FAO report on food and agriculture indicators underscores lack of progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

FAO is rolling out innovative data tools to help countries track progress as COVID-19 pandemic poses new monitoring challenges

15 September 2020, Rome/Geneva - The world was already off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even harder both to achieve the Goals and to monitor progress where it is being made, according to a new report released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

"We need better data to better understand the path we need to take to get to our destination," said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero. "Knowing more about where we are and how slowly or quickly we are moving will help us focus our efforts and actions to target interventions to achieve SDGs."

The unprecedented global health crisis, with associated economic and social impacts, is "making the achievement of these SDG targets even more challenging," according to the report, "Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2020".

Hunger, as well as other forms of food insecurity, are rising, and the pandemic has disrupted longer-term practices from conserving genetic resources as well as immediate operations such as national agricultural censuses, which are key both to identifying immediate needs and nudging the world's farmers to more sustainable practices. These censuses have been delayed, postponed or suspended in more than half of the 150 countries canvassed. Around one in four countries say that COVID-19 has disrupted national statistical agencies, with "nearly all" key data collection being adversely affected and vastly complicating FAO's work as the custodian agency for 21 SDG indicators and a contributing agency to another five.

The report assesses current trends, finding many stagnating - including the hunger benchmark known as Prevalence of Undernourishment used to track SDG target 2.1 - or even deteriorating - such as the broader Food Insecurity Experience Scale used for the same target. Many of the indicators, particularly for measuring smallholder labor productivity and incomes with the aim of doubling them by 2030, suffer from inadequate data to assess both current status and progress.

"Members can rely on FAO to help work through the often very substantial methodological complexity and pursue harmonized and comparable results that will enable the necessary acceleration of efforts to achieve the SDGs, as we enter the crucial Decade of Action culminating in 2030," said Pietro Gennari, FAO's chief statistician. "And while the general assessment is concerning, it's also important to note positive trends, such as improved water use efficiency in Southern Asia, increases in plant genetic resource conservation efforts in Northern Africa, progress towards sustainable forest management, and some improvement in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing ."

Innovation can trump disruption

"The COVID-19 crisis makes the job more difficult but is also an opportunity to find new ways to work smarter, faster and harder," said Torero, who along with Gennari presented the report virtually in Geneva today.

FAO has set up a Big Data laboratory and tool to gather real-time information for a series of indicators, a Food Price Monitoring and Analysis tool, as well as the Hand in Hand Geospatial Platform, and is also increasing its efforts to bring all data public. The Organization is exploiting alternative data sources to help Members assess in real-time the impact of the pandemic disruptions on food systems and also to overcome the current limitations on data collection in the field. Satellite imagery is being used to identify and monitor risks of disruption on crop production and value chains. Machine-learning models have been developed to calibrate and classify crop prospects, and these are integrated with other data sets - including government restriction measures and trends on the impact of COVID-19, to inform evidence-based decision-making.

Some of the key findings

Agricultural productivity data are scarce, but indications are that small-scale food producers lag behind their larger peers. Data on smallholder incomes are relatively more abundant, but show that in most countries, smallholder incomes are less than half of those of larger producers.

Global holdings of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture rose to 5.43 million in 2019 from 4.21 million in 2005. But efforts to secure crop diversity for crop wild relatives and underutilized crop species continue to be insufficient.

The number of livestock breeds with sufficient genetic material stored to allow them to be reconstituted in case of extinction rose 10-fold in the decade to 2019. But they still amount to only 101 of the roughly 7 600 breeds reported around the world, some 73 percent of which are at risk of extinction.

Gender equality, investigated through the lens of women's land tenure, is far from realized, and legal provisions in many countries do not adequately protect the rights of women to land. Only 12 percent of assessed countries guarantee a very high degree of such protection.

Both forests and the sustainability of global fish stocks continue to decline, though at a slower pace than before.Government investment in agriculture, measured as a share of GDP, has declined globally by around a third since 2001, led by sharp drops - from high levels - in much of Asia.

"Working together, we need to work together to find innovative ways to accelerate the information needed to catalyze the changes the world has pledged to achieve," said Torero.

Click here for the full report.

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Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2020 - World - ReliefWeb

The Health System Board of the Board of Visitors met Thursday afternoon to share the work done by U.Va. Health System and the School of Nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic including providing free testing, PPE and other forms of support to disenfranchised members of the Charlottesville community. The open session was streamed live on YouTube and lasted 42 minutes.

Most of the Board was able to meet in-person, complying with social distancing guidelines and wearing masks. Dr. L.D. Britt, Chair of the Health System Board, as well as public members Eugene Fife and John Niederhuber and Buildings and Grounds Committee member Louis Haddad joined the meeting through Zoom.

After Britt opened the session by highlighting the significance of these challenging times, Dr. K. Craig Kent delivered opening remarks regarding the busy summer for U.Va. Health. The health system implemented several measures to mitigate the financial effects of COVID-19 and, after three months were finally able to secure the financials to provide better care for the community.

Were busy again, caring for patients, our researchers are back to work and our students are engaged in learning, Kent said. We missed doing what we loved to do and were all back now and engaged and very thankful for that.

Dr. Reid Adams, Chair of the Department of Surgery and Chief Medical Officer, provided updates on the contributions of U.Va. Health to the community.

U.Va. Health was the first site in Virginia to have in-house COVID tests and the first to open a COVID clinic. At the start of the pandemic, U.Va. Health put daily communications and PPE management in place to ensure that the community was well informed and had an adequate PPE supply for everyone. They were also able to rapidly convert to telehealth in order to provide greater patient care.

Adams mentioned that there are currently 25 to 30 COVID hospitalizations daily and expects that number to remain steady barring any spikes in cases.

Much of the report focused on U.Va. Healths community testing program. The health system has partnered with 18 community organizations to offer accessible, free testing to provide early protection and prevent outbreaks especially among vulnerable populations such as Black and Brown communities within Charlottesville that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 2,147 tests have been performed throughout the 20 events that have been held so far, of which 295 were positive a 14 percent positivity rate.

In addition to testing, U.Va. Health has also worked with community organizations to provide support services such as PPE and food boxes, as well as dissemination of informational resources and handouts. These provide information about housing, voter registration, resilience and behavioral health support and what to do when youre sick. Community partners include Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Mt. Zion African Baptist Church, Buford Middle School, Westhaven Nursing Clinic and more.

Its efforts such as these that represent the essence of what it means to be an academic health system, Adams said. Innovation, novel care delivery, research, all that improve peoples lives and then publication in peer review journals so that others can learn, illustrates the best of what U.Va. Health has to offer.

In response to a question by Niederhuber about the health systems capacity for testing, Kent expressed that the community had a sufficient amount of testing and U.Va. Health was producing tests and developing partnerships with community organizations that have offered help.

If theres an increased need, I believe we have that capacity, so Im very, very confident about our ability to take care of our community, Kent said.

In terms of what hasnt been working during the health systems response to the pandemic, Adams acknowledged that there has been a huge boom in the need for care. Because of social distancing practices, it isnt as efficient to see patients in clinics, and hospitals are full with sick patients.

Those are all obviously stressful but manageable, Adams said. Its what we do everyday, its what we like to do, and so I think its a much better alternative than not being busy.

In the second part of the session, Dr. Pamela Cipriano, dean of the School of Nursing, highlighted the efforts of the School, desired outcomes, early progress and philanthropy. She emphasized the desire of the School of Nursing to have closer relationships across the health system and increase authentic collaboration between the School of Nursing and U.Va. Health so that they can have equal opportunities and a shared strategic mission.

Cipriano also talked about how, especially after the events of this summer, the School of Nursing has increased efforts to teach students and faculty to eliminate bias and racism. Other goals include amplifying LGBTQ+ content and learning how to have difficult conversations.

In terms of philanthropy, the School of Nursing is planning to use the $20 million donation from the Conway family to produce 1,000 more nurses over the next 10 years, increase RN to BSN enrollees, increase transfer admissions, expand simulation labs and offer more scholarships to decrease student debt in the nursing school.

Cipriano wrapped up her presentation with a statement about how many Nursing students have had to engage in face-to-face instruction. About 60 percent of graduate and undergraduate Nursing classes and about one-third of clinical nurse leader classes have an in-person clinical component.

While we know that many other students will be doing much of their education online, our students are on the frontlines and very excited to be back, Cipriano said.

The Board then entered a closed session to discuss business-related information regarding the operations of the Medical Center, School of Medicine and Transitional Care Hospital.

Riya Jain contributed to this article.

