After months of waiting for permission from authorities for weddings to resume, couples were finally allowed to tie the knot on July 1, but officials now mull whether the decision was wrong, as health experts warn weddings pose a significant risk to Turkeys coronavirus fight.

On a regular year, spring marks the beginning of the wedding season in Turkey, but it is the summer when the ceremonies pick up the pace. Wedding motorcades on roads, the grooms friends doing their best to perform local dances outside the brides house and the extravagant ceremonies itself become an increasing sight with the summer.

But the outbreak changed it all. At least thats what the authorities had hoped for.

Shortly after the Health Ministry announced the countrys first COVID-19 case on March 10, weddings were among the many other things that were restricted. While the outbreak negatively impacted almost everyones lives, weddings perhaps suffered the most as most couples arrange their weddings nearly a year in advance, with most of the things already decided upon and down payments done.

For the first two months of the outbreak, couples were certain they would have to postpone their weddings to next year as the outbreak only worsened in Turkey. But in late April, Turkey managed to not only flatten the curve but actually significantly reduce the rate of daily new infections.

With the improving outlook, the government removed most of the restrictions on June 1, including the lifting of intercity travel restrictions and allowing restaurants, cafes and gyms to reopen.

But weddings still posed a risk. It took another month for authorities to allow weddings to resume under severe restrictions which would turn the ceremonies a far cry from traditional festivities. The move was criticized even back then by health experts as too early and too risky. And they might have been right.

What rules?

Following the decision, the Interior Ministry outlined the rules that people would have to follow at weddings.

Wedding parties will be short and held outdoors as much as possible while guests are required to wear masks and sit at least 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) apart from each other.

Only the newlywed couple is permitted to dance. Handshakes and hugs are banned and gifts usually gold coins and jewelry will be required to be placed in a box, instead of attaching it on the dress and suit of the newlywed couple.

Mass photoshoots of guests with the couple are also banned, and guests can only take a photo with the couple by adhering to social distancing.

Wedding halls are also required to hold weddings in one day with at least one hour between two weddings, to enable proper ventilation of the building. To the chagrin of children who prefer playing instead of joining adults dancing, playgrounds in wedding halls will be closed.

In their attempt to allow weddings to resume, the authorities issued rules even for the finer details, but soon after the ceremonies resumed, scenes emerged showing that they mattered little, as many people attending the weddings ignored them in favor of festivities.

Since the weddings resumed, photos and videos circulated on news outlets and social media that showed attendees standing shoulder to shoulder and performing the halay dance, a staple of Turkish weddings.

A similar disregard for rules was witnessed with the couples posing with guests for photos, or guests getting in crowded queues to gift their gold coins in person.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and other experts repeatedly warned that such scenes were perfect ways to contract the virus, but their warnings were left unheeded. With warnings ignored, many governorates decided to introduce further restrictions in their respective provinces.

The northern province of Karabk decided to restrict weddings to a maximum of three-hour ceremonies, while eastern Hakkari announced the duration as four hours. Ktahya province, meanwhile, banned all ceremonies and festivities outside of wedding halls.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry introduced observers for weddings, a designated person who will make sure the rules are followed, from social distancing to wearing masks.

While members of the countrys Coronavirus Science Board claimed the majority of the weddings were carried out in line with rules and that violations occurred at around 10% of the weddings, one member of the board still warned senior citizens to avoid weddings.

The elderly should avoid going to weddings. If they must go, they should wear their mask and leave as soon as possible. What we really want is for our seniors and other at-risk groups to skip weddings altogether, professor Hasan Tezer said.

See the rest here:

Weddings pose threat to Turkeys coronavirus progress | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

Dinwiddie Animal Swap and Farmers Market kicks off the season

DINWIDDIE - Locals hoping to add some furry and feathered pets to their family showed up at the Dinwiddie Animal Swap and Farmers Market held at the Tractor Supply Company on Saturday.

"Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this is the first one of our third season," shared host and founder Jessica Lowe of Dinwiddie. "We have a good turnout here today selling, swapping, or trading chickens, ducks, pigs, jewelry, farm fresh eggs, baked goods, turkeys, essential oils, produce, herbal teas, quails, and much more."

Over 15 vendors set up their wares and livestock for sale in the grassy area along Boydton Plank Road. Temperatures reached the 90s, and most everyone used canopies to protect themselves and their critters from the sun.

According to Lowe, their mission is to provide access to locally grown farm animals and produced products to create a sense of community, and their goal is to increase access to locally produced nourishing and safe foods for all to enjoy.

"My mom [Becky Woods] and I have participated in swaps together since I was 10...so I guess about 14 or 15 years now," said Tiffany Crowder of Dinwiddie. "We did it through the Dinwiddie 4-H."

The monthly event is designed to encourage, support and promote entrepreneurs' efforts of local growers and artisans seeking to sell products, produce and farm animals directly to consumers and the community.

"We aim to create an opportunity for people to meet, greet, eat, learn, and to share stories, recipes and knowledge in a place dedicated to the cultivation of local products, talents, and crafts," said Lowe.

All of The Progress-Indexs coverage of coronavirus is being provided for free to our readers. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to The Progress-Index at progress-index.com/subscribe.

"We like to talk shop about farming and the artisan community," said vendor Carmen Kraus of Dinwiddie. "I sell soaps, salves, gemstones and jewelry."

"We strive to create an atmosphere that serves our community not only the market but contributes to our prosperous rural areas while promoting a great sense of community," said Lowe. "Our season goes into November, and I hope to see everyone."

Are new vendors welcome?

"We welcome new vendors," said Lowe. "Were still relatively small at this time, so there is no vendor fee."

The swap and market takes place on the second Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. For more information, visit Dinwiddie Animal Swap and Farmers Market on Facebook or email DinwiddieSwapsTSC@gmail.com.

