GM Releases 10th Annual Sustainability Report Outlining 2019 Progress and Plans for the Future – Autobody News

General Motors on July 16 released its 10thannualSustainability Report, providing transparency and accountability on its progress and key accomplishments.

The report outlines GMs stance on key issues like environmental stewardship, safety, inclusion and health and well-being.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, GM has remained committed to its vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.

In March, GM debuted its newUltium battery technology, which will enable GM to offer an EV for everyone. And while the pandemic caused GM to temporarily suspend operations in the U.S., the company continued to make progress on its electric vehicle development, and all Ultium platform EVs remain on schedule.

GM is also on track to:

The Ultium battery enables a breadth of vehicles to be built across brands and segments on the same platform. Upcoming products include the Cadillac LYRIQ, which will go into production in 2022; the GMC HUMMER EV, which will go into production in late 2021; and the Cruise Origin.

GM also recognizes the need for companies to leverage resources and leadership to drive positive change for the common good. During the pandemic, GMpartnered with Ventec Life Systemsto build 30,000 ventilators at GMs Kokomo, IN, facility. In addition to building ventilators, GM employees areproducing face masksat facilities in Brazil, China, Mexico, Canada and the U.S. All production is on track, with each site producing millions of face masks each month to help the communities where GM employees live and work.

This is the first sustainability report to be released since GM made a commitment to become themost inclusive companyin the world. To achieve this goal, GM commissioned an Inclusion Advisory Board. Chaired by GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra, the board consists of internal and external advisors dedicated to guiding GMs commitment to building a culture that is safe and equitable.

The past several months have been difficult and our world has changed. As we move through the world in a new way, GM is as determined as ever to create solutions that lead to a better future for all, said Barra. GM remains focused on delivering on our vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, while becoming the most inclusive company in the world.

Highlights from the 2019 Sustainability Report include:

GMs accelerated sustainability commitments to:

Go here to see the original:

GM Releases 10th Annual Sustainability Report Outlining 2019 Progress and Plans for the Future - Autobody News

Reopening Schools: A work in progress | News – The Chief News

With only a few weeks before classes are set to begin for the new school year, district administrators in Columbia County and across the state are carefully assembling policies and procedures under the Oregon Education Departments (ODE) Ready Schools, Safe Learners Blueprint.

Specific plans for the new school year at the Clatskanie and Rainier schools are currently being carefully assembled by district officials under the states health and safety guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The blueprint is a project designed to provide a framework for schools for the 2020-21 school year that ensures the health and safety of all students and staff and the families they return to each day in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the following conversation Clatskanie School District Superintendent Cathy Hurowitz outlines whats ahead for the new school year.

The Chief: Please give us a snapshot of what the plan involves and what students and parents should expect?

Cathy Hurowitz: The plan, approved by the school board, is to open schools next year for all students who wish to return to school. Elementary students will attend Monday -Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday will be reserved for planning and working with students that choose our on-line option. Middle/High School students will attend from 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

The split schedule will allow for social distancing on our school buses and time to sanitize the buses between runs. We will continue with our academy that we began last year. Students whose families are choosing to not send their children to school will have an online option that will allow students to keep up with their grade-level peers. The District has invested in additional technology as well as a comprehensive K-12 online curriculum. The technology and curriculum will allow our teachers to continue rigorous instruction if schools must move to distance learning or if cohorts of students are quarantined.

The Chief: How will the District handle health and safety of students riding buses to and from the schools?

Hurowitz: We will have two different start times for elementary and secondary students. This allows us to implement the best practice recommendations for distancing on school buses as well as protect our drivers. Drivers will be given face shields for protection.

The Chief: What about school sports and other student activities, such as assemblies?

Hurowitz: We have not received firm guidance on school sports. We are expecting guidance within the next couple of weeks.

The Chief: How is the District communicating the new school year plan to students and parents?

Hurowitz: The plan will be posted on our website. I will be sending a letter home to all families with our plan and a link to the details. We will also use social media to get our information out.

The Chief: When is the opening date of the new school year and what is the projected student attendance?

Hurowitz: We will begin educating our students on Sept. 8. As of now we have our reopening plan but if things change we will move to distance learning. I dont see much change in our student attendance across the district. We will accommodate our families needs for either in class or online or a combination of the two.

Our top priority is the health and safety of students and staff. The District is purchasing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for all staff, hand washing stations, additional building sanitizers, and lucite barriers to keep students and staff safe. We will be implementing the 6 social distancing requirements for all staff and students following best practices. We are working with the Columbia County Health Authority to develop protocols for health and safety if there is an outbreak in our schools.

Our initial survey to our families indicated that they want their students to return to school in the fall. The plan that we currently have is in response to community needs. Please keep in mind that this is a very fluid environment and the plans we have now may change to meet the needs of our community.

Rainier School District plans

Our top priority is the safe opening of the schools, Rainier interim school Superintendent Dr. Joseph Hattrick told The Chief. Just ensuring that the district continues to be a healthy, positive leaning environment for students in whatever capacity that is.

Hattrick said his leaderships team is closely following the ODE blueprint. He said the Rainier schools plan is still a work in progress and will involve much participation by families and the community.

Right now we are looking at every option, including Distance Learning and limited in-classroom teaching, Hattrick said. The challenge that I want to assess is how Rainier addressed that this spring and see if there is any way to improve it. I want to be sure that we have multiple options available for parents so that no matter peoples situation, we can meet their needs.

Hattrick said he hopes to have a draft of the new school year plan before the ODE deadline of Aug. 15.

Hattrick was appointed the interim superintendent in June. He replaces Michael Carter who left for a similar position at the Lake County School District 7 in southeast Oregon.

Follow the new school year plans at thechiefnews.com with in-depth reports in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

See the rest here:

Reopening Schools: A work in progress | News - The Chief News

There’s more than one disease to worry about – Farm Progress

When the word "disease" is mentioned in a sentence these days, chances are most people think of coronavirus. But agriculture can't lose focus on the fact that a range of potential bacteria and viruses target crops and livestock everyday.

In this episode of Around Farm Progress, Paula Mohr, editor of The Farmer magazine in Minnesota, shares that the state has developed a framework for farmers to use in developing their own COVID-19 response plans. And Mohr offers a warning on the crops side for two newer diseases farmers should be on the lookout for in 2020.

Ann Hess, editor of National Hog Farmer, has focused plenty of effort on coronavirus coverage, but the swine industry is dealing with some other issue too. Announcement of the new foot-and-mouth-disease vaccine bank being created is good news for the industry and she discusses what that move means. She also shares insight on further research being done with African Swine Fever.

A global pandemic can draw a lot of attention away from the important day-to-day parts of agriculture. Mohr and Hess offer proof that experts that support agriculture aren't losing focus on longer-term issues impacting food production.

Beyond Around Farm Progress we've got more podcasts to share. Check out all our podcast links at FarmProgress.com/farm-progress-podcasts to keep up on not only Around Farm Progress but daily updates from Max Armstrong, and more.

And if you want quick access to top news from Farm Progress, sign up for our mobile text service by texting FARM to 20505. Note that there may be a text or data cost for using the service.