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BOV Health System Board discusses progress with community COVID testing and shares School of Nursing report - University of Virginia The Cavalier...

That said, the right question, now as always, is: Whats next?

As the need for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan declines, they should be redeployed for other missions. Because America is a global power with global interests and responsibilities, there is plenty of other work on the to-do list. Moreover, the military has to train and prepare for future missions.

What is key is that the withdrawal of U.S. forces has to be based on real-world conditions, not managed by the calendar. The Trump administration has taken that approach. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States has consulted with the host nations, which have agreed that the troop drawdowns make sense.

In neither case is the United States abandoning our friends or responsibilities. This is important in Afghanistan, where the United States has made clear to the Taliban that the future of American troop levels will be determined by progress in the talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The Taliban are dead wrong if they think the United States simply will forget the Afghan people and walk away.

Likewise, the United States has no interest in ceding ground in the Middle East to Iran. The United States will continue to partner with the Iraqi people to continue strengthening both their security and economy.

Indeed, the next steps for really advancing U.S. interests and regional peace in the Middle East and South Asia will not be focused on the size of U.S. forces in the regions.

Originally posted here:

JAMES JAY CARAFANO: U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan show progress in resolving endless wars - SCNow

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASEFirefighters stop progress of vegetation fire along Highway 135

Fire crews have stopped the progress of an 18-acre vegetation fire between highways 1 and 135 on Vandenberg Air Force Base property that was burning at a moderate rate in light brush.

Crews that included units from Vandenberg and Santa Barbara County Fire battled the flames to keep them from jumping across to the right-hand side of Highway 135 and on to Graciosa Road.

The Graciosa incident first was reported at 1:15 p.m.

The fire was burning on a grade just inside the base perimeter, according to Santa Barbara County Fire spokesman Mike Eliason.

Along with fire crews fighting on the ground, incident responders requested a helicopter to assist on scene.

A 39-year-old Lompoc man was arrested on suspicion of arson after he allegedly set several fires in the northeast area of the city during the early morning hours Sunday, a Police Department spokesman said.

Ismael Zaragoza Chavez was taken into custody after the Lompoc Fire Department responded to multiple fires in the 300 block of North 2nd Street, the 900 block of East Oak Avenue and the 1400 block of the alley between East Lemon and North avenues.

Sgt. S. Arias said a vehicle, a backyard shed and several dumpsters had been set on fire.

Lompoc officers searched the area for a suspect and found Chavez in the area allegedly with evidence indicating he was responsible for igniting the fires, Arias said.

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County Lines: Firefighters stop progress of vegetation fire along Highway 135 - Lompoc Record

Rev. J. Patrick Street, Pastor column Published 11:55 a.m. ET Sept. 14, 2020

Paul writes, I have not already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of meBut one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14). Adversity is a fact of life. There fiveadversities that hinder our making spiritual progress, and Paul tells us how he overcame these obstacles.

First is arrogance. Paul dealt with arrogance by honestly evaluating himself, and he saw his need to press on toward knowing Christ even more. Arrogance is the attitude of pride. Arrogance leaves no room for learning and growth. In the race between the tortoise and the hare, arrogance is what caused the hare to take a nap and to lose the race.

Second is arrival. Paul says his Christ-centered perspective in life does not indicate that hes arrived at the finish line of his spiritual journey. He said, I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me. So often we think we have reached our limit and we stop making progress. Whoever said that we are human-becomings and not human beings is helpful in reminding us to make progress continuously. We are all able to become more like Christ and accomplish more for Gods kingdom than we ever have.

Third is affections. Pauls priority was to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me. Affections get us out of balance and often distract us. We must be single-minded, to know Jesus and to make Him known to the non-believing world. We can easily be tempted to do many things, but by focusing on Jesus we will make progress and please the Lord.

Fourth is accomplishments of the past. Forgetting what is behind Paul chose to forget his past so that he was not hindered by it. Our past accomplishments can cause us to stay in the past too long and often make us think that we have arrived. Past accomplishments can lead us to put our confidence more in ourselves than in God. This stops our progress all together.

Fifth is apathy. Many Christians are complacent. Paul dealt with apathy by taking action moving toward the goal God set for him. He understood his responsibility to actively and aggressively pursue the prize, which is Christ Jesus.

Many believers are Stuck on Salvation. That is, we got saved, but thats as far as we have gone with the Lord! Jesus saved us for a purpose! He laid hold of us with purpose in mind. So pursue it with all your heart. Let nothing satisfy you but satisfying Him!

To make spiritual progress beware of your enemies, Paul overcame them with devotion, dedication and determination in the Lord so can you!

Rev. J. Patrick Street, Lead Pastor, Redeemer Church, Marion

coachpatstreet@gmail.com

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Pastor column: There are five adversities to progress - Marion Star

Aerion Supersonic is continuing a flurry of activity as it strives to bringits Mach 1.4 AS2 business jet to market later this decade, workingthrough the joint definition phase for the avionics and connectivity suites with Honeywell Aerospace.

While still under development, Aerion gave an outline of plans for the next-generation display system, which will feature intuitive symbology, advanced communication and navigation systems, and flight guidance and management systems. A key aspect is the avionics must support supersonic flight and Aerions Boomless Cruise technology, which will enable both transonic and supersonic flight with reduced noise. In addition, the aircraft will feature the latest in Honeywells connectivity offerings, including the Forge platform.

Honeywell Aerospace is the definitive leader in cutting-edge avionics technology, and we are delighted to continue our long-standing collaboration, said Tom Vice, Aerion CEO, chairman, and president. We appreciate the considerable investment in resources that Honeywell has made in our program, and we look forward to continued collaboration as we work with our global supply team to bring the AS2 into production.

The Aerion/Honeywell collaboration began in 2018still in the formative stages of the program. By coming on board early into the preliminary design work, Honeywell is able to help shape the future suite, Aerion said.

Honeywell is committed to advancing the future of flight, and our work with Aerion is paving the way for the return of supersonic travel, said Mike Madsen, Honeywell Aerospace president and CEO. Our avionics and connectivity solutions will help define the next era of air travel and make it safer and more efficient than ever before.

Honeywell has a long backgroundwith supersonic aircraft. It has furnished processors, displays, sensors, radio altimeters, radar, and flight control systems for supersonic military jets for decades.

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Aerion, Honeywell Progress on AS2 Avionics - Aviation International News

The Beachie Creek fire has shrunk after fire crews moved to contain the blaze over the weekend. However, 1 million acres of the Oregon have been burned by the historic wildfires. Gov. Kate Brown said the state "has been pushed to its limits."

Teams from the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon National Guard staff a roadblock on Friday, Sept.11, to prevent unauthorized access to closed fire areas. (Marion County Sheriff's Office photo)

Smoke is expected to stay around the Salem area until later this week as a result of historic wildfires.

Salem and other areas throughout western Oregon and Washington have been under a dense smoke advisory thats scheduled to expire at 6 p.m. this evening. The National Weather Service forecast calls for a chance of rain tonight as well as Tuesday.

As of Monday afternoon, Salems Air Quality Index was at 446, above the level considered hazardous.

Will Ahue, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that there is a low-pressure system that could be moving off the coast that could sweep the smoke out to the ocean by the end of the week.

We now find ourselves one week into this fire event, said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown during a press briefing on Monday. And without question, our state has been pushed to its limits.

Wildfires across the state have now burned approximately 1 million acres and destroyed 1,145 residences, according to numbers put out by the state Office of Emergency Management Monday. There have also been 10 confirmed fatalities and 22 missing persons.

The Beachie Creek Fire east of Salem now covers 188,374 acres, down from the 188,935 acres recorded on Sunday after fire crews started containing the fire over the weekend. Currently, 16,776 structures have been evacuated because of the fire and another 18,528 households have been told to prepare to evacuate.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for the Santiam Canyon and Lyons, and the Marion County Sheriffs Office has not issued new orders for nearby communities. Scotts Mills and areas east of Meridan Rd., Davis Creek and Victor Point were downgraded to a be set evacuation notice Monday.

NOTE: As a community service, Salem Reporter is providing free access to its stories related to the wildfires.

SUPPORT ESSENTIAL REPORTING FOR SALEM- A subscription starts at $5 a month for around-the-clock access to stories and email alerts sent directly to you.Your support matters.GoHERE.

Contact reporter Jake Thomas at 503-575-1251 or[emailprotected]or @jakethomas2009.

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Crews make progress on fire, but Salem expected to see smoke until at least later this week - Salem Reporter

Last summer, 34 young New Yorkers fanned out across the citys courtrooms to observe a combined 600 hours of youth court appearances.