Kristi K. Higgins can be reached at khiggins@progress-index.com. On Twitter: @KristiHigginsPI

Continued here:

Bunny cuddles, fluffy feathers, and a rooster riding piggyback - Progress Index

McLaren report from the Styrian Grand Prix, Round 2 of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship at Red Bull Ring in which their drivers Lando Norris finished fifth and Carlos Sainz crossed the line in ninth.

Carlos Sainz: A very disappointing day for me. We missed out on big points after a problem at the pit-stop. The first part of the race we were running P5 with a solid pace and managing the gap to the cars behind.

Unfortunately, we had a bad pit-stop, which meant we came out of the pits in the middle of traffic. I had to push too hard too early to try to recover the gap, and that drained my battery and ultimately compromised my tyres for the second part of the race.

One of those days when nothing goes your way. Time to turn the page and come back stronger, but we missed out on a good P5 today. We win and we lose as a team, so well try to fight back in Hungary next week.

Lando Norris: A very good race from us today. First of all, the team did an awesome job with the strategy and I did a good job with managing the Soft tyres in the first stint.

We got to lap 39 before we boxed and that was one of the key aspects to our race in allowing us to be so strong in the second stint, to go out on the Mediums and be one of the fastest on track for some of the laps. We managed to go from tenth all the way up to fifth, with three of those overtakes on the final two laps.

It was a race where I had to go forwards and not maintain my position like I had to last week. It was much more a race of attacking and overtaking, which was nice to do. Very happy for myself but even more for the team, and getting some more points on the board with also the fastest lap from Carlos.

A really good two weekends and a very good start to the season. We just need to try to maintain it into the next one.

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: Second race in a row here in Austria and another good performance from the team and both drivers. Its great to see both cars finish in the points, confirming were making progress in the right direction.

We could see that both in dry and wet conditions we have a car that can fight with the competitors around us, which is obviously very encouraging moving forward. It will be very interesting to see if we can now carry this performance and momentum into Hungary and to other tracks with different characteristics.

We want to apologise to Carlos for the issue we had at his first pit-stop, which made his race more difficult than it shouldve been. The delay cost him several track positions and we sent him into heavy traffic, which ruined his tyres and didnt allow him to fight for the position he deserved to be in today.

Carlos didnt give up and did a great job securing the fastest lap, the second time in a row for us. Lando showed hes a fighter despite the pain he suffered during the weekend. He continued to perform and stepped up when it really mattered, especially in the second half of the race and again with some exciting final laps. Great teamwork between the two drivers swapping on track when it was needed.

Thank you again to Renault for ensuring we got the most out of our power unit and maximising our performance over the course of this weekend in varying weather conditions.

Tomorrow we start another race week. Well take away a lot of positives from these first two weekends, but at the same time well focus on all the areas we have to improve. As always, well use the time next week to analyse in detail what happened, try to learn from it and come back stronger in Budapest.

Well done to the FIA, F1 and the local promoter here in Austria, who allowed us to race again in the safest manner possible. Finally, a massive thank you to our partners and fans for their continued support, which has been incredible again despite not being able to be at the track with us.

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McLaren: Were making progress in the right direction - Grand Prix 247

Last year, in October, we shared the news that Leading Health Care of Louisiana started construction on a new 4.5 million dollar m home office building, located at 206 La Rue Francejust off Pinhook Road.

You can read more about this in our initial post here: https://developinglafayette.com/wp/new-4-5m-home-office-building-to-house-lafayette-based-leading-health-care-of-louisiana/Rendering of the new facility provided by Lynn Guidry

Just the other day, we asked ourselves, what does this project look like now? It has been several monthsalmost a yearand you really arent able to see the building from Pinhook. So we decided to go check it out.

It appears that most of the steel structure is up and wall paneling will start to go up shortly if it hasnt already.

The building will be a two-story facility with approximately 20,000 square feet. The architect for the project is Lynn Guidry Architect from Carencro, and the general contractor is Master Builders & Specialists from Lafayette.

Tentative completion was set for the Summer of 2020, but with this global pandemic, the timeline appears to be pushed back some.

Read the original here:

Progress On Leading Health Care of Louisianas New $4.5M Home Office - Developing Lafayette

Last night, we dreamed of a great, big, beautiful tomorrow and today the dream came true! With the reopening of the Magic Kingdom for Annual Passholders, we finally get to ride the Carousel of Progress again and were cataloging all of the new social distancing procedures that were put into place at the attraction.

Carousel of Progress, while not the busiest ride, still has floor markers and signs to help keep guests six feet apart.

In the waiting area outside, there are circles on the ground so parties can remain far away from each other instead of crowding in front of the rope.

Its good to see Walt Disney again.

Inside, every other row is closed. In the open rows, groups of three seats are unavailable, while groups of four seats are open. Parties with more than four people will need to split up inside the theater. This seems to be the new standard for theater-based attractions.

Luckily, our favorite family is still stuck in the early 21st century and doesnt need to worry about social distancing.

Its great to be back on this classic attraction. Of course, keep checking our homepage for updates on the new social distancing measures that can be found around Walt Disney World. And remember, tomorrow is just a dream away!

Related

Read more here:

PHOTOS: Carousel of Progress Reopens with New Social Distancing Measures at the Magic Kingdom - wdwnt.com

Why Global Citizens Should Care

Sweden, Finland, and Denmark came out on top of a new reportfrom the United Nations that rankshow countries are progressingon the Sustainable Development Goals, while the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Chad scored near the bottom.

Sweden, for its part, has improved on nearly all 17 SDGs since last year from education to gender equity to food and nutrition except environmental targets. The country, however, plans to become the first fossil fuel-free welfare state.

The Central African Republic made progress on several goals including life on land, decent work and economic growth, and climate action, but has struggled to make meaningful progress on goals such as water access and poverty reduction.

The new report reflects the uneven progress that has been made on the SDGs since they were launched in 2015 as a way to to end poverty and set the world on a path of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet.

Although the world has made gains in areas such as school attendance, communicable diseases, and access to quality water, various indicators have declined.

World hunger has increased in recent years, the global environment is rapidly deteriorating, and inequality both within and between countries has worsened.

