In January, Marion was awarded a $155,000 from the Iowa Great Places Program for the citys Uptown Plaza project.

The idea of the project has been in the works for a decade and has been tied with the Uptown Streetscape project. The plan is to use the parking lot near City Square Park that was 11th Street as a plaza area and to improve the park overall.

Many ideas are still up in the air for what will be included in the project, including an ice-skating rink, water features, a community garden, a space for performances, new lighting and pavilions and game areas.

Jill Ackerman, president of the Marion Chamber of Commerce said a steering committee is working on the details, including how to best use the depot pavilion in the park. She said the design team is in the process of digging into the details and the process has not been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its almost been propelled by COVID, Ackerman said. Its really picked up a lot of steam, and there is a lot of interest to get these plans going.

Ackerman said the plans incorporate new landscaping and public art. She said plans for the ice rink, water features and a community garden are still on the table.

The committee is continually bringing back images to the group and trying to hone in on exactly what we want, Ackerman said. We are probably getting pretty close to having some initial renderings.

She added that the Iowa Great Places grant deadline is coming up again in November and said the committee would need renderings by that time to make their application stronger.

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Tom Treharne, Marions community development director, said the Uptown Plaza project is still estimated to cost between $2 million and $3 million, which will also come down to what areas of Uptown Marion will be considered plaza.

Treharne said he thinks there will be specific public information on whats going to be included in the plaza and renderings sometime in September.

Thats where we are at right now is trying to put that design together and then take it to the public for review and consideration, Treharne said. I just think its one of the most exciting projects. Its been talked about for long periods of time and were really excited to get graph representation on a plan thats been in the works for over 10 years in what were trying to create for the community.

Comments: gage.miskimen@thegazette.com

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Marion plaza project making progress during pandemic - The Gazette

The so called Grumman Navy plume has been a decades long work in progress to clean up what is considered to be Long Islands largest underground mass of water pollution. There have been many different parties involved in the multi-million dollar remediation project, and years of government red tape has frustrated local water districts and residents alike.

In a recent telephone interview, Bethpage Water District Superintendent, Mike Boufis, explained to me the current state and timetable of the ongoing remediation project.

Currently things are moving in the right direction, said Boufis. Three wells have already been drilled in Bethpage, as part of the remediation work on the eastern side of the plume and the design and building phases are underway on the pipes to centralize the water treatment system.

He added that the remediation work was, decades late but Im glad to see everything moving in the right direction.

Boufis said that ongoing negotiations between parties have caused multiple delays on the installation of easements around the plume.

Its taken over four years of negotiations to work on these easements in particular areas around the plume site. I know that Grumman and the Navy and political officials like Congressman, Tom Suozzi andTown of Oyster Bay Superintendent, Joseph Saladino, have been involved in the process to try and speed things along.

The proposed installation site of the easements are located on the former King Kullen property off of the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway and near the old Motor Parkway, off of Stewart and Arthur Avenue in Bethpage.

Im not sure if its the MTA or LIRR property near the site of the old Motor Parkway, but they are looking at that corridor to install a carrier pipe to move the water in a East west direction towards the recharge basins, said Boufis. It is currently a cordoned off area, where a water main needs to be laid down under the covering thats in place.

Some of the ongoing remediation work that should be completed by 2021 includes the installation of water main in an east-west direction off of Central Avenue and Hickey Blvd and road restoration and a newly installed well behind St Martin of Tours Church.

I am glad they prioritized that well because in my opinion that area had some of the worst contamination from the plume, said Boufis.

Boufis said that despite the constant delays in repairs and the political red tape, he believes the remediation project will be completed by 2030.

Four or five years ago, they were talking about having everything completed by 2022, but at this point that is unrealistic. I think it will be a decade by the time all of the pieces of puzzle are in place.

Boufis said that the local water districts have been actively corresponding and working with Grumman and local politicians to push the remediation project forward.

Ive been in constant contact with County Executive, Laura Curran and other officials like Joe Saladino, legislators Laura Schaefer and Rose Walker on this remediation project. Our relationship with Grumman has never been as good as it is now.

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Superintendent says progress is being made on the Grumman Navy plume - The Mid Island Times

The near $200 million renovation of the south end zone inside Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium has started to take shape over the last several months as the Longhorns prepare to unveil the finished product in time for the 2021 college football season.

The home of Texas football looks nothing like it did two seasons ago before the Longhorns broke ground on the south end zone renovation project asthe construction inside Royal Memorial Stadium has progressed throughout the last several months.

Texas fans who attended any home games during the 2019 season witnessed some of the renovation process, which began by removing all of the seating in the south end zone. But further changes have happened since the Longhorns' wrapped up the 2019 football season, including constructing the multi-level south end zone enclosure and most recently putting up the Longhorns' scoreboard ahead of the upcoming season. First-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash unveiledthe latest progress on Twitter Thursday, which shows an entirely different look, as seen in the below photo.

The University of Texas broke ground on the south end zone renovation project in May 2019 and is one of the many facility upgradesthe Longhorns have plannedever sinceTexas athletic director Chris Del Conte was hired in late 2017.

In a Horns247 exclusive interview on The Flagship Podcast, Del Conte opened up about the on-going construction of the Longhorns' football stadiumand howthe time to upgrade was well past due.

That building was built for Coach Royal, and remodeled by John Mackovic on one floor, so they're having to redo everything, Del Conte said of the Longhorns stadium renovation.Everything is completely getting torn down to the studs, and the whole thing is about a 240,000 square-foot enterprise when you see how big it is when its all said and done.

"So it's going to be a completely brand new football space that were roughly spending $200 million on, which has been raised by significant donors who want to see Texas compete at the highest level.

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Upon unveiling the design specs for the south end zone project, Del Conte said, "The new south end zone will provide our student-athletes, staff and fans with the finest facility in the country and one that we all can be extremely proud of.It will feature the best of the best when it comes to student-athlete amenities and training needs, first-rate coaching staff offices and meeting rooms along with state-of-the-art opportunities and experiences for our many fans and supporters."

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Look: Latest progress of Texas' south end zone renovation - 247Sports

Even Lamar Jackson couldnt sidestep the implications of the coronavirus crisis this offseason. The Baltimore Ravens MVP quarterback said he missed training with teammates in organized team activities over the spring, and even when he brought players together for an unofficial gathering in Florida, they were limited by social distancing restrictions and closed facilities.

Still, Jackson said he found a little, regular park where he and his teammates could hold a small makeshift practice outdoors a couple months ago.

And thats where he got his first glimpse at what Baltimores group of offensive skill position players could look like in 2020.

We just wanted to go out there and get chemistry, because we didnt want to go to camp and be embarrassing ourselves, so we just got some work in, Jackson said. It wasnt how I wanted it, because we werent able to do it as much as possible, because Florida was getting shut down and stuff like that. We just got in what we [could]. Guys looked pretty good out there.

