.

Finally, the establishment of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority in 2020 has created GRTCs first dedicated revenue stream and established a regional body to foster cooperation amongst localities. 2022 could be the most exciting year for transit since the great redesign of 2018 with a historic 20% increase in bus service in the works. Plus, the city has painted the Pulse lanes red from 3rd Street to I-195, thanks in part to a state grant.

Such progress has vastly improved the quality of life in Greater Richmond. However, these big wins should be seen as a down payment on the far-reaching, equitable system our region desperately needs.

Areas for growth

RVA Rapid Transits 2021 State of Transit Report identified 13 major corridors that stretch from Ashland to Brandermill and Mechanicsville to Short Pump that need bus service with 15-minute (or better) frequency. Midlothian Turnpike is the regions next top opportunity: from Johnston-Willis Hospital to Chesterfield Towne Center the corridor has tons of jobs but not a single bus route. Following the success of Chesterfield Countys first local bus route along Route 1 in 2020, its clear Richmonds southern neighbor needs more transit service.

Improving public transit directly impacts peoples lives, a matter that we at RVA Rapid Transit are addressing by canvassing riders at bus stops. We heard from one rider, Angie, who told us Im trying to start a new job at Amazon, and right now I cant get the shift that I need with my kids because the bus comes every hourIf the bus came every 30 minutes, it would change everything for me.

Another rider, Martin Hill, talked to us about the difficulties of balancing fatherhood and career via public transportation.

I have to drop my son off at daycare or school, then I got to try to make it to work on time, and its just hard, Hill said. If I have to be at work at 7 in the morning, I have to be at the bus [stop] by 5 in the morning.

Countless other Central Virginians face the same challenges Martin and Angie do to access better-paying jobs and a better quality of life for their families. With greater investment in public transit, we could change this and create a more equitable and sustainable Richmond region.

Currently, only 23% of our regions jobs are accessible by a frequent bus route, according to our report. With greater investments in service to these 13 corridors, we could connect our regions residents to an additional 203,776 jobs, equating to a monumental 248% increase in job access.

I also hope that you will keep Martin and Angie in mind when considering the impact of better transit. We have come so far recently in the pursuit of reliable, frequent, and expansive public transportation - and we must not stop now.

Studies have begun on the creation of a North-South BRT line. Henrico joined the board of GRTC this spring. Bus service expansions are being eyed across all three jurisdictions. GRTC has adopted an impressive plan to double (or even triple) the percentage of bus stops with shelters or benches.

Help us show support for these projects by not only emailing public comments to GRTC but also reaching out to your local representatives (Richmond City, Henrico, Chesterfield), who have an outsized voice in the direction and prioritization of transit in the Richmond region.

No matter your residency, I urge you to support public transit not only for the betterment of our region but also for riders like Martin and Angie, who rely on transit in supporting themselves and their families. We need to keep the momentum going.

RichardHankinsis the Program & Communications Manager for RVA Rapid Transit, where he advocates for public transportation across Greater Richmond. He has previously held three transit fellowships, including two for Transit Alliance Miami. He resides in the Westover Hills neighborhood in his hometown of Richmond, Va.

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Richmond has made monumental progress on public transit. We must keep moving forward. - Greater Greater Washington