The podcast Around Farm Progress goes live online by 3 p.m. Central time each Friday and will engage editors from around the country. You can listen to this week's episode above and subscribe on Podbean at Around Farm Progress the podcast. And you can now subscribe through Spotify, Google Play and the Apple podcast app. Just search "Around Farm Progress" and subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Farmers are getting their information in new ways. Farm Progress is a leader in reaching them as needed. From top magazines around the country to one of the first agriculture-focused mobile apps from Farm Futures, to the leading television presence with This Week in Agribusiness, the company covers all media for agriculture.

Comments or questions? Just send a note to willie.vogt@farmprogress.com

Visit link:

There's more than one disease to worry about - Farm Progress

GM releases 10th annual Sustainability Report outlining 2019 progress and plans for the future – Automotive World

General Motors today released its 10thannualSustainability Report, providing transparency and accountability on its progress and key accomplishments. The report outlines GMs stance on key issues like environmental stewardship, safety, inclusion, and health and well-being.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, GM has remained committed to its vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. In March, GM debuted its newUltium battery technology, which will enable GM to offer an EV for everyone. And while the pandemic caused GM to temporarily suspend operations in the United States, the company continued to make progress on its electric vehicle development, and all Ultium platform EVs remain on schedule.

GM is also on track to:

GM also recognizes the need for companies to leverage resources and leadership to drive positive change for the common good. During the pandemic, GMpartnered with Ventec Life Systemsto build 30,000 ventilators at GMs Kokomo, Indiana facility. In addition to building ventilators, GM employees areproducing face masksat facilities in Brazil, China, Mexico, Canada and the United States. All production is on track, with each site producing millions of face masks each month to help the communities where GM employees live and work.

This is the first sustainability report to be released since GM made a commitment to become themost inclusive companyin the world. To achieve this goal, GM commissioned an Inclusion Advisory Board. Chaired by GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra, the board consists of internal and external advisors dedicated to guiding GMs commitment to building a culture that is safe and equitable.

The past several months have been difficult and our world has changed. As we move through the world in a new way, GM is as determined as ever to create solutions that lead to a better future for all, said Barra. GM remains focused on delivering on our vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, while becoming the most inclusive company in the world.

Highlights from the 2019 Sustainability Report include:

SOURCE:General Motors

Read the rest here:

GM releases 10th annual Sustainability Report outlining 2019 progress and plans for the future - Automotive World

Larian Studios says its making good progress on Baldurs Gate III – NME

Larian Studios has reassured fans that it is making good progress on Baldurs Gate III, and will announce an early access release date soon.

The company revealed the games current state in a community update on its Steam page. We know you all want to know when well release Baldurs Gate III into early access but youll have to be a bit more patient before we can announce an exact date. The one thing we can tell you is that we are making good progress, the statement reads.

Larian also detailed the changes made to the game since the company showcased the games reworked combat system at this years D&D Live event on June 18. The update also gave fans a sneak peek at how stealth will work in the upcoming game.

The company has doubled down on the reworked combat system, which now better reflects the Dungeon & Dragons turn order. Battles are also set to be more fluid than Larians previous game, Divinity: Original Sin 2, thanks to improvements regarding how animations are both created and processed.

Baldurs Gate III. Credit: Larian Studios

We invested heavily into what drives our animation pipeline, and specifically made tweaks to improve the feel and motion in combat, it said. The increased brevity and flow is down to many, many changes shaving off microseconds (and sometimes entire seconds).

Stealth is also set to play a big part in Baldurs Gate III, but only if players want it to be, Larian noted. Sneaking is a really useful technique for positioning your party prior to the initiative roll, ensuring you get the first strike.

It added that players will be able to switch from exploration to turned-based battle mode in order to make use of stealth to prepare for combat. Moreover, the system also takes lighting into account, so that even when you are caught in the visibility cones of the enemy, you still have a chance to slip through unseen.

Check out more details on both the combat and stealth systems, as well as brief chips of the two modes, at the official Baldurs Gate III Steam page.

If everything goes to plan, Baldurs Gate III is scheduled to enter early access as soon as August. However, Swen Vincke, the head of Larian Studios, cautioned that the date is just a possibility as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the games development.

Go here to see the original:

Larian Studios says its making good progress on Baldurs Gate III - NME

Coexisting with covid-19: a catalyst for progress in international arbitration? – Lexology

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, infection rates in many countries are starting to fall, and businesses and governments alike are seeking to establish a new normal recognising that the virus will be present in society for some time yet. Other countries still face climbing numbers and a peak yet to come. For all, the prospect of multiple waves of high infection rates throughout the year and beyond remains. As such, we will continue to see an ever shifting patchwork of lockdowns and other government responses internationally.

In our earlier series of blog posts, we highlighted the individual steps taken by different arbitral institutions, organisations and the wider community as an initial crisis response to the pandemic. We produced a table setting out those steps and will continue to monitor and update this information going forward. An updated table, accurate to 16 July 2020, can be found here.

In this blog post, we turn to the future and look at how the arbitration community continues to respond to the challenges of operating internationally, as different countries prepare in different ways to live with the Covid-19 virus in the medium term at least.

A steep learning curve: the initial response

The initial wave of the pandemic created an unprecedented need for arbitral institutions and organisations to adapt at very short notice to new and different ways of working, and offer solutions to parties and practitioners that would enable disputes to continue to be resolved at a time of quarantine, enforced social distancing and fast-changing government guidance from across the globe. What became clear was that there was no one size fits all approach to be taken by those institutions or organisations. Some institutions (such as the SCC) already functioned largely online with online filing systems. For other organisations (such as the LMAA) the majority of their cases were resolved on the papers rather than in face-to-face hearings. Other institutions (such as the ICC or LCIA) needed to introduce changes in their processes, enabling cases to be filed virtually while their secretariats worked remotely and for parties and tribunals to communicate online.

As the truly global nature of the pandemic unfolded, one of the first questions faced by parties, arbitrators and practitioners was whether merits hearings ought to be held virtually or postponed. While electronic communication and the use of other online tools in an arbitration is nothing new, most arbitrations, until now, involved a face-to-face substantive hearing on the merits. For many, a shift to a fully virtual merits hearing was, at least initially, viewed as a step too far. We saw many arbitration hearings in March and early April being postponed to later in the year. However, with the realisation that this new normal might be with us on a global scale for some time came a change in attitude towards virtual hearings.

The institutional joint statement in April 2020 mirrored the approach of many national courts in encouraging parties to continue with the resolution of disputes, and many arbitral institutions began encouraging arbitrators to adopt virtual hearings wherever possible. As a consequence, many parties with upcoming merits hearings found their arbitrators inclined towards that option.

Where a decision has been taken to hold a hearing virtually, the arbitrators, practitioners and clients involved have been on a steep learning curve. Just as we have all become used to operating through Skype, Teams and Zoom in the workplace, we have adapted to using that same virtual technology (and others) to hold hearings.

There has been a very positive response from a number of practitioners who have participated in virtual hearings, with many surprised at how well they have worked. We have seen the development of guidelines, protocols and procedural orders to govern the efficient and effective running of virtual hearings and to ensure that the hearing remains fair to all.

We have also seen other new ideas and initiatives come from within the community during this challenging time. New websites and initiatives have been launched to help keep practitioners up to date with Covid-19 developments or to facilitate the use of online platforms to enable cases to truly operate virtually.