A few of those players have drawn extra attention from Ravens fans and media members as the team reports for training camp. So what does Jackson think of the prominent pieces that will surround him this season in Baltimores offense?

He offered answers Wednesday while speaking to reporters during a video conference call

Jackson on wide receiver Marquise Brown

Brown didnt need Jacksons words to balloon expectations for his second NFL season social media photos and videos showing the wide receivers new physique have already done the job but he still earned compliments from the face of the franchise. As a rookie last year, Brown caught 46 passes for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. And that was on a surgically-repaired left foot.

Now more than 18 months removed from that Lisfranc procedure, Brown is expected to be available for more practices in his second NFL season and is hopeful to avoid the pain that nagged him through 2019.

Hes packed on muscle and shown off his athleticism throughout the offseason in videos posted to social media.

I feel like he is going to have a huge jump, more than people may think, Jackson said. He was hurt last year. People didnt know that. But he went out there and battled his tail off each and every game on a messed-up foot. And now his full potential is going to show this year, I feel. Hes still young, but he is going to show off. And my job is to get the ball out quicker, because hes a lot faster with that foot at 100 percent.

Jackson on two rookie wide receivers

The Ravens took Devin Duvernay out of Texas in the third round of Aprils draft and selected SMUs James Proche in the sixth round, adding two of college footballs most prolific pass catchers to their receiving corps. Duvernay helped solidify his status as a top-flight prospect when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL combine, and Proche racked up 111 receptions as a senior at SMU, tied for the most in the NCAAs football bowl subdivision.

I watched a few highlights when we drafted them, Jackson said. I feel like theyre it. Devin is fast, hes a fast guy. James Proche his route-running and his hands are different. I just cant wait to see them when we got the pads on.

Jackson on the Ravens running backs

Though Jackson led the Ravens with 1,206 rushing yards last season, an NFL record for a quarterback, he doesnt think Baltimores ground game will struggle much if he carries the ball less often in 2020. The Ravens drafted Ohio States J.K. Dobbins in the second round this year, and hell join a running backs rotation already stocked with talent.

I dont really put my mind on, Oh, well I have to run a lot, or this and that, Jackson said. Weve got great running backs. Weve got Mark Ingram, weve got Gus Edwards, weve got Justice Hill, weve got J.K. Dobbins. I feel like were going to be pretty good with the rushing part. But if I have to, if the play breaks down and no one is open, then Ill do my thing. But other than that, were pretty good.

Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.

Aaron Kasinitz covers the Baltimore Ravens for PennLive and can be reached at akasinitz@pennlive.com or on Twitter @AaronKazreports. Follow PennLives Ravens coverage on Facebook and Youtube.

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What Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson thinks of Marquise Browns progress, rookie receivers and more - PennLive

Google today provided an update on its progress bringing Flutter app development to the web, inarguably its biggest potential target market.

Our vision for Flutter is to provide a portable toolkit for building beautiful experiences wherever you might want to paint pixels on the screen, Googles Mariam Hasnany writes. As weve noted previously, we are deliberately app-centric with our framework and API choices, building a layered architecture that can scale across mobile, desktop, and embedded devices without compromising performance or quality. The web is at the core of our work. Flutter was originally born out of explorations from the Chrome team. It draws inspiration from the productivity and iterative development model of the web, and many of our engineers have years of experience building browser engines and web standards. We target the web browser because it is the beating heart of the internet: the most pervasive, flexible, and extensive app model that has existed in computing history.

Flutter started off as a cross-platform app development platform for Android and iOS, but it has since expanded to include Windows, Mac, Linux, and web, and Google has plans to bring it to any device type with a screen over time. But the web is obviously a very important platform, and Googles goal is to make Flutter for web both true to the web and a no-compromise expression of Flutter.

As with other versions of Flutter, developers will use the Dart programming language to create web apps using Flutter for web. The difference is what happens under the covers: The engine component of Flutter web translates Flutter scenes into HTML, CSS or Canvas, and renders frames onto webpages as trees of HTML elements. Google calls this the DomCanvas backend.

It gives us the most compatibility across browsers with a compact code size and is well suited for apps with short lived sessions that require fast startup, Hasnany says. The firm is also working on a CanvasKit-based backend that uses WebAssembly and WebGL and allows direct access to the low-level graphics stack enabling full parity with native Flutter. For now Flutter gives you the option to choose which backend best fits your desired use case, she adds.

As an example of whats possible using Flutter for web, Google offers the Rive 2 Beta, which was completely rewritten in Flutter. You can sign-up now to test the app in beta.

Rive is an animation design application that allows designers and developers to create high-quality assets to be easily integrated to any platform, Hasnany explains. In order to combine user interface with glitch-free animations in real-time, Rive requires heavy rendering of graphics and performant experiences across modern browsers as well as other platforms.

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Google Talks Progress on Flutter for Web - Thurrott.com - Thurrott.com

Walt Disneys Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom park is down for unknown reasons. Tomorrowlands rotating theater audio-animatronic stage show attraction has been reported closed for most of today, July 30, and the My Disney Experience app confirmed this news.

It is unknown at this time how long the attraction will be down. We at Inside the Magic will continue to update this story as more information comes to light.

Now, this attraction could be due for some refurbishment. We have covered a few stories lately where the original Walt Disney has faced some notable glitches. One of the latest being when John, the animatronic narrator, had his hand come flying off mid-show.

Read More: Animatronics Hand Falls Off Mid-Show at Carousel of Progress at Disney World

However, Walt Disney World has not yet announced that its beloved Magic Kingdom show is closed for refurbishment or that its schedule is unavailable beyond today.

Related: Tomorrowland PeopleMover Remains Closed for Now

Walt Disney World Resort describes Walt Disneys Carousel of Progress as the following:

Follow an American family over 4 generations of progress and watch technology transform their lives.

During each era, learn how the technological marvels of the day made life more comfortableand paved the way for unimaginable innovations.

Discover how gas lamps, the hand-cranked washing machine and gramophone made the pre-electric era a breeze.

Watch the advent of electricity give rise to modern conveniences like the electric iron, the radioand the simple, revolutionary light bulb.

See how the automatic dishwasher and television set transformed the American household.

Todays high-tech marvels include virtual-reality games, high-definition televisions and voice-activated household appliances. Imagine the wonders the next hundred years may bring!

The show originally debuted at the 1964 Worlds Fair and prides itself in being the longest-running show in American theater. Added to Disneyland park in 1965, the show was moved to Walt Disney World Resort in 1975 where it was reworked to replace its iconic anthem Theres a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, with the new The Best Time of Your Life. The original song was put back in the show in 1994, and you can still hear the tune playing in Tomorrowlands ambient music.

Related: VIDEO: Guests climb on stage during Disneys Carousel of Progress

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Disney's Carousel of Progress Closed for Unknown Reasons - Inside the Magic

MEMPHIS, Tenn. As Tennessee is declared by a White House task force as being in the red zone due to increasing virus diagnoses per capita, Mid-South officials said progress is being made in the fight against COVID-19 by masking up.