The aim: to evaluate the effects of the states historic Raise the Age legislation, which stopped the automatic prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds as adults, in New York City.

The report by the Youth Justice Research Collaborative a group of nonprofits and researchers, many of whom advocated for the 2017 measure combined in-person detailed observations with a review of state and city data.

Clearly a lot of the things are working as intended, said Kate Rubin, director of policy and strategic initiatives at Youth Represent, a member of the collaborative. Rubin cited lower rates of arrests, for one.

They went down so much even before the law took effect, and then they kept going down. Detention is down its what we hoped for.

Paid as researchers by the collaborative, the observers also saw where they felt the system still falls short, including persistent racial disparities, the overuse of detention, and treatment of children and their families in court.

Maya Williams, an observer with the group, noted that while she was in the middle of her field study a state task force and the mayor released reports praising the law and, and only glorifying its successes.

We were in the courtroom seeing the successes, but also seeing the things that need to be revised or the things that need to be added and modified, not just with the law itself, but the entire criminal justice system, said Williams, who now works as a research assistant for the collaborative after receiving her masters in public administration from John Jay College.

When Albany lawmakers passed Raise the Age, they finally took New York off the short list of U.S. states that still automatically prosecuted 16- and 17-year-olds as adults.

Between October of 2018 to October 2019, 16-year-olds were the first age group to be folded into the family court system. During that time, arrests among 16-year-olds plummeted by more than 40%.

Yet racial disparities persisted; 93% of all youth arrests (meaning ages 7 to 17) in New York City were of Black and Latino young people, according to the report, and 85% of those arrested were boys.

For comparison, only about 60% of New York Citys children ages 7 to 15 were Black and Latino as of 2017.

And though only slightly over half of the 16-year-olds charged in Family Court in New York City were held in a detention facility, 77% of those sent to detention had only been charged with a misdemeanor, according to a state Raise the Age task force report from last year that looked at October 2018 to March 2019, which was cited by YJRC.

Both the collaborative report and observers interviewed by THE CITY noted that many of the issues that persist in youth courts cant always be seen in data like when youth are handcuffed and surrounded in an intimidating way by multiple court officers for minor alleged infractions.

Some youth are still being dehumanized, said Williams. Its happening right in the court. Some youth are still not being treated as youth.

Cameron Nicholas Bryan, a 23-year-old recent graduate of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, said that the courtrooms he observed in Queens could be unnerving.

Seeing people like me being incarcerated ... you just have a lot of empathy for the kids, said Bryan. He noted the presence of up to four court officers in a small courtroom for teens.

One of the things that really had us mind boggling and that we witnessed a lot was court officers policing the youth [from] the hallway to the audience, to the stand, said Williams, who also witnessed as many officers surrounding arrested minors.

You see NYPD policing them as well as court officers. It just goes against the whole idea that these are children, said Williams. It puts it at whether the law believes theyre children or theyre not, because ... sometimes it looked like prison, it looked like incarceration, and sometimes that can be happening to youth who are not even in cuffs yet.

The report also noted that families must often endure significant time lost with multiple court dates, unreliable wait times, and unaccompanied sidebars where lawyers confer privately with the judge. These are all issues the report says should be closely considered, as family presence can impact the judges decision-making.

Im there more often than [families] are, and I still feel intimidated, said Bryan, who, like Williams, mentioned the need for language interpreters for parents. You can just imagine a parent whos going through emotional distress.

Among the reports other highlights, observations revealed a persistent reliance on detention for children charged with more serious crimes despite extensive evidence a child was doing well at home.

Observers reported seeing instances where teens were sent to lockup as a means of keeping them housed like when a court-watcher saw a judge scolding the city because they mentioned it wasnt their policy to find youth housing. (The city could mean prosecutors from the Law Department and/or representatives from the Administration for Childrens Services.)

The judge was concerned because it seemed the only options were to remand [detain] her, which he was hesitant to do because he had no reason to, or have her be homeless, according to the report.

Rubin said relying on detention as housing underscores underlying societal issues that have gone unmet.

Almost every young person who is detained is detained because of a combination of a trail of failures by these different systems to meet peoples basic needs and address trauma.

Law Department spokesperson Nick Paolucci countered that the reports observation was an incorrect statement of our work with youth who come to court without a release resource, noting that the department has worked with attorneys and homeless youth shelters to find housing.

Before her work observing for the collaborative, Kadiata Kaba, 21, hadnt known about Raise the Age, she said.

Kaba told THE CITY that she recently brought up her work to a friend who had just returned from state prison after being incarcerated in Rikers as a minor.

He said they felt neglected, said Kaba. He hadnt heard about the reform, but was enthused that people were paying attention to youth like him, and asked how he could take part.

How can I join? she recalled him asking. Like, this work is important and it needs to be done because there are so many things that are happening that nobody knows about.

Young people have so many great ideas, said Kaba. but if they arent giving the platform or resources to act on it those ideas would never be brought to light.

The collaborative continued observations until COVID-19 shut courthouse doors but plans to release further reports. Two weeks ago, the group also issued the results of a survey of juvenile defenders on how COVID-19 impacted the juvenile justice system. Lawyers cited increased barriers to successfully representing youth and other issues such as long wait times in detention and probation.

Paolucci, with the Law Department, argued that the initial implementation of Raise the Age in NYC over the past two years has been a success but said they welcome the opportunity to work with the YJRC to address the issues raised in the report.

State Office of Court Administration spokesperson Lucien Chalfen said Raise the Age was seamlessly implemented and has kept countless youths out of the adult criminal justice system and in the Family Court.

He added, How defendants are moved through the courthouse prior to being produced for arraignment is something the NYPD handles.

Williams said her experience as the mother of a 6-year-old Black and Hispanic son also informed the nuance of her observations. Sometimes she had to hide tears, she told THE CITY.

It was so hard to not let them know I am here for you, especially the ones that may not have someone.

She added: Thats what pushes my passion for this even more, because my son is only 6 right now and its so much work that needs to be done. I cant guarantee that that will be done by the time hes of this age.

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Raise the Age Observers Find Progress and Pain in Courts Following Juvenile Justice Reforms - THE CITY

By 31 August, the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, the COVID-19 global epicentre, surpassed seven million COVID-19 confirmed cases and over 276,000 deaths. Brazil had more than half of these cases (3.9 million) while Peru, Mexico and Colombia each exceeded 600,000 confirmed cases. By 31 August, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina were among the ten countries with the highest numbers of confirmed cases globally.a The pandemic is still growing fast in parts of the region. The number of cases doubled from three million to six million in just over a month. Four countries in South America and two in Central America had some of the highest three-day rolling average of new cases per million in the world (in the same category as the United States and Spain).

Despite prevention and containment measures that most countries implemented in the first months of the outbreak, many countries are facing severe challenges trying to gradually reopen their economies to mitigate further socioeconomic impacts, while the virus continues to spread. The risk of political instability and civil unrest has increased due to the prolonged period of strict prevention measures and loss of livelihoods. With the regions GDP expected to contract 5.3 per cent in 2020 and unemployment on the rise, children are among the most affected by the socioeconomic effects of COVID-19.

Schools remain closed in most countries of the region, impacting an estimated 138 million children and adolescents. Nicaragua and Uruguay have their schools open, while in Anguilla, Brazil, Chile and Haiti, schools are partially open. Where schools are still closed, authorities are preparing for the safe reopening. At regional and country level, UNICEF is supporting governments and partners on this endeavour.

Across the region, 24 UNICEF Country Offices continue delivering multi-sectoral response to the needs created by the pandemic. Over 314 million people have been reached with information on prevention and access to services, particularly critical as containment measures start to soften. More than 267,000 health workers have received protective equipment and 4.7 million people have received WASH supplies and services. Psychosocial support services, provided not only face-to-face but also through remote channels, have benefited over 3.1 million children and caregivers.

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Latin America and the Caribbean: COVID-19 Response Progress Report No. 3, Reporting Period: 11 June 2020 22 July 2020 - Argentina - ReliefWeb

Ryan Lewis|Akron Beacon Journal

Here are five Walk-Off Thoughts after the Indians' 7-5 loss to the Twins on Sunday.

1. Clog one leak, another springs up. Like an old cartoon character contorting his body to try to stop leaks with every hand or foot and eventually looking more and more like a pretzel, only to have yet another water spout break through, the Indians over the last few days have made progress in one area, but it wasn't enough to change the end result due to issues with a or third second aspect.