Responding to an ever-shifting international picture: the need for flexibility

So what does the new normal mean going forward?

Commercial arbitration has grown in popularity over the past decades as parties recognise the benefits it brings in cross-border transactions by offering a neutral forum and an adaptable, international, procedure. But the international nature of the parties, practitioners, institutions and arbitrators also means that arbitration must be able to adapt and flex to fit the unique requirements of those international participants, both in terms of their transactions and disputes, but also to the specific implications of the pandemic for each country in which those participants reside.

Clearly, if circumstances require it, all those involved in the process should be able to revert back to lockdown ways of working. And if circumstances require it, all the learning of the past months will be able to be put into use in continuing to hold wholly virtual substantive hearings. But what seems more likely is that we will see more flexible and adaptable approaches to respond quickly to the immediate, and often changing, circumstances.

Hybrid or semi-virtual hearings are likely to be the answer to that need for flexibility. A mixture of virtual and physical attendance will help to mitigate the effects of travel restrictions and local or national lockdowns. They will also enable those involved in hearings (such as the parties and their counsel, the Tribunal and any witnesses or translators that might be involved) to participate to the fullest extent possible. Some participants may meet in a single or in multiple locations, with appropriate social distancing, while others attend virtually. These hybrid hearings can be set up to change format at short notice, enabling those involved to plan for a myriad of different scenarios but ensure that the final hearing remains fair, offering each party the opportunity to put their case.

Impact on the future: a catalyst for change in the post-Covid world?

Many sectors of the economy have proven themselves to be extremely adaptable in the face of the pandemic, and arbitration is no different in that regard. At this stage, however, it is difficult to gauge the longer term impact of Covid-19 on the process and procedure of arbitration globally, particularly if a future vaccine were to reduce or remove the need for social distancing.

However, the longer arbitral participants are required to work in a different way, the more those new ways of working will be seen as the norm. The more positive experiences participants have of virtual or hybrid hearings, the more likely it is that these will remain at least options for future merits hearings. When faced with participants from across the globe, parties may become less comfortable with the expense of holding a face-to-face hearing if they are reassured in the effectiveness of a virtual or hybrid option. Indeed, the dramatic reduction in the carbon footprint of these virtual and hybrid hearings may lead to an environmental silver-lining to the pandemic in terms of changes in business practice for many, including in international arbitration.

Most importantly, we have seen innovation and blue sky thinking at its best in the last few months. And that shift in mind-set towards different ways of delivering the product of arbitration effectively and efficiently has been exciting to see and experience. That ability to adapt and change to challenging circumstances is likely to continue, and we will see the longer term impact of that innovation for many years to come.

More here:

Coexisting with covid-19: a catalyst for progress in international arbitration? - Lexology

Fatal overdoses climbed to record high in 2019, reversing historic progress – POLITICO

"It seems that 2019 is the new high for drug overdose deaths," said Bob Anderson, chief of mortality statistics at the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics. "Data are still provisional at this point, but the increase in the last few months of 2019 was steep enough to push it over the top by a little more than two hundred deaths."

Trump campaigned on ending the opioid crisis and, along with Congress, invested more than $21 billion in the effort over the past four years, according to figures supplied by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Trump during this year's State of the Union address touted a 4.6 percent drop in overdose deaths in 2018, which was the first decline in fatal overdoses in nearly 30 years.

With unyielding commitment, we are curbing the opioid epidemic, Trump declared in early February.

It's still possible the overdose data may be adjusted slightly when it's finalized later this year. But experts say that progress made in 2018 was short-lived, as the epidemic shifts toward more potent opioids and deaths from other drugs are on the rise.

It was premature to declare victory in 2018, said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, a trade association for mental health and addiction treatment providers. We still dont have enough capacity to reach people who need it. Even with the new investments we are still woefully underfunded.

A year after administration officials struck an optimistic but cautious tone that the tide was beginning to turn on the deadly drug epidemic, they warned on Wednesday that a tough fight lay ahead.

"We understand that there is an extraordinary amount of work to do, especially now as we are also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic that could markedly affect our nations mental and psychological health and risk of substance use," said Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir in a statement.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said the new data is "an important reminder that the Crisis Next Door is not over and continues to evolve."

Anderson, the CDC expert, said last year's increase was largely driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl, though deaths involving methamphetamine and cocaine have been increasing.

A substantial portion of those are combination drugs, where fentanyl is being mixed with meth or cocaine, he said.

Dan Barden, vice president of clinical services at Tucson, Ariz.-based CODAC Health, Recovery and Wellness, noted a dramatic rise in illicit synthetic opioids like fentanyl. His state saw a nearly 14 percent increase in overdose deaths in 2019, according to the CDC data.

Some of it is homemade fentanyl," Barden said. "Were finding it in everything pressed into pills to look like Xanax. Its been laced into marijuana and added to prescription opioids.

Addiction experts say the federal focus on opioids has been too narrow and should be extended more broadly on all substances, including alcohol.

We lobbied heavily with our congressman to say get the word opioid out of any bill youre putting out there, said Lenette Kosovich, the CEO of Rimrock Foundation, an addiction treatment center in Billings, Mont. Focusing on the word 'opioid' didnt do us any favors out here in the West and Midwest.

CDC data from 2018 and 2019 showed a significant uptick in meth-related deaths largely in regions of the country, while opioid-related deaths remained more prevalent in the Northeast. Montana saw a 19 percent increase in drug overdose deaths last year, according to the CDC data.

See the original post here:

Fatal overdoses climbed to record high in 2019, reversing historic progress - POLITICO

Markets hope for progress over EU recovery fund; US consumer confidence drops as it happened – The Guardian

Angela Merkel, the EUs longest-serving leader, who is seen as a crucial broker in the talks, said she expected very, very difficult negotiations. But before getting down to business, gifts were exchanged. It was Merkels 66th birthday, and she was presented by Macron with a bottle of fine white bourgogne. Borisov gave her a traditional silver flask containing Bulgarian rose oil.

Merkel posed for a photo with Portugals prime minister, Antnio Costa, also marking his birthday. She gave him a copy of a 17th-century map of Goa, a former Portuguese colony where Costa has family ties.

Michel, the European council president, wished the pair a happy birthday and offered congratulations to the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, who got married on Wednesday. She had had to change plans three times when a general election, coronavirus and then this weekends summit got in the way.

See the original post here:

Markets hope for progress over EU recovery fund; US consumer confidence drops as it happened - The Guardian

Progress against the multiple dimensions of poverty was made before the pandemic but now it is at risk – UNDP

New York New figures released today show that before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, progress was being made in tackling multidimensional poverty, according to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), a measure that looks beyond income to include access to safe water, education, electricity, food and six other indicators. Now that progress is at risk.

The data, released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), shows that 65 out of 75 countries studied significantly reduced their multidimensional poverty levels between 2000 and 2019.

Sierra Leone made the fastest progress in reducing their global MPI value. It is one of seven Sub-Saharan African countries in the top ten fastest-moving countries, alongside Cte DIvoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe.

India saw the most people moving out of multidimensional poverty some 270 million people between 2005/6 and 2015/16. 70 million people in China left multidimensional poverty between 2010 and 2014. In Bangladesh, numbers declined by 19 million between 2014 and 2019.

COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the development landscape. But this data from before the pandemic is a message of hope. Past success stories on how to tackle the many ways people experience poverty in their daily lives, can show how to build back better and improve the lives of millions, says Sabina Alkire, Director of OPHI at the University of Oxford.

Addressing Multidimensional Poverty in a post-COVID-19 world

While data is not yet available to measure the rise of global multidimensional poverty after the pandemic, simulations for 70 countries in the developing world, based on the anticipated impacts of the virus on just two components of the global MPI nutrition and school attendance suggests how much impact the crisis could have unless it is addressed.

In three scenarios of varying deterioration in which 10, 25 and 50 percent of people who are multidimensionally poor or vulnerable become undernourished, and half of primary school-aged children no longer attend school, poverty levels could be set back 8 to 10 years. But even if we look only at the impact on nutrition, if anticipated increases in undernutrition are not prevented or swiftly reversed, the setback could range between 36 years.

COVID-19 is the latest crisis to hit the globe, and climate change all but guarantees more will follow soon. Each will affect the poor in multiple ways. More than ever, we need to work on tackling poverty and vulnerability to poverty - in all its forms. This is why the Multidimensional Poverty Index is so important says Pedro Coneico, Director of the Human Development Report Office at UNDP.

Among the 1.3 billion people still living in multidimensional poverty today, more than 80 percent are deprived in at least five of the ten indicators used to measure health, education and living standards in the global MPI. The data also reveals that the burden of multidimensional poverty disproportionately falls on children. Half of the 1.3 billion poor have not yet turned 18. While 107 million are 60 or older.

The MPI with its information on both the level and composition of poverty provides the data needed to pinpoint where and how poverty manifests itself. Otherwise policymakers are flying blind, unable to know how or where to target resources and interventions, adds Alkire.

For instance, in Sub-Saharan Africa, 55 percent of the population (558 million people) is multidimensionally poor. Of these, 98 percent (547 million people) do not have access to clean cooking fuel, 84 percent (470 million people) lack access to electricity and 66 percent (366 million people) do not have access to clean drinking water.

Addressing each challenge requires a different approach, many of which need to go beyond improving income. This is particularly true in the light of UNDPs work encouraging societies everywhere to take the opportunity to rethink development pathways and build back better post-COVID.

Access full data and publication:http://hdr.undp.org/en/2020-MPI

***

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Anna Ortubia/ anna.ortubia@undp.org / +1 646 642 4071

Lesley Wright / lesley.wright@undp.org

Maya Evans / maya.evans@qeh.ox.ac.uk / +44 751 502 8985

See the rest here:

Progress against the multiple dimensions of poverty was made before the pandemic but now it is at risk - UNDP

Commentary: Recognize the progress of high speed rail project and drop the term ‘boondoggle’ – CALmatters

In summary

Someday Californias high-speed rail system will be regarded like the Golden Gate Bridge, as an icon, and BART, which has helped reduce Bay Area traffic.

State Sen. Jim Beall, a Democrat from San Jose, represents the 15th Senate District, senator.beall@senate.ca.gov. He is chair of the Transportation Committee.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, represents the 11th Senate District, senator.wiener@senate.ca.gov. He is chair of the Housing Committee.

Californias High-Speed Rail project is under fire again, but history shows us that major infrastructure projects are almost always controversial.

Keep tabs on the latest California policy and politics news

Before it was built, the Golden Gate Bridge was derided as financially unsound, legally dubious and an aesthetic blight. BART was deemed the ultimate money drain. Today opponents of the high-speed rail shorthand their objections: boondoggle.

Mega-infrastructure projects are hard. The bigger the project, the harder it gets. And California hasnt tackled an infrastructure project as big or as bold as high-speed rail since the building of our state highway system more than 50 years ago.

Yet despite all the handwringing, the political infighting, the calls to cancel the project and redirect funds, progress marches steadily forward. The High-Speed Rail Authority is systematically and transparently working its way through full environmental clearance for the entire statewide system by the end of 2022 so that as continued funding becomes available, the state is ready to build.

Whats not reported often is that this project is undertaking the largest environmental clearance effort in the country. The authority continues to make steady progress on this effort, with a schedule that shows theyll meet the federally mandated 2022 deadline.

Construction of the high-speed rail system is fully underway at 32 job sites across several counties along the first 119 miles of the system. This stretch will be the heart of the system and the testing ground for the nations first electrified high-speed rail trains. As of this month, 4,000 men and women have been put to work on construction jobs in the Central Valley because of the high-speed rail project. Rather than joining the swollen ranks of unemployed Californians, these men and women are providing for themselves and their families and helping build Californias future.

Here in the Bay Area, thanks to $700 million of investment from High-Speed Rail, Caltrain is already working on its part of the project: electrifying the peninsula corridor. Ultimately Caltrain will share tracks with high-speed rail trains for the ride between San Francisco and Gilroy. The High-Speed Rail Authority is also collaborating with local agencies to bring trains to the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco and to reimagine the future of Diridon Station in San Jose.

This project is moving along, and contrary to recent reports, legislative oversight of the project has been consistent and ongoing. The California state Senate and Assembly each appoint members to sit on the authority board and receive regular updates on the authoritys plans and progress. The Legislature also holds final authority over release of bond funds, a major source of project funding.

Both sides of the aisle seem to agree that infrastructure projects are essential. Both sides agree that we need jobs. Yet somehow this infrastructure project, which is not only creating jobs but also connecting the major economic regions of our state while tackling climate change, traffic and affordable housing continues to remain controversial. The time is now to move forward on bringing this critical investment into reality.

These days the Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic symbol of San Francisco. And its hard to imagine what Bay Area traffic would look like without BART. Someday high-speed rail will hold a similar place in Californias economy and vitality.

We can build things in California. It takes persistence, patience, political will, long-term vision and thoughtful public discourse. And it would help if we can all agree to drop the term boondoggle and start recognizing the progress thats happening right in our home state.

As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on the generosity of Californians like you to cover the issues that matter. If you value our reporting, support our journalism with a donation.

Read more here:

Commentary: Recognize the progress of high speed rail project and drop the term 'boondoggle' - CALmatters

People’s Assembly on Police Reform Reveals Civil Review Board in Progress – Jackson Free Press

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba at the Jackson People's Assembly meeting pushed the need for community involvement in the City of Jacksons decision-making process. File Photo by Stephen Wilson

Efforts to reform Jackson policing will include increasing investment in community alternatives to policing, members of the City's criminal-justice task force told participants at the Jackson's People's Assembly virtual forum last week. These alternatives include mental health support, violence prevention and youth programs.

More than 80 Jackson residents joined the Zoom on Saturday as the task force talked about progress including actively referring all cases of officers involved in civilian deaths to the district attorney for investigation and grand jury review; releasing identities of officers involved in shootings; banning the release of mugshots of those police officers kill and banning 'perp walks' for juveniles.

A Civilian Review Board Ahead?

"We have expanded the task force to address police brutality, use of force policy, as well as working to implement a civilian review board," said C.J. Lawrence, a member of the task force and Lumumbas law partner before he became mayor. "(We are conducting) the research necessary to ensure that the review board is one that has legitimate power behind it, that is firm and is not entangled with the police, something that is independent from it in making its determinations."