We acted early, Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner said. Weve been more adamant about protecting the citizens of Shelby County so we see the results.

A masking study out this week shows were doing a better job at it, City Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren said. We have to keep at it, and we cant let down our guard.

The health department said there have been more than 20,000 total cases, more than 360 new cases as of Wednesday and a total of 262 deaths.

But will the Shelby County COVID-19 cases trigger the state to open the alternate care facility at the former Commercial Appeal building?

The thing to remember is right now with the numbers that we have, we dont need that hospital, Dr. Warren said. If we continue to see a decrease in the rate of increase, we slow our rate of increase.

The rate of increase can be slowed by wearing face masks, proper hand washing and social distancing to avoid talk of opening an alternate care hospitals.

If we do this right, we wont need a second one, and we may not even need the first one, and if we do this wrong, we may need a second, third and fourth one, Warren said. We dont want to go there because that means people are dying left and right.

Long before the Commercial Appeal site, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Tennessee began retrofitting the Gateway shopping center on Jackson Avenue until plans stalled.

The community I think didnt want a lot sick people there, and I think the C.A. is a much better position because its in a more industrial area, Dr. Warren said.

I can understand that being an issue, but its not like the pandemic or virus will spread because that facility is near you, Turner said.

To avoid more hospitals opening up, city leaders say to mask up.

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Mid-South officials pleased with progress being made in fight against COVID-19 - WREG NewsChannel 3

Its been only 75 years since the Nazi crematoria have cooled, and yet, in our generation, we are witnessing an appalling rise of anti-Semitism throughout the world, said Elan Carr, US Special Envoy to Monitot and Combat Antisemitism, during a U.S. State Department briefing that mainly addressed Holocaust restitution issues in several countries.

U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Cherrie Daniels spoke on the public release of the JUST Act report, which assess progress on the restitution or compensation for property wrongfully seized during the Holocaust.

The JUST Act was passed in 2017 with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by President Trump in May of 2018. The law requires the department to submit a report to Congress on progress countries have made in implementing the commitments they undertook when they endorsed the 2009 Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets.

The Terezin Declaration called for fair and comprehensive claims processes that do not discriminate based on citizenship or residency.

The report released by the State Department notes that progress has been too slow overall with regard to provenance research and return of Nazi-confiscated and looted art.

As we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, the legacy of the Nazis mass looting remains in too many places and largely unaddressed, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a forward to the JUST Act report. Given the advanced age of Holocaust survivors, many of whom live in poverty, the findings of this report serve as a reminder that countries must act with a greater sense of urgency to provide restitution or compensation for the property wrongfully seized from victims of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi persecution.

The report cited bureaucratic inertia for much of the problem that has persisted for generations and in some cases been exacerbated by a rise in anti-Semitic sentiment throughout Europe.

The State Department called out Bosnia, Belarus, Ukraine and particularly Poland for not having acted on restitution claims.

Responding to questions from reporters, Cherrie Daniels in particular addressed the case of Poland which has shown its reluctance to give reparations to Holocaust victims. ,

We are still having discussions with Poland. Poland is a sovereign country. They committed to this Terezin Declaration. They committed to the principles. They committed in doing so that they would take action on all of the areas that I mentioned at the beginning, he said.

The report notes that Poland has made a serious commitment to Holocaust commemoration, that Polands work on Holocaust commemoration can be a guidepost to others, and that if we are to if we want to prevent such another atrocity, we have to remember the lessons of the Holocaust and combat historical revisionism as well as anti-Semitism, Brown said. .

The report, he said, notes that Poland provides financial support to Holocaust survivors from Poland wherever they reside in the world in the form of a monthly pension equivalent to that given to pensioners who live in Poland, and that sets a positive example for other countries.

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Holocaust restitution : progress too slow overall with regard to provenance research and return of Nazi-confiscated and looted art, says US State...

On Monday, Judge David Faber found Bluestone Coal Corporation liable for 1,904 days of violations of its discharge permit at the Red Fox Surface Mine. All of the violations related to excessive discharges of selenium. Bluestones defense, rejected for a second time by Judge Faber, was that the existence of a consent decree precluded the separate action for enforcement of the permit. However, the permit and its specific discharge limit for selenium only came into effect after the entry of the consent decree.

Aside from the legal niceties of the law of diligent prosecution, to accumulate 1,904 days of violation after having entered into a consent decree certainly suggests a less than vigorous effort by Bluestone Coal to come into compliance with the CWA. What really made this decision newsworthy, however, was that Bluestone Coals President is none other than Jim Justice, the Governor of West Virginia. (And dont ask me how it is that Governor Justice remains President of Bluestone Coal; all I know is that both the Governors web site and Dun & Bradstreet both seem to think that such is the case.)

For some strange reason, while the Governors web page highlights all the great things hes done for his state, it does not mention poisoning the states waters through the discharge of excess selenium.

Im not sure that this decision would have prompted a post from me, had it not been for the recent death of the great John Prine, who wrote these immortal words:

Then the coal company came with the worlds largest shovelAnd they tortured the timber and stripped all the landWell, they dug for their coal till the land was forsakenThen they wrote it all down as the progress of man.

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Governor Jim Justice and the Progress of Man - JD Supra

Malvern-based injection moulding company, Talisman Plastics, continues its five year-long series of investments which aims to increase capacity, efficiency, and performance of the plant through newer and more advanced machinery.

Talisman Plastics is currently two years into the five year-long series of investments. The company are bringing in brand new machines to the factory floor, while also decommissioning older models. This is to boost product precision, save energy, and reduce time lost to maintenance.

At the start of the investment programme, Talisman Plastics had 32 machines in its factory inventory, with a target to reduce this number over five years to 24. These 24 machines will run for longer times, which should increase overall productivity and capacity. Talisman Plastics have reported that two years into the programme they have already reduced the number of machines to 27, and Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and production capacity has significantly improved following this.

Additionally, during lower production periods as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Talisman Plastics reorganised the shop floor in an attempt to improve flow rates.

Shaun Champion, managing director of Talisman Plastics, said: This is a key part of our strategy, combined with reducing the number of tool changes. Two years ago, we averaged 55 tool changes per week, we are now down to an average of 28. This is compounded by running fewer machines for longer, meaning over 60-man hours a week have been saved in setter and maintenance time.

Investing in more advanced moulding equipment and having less downtime has already provided savings. Proof of the progress made is in a 12% saving in energy costs, despite a 14% increase in the actual number of days worked during the first half of 2020.

This, combined with a greater level of flexibility in terms of machine options, means we are well placed to provide British manufacturing at a competitive price.

The most recent machine to be added is a 160-tonne installation incorporating a robot and printer, providing a work cell capable of 24/7 continuous production at a cost of 130k.