2. The Indians are leaving Minnesota after Sunday's 7-5 loss having been swept by the rival Twins, who extended Cleveland's losing streak to six games. It's the first time since 2015 the Indians have lost at least six games in a row. The Indians continue to sink further behind the White Sox and Twins in the division race, though their spot as either the No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the postseason remains secure. The losses have piled up, though the offense showed signs of life over the weekend, scoring nine runs between Saturday and Sunday's games after scoring just two runs in the three prior games. The Twins hammered home run after home run off Indians pitching four on Sunday but the Indians will leave Minnesota having something to build on within their lineup. The poor outings on the mound are a concern, but jumpstarting the offense has been priority No. 1 all season.

"I like it. We had a much better approach with two strikes, too," said acting manager Sandy Alomar Jr. on a Zoom call. "Were stringing hits, but its almost like in boxing like jabbing, jabbing and then they come in and hit [some haymakers]. So like, its kind of frustrating because were starting to do much better offensively but now its like getting to the point where we have to do both right in order to win games. That happens. We kind of felt like we didnt go through any skid like this during the season and here it is right now. So, its kind of frustrating but our offense is slowly getting better."

3. All four hitters at the top of the line recored multi-hit games on Sunday, as the new-look top of the lineup of Francisco Lindor, Cesar Hernandez, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana combined to go 10-for-19 with three RBI and three runs scored. Considering the severe struggles of the offense recently, the Indians will have to take that positive sign into the off day and hope it's the foundation for a better finish to the regular season. Though, the rub from the weekend lies with the Indians pitching staff, which was roughed up twice in a row. After weeks of lifting up a sluggish offensive, it was the pitching staff that couldn't make a few productive offensive days count.

4. Indians rookie starter Triston McKenzie was taken deep three times in Sunday's loss, allowing five runs on three hits and a walk and striking out seven. McKenzie had the swing-and-miss stuff that has made him an electric addition to the Indians rotation, but a few mistakes made against the Twins' dangerous lineup made it for a shorter day. McKenzie's outing on Sunday raised his season ERA to 3.91.

"The first one was a fastball away. That was 100 percent on me," McKenzie said, referencing the home run allowed to Marwin Gonzalez, on a Zoom call. "It was kind of a get-me-over and he made use of my mistake there. The same thing with [Nelson] Cruz a first-pitch slider, it was just kind of lying over the middle of the plate. Just making mistakes. That whole team isnt guys you can mess around with."

5. Following the Mike Clevinger trade, the Indians have a bit more unknown in terms of how they'll approach a three-game postseason series, assuming they avoid a total collapse and hold off the Tigers, Mariners and Orioles over the final 13 games. Shane Bieber will be given the ball for Game 1. After that, though, the Indians could turn to Carlos Carrasco, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale and potentially McKenzie in Games 2 and 3. It could come down to who has the hot hand as the season draws to a close. But McKenzie remains an intriguing option either as a starter or a reliever in a postseason series due to his ability to miss bats. McKenzie, like Plesac, this weekend in Minnesota wasn't quite as sharp as the last few outings.

"Triston was kind of similar to Plesac yesterday. It was a matter of execution," Alomar Jr. said. "I mean, behind in the count a few times and trying to throw balls in the middle of the plate. They dont miss those. The bottom line is execution on Triston today. He was falling behind in the count and a couple of times he had runners that could run a little bit and he tried to be too quick to the plate. He was not executing his pitches."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Indians at http://www.beaconjournal.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

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The Indians lineup makes progress, but the frustration continues: Walk-Off Thoughts - Wooster Daily Record

Data from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa suggests that, when schools open again, girls are less likely to return, thereby closing off opportunities for themselves and for their future children, the Goalkeepers report says.

The early signs of that are present in Malawi, for example.

Teenage girls living with HIV who have been stuck at home as schools were closed because of the pandemic are getting pregnant, Grace Ngulube, a 25-year old HIV activist based in Blantyre, Malawi's second largest city, told POLITICO. As schools reopen, they will be busy taking care of their babies at home, she said.

Ngulube, who works with the countrys association for young people living with HIV and who was born with the disease, said some are afraid to go to youth clinics to get treatments and mental health support like they would have before the pandemic. Those who can make it need to wear a face mask, and that can be an expensive item to procure for some young people who have lost their jobs, she said.

A lot of young people are really struggling, and some of them, they have contracted themselves into prostitution or maybe transactional sex, she said. That could lead to new HIV infections.

In 2018, almost 1 in 10 people between 15 and 49 years old lived with HIV in the country, according to UNAIDS. Overall, 1 million out of the 18 million people in Malawi had HIV in 2018.

Recent modeling studies show that deaths from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria could as much as double in the next year as a result of the pandemic, wiping out decades of progress, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said in a report on Monday. There could be a half-million more AIDS deaths globally compared to 2018, setting the world close to 2008 levels, it said.

To try to avoid that, HIV Alliance India called citizens who had returned home as the country locked down to tell them which were the closest facilities providing antiretroviral treatment, Rosenara Huidrom from the Alliance told POLITICO. Field workers provided treatment to those who were too scared of getting infected with coronavirus to go out for it, she said. India has the third-highest number of people with HIV and the second-highest number of coronavirus cases.

Richer countries need to work with middle- and low-income countries to figure out how to help, the United States' top infections disease expert Anthony Fauci said during a virtual event organized by Friends of the Global Fight on Friday.

From the vantage point of the White House coronavirus task force he sits on, the extraordinary disruption" of disease treatment and prevention the U.S. and others have invested in is not on the radar screen, when it really should be, Fauci said.

This year's Gatekeepers report is based on imperfect data that its partner, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), has managed to gather so far. The full picture won't be available until 2021.

The data covering 2020 is based on a series of smartphone surveys and telephone interviews with 70,000 people in 82 countries, though they were not a representative sample for all countries. Other data considered includes information on the number of people receiving health services monthly, the number of tourist arrivals, employment data and human mobility patterns.

IHME modeled what will happen by the end of 2021 based on what has happened so far, including an assumption that people would react to new restrictions the same way they reacted at the beginning, among others.

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25 years wiped out in 25 weeks: Pandemic sets the world back decades - POLITICO

The Appomattox River in Virginia has long been a river Ive wanted to explore. Its name conjured up associations with the Civil War, but otherwise I knew little about it. Lucky for me, a water trail helped me to tackle the adventure.

The Appomattox is the largest tributary on the tidal portion of the James River, originating near Appomattox Courthouse where Confederate Gen. Robert Lee surrendered to U.S. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in 1865. It flows roughly east 146 miles to join the James at the city of Hopewell, 20 river miles downstream from Richmond.

With close to a dozen possible small boat launch sites on the tidal section alone, I was grateful for some local knowledge. On a cloudy May morning, Brad Flynn and Aaron Reidmiller from Hopewells parks and recreation department introduced me and my husband to two sections of this river, starting in Petersburg.

We put in at Pocahontas Island a slender peninsula adjacent to the cobbled streets of Old Town Petersburg and paddled upstream past remnants of the rivers rich history. Signs of modern urban progress were visible through the dense green foliage of trees and shrubs anchoring the banks and muffling Route 301.

We paddled underneath the roadway on our half-mile trip up the river, with hopes of glimpsing one of the oldest known Native American fishing weirs, a stone structure built to catch Atlantic sturgeon and other species. Local lore says that this is where the Appomattoc Indians shared knowledge about the rivers bounty with the English colonists.

Some of that bounty was still on display as I tucked into an eddy below the last rapids of the fall line, where the river turns tidal. Above us, an osprey reported a successful catch as it winged away, fish in talons. A long-nosed gar left a broad splash in the rapids. A fisherman on the bank pulled a striped bass to shore.

Flynn pointed to a pillow of swirling water that was likely marking the fish weir below the surface. You can really see it well at lower water, he said.

Here, too, we saw the rubble remains of the Harvell Dam, one of many obstructions that channeled the river for navigation and harnessed its power for mills and electricity from colonial times to the present. The dam was removed in 2014 to clear the way for seasonal fish migrations.

We turned and floated back downstream. From time to time, a break in the trees revealed walkers on the Appomattox River Trail, a 22-mile bike-and-walking trail system flanking the river. The trail is a project of the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River, a 20-year partnership between the cities and counties bordering the river. This includes Hopewell, which offers multiple programs that promote healthy choices, including on-the-water activities for youths and adults.

The friends group also maintains an online mapping tool showing river access points for hiking, paddling and fishing. We floated past one of them: Appamatuck Park at Colonial Heights, on the north side of the river near a parking lot and trailheads.