The worlds billionaires, for instance, own as much wealth as 4.6 billion people, according to Oxfam. This inequality has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, as industries have consolidated amid economic contractions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has erased or suspended progress on nearly all the SDGs, according to the UNs latest report.

Although the novel coronavirus affects every person and community, it does not do so equally, Antnio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, wrote in the reports foreword. Instead, it has exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities and injustices."

Related Stories June 23, 2020 Access to Health Care Around the World Is Not Equal. COVID-19 Proved That.

An estimated 71 million people will be thrown into poverty by the end of the year, the first time global poverty has increased in decades. The pandemic has destabilized food systems around the world, threatening an additional 270 million people with extreme food insecurity this year. Many health care systems, meanwhile, have nearly fallen apart under the pressure of the coronavirus.

Global school closures have kept 90% of students globally 1.57 billion youth out of the classroom, potentially derailing their education.

The health impact of the pandemic has predominantly fallen on already marginalized and vulnerable communities around the world, including Indigenous populations. Women and girls, meanwhile, are facing a shadow pandemic of violence and lack access to sexual and reproductive health care.

The UN report is not all bad news, however. The authors say that countries can embark on green economic recoveries in the months ahead that put the world on a path toward mitigating climate change and protecting the planets resources.

Related Stories June 25, 2020 Ask an Expert: How Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Distributed to Everyone Who Needs It?

Our collective response to the pandemic can serve as a warm-up for our preparedness in preventing an even larger crisis that is, global climate change, whose effects are already becoming all too familiar, wrote Liu Zhenmin, the UNs under-secretary-generalfor economic and social affairs.

The very setbacks caused by the pandemic should serve as motivation to achieve the SDGs by 2030, the UN argues.

Far from undermining the case for the SDGs, the root causes and uneven impacts of COVID-19 demonstrate precisely why we need the 2030 Agenda, the Paris agreement on climate change, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and underscore the urgency of their implementation, Guterres wrote.

See the top 10 and bottom 10 countries based on the report below. The rankings are based on an overall score out of 100in terms of progress on all 17 SDGs, where a score of 100 would represent a country achieving all of the Global Goals.

The full rankings can be found here(29 countries are not included due toa lack of data).

1. Sweden (84.72)

2. Denmark (84.56)

3. Finland (83.77)

4. France (81.13)

5. Germany (80.77)

6. Norway (80.76)

7. Austria (80.70)

8. Czech Republic (80.58)

9. Netherlands (80.37)

10. Estonia (80.06)

157. Niger (50.15)

158. Democratic Republic of Congo (49.71)

159. Sudan (49.56)

160. Nigeria (49.28)

161. Madagascar (49.14)

162. Liberia (47.12)

163. Somalia (46.21)

164. Chad (43.75)

165. South Sudan (43.66)

166. Central African Republic (38.54)

Read the original here:

Top 10 Countries Improving on the SDGs as Global Progress Stalls Due to COVID-19 - Global Citizen

OTTAWA Nearly a year ago, more than 800 representatives of 37 countries and 10 international organizations came to Toronto to attend the third annual Ukraine Reform Conference.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was there too, with his wife, Olena Zelenska, when Ukraines then-new president chose the global summit in Canada to make his first overseas trip and North American debut. The young Ukrainian leader was warmly welcomed by Canadas youthful prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and his influential (and Ukrainian Canadian) foreign affairs minister, Chrystia Freeland, who now serves as Canadas deputy prime minister.

It was an event and a piece of history never to be repeated.

This years COVID-19 pandemic, and the accompanying national lockdowns and physical distancing requirements, ensured that the fourth conference, scheduled to take place in Lithuania, would be postponed until next summer. (Switzerland will play host to the Ukraine Reform Conference in 2022.)

But when people cannot congregate, as the COVID crisis has demonstrated, there is always Zoom, and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in partnership with the Canadian International Councils South Saskatchewan Branch used the web-conferencing platform to present a special 90-minute webinar on June 22 examining the progress made and the pitfalls experienced a year after the Toronto meeting.

Although fewer than 100 people most from Ontario, according to an online poll logged into the online lookback (also streamed live on the UCCs Facebook page), the panel discussion provided a review of Ukraines successes and setbacks over the past year.

Taras Shevchenko, director of the Kyiv-based Center for Democracy and Rule of Law, focused on the so-called Toronto Principles set out by a group of over 100 civil-society experts in advance of the 2019 reform conference that identify various steps needed for Ukraine to achieve the goals of security and the rule of law; democracy and good governance; and prosperity and human capital development.

In his assessment, Mr. Shevchenko gave Ukraine a report card consisting of passes and failures.

One of the Toronto Principles addresses electoral reform, including a call for the introduction of a proportional electoral system with open regional lists that is featured in Ukraines Electoral Code that took effect on January 1. Most of the positions provided in the Toronto Principles are already in place in the legislation, said Mr. Shevchenko, who added that he was pleased with developments on decentralization and moves to enhance the independence of Ukraines mass media, and noted the Ukrainian Parliaments May 20 ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, which will provide greater transparency on government business.

However, he said he had expected further progress in the areas of anti-corruption and judicial reform, which are both addressed in the Toronto Principles.

The reform of Ukraines health-care system, in terms of the development of a patient-centered approach that promotes equal access and protection from [the] financial consequences of illness as recommended by the principles, has been stalled, according to Mr. Shevchenko.

He said that, furthermore, there has been little movement in the area of public-administration reform where the Toronto Principles call for transparent competitive selection processes within Ukraines civil service has yet to be implemented.

A joint statement by the governments of Canada and Ukraine, issued at the conclusion of last years Ukraine Reform Conference, which they co-chaired, said that Ukraines 2020 Public Administration Reform Action Plan helped increase the attractiveness of the civil service, resulting in a rise in the average number of applicants for a position from 1.7 to 24 candidates. That, the two countries said, significantly improved competition.