Champion added: The lower work volumes during Covid-19 actually gave us a convenient window to press on with a leaner, smarter business approach. We had some resource freed up which meant we were able to reconfigure the machine layout. In total nine machines were moved, creating more efficient work processes and upping standards across the business.

We have further investment planned for 2021 to bring in more new machines. We have already implemented software which facilitates a higher degree of control over the machines and maximises uptime, so the combination of these is going to bring more precision and flexibility to our customers in a number of markets, including healthcare, automotive and electronics.

Continue reading here:

Talisman Plastics continues to progress with five year investment project - Medical Plastics News

A new battery-powered switcher locomotive has been developed by Progress Rail in collaboration with Vale.

The zero-emission, zero-idle and low noise EMD Joule locomotive broadens Progress Rails rolling stock portfolio with the latest smart lithium-ion battery technology and reliable performance for instant start within yard applications.

The new EMD Joule will go into a pilot phase this year, with full service anticipated for Vale soon thereafter, supporting operations at its Tubarao yard. Vale shared that this development contributes to its goals of reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 33 percent by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. With the next generation technologies being introduced, Progress Rail began addressing industry challenges with Vale, along with the companies collective Brazilian engineering teams and Progress Rails U.S.-based locomotive engineers, to deliver a solution with ample power and charging capabilities.

Our team has taken great pride in this exciting project, working closely with Vale to deliver a new advanced technology battery locomotive in approximately 11 months. This locomotive will help Vale achieve their emissions objectives, said Marty Haycraft, president and CEO of Progress Rail. We look forward to continuing to support our entire global customer base with innovative products and services to help them meet their operating and environmental objectives.

According to Gustavo Bastos, executive manager at Vales Excellence Center and Innovation Department, the EMD Joule will be also an important step towards the development of solutions for Vales GHG reduction plans.

This equipment represents a milestone in Vales operations decarbonization strategy and is aligned with its new pact with society, said Bastos.

Progress Rail anticipates global availability of the new switcher locomotive in early 2021.

The new switcher includes battery capacity being delivered to Vale of 1.9 megawatt hours and could reach up to 2.4 megawatt hours with additional options available. The switcher has nominal power up to 3,000 horsepower, and a run time of up to 24 hours, depending upon charging and utilization.

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Progress Rail develops battery switcher in conjunction with Vale - MassTransitMag.com

Rep. Ras Smith, D-Waterloo, says there's a "sense of anger and frustration" after more than a month of waiting.

DES MOINES, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has pledged to sign an executive order on felon voting rights, ahead of the November election.

But one Democratic lawmaker in the Iowa House of Representatives tells Local 5 that it's been a waiting game.

"We're less than 100 days away from our general election," Rep. Ras Smith, D-Waterloo, said. "I think there's a sense of anger and frustration, frustration because this was promised over 40 days ago from the governor."

A spokesperson for the governor's office declined to comment when asked on the status of the executive order.

State and city officials across Iowa met virtually last week for Gov. Kim Reynolds' FOCUS Committee on Criminal Justice Reform.

Iowa is the only state in the country that has a lifetime ban on felon voting.

Smith said if and when a felon voting rights executive order is signed, it should contain no caveats.

"It would allow once you release from incarceration for you to be automatically enrolled in a voting pool and able to do your civic duty ... be empowered to exercise your voice," he said.

According to Smith, data shows that when people have the right to vote, the rates of recidivism go down.

"So I think we have to success set people up for success," Smith said. "Let's remove barriers that inhibit people from participating."

Download the We Are Iowaappor subscribe to Local 5's"5 Things to Know"email newsletter.

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State representative pushing Gov. Reynolds for progress on felon voting rights executive order - Local 5 - weareiowa.com

A pair of developments are being reported in efforts to thwart deepfake video and audio scams. Unfortunately, in the case of digitally mimicked voice attacks, the advice is old school.

An open-access paper published by SPIE, an international professional association of optics and photonics, reports on a new algorithm reportedly has scored a precision rate in detecting deepfake video of 99.62 percent. It reportedly was accurate 98.21 percent of the time.

It has been three years since the threat of deepfakes broke big in the global media, and during that time, efforts have quickly grown more sophisticated.

Fear about misuse (beyond simply grafting the faces of celebrities on those of porn actors) has sometimes been breathless, with some observers warning that a key military figure in a nuclear-armed nation could appear to issue emergency orders to launch missiles.

The papers authors, two from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology and the third from Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (both in India), claim a research milestone.

They say that they are the first to make publicly available a database of deepfakes manipulated by generative adversarial networks that feature famous politicians. Their database is 100 source and 100 destination videos.

What is more, they claim to be the first with an algorithm that can spot deepfakes of politicians within two seconds of the start of a clip. The team has said they used temporal sequential frames taken from clips to pull off the feat.

Biometrics providers ID R&D and NtechLab finished among the leaders in a recent video Deepfake Detection Challenge.

Voice fraud detection efforts continue apace, too.

Until the pandemic, when people of all walks of life began routinely participating in video calls, deepfake audio attack looked more menacing over the medium term.

Comparing the two threats, it just seemed more likely that a convincing faked call could rattle a key mid-level staff member into helping the boss out in an emergency. The odds have evened a bit.

A white paper published by cybersecurity firm Nisos, sketches five incidents involving deepfake audio attacks.

Nisos writes in the marketing document that it actually investigated one such attack including the original synthetic audio. It was the faked voice of a companys CEO asking an employee to call back to finalize an urgent business deal.

Wisely, the employee immediately called the legal department. The number the would-be victim was intended to call was a VOIP service burner.

Nisos engineers studied the recording with Spectrum3d, a spectrogram tool, which, along with just listening to the message and comparing it to a known human voice elicited some data, but, apparently, no smoking gun.

Ultimately, the best advice that Nisos or anyone in the industry can offer is to stress the commonsense. If something about a call smells fishy, call legal.

biometrics | deepfakes | fraud prevention | research and development | spoof detection | video analytics | voice authentication

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Deepfakes: Some progress in video detection, but it's back to the basics for faked audio - Biometric Update

Particulate air pollution continues to cut global life expectancy by nearly two years as progress in some countries counterbalances worsening air quality in others, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).

Produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), the AQLI is based on frontier research by EPICs director Michael Greenstone that quantified the causal relationship between human exposure to air pollution and reduced life expectancy.

New data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), which converts particulate air pollution into its impact on life expectancy, shows that particulate pollution was the greatest risk to human health before COVID-19. Without strong and sustained public policy, it will be after COVID-19.

The analysis finds that particulate pollution cuts global life expectancy by nearly two years, relative to what it would be if air quality met the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. This has consistently been the case over the last two decades, with the average global decline in life expectancy from pollution remaining at two years as improvements in some countries like China were balanced out by worsening conditions in other countries.

Particulate pollution has a more devastating impact on life expectancy than communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, behavioral killers such as cigarette smoking, and even war, AQLI asserts.