The spelling of the parks name honors the river valleys original inhabitants, the Algonquin-speaking Appomattoc, encountered by Christopher Newport in 1607 and Capt. John Smith in 1608. Smiths spelling of the tribes name, Appamatuck, is reflected on a historic map that shows the extent of the Smiths travels in the Chesapeake region, as well the location of bronze crosses he used to mark them. A replica of this cross was installed at the park in 2016.

After loading our boats back onto our vehicles, we caravanned COVID-19 style in separate vehicles through the streets of Pocahontas Island, the historic commercial hub on what was once Petersburg Harbor. Here, free and enslaved African Americans toiled on the water and in tobacco warehouses.

By the Civil War, the island was home to the regions largest settlement of free African Americans, who lived side-by-side with Quakers and other abolitionists. Several structures still standing in adjacent old town Petersburg served as shelters on the Underground Railroad, a network of routes and safe houses that helped people escape slavery.

Campbell Bridge at the north end of Pocahontas Island is a perfect spot to view the river frothing through Narrow Falls, a rocky chasm ending in a churning whirlpool. For 7 miles above these narrows, the river tumbles through intermittent drops sufficient to power the many factories and mills that once crowded its banks. Today, rapids with names like Jughandle, Spiked Dam and Target Rock lure whitewater paddlers.

But even this section of the river offers multiple access points for hiking and fishing, along with a 1.5-mile section of the 1810-era Appomattox Canal system that offers paddlers a flatwater route to bypass some of the rapids.

Todays maps of the lower Appomattox show multiple channels, remnants of canals dug for upstream navigation or diversions to power cotton and grain mills. Other channels were built to bypass river sections prone to shoaling.

Benjamin Uzel, president of the Colonial Heights Historic Society, has researched these historic changes. The river below Petersburg, he said, has undergone at least three re-routings. Evidence of this, as well as multiple defunct railroad lines, have beenfound along the river in remnants of stonework, brick and concrete.

From Campbell Bridge, we drove 20 minutes to White Bank Park and a small boat launch onto Swift Creek, a 45-mile tributary that joins the Appomattox River just west of Interstate 295 and barely five miles above the James.

We slid our kayaks onto the dark waters of the tidal freshwater marsh, its channel lined with dense rafts of arrow arum and pickerelweed. Within minutes, we ducked under low-hanging branches to enter the Swift Creek Conservation Area, a 495-acre undeveloped and mostly swampy natural area owned by Chesterfield County.

The waterway soon opened up into a series of longitudinal ponds interspersed with islands, some barely large enough for a scrubby bush of viburnum, others large enough to grow a few trees. Much of the area was actively mined for sand and gravel until recently, but now nature is certainly having its way.

With the help of GPS, we navigated a route through an intriguing maze of channels, past cul-de-sacs that dead-ended onto scant deposits of earth sporting bright spots of yellow and purple irises. Woodpeckers rattled hollow tree trunks in the drowned landscapes as we circled a small island draped in the pink blossoms of wild azalea.

Multiple birdhouses perched on metal poles rose out of the swamp. Tidal wetlands on the Appomattox and nearby James River are one of the spring destinations of scores of brightly colored yellow prothonotary warblers migrating from South American. The bird boxes have facilitated years of research by local biologists and birders.

The lower Appomattox also hosts an isolated population of water moccasins (aka cottonmouths). As we traversed the wetlands that felt increasingly primeval, we shared stories of encounters with the only venomous water snake in Virginia.

But Susan Watson, a biologist with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), said their presence shouldnt keep paddlers away. These snakes have no interest in biting or attacking humans. They simply are not aggressive, she said, though they may be provoked if they feel threatened.

Stories of water moccasins coming after paddlers can be attributed to the snakes curiosity or mistaking a boat as a potential place to haul out and sun themselves. In fact, Watson said, we should be grateful for their habit of showing their fangs its a warning and one we should heed.

The possible presence of snakes reminded me how easily we can forget that the wildness we seek and that conservation areas like Swift Creek offer comes with the responsibility to be informed paddlers, armed with the knowledge of river obstructions, tides, and the plants and animals that make their homes here.

After thanking our guides, my husband and I drove to Hopewells Old City Point Waterfront Park where the Appomattox widens into a broad bay as it meets the James River. The high bluffs on the southern shore there have provided a strategic vantage point through the centuries. Sir Thomas Dale, governor of the Jamestown colony at various times between 1611 and 1616, explored the possibility of moving the Jamestown settlement to Hopewell. Though that idea never took hold, Hopewell is the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the United States.

Just upriver from Old City Point, Appomattox House commands a wide view of both rivers. From here, General Grant plotted the final months of the Civil War as Union troops laid siege to Confederate troops in Petersburg, transforming Hopewell into a busy Union supply base. President Lincoln visited the site twice.

From historic cities and canals to woodlands and wildlife, it turns out that my curiosity about this river was well-founded. After sampling just a few of the rivers offerings, I wasnt disappointed. The lower Appomattox flows through a rich and varied landscape, washed by the changing tides of water and time, with shoreline communities committed to providing residents and visitors abundant options for river time.

For more information:

Learn about river access points at folar-va.org/access-points.

Check tidal information for Puddledock, VA, at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.

After coronavirus restrictions are lifted, explore outdoor recreation programs, including kayak trips for beginners, offered by the town of Hopewell: hopewellrecandparks.com/outdoors.

Leslie Middleton is a Bay Journal contributing writer, covering destinations around the Chesapeake watershed. This article was originally published in the Bay Journal and was distributed by the Bay Journal News Service.

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Paddle Appomattox River's past, witness the progress | News - Times Virginian

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been plagued by downtimes and broken effects since opening. One of the issues with operating the most advanced ride on the planet is that it is very complex. With hundreds of individual effects all lining up to meld seamlessly in one ride experience, it is easy to spot the seams when one or two effects go down. This leads to downtimes while the effect is brought back online rather than admitting guests through a poor experience, which also happens sometimes. And topping off the already difficult system, Floridas weather hasnt been kind to the ride. Lightning recently struck the show building, leading to downtimes across two days as the electrical system was repaired.

But it seems that the garden-variety technical issues continued today, as multiple downtimes led to slow calling of Boarding Groups. When we checked in on Rise today at 12:18 PM, Boarding Groups 10 13 were being called. At 1:15 PM, it had just reopened from its third downtime of the day and was calling Boarding Groups 14 15. As of 3:15 PM, the ride was calling Boarding Groups 23 27. And as of press time at around 4:50 PM, the attraction is only up to Boarding Group 36.

No official word on any of the issues being insurmountable or whether there is a plan in place to fix things once-and-for-all with a refurbishment. But after months of closure and ample time to tinker without guests, one may assume that a permanent solution is not readily available.

Do you love Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance despite the downtime? Let us know in the comments below.

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Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Suffers Downtimes, Low Boarding Group Progress at Disney's Hollywood Studios - wdwnt.com

It rained four days in Kenwood last week, and dark clouds always make residents wary.

The neighborhood along Greens Bayou in northeast Houston saw Hurricane Harveys floodwaters top street signs three years ago. And there have been three floods since then.

Most of Kenwood, a working class, mostly Latino neighborhood, is so deep in the 100-year floodplain that Harris County engineers have concluded no flood control project could protect it from a strong storm. Instead, the county began a voluntary buyout program in Kenwood and seven other vulnerable areas two years ago, but found few takers. Under pressure to spend federal Harvey recovery aid more quickly, the county this summer chose to make the buyouts mandatory.

MORE FROM MIKE MORRIS: Three years after Harvey, Houstons home repair program continues to lag. Who is to blame?

The extraordinary step only underscores that, more than three years after Harvey rolled ashore as the worst rainstorm in continental U.S. history and amid a record-setting Atlantic hurricane season progress toward reducing Houstons greatest vulnerability has been painfully slow and piecemeal at best.

Some of the Houston regions largest flood control efforts after Hurricane Harvey will be funded mostly with federal or state recovery aid. They include:

Four projects totaling $280 million, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency footing half the bill and city and county agencies paying most of the other half: A large city-county detention basin planned on a defunct golf course in Inwood (expected to start construction next year); flood gates for the Lake Houston dam (now being designed); the North Canal, a project that would reduce the flood risk in downtown and along much of lower White Oak Bayou (beginning design soon); and detention basins in the Memorial City area.

The city and county have until Oct. 28 to apply to the Texas General Land Office for pieces of the $4.3 billion in flood control funds Congress approved for Texas.