During his online presentation, Mr. Shevchenko also criticized the lack of the strengthening of Ukraines defense system.

The Toronto Principles called for the development of defense and security capabilities based on NATO standards, particularly those pertaining to accountable governance and oversight institutions [and] aimed at restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

However, Mr. Shevchenko underlined that civil society remains a strong player in the reform process and that its role needs to be protected by Ukrainian legislation and supported by the international community.

Oksana Markarova, who served as Ukraines finance minister until March 4 when the Verkhovna Rada approved the appointment of Denys Shmyhal as Ukraines prime minister and head of a new government, said that, at the beginning of this year, Ukraine was on a path toward strengthening its economy with expected growth of at least 3.5 percent in its gross domestic product. But the COVID-19 crisis reversed that upward curve, according to a recent World Bank Group report.

Now everything is in decline and is it going to be minus 5 percent or minus 10 percent of GDP? asked Ms. Markarova rhetorically.

However, she referred to Ukraines successes on the road to reform despite the political challenges wrought by two elections for president and for members of Parliament last year. We managed to finance the budget and keep the deficit below 2 percent, said the former two-term finance minister.

The [COVID] crisis does not mean we have to stop reforms. It means we have to focus on a few reforms, Ms. Markarova continued. One, she explained, should involve bolstering the rule of law that would stimulate further foreign investments in Ukraine. Reforming the countrys health and education sectors should also be a priority, she said.

The Canada-Ukraine joint statement from last years Toronto summit acknowledged the Ukrainian governments Priority Action Plan to 2020 that outlined a step-by-step [approach] to achieve economic growth, ensure effective governance, human capital development, rule of law and [the] fight against corruption, security and defense.

The 2019 document also credited Ukraine with achieving an increase of real GDP of 8.4 percent since 2016 despite all the external and internal challenges the country faced.

Ukraine has also managed to stabilize the national currencys exchange rate, said the joint statement, which noted that the inflation rate in Ukraine in 2018 was less than 10 percent, or the lowest indicator for the last five years.

Further strides were also made regarding Ukraines further integration into the European Union, with over 2,000 Ukrainian technical standards harmonized with EU norms. (An agreement between Ukraine and the EU has been in force since September 1, 2017.)

Ukrainian exports of goods and services to the EU have increased 1.5 times to $22 billion within the last three years, said the Canadian-Ukrainian government statement.

Roman Waschuk, Canadas former ambassador to Ukraine who served as moderator of the webinar, highlighted that the Ukrainian reform framework is intended to not only create sufficient preconditions for individual citizens, but also [for] private-sector actors from within Ukraine and outside Ukraine to be able to do business.

He referred to President Zelenskyys July 3, 2019, speech to the Economic Club in Toronto in which Ukraines head of state promoted investment in Ukraine and mentioned a Canadian publicly listed company, Black Iron, Inc., which has spent a decade trying to get an iron ore mine up and running near Kryvyi Rih, the presidents hometown.

Last November, the Toronto-based company signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraines Ministry of Defense to use some of the government-owned land, currently used for military training, for the $1.1-billion Shymanivske mining and processing plant. In exchange, Black Iron would provide the ministry with funding to be used to build new barracks and an ammunition-storage depot, according to Matt Simpson, the companys chief executive officer.

He said during the UCC webinar that President Zelenskyy was personally committed to the project and that Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, has assumed the role of investment nanny to help shepherd the mine through the government-approval channels.

However, Mr. Waschuk warned that foreign investors could also be scared off by what appears to be the politically motivated prosecution of former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who appeared in court on June 18 for a pretrial hearing on charges related to alleged abuse of office during his time in office.

The former Canadian ambassador cited comments made by Ruslan Riaboshapka, the first prosecutor general appointed by President Zelenskyy and dismissed in March after what he believed to be his refusal to sign off on charges against Poroshenko that he dismissed as trash. These were detailed in a recent UkraineAlert blog on the Atlantic Councils website. Mr. Waschuk is quoted there as saying that the raft of charges targeting Mr. Poroshenko reflect an unfortunate insecurity by President Zelenskyy despite his crushing election victory last year and his continuing opinion-poll dominance.

Mr. Waschuk referenced what he said in the blog: this insecurity has been cleverly torqued and exploited by Zelenskyys oligarchic electoral enabler, Ihor Kolomoisky, and Yanukovych-era legal affairs chief Andriy Portnov in order to settle old scores.

During the UCC-led webinar, the veteran Canadian diplomat said that payback time for them is bad news for the country as a whole.

The virtual conference on Ukrainian reform is archived on the UCCs website: https://ucc.ca/2020/06/11/ukraine-reform-conference-one-year-later/.

Read more:

UCC holds virtual forum to assess progress of Ukraine's reforms Panel discussion on Zoom comes a year after historic conference - The Ukrainian Weekly

MCALLEN, Texas Two police officers were shot and killed Saturday by a suspect who later fatally shot himself in a South Texas border town after responding to a domestic disturbance call, authorities said.

McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez identified the slain officers as Edelmiro Garza, 45, and Ismael Chavez, 39. Garza was an officer with the police department for more than eight years while Chavez had over two years of experience.

"We have lost two brave public servants who sought only to keep peace in our City," Rodriguez, visibly distraught, told The (McAllen) Monitor.

The officers first met with two people who reported assaults that took place inside a nearby home on the south side of McAllen around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Rodriguez said. But the alleged shooter, whom police identified as 23-year-old Audon Ignacio Camarillo, opened fire when officers attempted to enter the home.

"They were doing their job. That is what they were supposed to do. The person was a suspect of the incident, met our officers at the door, and shot at both officers," Rodriguez said. "Both officers suffered fatal wounds, they have both passed away as a result. The officers never had a chance to suspect deadly assault on them, much less death."

Camarillo shot and killed himself shortly after opening fire on the officers, Rodriguez said, adding that the suspect hid behind a vehicle after other officers responded to the scene. Camarillo had a few run-ins with police beginning in 2016 to his most recent arrest last month on assault charges, according to public records.