Source: AQLI Annual Update 2020

In areas of Central and West Africa where diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria traditionally grab headlines, particulate pollution poses just as serious a health threat having a comparable impact on life expectancy. With growth in coal consumption in Africa over the next two decades projected to be triple what it was in the past two decades, recognizing particulate pollution as a possible growing problem becomes even more important.

Nearly a quarter of the global population lives in four countries in South Asia that are among the worlds most polluted: Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. People living in these countries could see their lives cut short by 5 years on average, after being exposed to pollution levels that are now 44% higher than they were two decades ago. High pollution across the entirety of Bangladesh makes it the most polluted country in the world. The most severe pollution, however, is found in parts of India, especially northern India, including the megacities of Delhi and Kolkata.

Particulate pollution is also a significant concern in Southeast Asia, where traditional pollution sources such as vehicles, powerplants and industry combine with forest and cropland fires to produce deadly concentrations. As a result, 89% of Southeast Asias 650 million people live in areas where particulate pollution exceeds the WHO guideline. Growing metropolisessuch as Jakarta, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, and Bangkokbear the greatest burden.

The good news is that there is now a track record of countries deciding to take action and succeeding in cleaning the air.

Michael Greenstone

China began a war against pollution in 2013. Since then, three-quarters of the worlds reductions in pollution have come from China. The country has reduced particulate pollution by nearly 40%. If these reductions are sustained, Chinese citizens can expect to live about 2 years longer than they would have prior to their aggressive reforms.

The United States, Europe and Japan have likewise experienced success in reducing pollution due to strong policies that came on the heels of public calls for change. The progression of their success, however, further highlights the scale and speed of Chinas progress. It took several decades and recessions for the United States and Europe to achieve the same pollution reductions that China accomplished in 5 years, while continuing to grow its economy. Even with this progress, there are still parts of the United States, Europe, Japan, and most especially China, where pollution meaningfully compromises human health.

As countries today try to balance the dual goals of economic growth and environmental quality, the historical lesson from around the world is that policy can reduce air pollution in a wide variety of political contexts. The AQLI makes clear that the benefits are measured in longer and healthier lives.

Michael Greenstone

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AQLI: new data reveals little progress globally in reducing air pollution over the last two decades - Green Car Congress

tZERO CEO Saum Noursalehi has published an update on progress pertaining to the digital security platform.

tZERO is part of Overstock (NASDAQ:OSTK), a company that has recently experienced a solid increase in its share price since the beginning of the year. Overstock is scheduled to release earnings tomorrow (July 30) before the market opens. The company has scheduled a conference call and webcast for 8:30 a.m. ET.

In a Dear Investors letter, Noursalehi said the value of their blockchain-based ecosystem is becoming increasingly relevant as companies remain private longer, while their investors have limited options for secondary liquidity.

Noursalehi said that tZEROs Alternative Trading System (ATS) is currently transacting hundreds of thousands of trades each monthe and growing rapidly.

While this volume may be a fraction of what is transacted in the traditional world, it is a major and positive trend in our growing ecosystem. This platform allows retail investors the ability to invest in these exclusive assets and offers issuers the opportunity to provide valuable liquidity to their existing shareholders. We believe tZERO is the solution to democratize access to private markets, said Noursalehi.

Noursalehi claims that tZERO facilitates 95% of security token trade volume today.

Noursalehi says that tZEROs cash burn rate is down as cost reductions have kicked in and the company continues to execute on its roadmap.

Key objectives going forward include trading new issuers on the ATS, integrate more brokers, while integrating primary issuance platforms and more. He believes that the biggest near term opportunity is in the real estate sector and pre-IPO companies. Noursalehi says that companies looking to raise capital is an opportunity they have shifted their focus to existing digital securities.

There are over 200 companies and/or assets that have been tokenized to-date. Many of these assets do not meet the criteria for our platform, either in size, quality, or both. There are some, however, that tZERO ATS may be interested in trading, and the business development team has had positive engagement with these issuers. The second category of issuers we are focused on is private companies, particularly those with a large number of investors, and other illiquid assets, such as commercial real estate. This represents the largest category of potential issuers as there are not many liquidity solutions available to these types of assets today. Our competitors in the pre-IPO liquidity space tend to exclusively service unicorn-type companies. Furthermore, they do not offer a live trading platform for their assets. For example, purchasing equity in a company often requires a middleman to facilitate the transaction and a minimum investment of $100,000, which can take months to close. Effectively, it is like buying/selling a home, which is an inefficient and costly process. Our platform, on the other hand, allows investors to trade shares of private companies in a streamlined experience. There are no minimums and, in most cases, non-accredited investors may also participate in investments. This is where we intend to focus the bulk of our business development efforts. Also, given there is no capital raise associated with this cohort, the variables that can impact success and timing are significantly reduced, and often an asset can be live and trading in a matter of weeks from signing.

Noursalehi says they continue to work with FINRA and the SEC on their retail broker-dealer tZERO Markets.

Expect additional information to emerge during the Q&A portion of the earnings call tomorrow.

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tZERO Updates on Platform Progress - Crowdfund Insider

Minneapolis, Minn. (KTTC) -- So, how did the second special legislative session go in St. Paul? Tuesday evening, The Council of Minnesotans of African Heritage held an online debrief to answer that.

The one major piece of legislation that did pass is the police reform and accountability bill.

"This was a significant move compared to where we were. We have made a step forward to addressing the issue of policing in our communities," said Rep. Mohamud Noor, (DFL) Minneapolis.

The bill banned certain police tactics but also addressed stress management for officers.

"What that means is when you have good police officers coming into our communities, they're dealing with stress based on the job that they're in. That they can get the care [that they need]." Noor said

The lawmakers also talked about Gov. Tim Walz's pandemic response.

"We can't evaluate the governor by what's happening. We are fighting an enemy in which we can't see. We are in unprecedented times. There are so many things happening. And I think that he is doing the best he can. Could we do better? Yes. Could we do more? Absolutely," said Rep. Hodan Hassan, (DFL) Minneapolis.

"The work that he has done to monitor the evictions, providing support to small businesses, to creating more opportunities for the distance learning, which we will be hearing more on Thursday. His leadership has been phenomenal," added Noor.

Still unresolved, passage of the bonding bill, the legislation that lays out spending for public projects.

"We are hoping to come back in September notwithstanding some issues behind bonding sales and get this work done. We haven't completed our work," said Sen. Jeff Hayden, (DFL) Minneapolis.

Gov. Walz has not specifically said that he would call a third special session, but he was disappointed that more didn't get done during the second session.

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Lawmakers break down legislative progress in St. Paul KTTC - KTTC

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement sparked global outrage and inspired multiple generations of Americans to leave the safety of their homes during a pandemic and join in widespread demonstrations against police brutality. Nearly two months later, the protests and calls for justice, accountability, and sweeping law enforcement reforms continue.