He said the goal is to ensure that the civilian review board, which will look at cases of alleged police brutality, has appropriate legal power backing and is not entangled with the police in making its determination.

Lawrence said the task force recognizes the need to go even further than those efforts. "We are working diligently to really address policing and the consequences of excessive force and abuse of power here in Mississippi," Lawrence said.

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, who was on the Zoom conference, praised the participants for their commitment and contribution.

"This has been a necessary process for many years now. It started with my father when he sought to be a part of the city council and had continued since then," he told the participants in the virtual forum. "This is an independent body for democratizing power for the community; that is why we need your participation."

He encouraged participation in the budgetary process and informed about the constraints the City has because federal dollars are attached to specified ends.

Lumumba has drawn harsh criticism for doing too little to reduce police violence, or increase transparency around it.

Early in his term, the Jackson Free Press reported and editorialized on use of juvenile mugshots and perp walks, as well as the Citys practice of never releasing the names of most police officers who shoot or kill civilians. That reporting led to several executive orders, as well as almost a year of an officer-involved shooting task force to decide whether and when to name officers who shoot people. The task force included members of the JPD and eventually revealed names of unidentified multiple officers who shot people during Lumumbas first year and a half in office.

Effective civilian review boards, on the other hand, are designed to not include police officers. Currently, law enforcement investigates officers accused of violence or brutality, cases that are often not transparent and that bring little or no consequences.

A Call To Defund the Police

The Black Youth Project 100 took an abolitionist stance with regards to the police in a presentation during the assembly, calling for "trauma-informed response teams" and "mental health and family counseling to replace policing, and "wellness centers to replace incarceration.

A full archive of the JFP's "Preventing Violence" series, supported by grants from the Solutions Journalism Network. Photo of Zeakyy Harrington by Imani Khayyam.

To really 'fight crime,' we don't need more cops, we need more jobs, more educational opportunities, more art programs, more community centers, more mental health resources, and more of a say in how our own communities function, BYP100 argued in its presentation.

"And it's not just that police are ineffective in many communities, they are actively harmful. The history of policing is a history of violence against the marginalized," BYP100 noted. "And it's bigger than just police brutality: it's about how the prison industrial complex, the drug war, immigration law, the web of policy, law and culture that forms our criminal justice system have destroyed millions of lives and torn apart families."

"Cops don't prevent crimes; they cause it, through the ongoing violent disruptions of our communities," they added.

Email story tips to city/county reporter Kayode Crown at [emailprotected]. Follow him on Twitter at @kayodecrown.

Read more:

People's Assembly on Police Reform Reveals Civil Review Board in Progress - Jackson Free Press

KDOL gives update on progress fixing ‘major issues and missteps’ – KSHB

KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Kansas Department of Labor released an update on Tuesday about the progress being made to fix several internal problems amid an influx of unemployment claims due to COVID-19.

The department has been under fire for difficulty handling call volumes and errors in unemployment payments.

KDOL Secretary Delia Garcia resigned on June 22 amid the growing criticism of how the department was managing the COVID-19 pandemic numbers.

The department has been working with specialists from Accenture to resolve major issues.

We know there have been major issues and missteps, weve hit the reset button and are focusing on the future, Gov. Laura Kelly said in the update. Accenture is reviewing and providing recommendations to improve the stability of our systems to make sure they are readily available to support Kansans.

The Tuesday update stated that call center representatives trained in surge response have been added to the unemployment call center.

KDOL has also added seven more IT employees to help with the outdated coding language the department's system was built in. According to Accenture, it is one of the "most severe cases of outdated technology they have encountered."

According to the update, there is also a new online virtual agent named "Amelia" that can answer frequently asked unemployment questions.

The response model being implemented will be able to be scaled up as needed and there will be more trained agents and technology workarounds for the current computer system, KDOL Acting Secretary Ryan Wright said in the update. Our top priority is to get Kansans paid as quickly as possible and with good customer service.

Since the pandemic began, KDOL has delivered $1.2 billion in unemployment claims to nearly 200,000 Kansans, according to the update.

Read the original:

KDOL gives update on progress fixing 'major issues and missteps' - KSHB

Inslee halts counties’ ability to progress to next phase of reopening plan through at least July 28 – YakTriNews KAPP-KVEW

July 14, 2020 2:54 PM

Erin Robinson

Posted: July 14, 2020 2:54 PM

OLYMPIA, Wash. Washington counties will be unable to advance to the next phase of the states reopening plan through at least July 28.

Governor Jay Inslee made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday.

With the spread of the virus, we need to continue to pause the reopening of our economy, Inslee said.

Inslee said cases across the state are growing and dramatically, adding that if the state does not change its course of action, it will only get worse.

The governor pointed to the mask mandate as a way to help keep the rate of transmission and cases down, saying it has been proving to be effective.

A study in Yakima County showed 95 percent of people are wearing face coverings and case numbers have decreased since the mandate went into effect. A study in Spokane County showed 65 percent of people were wearing face masks.

I am simultaenously hopeful that we are going to see an increase in social distancing and masking, and recognition that it might not be enough given the numbers weve been seeing, Inslee said.

comments

Read the original here:

Inslee halts counties' ability to progress to next phase of reopening plan through at least July 28 - YakTriNews KAPP-KVEW

Platinum Games offers minor Babylon’s Fall update, says it’s "continuing to progress well" – Eurogamer.net

Had previously promised "a full look" thissummer.

Babylon's Fall, the long-awaited and still relatively mysterious new offering from Bayonetta and Nier: Automata studio Platinum Games, is "continuing to progress well" according to the developer, but it doesn't sound like the previously promised "full look" is due any time soon.

Platinum originally announced Babylon's Fall, which is set to be published by Square Enix, back in June 2018, promising a Steam and PlayStation 4 release sometime the following year. However, 2019 managed to almost completely pass by without further word on the game, until a new trailer - painting Babylon's Fall as a sort of pyrotechnic, high-action Dark Souls - arrived in December. At the time, Platinum said to expect "a full look" in summer 2020.

And now, with summer finally here, further news about Babylon's Fall has indeed arrived, albeit not of the sort originally promised. In a new statement posted to Twitter, Platinum offered only a minor development update, writing, "While we hoped to reveal more about the game this summer, we can share that development on Babylon's Fall is continuing to progress well, with the team working safely from home".

To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

"Square Enix and Platinum Games are committed to delivering an exhilarating experience," the developer's statement concluded, "and we look forward to showcasing much more on Babylon's Fall to you as soon as we can".

Babylon's Fall is one of several games currently known to be in production at Platinum Games. Bayonetta 3, which is in development for Switch, was revealed back in 2017, while the mysterious Project G. G. was teased earlier this year.

Follow this link:

Platinum Games offers minor Babylon's Fall update, says it's "continuing to progress well" - Eurogamer.net

Pine River coach likes progress team is making – The Pioneer

John Raffel, jraffel@pioneergroup.com

Pine River football coach Terry Martin supervises a conditioning session at his practice field last week. (Pioneer photo/John Raffel)

Pine River football coach Terry Martin supervises a conditioning session at his practice field last week. (Pioneer photo/John Raffel)

Pine River football coach Terry Martin supervises a conditioning session at his practice field last week. (Pioneer photo/John Raffel)

Pine River football coach Terry Martin supervises a conditioning session at his practice field last week. (Pioneer photo/John Raffel)

Pine River coach likes progress team is making

LEROY Pine Rivers Terry Martin is like a lot of football coaches, doing as much as he can under state guidelines when it comes to conditioning, and trying to get his team ready for the fall football season in case there is one.