More details surrounding the domestic disturbance Garza and Chavez responded to were not immediately known. Rodriguez said the attack happened suddenly and fellow police officers didnt learn of the officers' deaths until arriving to the area moments later.

Rodriguez said he doesn't expect his department to get over the deaths of their fellow officers anytime soon.

"The next few days for us, moving forward as well, will be very, very difficult, for ourselves at the department and at the city of McAllen, but our strength will get us through," the chief said. "We gather our strength from our police officers, and we gather our strengths from our colleagues, as you can see here."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who spoke with Rodriguez, offered the full backing of the state and expressed his support via social media.

"Two of our finest were killed in the line of duty while working to protect residents in their community," Abbott wrote on Twitter. "We unite to #BackTheBlue."

Lt. Christopher Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said DPS was among the agencies assisting McAllen police on Saturday.

Olivarez noted that DPS sent troopers to secure the scene after the McAllen Police Department requested their assistance. He said his agency received a call about the incident around 4:30 p.m.

McAllen is located at the southern tip of Texas, about 70 miles (113 kilometres) west of the Gulf of Mexico.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted that his office will provide the McAllen Police Department with any help needed.

"Our prayers and full support are with the valiant men and women of the #CityofMcAllen PD this evening," the tweet read. "We are grateful for police in McAllen and around this great state."

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen said in a statement that receiving news of the two officers' deaths was "devastating."

"This is devastating news to our community. My heart breaks for these fallen officers and their families," Gonzalez said. "They served McAllen bravely and honourably and I will keep them in my prayers."

Rodriguez said that while the police are "weakened for the moment," he expects a resilient law enforcement community to stand tall and persevere through it.

"The strength and the resolve we have to serve our communities, all of us here, will allow us to do what we do every day," Rodriguez said.

Law enforcement from several cities in Hidalgo County gathered Saturday evening at McAllen Medical to honour Garza and Chavez. More than 50 police cars were part of a procession that accompanied the bodies of the officers, who were taken to Hidalgo County pathology for an autopsy.

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2 officers, suspect killed in Texas border town shooting - Preeceville Progress

Citizens of Saudi Arabia are having to get used to something that has long been an unpleasant fact of life in most parts of the world. On July 1, the kingdom tripled the VAT levied on consumer goods and services from 5% to 15%. There were reports of frantic stockpiling ahead of the change as consumers put coronavirus fears to one side to buy while prices were low.

Besides VAT, the Saudis are implementing an austerity package that includes cuts to peoples living allowances and to national spending plans to develop the country. The kingdom is partly attributing these measures to the COVID-19 effect on oil prices, which crashed below zero in April. The oil price has since recovered somewhat, though at circa US$40 (32) per barrel, is still well below what the kingdom is used to.

Together with the economic effects of coronavirus restrictions, this has been putting severe pressure on the Saudis and their petroleum-rich neighbours in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The IMF recently predicted that the GCC economies would contract nearly 8% in 2020 a steep downgrade from the 3% decline it forecast in April.

All the same, there is more to the Saudi belt-tightening than the pandemic. On VAT, for instance, the whole GCC bloc reached an agreement in 2016 to introduce VAT for the first time at 5% across the board. The Saudis and UAE duly did so in 2018, followed by Bahrain a year later. Oman, Kuwait and Qatar have yet to impose this tax on their populations, but the question is when rather than whether they will follow suit.

It has long been obvious to the GCC nations that their existence as rentier states that rely on massive natural resources to subsidise goods and services for their populations cannot continue. Petroleum prices are low and unstable, and renewable technologies are reducing global demand for fossil-fuel products.

For years, these countries have been trying to increase their tax revenue and cut public expenditure while diversifying away from petroleum into everything from alternative energy to petrochemicals to construction. They do this through national vision plans such as Saudi Vision 2030, which put the emphasis on private-sector growth and developing the countrys people.

Diversification is supposed to help improve the public finances, yet it has been a victim of the Saudi cutbacks. The kingdom has made a US$8 billion budget cut to Vision 2030, which will involve scaling back plans such as a futuristic city known as Neom and a massive tourism development on the Red Sea.

This will jeopardise the success of the whole Saudi policy of economic diversification, and risks being repeated with cuts to vision plans across the region. Economic stimulus packages were announced in every GCC country in light of the fall in oil prices, but cuts in public spending will probably outweigh them. Compared to a projected Saudi budget cut of 12%, Oman is for instance cutting 10%, while Bahrain is seeking 30% in cuts.

Not only is this bad news for long-term economic prospects, it raises serious development concerns with respect to women. I did a study of Omani women in the context of Omans Vision 2020 (since superseded by Vision 2040). It was clear that these visions are part of a social contract, in which the sultanate retains power in exchange for providing the population of nearly 5 million with various kinds of support.

Particularly for women of low-income and minimal-education backgrounds, the state has been a major catalyst for their personal and professional development. It has provided them with education, training and employment programmes aimed at helping them to participate in the economy.

Likewise, there have been numerous initiatives to help women across the region in recent years. In UAE and Saudi Arabia, legislation was introduced in 2018 and 2019 aiming to remove gender-based discrimination in the workplace. The Saudis decision to lift the ban on women driving in 2018 was not only a win for womens rights but also improved womens access to workplaces among other gains.

Nonetheless, the Gulf continues to suffer from an education and employment paradox, where women are very well educated but play a very limited role in the workforce. The daily reality for women is that they still have to navigate entrenched structures of patriarchy and discrimination that devalue their work. More progressive laws do not guarantee better outcomes for women on their own. The Gulf economies are in fact more undermined by low female participation in the workplace than any other region in the world.

The World Bank has pressed these nations to keep improving in this regard, for instance calling on them to make it easier for women to launch businesses. As shown in my Oman study, barriers can be financial, such as not having enough money to get a business off the ground; and social, such as not having adequate social networks to spread the word and build professional contacts.