On Thursday, July 30, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) outgoing president Cerelyn J. Davis and incoming president Lynda R. Williams will deliver a live national address on what progress has been made in the fight for social justice and equality, and what changes still need to come in order to move forward as a society.

This 1-hour program will stream live at 1:00 p.m. ET as part of the National Press Club's Virtual Newsmaker series, and is accessible to both the media and members of the general public free-of-charge. Click here to view the livestream.

With nearly 60 chapters representing more than 3,000 members nationwide, NOBLE prides itself as an organization that "serves as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to justice by action." NOBLE's membership is comprised of chief executive officers and command-level leadership from every tier and sector of law enforcement.

Opening remarks will be followed by a moderated question-and-answer session with National Press Club President Michael Freedman. Viewers can send their questions for Davis and Williams via email to Headliners@press.org. Freedman will ask as many questions as time permits.

PRESS CONTACT: Lindsay Underwood for The National Press Club; lunderwood@press.org, (202) 662-7561

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Leadership of NOBLE to discuss progress made and reforms still needed since death of George Floyd at National Press Club Virtual Newsmaker July 30 -...

Business in the U.K. seems to be picking up looking at increasing location counts, as opposed to gross since the market reopened, Boxoffice Pro editor Daniel Loria said

Hollywood has resigned itself to forgo releasing new movies in theaters (for now), instead rolling out shelved wares overseas in markets where the novel coronavirus pandemic is more under control.

One sign of promising demand came Tuesday from Imax, which pulls roughly 70% of its overall revenue from outside of the U.S. The large-format theater exhibitor has reopened 624 of its theaters globally, or approximately 40% of its network, including 409 theaters in China over the July 24 weekend, CEO Rich Gelfond said Tuesday.

Over the weekend in China, Dolittle and Bloodshot earned $750,000 on Imax screens, despite playing in only 40% of the companys Chinese theaters with a 30% capacity limitation and reduced ticket prices, the company said Tuesday. We project that approximately 1,400 screens in 70 markets, or 90% of our global network, will open by the end of August.

Also Read: Imax Reports Revenue Down 92%, $26 Million Loss in Q2

Reopening theaters and getting the moviegoing business up and running again has proven difficult for studios and exhibitors, particularly in the U.S., where cases of COVID-19 continue to spike in many key markets.

On Monday, Warner Bros. committed to releasing Christopher Nolans highly anticipated big-screen spectacle Tenet in more than 70 countries worldwide ahead of the U.S. The film will open starting Aug. 26 in international territories, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Spain and the U.K. It will open in the U.S. over Labor Day weekend in select cities. But that decision followed months of uncertainty and three announced delays in a release date.

In South Korea, theaters have been able to successfully reopen and even produced a genuine box office hit: Peninsula, the blockbuster sequel to 2016s Train to Busan, has grossed more than $21 million in the country since its July 15 release. Thats a case where a successful domestic title on the market can make a real impact, Boxoffice Pro Editorial Director Daniel Loria said.

Also Read: Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet' Will Not Skip Theaters for HBO Max Debut - But Other Movies Could

Peninsula continues to perform well across markets in Asia and Europe, drawing $26.5 million in global box office despite capacity limitations and highlighting solid demand among moviegoers in lower-risk markets worldwide, Gelfond said in a statement on Imaxs second quarter earnings. We are seeing early signs of progress, with approximately 40% of our global network currently generating revenue We believe that our solid financial position gives IMAX the strength to be ready as the rest of our network comes back online.

On the other end of the overseas theatrical spectrum, however, French theaters have struggled since reopening in June. The French Cinema Federation has called on the government to provide additional aid the cinema sector.

Theaters there were allowed to reopen on June 22 and are hoping the influx of studio product helps their cause a bit, Loria said. Admissions from repertory titles and domestic films havent been able to keep Pariss iconic Grand Rex open its closing temporarily through much of August. Complicating things further is a creeping number of domestic films in France now opting for a VOD release instead of hitting theaters at reduced capacity.

Gelfond assured analysts that theaters can operate successfully at 50% capacity or below, noting that Imaxs average global capacity was roughly 10% in 2019, when the company set a new box office record. Of course, a lot is still riding on whether people will feel comfortable enough to head back to theaters (signs point to yes) and whether major studio releases will draw moviegoers back to the theater, even at more limited capacity as Pennisula has done for South Korea.

Also Read: Hanks vs Theron vs Samberg: With Theaters Still Closed, Summer Movie Showdowns Shift to Streaming

According to the British Film Institute, the top 15 films at the box office during the July 17 to July 19 weekend (the most recent available) grossed more than $300,000. None of the films in the top 15 was a major release, most being library titles.

In terms of performance, without studio reporting were somewhat limited in what weve been able to track, Loria said. Business in the U.K. seems to be picking up, however looking at increasing location counts, as opposed to gross since the market reopened.

As the coronavirus continues to spread, an increasing number of movies are delaying or suspending production. As the number of impacted movies grows, TheWrap felt it would be most informative to keep a running list.

"No Time to Die"

MGM, Universal and Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of "No Time to Die" will be postponed until November 2020.

"A Quiet Place Part II"

Director John Krasinski announced on Instagram that the horror sequel's March theatrical release would be delayed amid the growing spread of the coronavirus around the globe. Paramount has now dated the film for release on Sept. 4.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

"Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" was one of the first films delayed as part of the coronavirus, with Sony pushing its late March release to Aug. 7. But as the shutdowns continued, Sony juggled its release slate so that the family film will now open Jan. 15, 2021.

"Fast and Furious 9"

The release of the next Fast & Furious installment, F9, has been delayed from May 22 to now opening on April 2, 2021.

"The Lovebirds"

Paramount postponed the April 3 theatrical release of the romantic comedy The Lovebirds" starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani after its SXSW premiere was also canceled. Netflix then acquired the film from Paramount and debuted it on May 22.

"Blue Story"

Paramount postponed the theatrical release UK gang film "Blue Story," which was set to open on March 20. The film then premiered on digital on May 5.

"The Artist's Wife"

Strand Releasing and Water's End Productions delayed the limited release of the Bruce Dern and Lena Olin film "The Artist's Wife." The film was meant to open in New York on April 3 in Los Angeles on April 10 and in San Francisco on April 17. No new release date has been set.

"The Truth"

Hirokazu Kore-eda's film "The Truth" from IFC Films will postpone its March 20 domestic release to now open at an unspecified date in summer 2020. The film is in both French and English starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke and has already opened in some overseas markets. IFC Films has set a new release date for July 3.

"Mulan"

Disney postponed the release of its blockbuster, live-action remake of the animated film "Mulan" from March 27 to now open on July 24. The shift was part of a big shuffle of films Disney made to its release calendar on April 3.

"The New Mutants"

After numerous delays, 20th Century's X-Men spinoff "The New Mutants" was also pushed back by Disney "out of an abundance of caution." The film from director Josh Boone was meant to open April 3. The film will now open Aug. 28, 2020.