City and county officials are awaiting word on applications they filed with the Texas Water Development Board, which is weighing which projects will get pieces of a $793 million flood control fund the Legislature created last year.

Voters passed a $2.5 billion bond two years ago, giving the county a huge injection of funding to tackle nearly 200 flood control projects. Those projects take time, often years, to complete, however. And county officials concede the cost to fully protect against 100-year storms is more than 10 times higher than what voters approved.

City Hall lacks a comparable cash infusion and so mostly is waiting on the slow-motion arrival of federal aid. Meanwhile, its voter-approved street and drainage program has been shorted by more than $260 million over the last six years, money that has been used on other city services.

The city and county did update their floodplain building standards in the months after the storm, but City Council has yet to follow Commissioners Courts lead in strengthening storm water detention rules.

Folks are definitely still quite dissatisfied with the level of flood protection thats been provided thus far from the city and the county, said Chrishelle Palay, director of Houston Organizing Movement for Equity. When it comes to historically underserved communities of color, those are the communities where the infrastructure has been disinvested, both from street flooding and from watershed protection.

A SOBERING REALITY: Will Houston prepare for the next Laura before its too late?

The Houston regions most readily available defense against future floods is the $2.5 billion county bond.

To date, the county Flood Control District has begun work on 144 of its 188 planned bond projects, but only 18 have reached the construction stage, said Deputy Executive Director Matt Zeve. A dozen projects the district funded with other revenues also have been completed since Harvey, removing an estimated 5,000 homes from the 100-year floodplain.

The bond funds are helping to accelerate long-planned projects and start new ones, Zeve said, but large infrastructure improvements cannot be engineered and built overnight.

There are places in Harris County that are right where they were three years ago, but there are several areas where weve completed projects or are constructing projects right now, and those areas will have a lower risk of flooding in a future storm event, Zeve said. Its not as fast as everyone wants, but we do feel like were making good progress on major flood damage reduction projects all over Harris County, with more to come.

Home buyouts, though some take a year to complete, move the fastest, making the 560 repeatedly flooded homes the county has bought since Harvey among the few tangible signs of progress the city and county have made toward reducing flood risk since the storm.

Even this seemingly simple task, however, can be an arduous process fraught with difficulties and heartache for residents.

Kenwood resident Gloria Diaz said she understands why the buyouts are necessary and has no objection to moving.

TD-19: Newly formed tropical depression forecast to move into Gulf

She and her husband Jos live on Darjean Street in a trailer on stilts, where she stays home to raise their three children. The couple, however, have an informal rent-to-buy agreement with the owner, meaning they would not necessarily receive the check Harris County plans to cut for the property.

Were worried, because I dont know how much money theyll pay, or whether it will cover moving, Gloria Diaz said. Its too much stress.

Even if the countys bond projects were all done, thousands of homes still would be at risk of flooding from inadequate drainage on city streets.

Most of Houstons drainage improvements since Harvey have been those that come when a beat-up street is rebuilt with new, larger drainage pipes underneath.

The projects that represent the citys biggest flood control effort post-Harvey those funded with federal recovery aid are inching closer to reality, but none has begun construction.

Houston Public Works has used its own funds to complete or start construction on 44 drainage projects since Harvey, though engineering had begun before the storm on all but three of those. Design work started after Harvey on another 22 projects that have yet to begin construction.

Most of the projects Houston Public Works lists as flood mitigation efforts work that goes beyond a series of rebuilt pipes or ditches are individual bridge replacements over Brays Bayou as part of a partnership with the Flood Control District to complete long-delayed Project Brays.

Houston also has finished 153 minor projects since Harvey to fix pipes or clear ditches to reduce the flood risk block by block or street by street. Another 64 such efforts, which average about $190,000 per job, are under construction.

'THOUSANDS OF UNMET NEEDS': Older volunteers, a mainstay in hurricane rebuilding, are hard to find in a pandemic that puts them at risk

Complicating its drainage efforts is the fact that, for six years, Houston mayors have transferred less than the full amount of property taxes envisioned in the charter amendment that formed the citys street and drainage repair program a decade ago. Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is being sued by two engineers who led the 2010 referendum drive over the issue, has defended his interpretation of the charter language that has allowed him to short the program by an estimated $263 million over five years, arguing that any other reading would cripple city services the dollars are funding instead.

The city still has a lot of challenges with our infrastructure, and in areas that flooded during Harvey, some of those areas might continue to flood and some of those areas wont, said the citys chief recovery officer, Steve Costello.

Still, Costello noted the city has acquired land for future detention basins, including 23 acres in southwest Houston last winter, and is in negotiations for other sites near Kingwood and along Buffalo Bayou.

City council this month also voted to acquire three tracts for a detention basin in the Westbury neighborhood, at Fondren and West Bellfort, and to complete engineering on a storm sewer project on the neighborhoods eastern edge, where residents have flooded repeatedly.

After a lot of years of hearing promises that something would be done to mitigate the flooding along Willow Waterhole Bayou, that those promises have now been funded is always a good thing to hear, said Westbury civic leader Becky Edmondson. Were ecstatic. The two of those should make a big difference.

Harveys devastation in August 2017 put pressure on elected officials to take immediate action to reduce future flooding. One of the few steps leaders could take immediately was to strengthen development regulations.

Harris County approved stricter floodplain development rules that December; City Council followed on a narrow vote the following April. Both required new homes to sit higher off the ground and applied those elevation rules to a larger area.

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Other changes have come more slowly.

Though they were vocal proponents of the flood bond, Houston-area developers quietly lobbied Harris County not to require new projects to set aside more space for water storage. Commissioners Court did it anyway this past summer at the recommendation of Flood Control District leaders.

The county essentially forced the 34 cities within its borders to update their building rules, too, threatening to withhold flood bond money if they did not.

The city of Houston, however, has yet to update its detention rules. The city is planning to do so by the end of this year, Costello said, but meetings of a drainage task force have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were going to use the countys detention requirement as the floor, he said. I think thats where the city is headed.

Some residents are perplexed that while local governments are making development in flood-prone areas more difficult, they have not stopped approving permits there.

A quarter-mile east of the planned Westbury detention basin, Edmondson said residents have learned that a developer plans to pave a site on the south bank of Willow Waterhole Bayou and build a gas station and convenience store. The site is fully within the floodplain, Zeve said.

Heres the city spending all this money buying up property to try to mitigate flooding, and on the other hand you have another city department thats just approving these projects because they meet the rules, Edmondson said.

The city and county are sending mixed messages by continuing to allow development in the floodplain, said Jim Blackburn, director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center at Rice University. Blackburn said doing so repeats the sins of the past at a time when there is far more evidence of their consequences.

I think many of the projects that are being allowed will end up being bought out, Blackburn said. We have to have more room for water in this community.

mike.morris@chron.com

zach.despart@chron.com

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Progress on post-Harvey flood control efforts remain slow. Heres why - Houston Chronicle

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This should be a wake-up call: New data suggest that the United States is one of just a few countries worldwide that is slipping backward.

The newest Social Progress Index, shared with me before its official release Thursday morning, finds that out of 163 countries assessed worldwide, the United States, Brazil and Hungary are the only ones in which people are worse off than when the index began in 2011. And the declines in Brazil and Hungary were smaller than Americas.

The data paint an alarming picture of the state of our nation, and we hope it will be a call to action, Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and the chair of the advisory panel for the Social Progress Index, told me. Its like were a developing country.

The index, inspired by research of Nobel-winning economists, collects 50 metrics of well-being nutrition, safety, freedom, the environment, health, education and more to measure quality of life. Norway comes out on top in the 2020 edition, followed by Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. South Sudan is at the bottom, with Chad, Central African Republic and Eritrea just behind.

The United States, despite its immense wealth, military power and cultural influence, ranks 28th having slipped from 19th in 2011. The index now puts the United States behind significantly poorer countries, including Estonia, Czech Republic, Cyprus and Greece.

We are no longer the country we like to think we are, said Porter.

The United States ranks No. 1 in the world in quality of universities, but No. 91 in access to quality basic education. The U.S. leads the world in medical technology, yet we are No. 97 in access to quality health care.

The Social Progress Index finds that Americans have health statistics similar to those of people in Chile, Jordan and Albania, while kids in the United States get an education roughly on par with what children get in Uzbekistan and Mongolia. A majority of countries have lower homicide rates, and most other advanced countries have lower traffic fatality rates and better sanitation and internet access.

The United States has high levels of early marriage most states still allow child marriage in some circumstances and lags in sharing political power equally among all citizens. America ranks a shameful No. 100 in discrimination against minorities.