In sum, opportunities for women have been rapidly expanding in the Gulf countries in recent years as their rights increase and these economies diversify beyond petroleum to create a wider range of jobs for both men and women. This has been an exciting shift and raises much hope for the future, but it is under threat as the regions petroleum wealth declines and governments reduce spending.

We cant assume that women will continue to enjoy greater economic inclusion in the years to come. They will continue to rely on support from the state to drive this agenda forward, at least for a while. This must be protected from austerity programmes, and instead needs more investment both in the private and public sector to enable women in expanding their capabilities and building their experience, knowledge and skills to participate effectively alongside men in the economy.

See the rest here:

Austerity in the Gulf states: why it's alarming for women's progress - The Conversation US

Dear RIT community,

I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday weekend. In a blink, we have gone from virtually celebrating our amazing Class of 2020 to now being only six weeks away from the opening day of classes on Aug. 19. Let me reassure you that we are making tremendous progress in our preparations to reopen for Fall semester.

Last week, the Fall Planning Task Force announced our plan addressing the health and safety of our faculty, staff, student employees, visitors, and other invited guests to campus. In the coming days, we will announce our Student Safety Plan. You will also hear from Provost Ellen Granberg on our reimagined learning environments that will address class sizes, study and meeting areas, how we will safely access our world-class laboratories and studios, and more details on the academic front. All of this work will be consolidated and shared shortly so you have a clear understanding of how RIT will live, learn, and thrive this fall. Our plans will meet and exceed the standards required by the states New York Forward guidelines.

Given the continuing spread of the coronavirus in various regions, we wish to emphasize that you should wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your physical distance. In addition, we encourage all members of our campus community to stay at home insofar as practical and to associate only with immediate family members in the two weeks prior to returning to campus. The state of New York has put some specific guidelines in place for individuals traveling here from certain states. More specific parameters will be forthcoming. We believe that taking a proactive step and encouraging the entire RIT community to self-quarantine two weeks prior to arrival will add to our safety and give us momentum as we start the semester.

Today the campus will be abuzz with workers upgrading our facilities. Workers are installing air ionizers in residential halls (academic buildings will follow later this month), mounting plexiglass shields in classrooms, redesigning dining areas with improved social distancing and food ordering technologies, and much more. We are also working with our partner, Rochester Regional Health, to finalize a health screening app for daily symptom monitoring.

In terms of future communications, we will be launching a new weekly e-newsletter each Monday, starting July 13. The newsletter will convey the latest information in this still very fluid environment. If we dont have the immediate answer, please be patient; we will work quickly to respond to your inquiries. We will also soon be revamping our coronavirus website to address the reopening. Here, we will post our entire reopening plan, along with several new sections addressing academics, campus life, and health and safety.

Beyond these preparations, each of us must work together to protect the health and safety of every member of our campus community. Protect yourself. Protect others. While we are eager to welcome back our community, it is imperative that we be safe and that we act on our shared responsibility.

RIT Tigers are known for creativity, ingenuity, and problem solving. It is this collaborative spirit that will allow us to come back strong in August. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our Call Center at coronavirusresponse@rit.edu, 585-475-3500, or 1-833-323-0002.

Yours in Tiger pride,

David Munson, RIT President

An ASL-interpreted video of this message is available.

Link:

Fall Update: Progress and Preparation | RIT - RIT News

Community Still Waiting For Answers In Roman Lopez CasePeople want to know what happened to Roman, whose body was found six months ago, but police still arent ready to give answers.

New Father Struggles To Get Tested For CoronavirusFour months into the coronavirus crisis, the supply chain for testing supplies is backed up and the labs running the tests are overwhelmed.

Pandemic Halts Progress For Boy With Cerebral PalsyThe pandemic is bringing an 8-year-old boys progress towards walking on his own to a devastating halt.

Skydiving Instructor Sues USPA Over Fatal IncidentA skydiving instructor is suing the U.S. Parachute Association, saying that he was unfairly blamed for the 2016 death of two skydivers in Lodi.

61-Year-Old Arrested For Owning And Operating Gambling MachinesModesto police say the woman was also in possession of methamphetamine.

Kim Kardashian Demands Justice For Stephon ClarkThe celebrity posted a petition demanding justice on her social media Friday.

Bars, Indoor Dining Forced To Close Sunday In Yuba-Sutter CountiesThe bi-county area has been on the state's watchlist for a few days.

Heat Clashes With COVID-19Coronavirus and public health restrictions are forcing Sacramento to keep most of its pools closed.

Pathology Report For Roman Lopez, 11, Still IncompleteSix months after his mysterious death in Placerville, the pathology report for 11-year-old Roman Lopez remains incomplete.

Evening Forecast - July 10, 2020Looking at some triple-digit temperatures in the Sacramento region.

Will Some Counties Be Closing Down Again?San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties have been on the state's watch list for some time now.

Preparing Kids To Wear Masks In SchoolIf school returns in the fall, things certainly won't look the same with masks and social distancing requirements likely at districts across the Sacramento area.

University Of California Welcomes Incoming PresidentMichael V. Drake spoke on a live stream Friday.

President Trump Commutes Roger Stone's Prison TermPresident Donald Trump commuted the sentence of his longtime political confidant Roger Stone on Friday, just days before he was set to report to prison.

What Happened To Roman LopezThe young boy's body was found six months ago, but still, the Placerville community is searching for answers.

Keeping Kids Busy This SummerAre you looking for activities for your kid before the new school year begins? The Sacramento region YMCA is still open for business and ready to help.

Sacramento County Aims To Expand Coronavirus Test SitesSacramento County is looking at new ways to expand coronavirus testing as a never-ending stream of people looks to put their minds at ease.

CBS13 News PM News Update - 7/10/20The latest headlines.

7/10/20 PM Digi-CastHot weekend ahead!

Friday Afternoon Forecast - July 10, 2020Find out what kind of weather we're expecting this weekend.

Firefighters Stop 4-Alarm Modesto Pallet Yard Fire From SpreadingFirefighters say an early morning fire at a pallet yard went to four-alarms on Friday.