"Antlers"

"Antlers," an indie horror film from director Scott Cooper starring Keri Russell, was also pushed back by Disney and Searchlight Pictures from its April 17 release. No new release date has been set.

"Black Widow" and the MCU

In a restructuring of its entire release calendar, Disney pushed back every Marvel movie in the cinematic universe. "Black Widow" was meant to open on May 1, but will now shift back to the slot previously occupied by "The Eternals" on Nov. 6.Eternals is moving to February 12, 2021, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings will open May 7, 2021, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is shifting to Nov. 5, 2021. The changes also affected Marvel's slate for 2022 with Thor: Love and Thunder opening Feb. 18, 2022, Black Panther 2 shifting to May 8, 2022, and Captain Marvel 2, which was not previously dated, is now set for a July 8, 2022 release.

Untitled Elvis Movie

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic starring Austin Butler ceased production in Australia after co-star Tom Hanks (playing Presley manager Col. Parker) and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for COVID-19. The planned release date was also bumped back one month to now open Nov. 5, 2021.

"Mission: Impossible 7 and 8"

In late February, Paramount's action sequel halted production in Italy on the Tom Cruise action sequel. Paramount on April 24 also bumped the release dates of both films, with "M:I 7" moving to November 19, 2021 from its July 2021 release date, and the eighth film also moving back to Nov. 4, 2022 from its summer release.

"The Nightingale"

Sony postponed the Budapest shoot of the drama starring real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning.

"Birds of Paradise"

Amazon Studios halted production in Budapest on director Sarah Adina Smith's ballet drama.

"Jurassic World: Dominion"

Universal put a pause on production on the third "Jurassic World" in March after four weeks of shooting had been completed in the UK for a 20-week shoot. Production will resume on July 6, and the film is expected to be released on June 11, 2021.

"Flint Strong"

Universal also halted production on this boxing biopic starring Ice Cube and Ryan Destiny.

"Man From Toronto"

Sony delayed the start of production on the action comedy starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson (who stepped in to replace Jason Statham).

"Official Competition"

Spanish studio Mediapro suspended production on the new comedy starring Penlope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.

"The Batman"

On March 14, Warner Bros. halted the U.K. production on Matt Reeve's DC Films reboot for at least two weeks. The film stars Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. On April 20, Warner Bros. officially shifted the release date back four months to Oct. 1 from its originally planned June 2021 release date. The shift also pushed back some other DC titles, including "The Flash" to June 3, 2022 and "Shazam 2!" to Nov. 4, 2022.

"Samaritan"

On March 14, MGM paused production on the Sylvester Stallone thriller. The film had been shooting in Atlanta.

"Cinderella"

Sony's modernized take on "Cinderella" from director Kay Cannon and starring Camila Cabello will put its production on hiatus due to the travel ban extension to the UK. The film was shooting at Pinewood Studios.

"Fantastic Beasts 3"

The third installment of J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts" series that's spun off from the Harry Potter universe will postpone its production that was scheduled to begin in March in the U.K. The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Katherine Waterston.

"The Card Counter"

Paul Schrader's "The Card Counter," starring Oscar Isaac, Willem Dafoe, Tye Sheridan and Tiffany Haddish, shut down production with five days remaining in its shoot after the director said on Facebook that a "day player" tested positive for the virus. "Myself, I would have shot through hellfire rain to complete the film," Schrader added. "I'm old and asthmatic, what better way to die than on the job?" Schrader said in an interview in June that the film would resume production on July 6 but that all major crowd and intimate scenes had been completed.

"The Matrix 4"

Production on "The Matrix 4" was temporarily put on hold in March, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap. The sequel starring Keanu Reeves was in production in Berlin, Germany.

"First Cow"

After releasing Kelly Reichardt's "First Cow" in limited release on March 6, the distributor announced Monday it will re-release the film in theaters later this year.

"Deerskin"

The theatrical release of the indie film "Deerskin" from director Quentin Dupieux starring Jean Dujardin has been postponed until further notice. Greenwich Entertainment meant to release the film on March 20 after it played at Cannes, TIFF and Fantastic Fest. The movie will now open via a virtual cinema offering on May 1.

"Uncharted"

Uncharted, the film adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game franchise starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Antonio Banderas, was unable to begin production in March amid coronavirus concerns. As part of a larger shuffle of Sony's release slate, the most recent release date for the film was also shifted back from March 2021 to Oct. 8, 2021.

"The Climb"

Sony Pictures Classics' indie comedy "The Climb," which played at Sundance this year, was meant to hit theaters March 20 and will now be released on Oct. 9.

"Avatar"

The sequels to James Cameron's four "Avatar" sequels delayed shooting in New Zealand indefinitely, according to the film's producer Jon Landau speaking to the New Zealand Herald. The executive team was to fly to Wellington, NZ on Friday but will remain in Los Angeles due to the coronavirus. Landau said he couldn't give an answer as to when production would resume and when the local Kiwi crew could get back to work. "If I told you we are going to know something in two weeks I'd be lying. I might not be wrong - even a broken clock is right twice a day. But I would be lying because I don't know," Landau said."We're in the midst of a global crisis and this is not about the film industry. I think everybody needs to do now whatever we can do, as we say here, to flatten the curve."

"The Personal History of David Copperfield"

Searchlight Studios was meant to release "Veep" creator Armando Iannucci's comedic take on the Charles Dickens novel on May 8. It will now open in limited release on August 14.

"The Woman in the Window"

The Amy Adams mystery thriller from director Joe Wright, "The Woman in the Window" was meant to open in theaters on May 15 from 20th Century Studios. No new release date has been set.

"Bull"

The theatrical release of the Annie Silverstein indie drama "Bull" was postponed from its March 20 release and will now open on VOD and digital on May 1. The film has toured the festival circuit since making its debut at Cannes in 2019.

"Minions: The Rise of Gru"

The latest "Minions" movie "The Rise of Gru" was postponed from its release date on July 3. Illumination Entertainment's Paris office was forced to shut down due to the coronavirus, so the film was not able to be finished in time. Universal will release the film on July 2, 2021, a full year after its initial date.

"Wonder Woman 1984"

The sequel to "Wonder Woman" starring Gal Gadot will now hit theaters on Oct. 2 after first being pushed back from its June 5 release date and again from Aug. 12.

"In the Heights"

The movie musical based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage production "In the Heights" was postponed by Warner Bros. from its June 26 release date and bumped to June 18, 2021.

"Malignant"

"Malignant," a horror film from director James Wan, was pushed indefinitely from its release date on Aug. 14 to clear the way for "Wonder Woman 1984" to open at the tail end of the summer.

"Peter Rabbit 2," "Morbius" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife"

In a sweeping overhaul of its release slate, Sony moved three films it had scheduled for release this summer to the first quarter of 2021. The "Peter Rabbit" sequel will now be released in January 2021 while both "Morbius" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" have been moved to next March.