Martin and his players were on the practice field late last week. It wont be until next week or later, when the MHSAA announces what its planning on for the fall season. The immediate future of football is expected to be determined at that time.

Were going Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays right now for an hour, Martin said last Thursday at a conditioning session at the Pine River practice field. In June, we went two days a week for three weeks and in July well go three days a week until the end of July. Its all high school players, nine through 12.

The Bucks had their first Thursday of conditioning with about 30 players. Its usually in the low 30s.

Mainly were doing conditioning and agilities, Martin said. At first, we thought this would be a hindrance and disappointing but its been really good. Weve been able to focus on a lot of footwork and technique. The coaches are setting up cones and things they can move around. Theres no contact. The quarterbacks throw the ball over the fence and then they have to go and get their own ball. Theres no sharing of equipment or anything like that.

Pine River is in the Grand Rapids region, just a few miles south of the Traverse City region. The GR region has more restrictions on athletic programs currently than the TC region.

Everyone to the north is a step ahead of us because theyre allowed to do some work, go inside and use the weight room in small groups, Martin said. At first, we thought this would be a drag, but its worked out.

Visit link:

Pine River coach likes progress team is making - The Pioneer

Copernicus Sentinel-1 tracks progress of giant iceberg over three years – Optics.org

13Jul2020

The 100km-long "A-68" iceberg, which calved from Antarctica in 2017, is now 1000km away from birthplace and shrinking.

When it calved, A-68 was about twice the size of Luxembourg and one of the largest icebergs on record, changing the outline of the Antarctic Peninsula forever. Despite its size, however, it is remarkably thin, just a couple of hundred metres thick.

Over the last three years, satellite missions such as the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-1 have been used to track the berg as it drifted in the Southern Ocean. For the first two years, it remained close to its parent ice sheet, impeded by sea ice.

However, it lost a chunk of ice almost immediately after being calved, resulting in it being renamed A-68A, and its offspring became A-68B. More recently, in April 2020, A-68A lost another chunk: A-68C.

Antarctic icebergs are named from the Antarctic quadrant in which they were originally sighted, then a sequential number, then, if the iceberg breaks, a sequential letter. Although A-68A is a relatively thin iceberg, it has held together reasonably well, but satellites will be key to monitoring how it changes in open waters.

Pace of drift increasing

Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar mission, the image above shows the berg on 5 July 2020, a few days before its third birthday. Satellites carrying radar continue to deliver images regardless of the dark and bad weather, which is indispensable when monitoring the remote polar regions which are shrouded in darkness during the winter months.

Other maps available from ESA show the different positions of A-68A during its three-year journey. The map not only highlights how long it remained close to the Larsen C ice sheet, but how, over the past year or so, its pace of drift has increased considerably. The map also includes historic iceberg tracks, based on data from a number of satellites including ESAs ERS-1 and ERS-2, and shows that A-68A is following this well-trodden path.

Link:

Copernicus Sentinel-1 tracks progress of giant iceberg over three years - Optics.org

Penn Hills Progress area real estate transactions for the week of July 12 – TribLIVE

You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to ourTerms of Service.

We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers

We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.

We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.

We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sentvia e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.

Excerpt from:

Penn Hills Progress area real estate transactions for the week of July 12 - TribLIVE

Chardon Square gazebo renovation project still a work in progress after lone bid comes in high – News-Herald.com

Plans to renovate the Chardon Square gazebo have been a slow go, and the recent bid opening will stretch out the process a bit longer.

One company, JP Interiors, bid on the project, for which the base construction estimate was about $80,300. That didnt include in-kind work or alternate bid items. The JP proposal was $277,200.

The (request for proposal), the way it was written up, was for a lump-sum bid, City Manager Randy Sharpe told City Council at the July 9 meeting. So we really cant compare where the line items were, where the costs were.

City Engineer Doug Courtney is recommending that the bid documents be reviewed and updated to include a detailed proposal form before rebidding the project.

In addition, a meeting is planned with bid holders to explain the project and hopefully get better numbers, Sharpe said.

But as of now, the bid was obviously over the threshold and also did not include the bid bond, which would render it not acceptable anyway, he added. So thats the path we will take to get this done as soon as possible and take advantage of really nothing major happening on the square.

It has been nearly two years since Councils Service Committee began discussing upgrades for the gazebo. It was constructed in the early 1980s as a re-creation of the previous bandstand on the spot and now some of the outer wood faade is weathered and in need of replacement. In addition, some of the structural supports should be shored up, officials say.

We were working with the LDA Architects to finalize drawings and specifications, Public Service Director Paul Hornyak said, explaining the delay. The job will go out to bid in the next few weeks (and we) hope to start work in August, if all goes well and prices come in within 10 percent of the estimate.

In 2018, the city contracted with Oravec Design Build LLC for a visual inspection and condition summary. Some of the observations were:

The structure has experienced moisture damage below the roof and down the columns

The wood and steel structural construction is somewhat unorthodox and not standard practice in todays methods.

There is some lateral instability, which is resulting in the slight east-west movement of the structure.

The gazebos steel posts are experiencing mild surficial deterioration at their bases.

Structure integrity has always been my main concern and we need to get ahead of the structural portion before it becomes an issue, Hornyak said.

The current gazebo was dedicated in 1982 with a performance by the U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Aircraft Wing band. Police estimated 5,000 people crowded the square for the show. The bandstand project was sponsored by the Chardon Square Association.

See the rest here:

Chardon Square gazebo renovation project still a work in progress after lone bid comes in high - News-Herald.com

Victim recovery phase to begin at Hard Rock hotel after ‘significant’ progress during weekend – NOLA.com

The remains of two construction workers trapped in the wreckage of the collapsed Hard Rock Hotel since last October may be reached as soon as the end of this week or early next week,New Orleans Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell said Monday.

McConnell said the recovery phase of the demolition has begun after a collapsed tower crane was removed on Saturday, which he called a "significant" step in the long-delayed operation to remove a downtown eyesore and give comfort to two families.

Workers could already be seen Monday beginning the first step of the recovery operation, removing construction materials like generators from the building. That will allow teams to begin "methodically" removing sections of the collapsed structure, McConnell said.

Workers are lifted off of the roof of the partially collapsed Hard Rock building after removing construction equipment to start with the recovery portion of the demolition, according to New Orleans Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell in New Orleans, La. Monday, July 13, 2020.

Recovering the remains of the two victims is "going to take a little bit of time," McConnell said, saying that workers might not reach them until the end of this week or the beginning of next week. Then recovery teams will need time to actually remove the bodies, he said.

"You will hear me be very, very careful about how long it takes, the actual recovery ... when you reach remains," he said.

That timeline could change, though, if something unplanned, like another collapse, occurs.

Three workers died in the Oct. 12 collapse of the construction site. One body has been recovered, but the bodies of Quinnyon Wimberly and Jose Ponce Arreola remain trapped inside.