Crews Battle North Sacramento Grass FireTemperatures were already pushing past 90 late Friday morning.

CBS13 News AM News Update - 7/10/20The latest headlines.

More Counties Land On State's Coronavirus Watch ListPlacer, Yuba and Sutter counties are now all on the list over concerning infection rates and lower hospital capacity.

More:

Pandemic Halts Progress For Boy With Cerebral Palsy - CBS Sacramento

For the average corn and soybean farmer, peanuts may seem exotic. Yet the challenges a peanut farmer faces aren't much different from the average row crop producer. For 20 years, the Farm Press team has honored the Peanut Efficiency Award winners, profiling these leading producers, and many have lessons that would benefit any farm operation.

In this episode of Around Farm Progress, we get a look at those operations from the editors that profiled the farmers, and get a look at key concepts they picked up. You'll hear from Ron Smith, Delta Farm Press, Shelley Huguley, Southwest Farm Press, and John Hard and Brad Haire, Southeast Farm Press. The insights they picked up from these forward-thinking peanut farmers have value to any in agriculture.

Check out all the 2020 Peanut Efficiency Award Winner profiles online.

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 to you 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. There will also be special guests, and other information provided in this new show, so make an appointment to listen. 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

See the original post:

Digging into the peanut business - Farm Progress

2020 Sugar Bowl Georgia vs. Baylor 2020 Postgame January 01, 2020

Due to the cancellation of spring practice, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken didnt get to have a first look a new grad transfer quarterback Jamie Newman.

But recently during an interview with ESPNs David Pollack and Kevin Negandhi, Smart said hes been nothing but impressed with Newman when he appeared on the College Football Podcast.

Were excited and Jamie has been a great addition to our program, said Smart. We didnt really get to see him through the spring, but we did get to see him in spring workouts and the first thing that pops out at you is his leadership ability. He came into a situation where he doesnt know a lot of guys on the team, but that hasnt hindered his ability to lead.

Apparently, thats not all. Smart continued to say that Newman checks off a lot of boxes and has been throughly impressed with his work ethic throughout the pandemic.

Physically, hes well put together, Smart said about Newman, whos listed as 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. Mentally hes well put together and hes got the right mindset and hes approached this thing the right way.

But of course, Smart didnt make any promises or guarantees about his potential playing time. Even though most assume that Newman will be the starter, Smart said that Georgias other quarterbacks have had a really impressive summer workout session as well.

Yeah, thats not the say hes not going to have competitors come in here, Smart said. DWan (Mathis) has done a great job, Carson (Beck), Stetson (Bennett) J.T. (Daniels) if hes going to be able to play and be eligible all those things are going to play a factor.

From what it sounds like, beating out Newman wont a walk in the park.

I really like where Jamie is at. We like what we did last year at Wake, Smart said. We think he can create a lot of problems for defenses and Im excited to see him go play.

Last season, Newman threw for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 574 yards and six scores as his first season as a full-time starter at Wake Forest. He has solid numbers, but there are currently still questions surrounding the fifth-year senior that might not be answered until fall camp.

Smart and Monken will start to figure out what they have in Newman when coaches are allowed to start working with players on July 25. The NCAA rules say that they will be allowed eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film work beginning on July 15.

Thats the toughest thing in a year of transition, transition being coordinator transition and quarterback transition, Smart said. Its going to be very unique so were going to have to do a really good of managing our practice time, our walk-through time to make sure we take advantage of whichever quarterback winds up being the guy, especially if its him, that we can use his skill set the right way.

Read the original here:

Football: Kirby Smart Gives an Update on Jamie Newman's Progress - bulldawgillustrated.com

As long as the goal is to strengthen national power and improve the living conditions of the people, institutions related to FfD will closely cooperate and join forces, both with state government bodies at all levels, and with foreign governments. It is imperative that relations between organisations involved in FfD and government should not be bureaucratic, writes Chen Yuan, Chief Advisor to the Centre for Sino-Russian Strategic Interaction, CITIC Fund for the Study of Reforms and Development.

The publication of this op-ed marks the beginning of online collaboration between Valdai Club, Russia as part of its Think Tank project and the Center for Russia-China Strategic Interaction under CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies, China. This is the first in a series of planned exchanges between the two organizations on bilateral and global matters.

Financing for development (FfD) is a type of financing provided for development purposes. It primarily refers to the provision of financing for a kind of practical activity. If seen through the lens of long historical processes, the idea of FfD represents only a fleeting, momentary phenomenon, but from the point of view of social relevance and the theory of knowledge of mankind, this approach is historically significant and has great potential.

In China, FfD arose out of a socialist system, due to the growing material and cultural needs of the people, and began to be used to promote the rapid development of the economy. Thus, Chinas development financing is the result of a number of favourable factors, such as considerable social demand, the governments ability to organise and coordinate, the market application of state loans, the vast savings deposits of the population and enterprises, as well as the significant active balance of foreign trade and foreign exchange reserves. These factors have become the driving force behind FfD and contributed to its growth.

FfD is carried out with the help of public finances, and is always closely connected with the development strategy, target areas and common interests of the state during various periods and at multiple stages. FfD can constantly adjust the focus of its support and is not a passive tool, but an active, viable and conscious actor in the market. The state deals with the financing of development, it is not subordinate to any economic management bodies. Only in this way can FfD have autonomy in the market, actively adjust key points of its own activities, and also maintain and support a national development strategy. FfD always strives to become the main vehicle and the main executor of the national strategy. It is a decisive factor in measuring the nature of a given strategy, checking its success, and also the most important basic feature of a national strategy.

A close relationship of cooperation and agreement has been established between FfD and the government. As long as the goal is to strengthen national power and improve the living conditions of the people, institutions related to FfD will closely cooperate and join forces, both with state government bodies at all levels, and with foreign governments. It is imperative that relations between organisations involved in FfD and government should not be bureaucratic.