The data for the latest index predates Covid-19, which has had a disproportionate impact on the United States and seems likely to exacerbate the slide in Americas standing. One new study suggests that in the United States, symptoms of depression have risen threefold since the pandemic began and poor mental health is associated with other risk factors for well-being.

Michael Green, the C.E.O. of the group that puts out the Social Progress Index, notes that the coronavirus will affect health, longevity and education, with the impact particularly large in both the United States and Brazil. The equity and inclusiveness measured by the index seem to help protect societies from the virus, he said.

Societies that are inclusive, tolerant and better educated are better able to manage the pandemic, Green said.

The decline of the United States over the last decade in this index more than any country in the world is a reminder that we Americans face structural problems that predate President Trump and that festered under leaders of both parties. Trump is a symptom of this larger malaise, and also a cause of its acceleration.

David G. Blanchflower, a Dartmouth economist, has new research showing that the share of Americans reporting in effect that every day is a bad mental health day has doubled over 25 years. Rising distress and despair are largely American phenomenon not observed in other advanced countries, Blanchflower told me.

This decline is deeply personal for me: As Ive written, a quarter of the kids on my old No. 6 school bus in rural Oregon are now dead from drugs, alcohol and suicide what are called deaths of despair. I lost one friend to a heroin overdose this spring and have had more friends incarcerated than I could possibly count; the problems are now self-replicating in the next generation because of the dysfunction in some homes.

You as taxpayers paid huge sums to imprison my old friends; the money would have been far better invested educating them, honing their job skills or treating their addictions.

Thats why this is an election like that of 1932. That was the year American voters decisively rejected Herbert Hoovers passivity and gave Franklin Roosevelt an electoral mandate including a flipped Senate that laid the groundwork for the New Deal and the modern middle class. But first we need to acknowledge the reality that we are on the wrong track.

We Americans like to say Were No. 1. But the new data suggest that we should be chanting, Were No. 28! And dropping!

Lets wake up, for we are no longer the country we think we are.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

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Were No. 28! And Dropping! - The New York Times

Back in the early 2000s, nothing could hold Manchester back.

A city-owned arena was transforming downtown. Tech and higher education were taking hold in the Millyard. The airport kept adding flights and destinations.

And in the center of Manchester, a struggling arts school received a $24 million bequest and started redrawing the neighborhood around Victory Park.

New Hampshire Institute of Art bought up property and built additions, including a six-story dormitory-classroom structure.

NHIA became a degree-granting college and added chic to our mill city. Art students with purple hair and black clothes trod the streets clutching their treasured portfolios. Our rough-edged town inspired its fair share of senior art projects.

That started to change two years ago when NHIA merged with New England College in Henniker.

The newly christened Institute of Art and Design at New England College was born of necessity. NHIA had lost more than $3 million in each of its previous two years, according to public filings.

When they announced the merger, officials issued statements about enhancing the quality of education, streamlining services and no need for layoffs.

As the new institutes second academic year starts, several students say they feel disconnected with the college mothership, which is 45 minutes away.

They bemoan the loss of Fuller Hall, the former Indian Head Bank building that housed the library, photography department, ceramics department and a student lounge. Fuller Hall hosted a $2.1 million collection that has ended up in Henniker, at least temporarily.

Fewer college-life opportunities such as student clubs and visiting lecturers exist in Manchester at least, students say.

And financial aid issues the college raised tuition by $12,000 but pledged to cover the difference with grants prompted endless emails and telephone calls to the financial aid office.

Elizabeth Johnson, a senior, said a $6,000 balance from last year didnt get cleared up for seven months, stressing her out for an entire academic year.

Its so much harder to have communications with Henniker. Were kind of like this stepchild almost, said Kylie Cropper, a senior. A Black student, she joined a college with a pilgrim mascot, which she finds offensive.

Sarah Patnaude, another senior, estimates that about 40 of her freshmen class of 90 remain.

Institute of Art and Design at New England College students, from left, Stephanie Marion, Sarah Patnaude and Sonya Rousseay speak with a reporter in Manchester last week.

The only thing keeping us here is our professors and the fact we cant transfer, she said.

New England College officials said the merger put the 1,700-student college, a comprehensive liberal-arts college, at the disposal of NHIA students.

What youre hearing is some frustration and maybe anger at change, which we understand is going to happen. It really isnt giving us a fair shot, said Dr. Wayne Lesperance, vice president of academic affairs at New England College.

College President Dr. Michele Perkins said 50 institute students are enrolled in at least one class at the Henniker campus.

Athletics and student clubs are also available at Henniker, and NEC would fund student groups in Manchester, Lesperance said. Last year, a Manchester student landed the lead role in a theater production on the Henniker campus.

Perkins said the merger made the Institute of Art and Design one of the largest departments at the college. It created opportunities for students on both campuses.

Students can take advantage of both worlds, Perkins said. It makes our overall institution that much more appealing.

She said NEC agreed to always have a presence in Manchester.

There are trade-offs. The institute lost ceramics as a major, but is gaining majors in animation and game design.

Perkins predicts the new institute will eventually have 500 students.

Enrollment was 300 when NEC took over. Its less than 200 now; COVID-19 has had an impact on enrollments nationwide, Perkins said.

Despite assurances two years ago, some staff members have lost their jobs. Lesperance said five NHIA faculty positions have been eliminated.

And about a week after NEC took over, seven administrative staff were escorted off campus, said Joel Christian Gill, the former NHIA chairman of comic arts.

People are terrified, said Gill, who spent 13 years at the school and is now at MassArt.

In the years before the merger, Gill said he saw a lot of mismanagement at NHIA. He credits Kent Devereaux, the last president, with trying to tackle the problems, but thinks Devereaux arrived too late to achieve success.

According to public filings, the endowment shrank from $25.2 million to $15.9 million over a five-year period ending in 2017.

Gill thinks NEC wants to be in Manchester so it can better compete with St. Anselm College.

But he said the strategy is risky. A lot of college education is moving online, and the country is saturated with art and design schools.

I didnt see their commitment to what we had done there, said Gill, who left after the first academic year with NEC. They told the faculty Your school went out of business and we saved your jobs.

Maureen Mills, the former chair of the ceramics department, didnt have her job saved. Her contract wasnt renewed this year.

Mills, who lives in Portsmouth, regrets the loss of a ceramics major, but few students want to major in ceramics, she said. And ceramics is not dead; NEC integrated it into its core arts curriculum.

As I wrote earlier, NHIA lent an air of cool to Manchester. Galleries at French Hall and Roger Williams Studios were often open to the public. Anyone could duck in on a gloomy day and get a jolt of creativity from student or faculty art.

They are closed now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But if they reopen, future exhibits may prove challenging for a school that has abandoned tangible art like ceramics for the all-too-market-driven fields of animation and game design.

Do I think theyre looking out for what NHIA was? I think they have a plan and they want to execute it, Mills said. It isnt NHIA. Its not anything like it was.

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City Matters: Merged colleges become a work in progress - The Union Leader

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) The Great Allegheny Passage will soon be connected to the 9/11 trail.

Its part of a massive project that will span multiple states and connect Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to New York City, to the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

For those behind the project, the path hasnt been an easy one and its taken six years to finally break ground in Garrett, Somerset County.

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Acquiring the location of the trail has been a challenge.

Landowners, townships, boroughs, said Lindsay Pyle, the director of Parks and Trails in Somerset County.

And so has the many land issues.

Wetland mitigation, a lot of engineering and design work done for this, said Pyle.

Its been setback after setback to make this connection happen. But after talking about it for years, progress is finally being made on the first 1.4 miles of a trail that will eventually become 1,300 miles long.

We were trying to do as much as possible to bring attention to it, bring excitement to it, said Pyle. Were hoping within the next five years to be in Shanksville.

Pyle explains how the trail will look and whats being worked on, including using rail beds.

Thats important for these trails, because that means its established, she said.

Pyle says the project dips into multiple states and it will be up to them to decide on how quickly to move things along in their area. In all, the project will take many years to complete and will cost tens of millions of dollars.

But its one that will become another teaching tool on a part of our history that should always be told.

I know there are so many people that dont know much about it. But to me, its something were able to keep alive in our community for people to remember, said Pyle.

The part of the trail in Garrett is expected to be done next spring and will cost close to $1 million.

Stay up to date with the KDKA app, which you can download here.

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Progress Finally Being Made To Connect Great Allegheny Passage To 9/11 Hallowed Ground - CBS Pittsburgh

Gov. Gavin Newsom said progress is being made on COVID-19 health and safety guidelines for California theme parks that would allow the states major tourist destinations to reopen after nearly six months of coronavirus closures.