"Greyhound"

Sony has moved a WWII drama written by and starring Tom Hanks off of its mid-June release date and partnered with Apple to release the film on Apple TV+ in early July.

"Wicked"

Universal has removed the movie musical adaptation of Wicked from its release slate from its original date on Dec. 22, 2021, and will be redated at a later time.

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Why Movie Theater Reopenings Overseas Show 'Early Signs of Progress' for the Industry - TheWrap

Its time for your Market Line Commodity Report. Im Tim Hammerich.

Grains continue to slide as crops seem to be progressing even better than expected. Standard Grains Joe Vaclavik shared the details on his Grain Markets and Other Stuff Podcast.

Vaclavik So what you've got here is a situation where traders and analysts are going to update their yield models or already have, to account for these better crop ratings. Which will lead them to the conclusion that the yield is going to be better than what they had originally anticipated. So those traders and analysts who were working with the corn yield say at 180, maybe now they're thinking maybe it's a 181 or 182. And you could say something similar about the soybeans. That's not set in stone, that's not gospel, but that's what a lot of the people are thinking here this morning.

Chicago September Wheat futures closed down $0.04 to $5.23 .

Kansas City Hard Red Winter Wheat down $0.02 to $4.36 .

September Corn closed down $0.05 to $3.20.

Portland prices for soft white wheat of ordinary protein unchanged yesterday ranging from $5.75 to $5.78.

Club Wheat of Ordinary Protein also steady ranging from $5.78 to $7.50.

Dark Northern Spring wheat prices down $0.01 ranging from $6.01 to $6.21 for 14% protein.

Live Cattle futures were up $0.47 on the August board to $100.90. Feeder Cattle for August back up $1.35 after Tuesdays losses to $140.70.

Class III milk for August down $.20 to $21.91.

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Prices Decline due to Crop Progress - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST - AGInfo Ag Information Network Of The West

A July 20 meeting of the Warren County Economic Development Commission Board, along with County Manager Vincent Jones heard comments from the public and provided updates on projects in progress throughout the county.

A submission by Mike Ernzen opened the comments section of the meeting. If we get a vote, mine is a big No! he wrote with regard to the Chateau on the Lake, the $100 million hotel project that former EDC Director Stacy Woodhouse helped bring to Lake Gaston.

What happens if it gets built and goes bankrupt? Carolyn Hobgood asked.

Hers was one in a series of comments read by Charla Duncan, senior assistant to the county manager. Duncan was named the point of contact for all EDC-related matters while a search is conducted for a new director following Woodhouses resignation on June 23.

Citing traffic congestion, water and sewer treatment, and negative environmental impact, David Deck said hes strongly opposed to the zoning changes that would allow Chateaux at the Lake to move forward.

I am very much against this development as are a majority of my neighbors, he wrote. I respectfully ask that you not approve any zoning changes for this proposed development, and the development itself.

Louis Arp attended the meeting in person, spoke briefly and submitted his comments in writing. As a member of Eatons Ferry Estates Property Owners Association, which represents 300 Warren County taxpayers, Arp said, We oppose the high density zoning changes being requested by Chateau on the Lake developer.

He said the development is problematic in many ways, including creating major environmental, traffic and boating safety issues, lack of waste water treatment capacity for the development and property owners along the distribution route, and a questionable business model with a high degree of risk.

Littleton resident Joe Johnson, who also attended in person said, As a former developer of active adult communities in Raleigh and Cary, on topographically challenged land, I can assure the county that the expense of attempting to develop and maintain a user friendly beach at that location will be a very expensive exercise.

He went on to say, As taxpayers, we encourage the Warren County Board of Commissioners to take a real hard look at the long-term cost and effects of accepting a donation of the 1.84 acre parcel. Now is the time to embark on serious due diligence before the county gets too far committed into a project it will regret doing.

Betty Mazor expressed concerns about too much traffic.

Its entirely too big for this location, she wrote of the proposed project.

I do believe that we need a hotel, doctors office and retail stores here in Warren County, and that tax revenue from such would be welcomed. However, these revenues do not and should not be all located on the same piece of property that leads into a two-lane highway and two-lane bridge.

County Manager Vincent Jones said a Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting will need to be held in order give the final recommendation to the Board of Commissioners for the project to move forward.

However, he said no additional work will be done by the county until its safe to hold an in-person meeting, when residents can make additional comments and express further concerns. In the meantime, those who wish to do so can send their comments to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Project update

After meeting with Woodhouse, Duncan reported the following progress on the projects he was working on.

According to a July 10 email, the developer once interested in building a multi-family apartment building on the land across from Mazatlan in Warrentons extra territorial jurisdiction has withdrawn from the 2020 cycle.

A housing project in Warrenton with no county money involved has been handed off to the town.

The hotel portion of the Wise interchange project off Interstate 85 is on hold, but construction of new sewer infrastructure is moving forward this summer.

The Heritage Mulch project, which had gone before the Board of Commissioners in October 2019, received funding support for a waterline extension project not to exceed $40,000. Further communication will be necessary to determine the status of this project going forward.

A potential project involving a CBD extraction company and the old Norlina High School facility is no longer viable.

Resignations and reappointments

Joseph Kronner resigned from the EDC board, while members Claude OHagan and Jane Ball-Groom will go before the Board of Commissioners for reappointment.

Carl Lynch, the former EDC board chairman, resigned after serving three terms. Lynch would have had to come off the board before being reappointed had he wanted to stay on. Dr. Ray Spain is now the board chairman.

It was time for me to leave, Lynch said. Asked about the decision to change the EDC by-laws that prompted Woodhouses resignation, Lynch said he was not part of the decision. Not consulted by either the county manager or the board of commissioners chairman, Lynch said he doesnt know anything about what prompted the change.

Its less my business now, Lynch said. But Im curious myself about what transpired.

Originally created to operate somewhat independently from the Board of Commissioners, Lynch said he imagines the decision was an attempt to bring the EDC under the auspices of county government.

It could be good and could be bad depending on what they decide to do, he said. I dont know where we go from here. There were a lot of good things going on prior to now that might not come to fruition.

While allowing that its pure speculation and just his humble opinion, the retired former HR professional said it seemed like [Woodhouse] wanted to run and others wanted to walk slowly.

With a strong interest in seeing the county move forward, Lynch said some ideas and industries will be good for the county and others might not be.

I hope they get past the bumps in the road and do their best for the county, he said of the EDC Board.

Of Woodhouse, Lynch said, The guy is brilliant, no doubt about it. His decision to leave is, in my opinion, a loss to the county.

Lynch said it would have been interesting to see what Woodhouse could have done had he been given the full range of support to implement his and others ideas. He was the best Ive ever seen at pulling things together.

But now Lynch said the ball is in the court of the county manager and the board of commissioners.

I wish them nothing but success, he said. I hope someone comes in who can pick up the pieces and serve the citizens of Warren County.

Excerpt from:

EDC Board reports progress on projects - warrenrecord.com