Workers will attempt to reach the body of Wimberly first, according to McConnell. Officials believe it's trapped on the 11th floor of the building on the side closer to Iberville Street. As long as the process of removing debris doesn't dislodge the body, recovering his remains could be completed quickly.

However, searchers have never put eyes on the body of Ponce, which they believe is trapped under rubble on the 8th floor "transfer deck" between the base of the structure and the floors above.

New Orleans Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell updates the media on efforts to recover the bodies of two construction workers who were trapped inside the Hard Rock Hotel when it collapsed in October in New Orleans, La. Monday, July 13, 2020.

"We dont know the condition," McConnell said. "If you get there and the remains arent all easily recovered in single location, youre then going to have a much more tedious process."

McConnell said that in that scenario, the process of recovering Ponce's body could be similar to the extensive effort required to recover the remains trapped under the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Search dogs and forensic anthropologists are on standby to assist if necessary, McConnell said.

Before the demolition process began last month, the city and the hotel's developers were locked in a months-long dispute over the best way to take down the 18-story construction site and surrounding historic buildings nearthe intersection of North Rampart Street and Canal Street.

The fact that two bodies were trapped inside the site has complicated demolition efforts and led to public outrage about the sluggish pace of the process.

In a statement, City Councilwoman-at-large Helena Moreno said she was glad that recovery is going forward.

"This tragedy should never have happened, and it has taken far too long to be able to deliver dignity to these men who unfairly perished due to the terrible mistakes and misdeeds of others," she said.

McConnell said that now that demolition has finally begun, contractors for the developer, 1031 Canal Development, are sticking roughly to a written schedule they provided to the city. That's despite 10 days of rain and obstacles, like the need to tie down debris that could fall from the building, he said.

The wreckage of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans will be imploded after all, after developers agreed to city demands to bring down the partially collapsed building quickly, photographed Friday, Jan. 17, 2020.

Crews worked through extreme heat on Saturday to remove a crane that's been draped over the Canal Street side of the building since a dramatic implosion operation on Oct. 20, which was designed to mitigate the risk of a complete collapse.

The temperatures spiked so much that workers in a crane brought in to assist the effort were ordered to come down. They insisted they could continue as long as they got more water.

"Those guys stayed in that bucket," McConnell said. "They wanted to get it done."

Read the original post:

Victim recovery phase to begin at Hard Rock hotel after 'significant' progress during weekend - NOLA.com

After 6 months and little progress controlling the pandemic, return to normal remains out of sight – The Spokesman-Review

Its been nearly half a year since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the United States, in the Puget Sound area, on Jan. 21.

While the state eventually shut down in late March in an effort to slow the diseases spread, Washington began the gradual process of reopening after little more than a month.

But as counties began moving through the stages of the states phased reopening plan, the coronavirus was just beginning its wider spread outside the Seattle area and into other parts of the state, including to Yakima, the Tri-Cities and, eventually, Spokane.

Since April, after a particularly bad first wave in Western Washington, Central and Eastern Washington have been hit with their own first waves of the virus, leading to newly reopened restaurants shutting down all over again, to outbreaks in prison units and food processing plants, and to community spread, even in rural counties.

Case rates statewide are higher now, with half the counties partially reopened, than they were in April, and state public health officials have paused any further reopening for now.

In Spokane, hospitalizations have doubled in a month, and intensive care capacity remains a concern due to questions about staffing levels.

In Yakima, where Gov. Jay Inslees masking orders first went into effect , patients were sent to hospitals outside the area when staff needs hit capacity.

Franklin County has the highest percent-positive rate in the state, with 32% of individuals tested in the last two weeks returning positive results.

Six months into the pandemic, it feels like not a lot has changed.

Test results are backed up again, with people having to wait a week to 10 days in isolation to see if they are positive or negative. Community spread, when the virus is contracted without known connections to other cases, is back on the rise, as it was in March and April.

The rising number of cases has put increased challenges and pressure on contact tracing efforts, which began with reopening and are now incredibly strained and overwhelmed.

Despite the state training hundreds of workers and National Guard members to do contact tracing, counties like Spokane have opted to hire outside companies to conduct contact tracing. With more than 460 cases confirmed this week alone, the work has eclipsed what local epidemiologists can handle.

Washington was on lockdown from late March to early May, giving public health officials and state leaders an opportunity to prepare outbreaks underway and on the way, predominantly in long-term care facilities across the state and more broadly in the Puget Sound area.

By May, residents were antsy, and reopening lurched forward, with Ins-lees phased plan taking effect.

Despite state leaders efforts to ensure counties were ready to move ahead, its apparent now they miscalculated in some cases. Some counties hadnt had their first wave yet.

According to Eric Lofgren, an epidemiologist at Washington State University, some took the absence of cases in some areas as evidence the virus had been safely contained. In reality, he said, the first wave hadnt fully reached parts of Eastern Washington, including Spokane and the Tri-Cities.

If you dont have cases, that means either your epidemic hasnt started yet or youve successfully controlled it, Lofgren said. So I think everyone said we successfully controlled it, and what we discovered was that in several states we discovered that your epidemic was a little slower in coming.

The same story played out across the country in states that reopened this summer after seeing relatively low case counts but are now seeing hospitalizations and case counts surge.

Washington is now seeing higher daily case counts in July than April.

Testing capacity is back to waits of 10 days to two weeks for results , largely due to rising demand and growing backlogs at national laboratories, where the majority of the countrys testing capacity lies.

We are truly back to where we were in March, Spokane County Health Officer Bob Lutz said Friday, noting the challenges felt in Spokane are felt statewide and nationally .

Long wait times make it challenging for public health officials asking people to isolate at home until they get test results.

Delays are harmful because they dont allow us to quickly contain a case, Secretary of Health John Wiesman told reporters Thursday. We know people are most infectious early on and thats why we say to anybody getting a test that if you have any reason to get a test, we want you to stay home until you get your results.

With more testing, came more cases, but that doesnt paint the full picture of the disease burden.

The statewide percent-positive rate has also steadily increased this summer, as has the rate of people testing positive in counties per 100,000 people. Only 16 counties statewide are meeting case rate goals set by the governors Safe Start plan.

Could more have been done during the states lockdown to prevent the COVID-19 resurgence? Lofgren thinks so.

I think at both a national and local level, what happened is we did sort of waste the opportunities we had to get things in place for people to start taking this seriously, to put testing strategies in place, he said.

The states positive rate is back up to nearly 6%, and modelers are now confident the epidemic was growing in both Eastern and Western Washington in mid- to late June.

While the resurgence in cases was originally limited to a few hot spots, upward trends are now prominent in most counties, the most recent state modeling report says.

Summer is nearly half over, and schools are set to open in less than two months. With so much of the response feeling like dj vu, health officials lament the lost time.

We had breathing room, and weve largely used it on politicizing the epidemic, Lofgren said.

In half a year, treatment options for COVID-19 have improved, but doctors and researchers are still far from a treatment that works even half the time on patients who are hospitalized with the virus.

Two standout treatments, remdesivir and dexamethasone, appear to have some positive results, although the studies are ongoing and results are still preliminary in both clinical trials.