Newsom commented on his discussions with Disney, Universal and other major amusement park operators during a news conference on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Were making a lot of progress, Newsom said regarding theme parks.

SEE ALSO: How Disneyland could reopen under Californias 4-tier plan

Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knotts Berry Farm, SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California, Six Flags Magic Mountain and other California theme parks closed in mid-March amid the COVID-19 pandemic and remain shuttered indefinitely while they await state guidelines for safely reopening.

We still have work to do, Newsom said during the press conference. Progress is being made. Were still working on some details and as soon as we are at a point where we can socialize, we will.

SEE ALSO: Are California theme parks too risky to reopen?

Californias new COVID-19 four-tier plan allows the states businesses to return with outdoor-only operations followed by reduced capacity for indoor services but theme parks were not included in the plan.

Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Six Flags and Legoland have safely reopened theme parks in China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, France, England, Germany, Denmark, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri and Oklahoma following extended coronavirus closures.

Theme parks were not included in the business sector guidance list released by Newsoms office that detailed the new four-tier system that took effect Monday, Aug. 31. The revised Blueprint for a Safer Economy lays out criteria for loosening and tightening COVID-19 restrictions in California counties. The states COVID-19 website showed the status for theme parks as closed for all four tiers.

SEE ALSO: What Tokyo Disney changes could mean for Disneyland

Most California counties with major theme parks fall into the most restrictive widespread risk level including Orange (Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm), Los Angeles (Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain), Solano (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) and Santa Clara (Californias Great America).

San Diego County home to SeaWorld and Legoland was in the substantial risk level, one level down from widespread.

Last week, Legoland California called on the governor to issue guidelines for theme parks to safely reopen.

We dont expect to open today, but we just need some sort of indicator as to where things stand, Legoland California president Kurt Stocks said. We have been asking for many months now for the state to issue us guidance.

Legoland joined a growing chorus of voices from Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and Six Flags calling on Newsom and state officials to let California theme parks reopen.

Disneyland has been ready to roll since July, Disney Worlds chief operating officer Jim MacPhee said during a Florida theme park roundtable in late August.

SEE ALSO: Disneyland delays Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railway to 2023 as vertical construction begins

Some California theme parks have come up with creative ways to partially reopen amid the pandemic.

SeaWorld reopened in late August with Zoo Days: Bayside BBQ and Brews event featuring zoo exhibits, stadium shows and a food festival while rides remain idle.

Discovery Kingdom reopened the Marine World Experience in early July with animal exhibits and shows while keeping its amusement park areas closed.

Knotts began a series of food, beer and wine events in mid-July while keeping its theme park rides and attractions closed.

The San Diego Zoo and its Safari Park reopened in late June.

Other California parks have given up hope of opening this year.

Great America canceled plans to reopen for the rest of 2020. Raging Waters water park in San Dimas canceled its summer season.

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Newsom: California making a lot of progress toward reopening theme parks - OCRegister

LINCOLN PARK Neighborhood leaders say theyve made progress in reversing Lincoln Parks status as a coronavirus hot spot, but that progress could be rolled back if people dont start wearing or continue to wear face masks.

On Monday, officials launched Face It Lincoln Park, a virtual campaign urging neighbors to face the facts and wear a mask. They hope by encouraging mask-wearing the spread of coronavirus will slow in the neighborhood, saving lives and businesses.

Experts at the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention say wearing a mask or face covering is one of the most effective methods of preventing coronavirus spread.

The only way out of this is to wear a mask as often as humanly possible, even when around friends and family, said Ald. Michele Smith (43rd).

Smith previously said it was embarrassing when city health officials reported in July that her ward had the greatest number of new coronavirus cases as young people flocked to reopening bars and restaurants without following social distancing guidelines.

Smiths North Side ZIP code of 60614 saw a positivity rate of 5.3 percent for the week ending July 4, while the citywide rate was at 3.9 percent, according to data from the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Lincoln Parks positivity rate was down to just 2.2 percent on Aug. 22, but it has since risen back to 4.3 percent, according to city data.

Our cases have come down quite a bit, but theyre still not good enough, and we did have that bump, Smith said.

Smith said Lincoln Parks Face It campaign will use social media to encourage neighbors to keep wearing their face masks.

It follows another effort by Smith that encouraged mask use by giving out 5,000 face masks across Lincoln Park during a single day in June.

But the campaign needs to be a citywide effort for it to succeed, Smith said.

We have a lot of people who dont live in Lincoln Park that visit and support our businesses, but we all need to band together by wearing masks all the time, Smith said.

Jerry Mickelson, owner of JAM Productions and Lincoln Park concert venue Park West, said his business has been closed since mid-March and it will only reopen after Chicago gets a handle on the viruss spread.

We were the first to close and will be the last to open, Mickelson said.

Mickelson said Park West has no revenue coming in, and hes prepared to be closed through the end of next year or summer 2021 if were lucky.

Its sad but a reality we have to deal with, and things would be a lot better if people wore masks, Mickelson said.

Park West is among many Lincoln Park businesses that wont fully reopen until Chicago gets a stronger handle on the pandemic.

Faraz Sardharia, chef and owner of Tandoor Char House on Halsted, said his Indian restaurant has exclusively relied on takeout orders and its new outdoor dining permit for income.

We refuse to open our dining room because were still scared by people out there not wearing masks, Sardharia said. But we need our dining rooms open to survive, and without people wearing masks, its very tough for us to be comfortable doing that.

Other participants in the neighborhoods Face It campaign include the Lincoln Central Association, local chamber of commerce, Lincoln Park Zoo, Oz Park Baseball Association, local doctors and other businesses.

Right now, many of our businesses are hanging on by their fingernails and wont survive unless we help them, Smith said. Just wear a mask so we can stay open and then control [the viruss spread] on a smaller level before winter.

Jake Wittich is aReport for Americacorps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.

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Lincoln Park Reversed Course On 'Embarrassing' Coronavirus Outbreak, But Progress Could Be Undone Without Masks, Alderman Says - Block Club Chicago

The study, commissioned by UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), points to a 9.1 per cent increase in the poverty rate for women.

Prior to COVID-19, the rate was expected to decrease by 2.7 per cent between 2019 and 2021.

The projectionsalso show that while the pandemic will impact global poverty generally, women will be disproportionately affected, especially women of reproductive age.

By 2021, for every 100 men aged 25 to 34 living in extreme poverty (living on $1.90 a day or less), there will be 118 women, a gap that is expected to increase to 121 women per 100 men by 2030.

Datasummarized in the report, From Insights to Action: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID-19, also shows that COVID-19 will push 96 millioninto extreme poverty by 2021 47 million of whom are women and girls. This will increase the total number of themliving in extreme poverty to 435 million, with projections indicatingthat this number will not revert to pre-pandemic levels until 2030.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, said that the increases in womens extreme poverty are a stark indictment of deep flaws in the ways that society and the economy are structured.

We know that women take most of the responsibility for caring for the family; they earn less, save less and hold much less secure jobs in fact, overall, womens employment is 19 per cent more at risk than mens."

She added that the evidence of multiple inequalities should now drive swift, restorative policy action that puts women at the heart of pandemic recovery.

The pandemic poses a serious threat toeradicating extreme poverty by the end of 2030, and there are fears that the reality could be worse, as the projections of increased poverty rates for women and girls only account for the downward revision of the gross domestic product (GDP), excluding other factors such as women leaving the workforce due to childcare responsibilities.

According to Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, more than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments improve access to education and family planning, fair and equal wages, and expand social transfers.

Women are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis as they are more likely to lose their source of income and less likely to be covered by social protection measures, he said.

Investing in reducing gender inequality is not only smart and affordable, but also an urgent choice that governments can make to reverse the impact of the pandemic on poverty reduction, he added.

UN Women

According to a UN Women report, gender-responsive policymaking is crucial to close gender poverty gaps.

While its findings are alarming, the study estimates it would take just 0.14 per cent of global GDP (about $2 trillion) to lift the world out of extreme poverty by 2030; and $48 billion to close the gender poverty gap.

However, if governments fail to act or act too late the real number could end up much higher. Similarly, increases in other pre-existing gender inequalities could also impact the final figures.

For instance, women workingin some of the sectors most affected by the pandemic, such as hospitality, food services, and domestic services, are particularly vulnerable to layoffs and loss of livelihood.

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Women bear the brunt, as COVID erodes progress on eradicating extreme poverty - UN News