A study from a large drug trial led by Oxford University researchers found that dexamethasone, a common steroid, was helpful in treating patients with COVID-19 who were on oxygen or ventilated. While their study has not yet been peer-reviewed or published, their early results look somewhat promising. The steroid kept one person in a group of 20 with severe symptoms from dying .

These results are impressive in the drug trial world, but they have a long way to go before proving entirely useful.

Both MultiCare and Providence hospitals have enrolled in the clinical trials for remdesivir guided by the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Henry Arguinchona, an infectious disease practitioner at Sacred Heart Medical Center, said initial trials of the drug also look promising.

Patients receiving remdesivir in the trial are faring better than those who get the placebo. The trial will soon move into its third phase; second phase results are forthcoming.

Early in the pandemic, ventilators were an in-demand lifesaving tool . While they are still being used for some patients, physicians are not immediately putting patients on them anymore. The National Institutes of Health now recommends a less invasive intervention a high-flow nasal cannula over a ventilator in some instances.

Some patients are doing well and able to get more oxygen to their lungs when they are simply flipped onto their stomachs, Arguinchona said, another technique doctors, nurses and intensivists are using.

I feel that we know better now how to take care of these patients, but I am hopeful that one or two or three or four months now, we know even more, Arguinchona said.

Recovering from COVID-19 is far from a linear process, and some people have experienced ongoing symptoms or side effects of their bodys fight with the virus for months. As The Atlantics Ed Yong notes, some people with COVID-19 and ongoing illness call themselves long-haulers. Yong writes that they are navigating a landscape of uncertainty and fear with a map whose landmarks dont reflect their surroundings.

Arguinchona said the phenomenon of patients not getting better is being seen more and more in COVID patients, but he noted that lingering health conditions are not necessarily indicative of persisting virus in the person.

There are many infections a person can get, and afterwards they can get a postinfectious syndrome, Arguinchona said. They can be left with lingering symptoms. With regards to post-COVID-19 symptoms, its not known what the causes or etymology of those is.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a patient who is not admitted to the hospital with the virus as having a mild case, but Lofgren notes that mild doesnt really give weight to potential symptoms and conditions patients experience.

There are a lot of people who had supposedly mild cases of COVID who are still struggling with lung function and struggling with cardiovascular issues, Lofgren said.

The virus has exposed the inequities that already run rampant throughout the American health care system, including here in Washington.

When adjusted for population size, Hispanics and Pacific Islanders have nine times the number of COVID-19 cases than white people in Washington. The disproportionate rates of the virus trickle into hospitalizations and deaths from the virus , and nonwhite communities are hit hard by the virus statewide.

In Spokane County, the Marshallese community has experienced devastating effects of the virus.

The pandemic has exacerbated the underlying and persistent inequities among historically marginalized communities and those disproportionately impacted due to structural racism and other forms of systemic oppression, a July 8 report from the Department of Health says.

The department allotted a half-million dollars to get community organizations funding to bolster virus prevention and response efforts in a large swath of communities statewide. DOH awarded dozens of community organizations contracts that ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 to fund communication and emergency outreach services for communities that are disproportionately impacted by the virus.

Some pregnant women are also not faring well if they contract COVID-19. A CDC report found that pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized and are at increased risk for ICU admission than nonpregnant women. Nationwide, 11,312 pregnant women have contracted the virus, and 31 of them have died.

Arguinchona said some pregnant women have become very ill with COVID.

Young people, who were not as impacted at the beginning of the pandemic, are now driving case counts locally, statewide and nationally.

Twenty- and 30-somethings make up 38% of confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 45% of cases in Spokane County.

In recent weeks, health officials have pleaded with young people to stop gathering in large groups and to wear masks when around one another. Most young people might experience mild symptoms with the virus, but the fear is that they will bring the virus to their older parents or grandparents, or spread the virus when they are at work.

We have a lot of work to do with younger folks here in Washington limiting their social interactions and make sure theyre wearing masks, State Health Officer Kathy Lofy told reporters on July 8.

With the start of the school year less than two months away, community members and public health officials remain skeptical that kids will be back in their classrooms.

Dr. David Line, the public health program director at Eastern Washington University, says the county will pay for our actions, including July 4 gatherings with case counts and hospitalizations.

At the end of the first wave, if enough of the community has started wearing masks and adhering to small gathering requirements, it should be doing well, he said.

If we arent doing well at the end of (the next) seven weeks, if we dont have a low caseload, we are in really big trouble because thats when school starts, Line said. If we miss that window that occurs right now through the rest of the summer, we will not be able to contain that wildfire at least through all next school year.

Wearing masks and face coverings could determine what school districts do when school begins.

Lofgren has studied how schools can stay open and avoid transmission of infectious disease.

Its possible we can have school, but its not as fun as it used to be, he said. Its possible we cant get a 5-year-old to wear a mask, but we can get an 8-year-old to wear a mask.

Measures such as not allowing group activities such as band and choir, having teachers instead of students move from classroom to classroom, and having students eat in the classroom, could help minimize widespread interaction of students in schools.

Schools might use hybrid models of partial reopening , depending on the district and the countys phase of reopening . The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction wants schools to reopen in-person but officials acknowledge districts in Phase 1 or modified Phase 1 counties might have to implement additional safety measures.

DOH guidance for schools requires universal masking but leaves additional measures at the discretion of school districts.

As for colleges, research indicates congregate living settings like dorms are perfect breeding grounds for virus transmission.

A group of college students from the University of Texas who went to Cabo San Lucas for spring break in March ended up in a perfect COVID environment. Three symptomatic students were tested when they returned, and the contact tracing investigation revealed 64 total people had contracted the virus.

Shared housing both on-campus and during their spring break trip led researchers to believe that patterns of living and interacting in close settings could lead to propagated spread, similar to the continued person-to-person transmission observed in long-term care facilities.

As Washington and other states experience a surge in cases this month, health officials insist widespread mask use is key to bringing down transmission rates in the near future.

For EWUs Line, it comes down to community buy-in on masking and cooperation with contact tracing efforts.

We could do nothing and let the whole thing burn up. We could do this fake open-close thing and suffer the whole way through. Or we can do some pretty simple things and get full support by everybody and not have to suffer and be fine in seven to eight weeks, he said.

The Department of Health and the CDC recommended the use of face coverings in early April, but mandates took longer. Leaders hoped residents would take the advice and wear face coverings, in place of hunkering down at home. That didnt work.

In mid-May, some local jurisdictions, including King and Spokane counties, mandated masks, though the mandates werent always enforced.

Statewide, however, masks were not required for all residents until late June. That requirement is likely to remain in place for a long time.

Wear a mask, social distance, try to take responsibility for your own part of this outbreak, and that means things arent going to be fun for a while and thats hard, but those sacrifices mean maybe kids can go to school, maybe those stressed households are less stressed, Lofgren said.

The notion that we will be done with COVID-19 soon is not realistic, Lofgren said.

We need to start engaging with the idea that this isnt a couple months, he said. Its the better part of the year.

Researchers and health care providers are working overtime around the country and the world to find out just how effective and long-lasting antibodies are, and how effective a vaccine could be as a result.

Were not promised a treatment or a vaccine, Lofgren said.

Visit link:

After 6 months and little progress controlling the pandemic, return to normal remains out of sight - The Spokesman-Review