Financing for Development is used to support state strategy and the development of plans for its implementation; it is an objective and social process of cognition that cannot be achieved through the efforts of one or several people; it depends on collective efforts. This is not only a top-down, but also a bottom-up, very complex and exhaustive process of relentlessly obtaining knowledge about the objective world. Such knowledge is based on national strategy, the domestic and international context, and monetary, financial and macroeconomic policies. Careful analysis has revealed what exactly financing for development can do to implement the strategic goals of the state. There is an interactive dynamic process of commercialisation and legalisation taking place between FfD and the real economy.

FfD originated in China, and is a product with Chinese characteristics. Other countries have not required such development, on such a large scale (including financing). However, the essence of FfD is unity and systematisation; like the state itself, it must be unswerving and unanimous. In other words, FfD is an important tool and weapon for enriching the people and strengthening the country, and its principles can be used to support the development of the Third World countries. The World Bank and other multilateral financial institutions can also be used to provide such financing as a tool for global financial growth, in order to pursue the development of the Third World countries.

FfD was previously carried out in accordance with the Five Direction Policy, namely, the government provides the basis, timely support, early planning, trust-building and promotion of financing. These basic principles are still applicable to the national conditions of China, but changes have taken place in the current situation. For example, the principle which holds that the government is the basis of financing has gradually transformed into the principles of peoples welfare is the basis and elimination of poverty is the basis. Government is the basis was an idea which reflected the situation of that time. This approach was gradually enriched and improved as objective conditions in various regions of the country changed. Therefore, the essence of the Five Direction Policy is still relevant. In particular, the principle of timely support, which fully embodies prudence and foresight.

In serving the national economy, FfD embodies the international obligations and diplomatic interests of the state, and is also a powerful reserve for the state to implement foreign policy and fulfil its international obligations. Regardless of when and where this happens, when using FfD, it is necessary to monitor and understand the global situation and dynamics in real time, conduct an in-depth study of state foreign policy in various situations, identify opportunities and prospects for development, and also to draw up an action plan in advance, anticipating both positive and negative outcomes. If you are fully prepared, then changes in the situation wont overwhelm you. Sources of new assets will depend on the quality of the work carried out at the early stages, pre-planned decisions, and the implementation of a global strategy. As in the military, it is often necessary to simulate a combat situation, so when financing development it is necessary to look in all directions and involve professional organisations and specialists in joint work.

Currently, China is busy with the implementation of its Belt and Road initiative. The logic of FfD is largely consistent with the features of this initiative. FfD is both a microscope and a telescope with which you can see potential high-quality assets with high value. So gradually the goals of the state, proceeding from all aspects of social development, become clear. FfD is the starting point for realising these goals; it is necessary to adhere to the principle of early planning, to find and prepare high-quality assets that have great potential for raising values, and turn them into real-quality assets that will be used for national development. In the implementation of financing for development, it is necessary to strive to study, develop and use the most advanced financial instruments to meet the needs of the state and pursue the implementation of its projects, thereby contributing to the implementation of the national development strategy. Therefore, investments, bonds, leasing and other instruments should provide powerful support for FfD.

As in the process of real development, one can always learn from the successes and failures of other countries; when pursuing FfD it is also imperative to proceed from the experiences of others, their successes and failures. In the process of establishing FfD, it is necessary to predicate decision-making real facts, seek out effective methods and actively apply them in practice, rely on the opinions of the people, experts and government bodies, contribute to the implementation of national strategies, and also open up new opportunities for development.

Original post:

Ideology, Characteristics, and the Progress of Financing for Development - Valdai Discussion Club

The federal government has reported progress on three cross-agency priority (CAP) goals and introduced a new category focused on improving the management of major acquisitions.

The federal government has reported progress on three cross-agency priority (CAP) goals and introduced a new category focused on improving the management of major acquisitions.

An update issued Monday on Performance.gov states that CAP Goal teams and agencies continue to make progress on efforts to implement key strategiesunder the Presidents Management Agenda as of July 2020.

The joint effort between the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) also created a tool called the Strategic Objectives Dashboard that visualizes agency objectives and long-term goals.

According to the notice, agencies achieved maturity and implementation for the Modernizing the Infrastructure Permitting Process, Getting Payments Right and Security Clearance, Suitability, and Credentialing Reform CAP goals.

The achievement will enable CAP teams to demonstrate reforms amid continuous monitoring through Performance.gov, the notice states.

The new CAP goal, known as Frictionless Acquisition, covers efforts to fortify the resiliency of the government contracting base while modernizing business models and reducing procurement lead-times.

Other updates include the transition of the Federal IT Spending Transparency CAP goal into the Category Management and IT Modernization; Data, Accountability, and Transparency categories.

Continued here:

Report: Federal Gov't Making Progress on Acquisition Mgmt Reforms - ExecutiveGov

Inside the Magic is following along with all of the safety protocols put in place by Disney in order to remain safe during this unprecedented time.

During todays AP Preview of Magic Kingdom park, our reporters have experienced everything from seeing the renovation of Cinderella Castle to new health and safety measures to social distancing on transportation to changes to attraction experiences.

Theyre also getting the chance to see construction progress first-hand. We have new photos of the progress on the highly anticipated Tron Lightcycle Power Run roller coaster that is being built in Tomorrowland.

According to the Wikipedia entry about the Tron coaster, which is based on the Tron attraction at Shanghai Disneyland, the new Magic Kingdom thrill ride is described as:

Tron Lightcycle Power Run is a semi-enclosed launched steel motorbike roller coaster attraction at Shanghai Disneyland Park, and an upcoming attraction at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Based on the Tron series, the attraction takes guests on a ride through the Grid on their own light cycle.

Last year, Disney shared an official rendering of how the completed Tron Lightcycle Power Run coaster will look situated next to Space Mountain.

The Tomorrowland Tron Lightcycle Power Run ride is slated to open in 2021 for Walt Disney World Resorts 50th Anniversary Celebration.

There have long been rumors of a Tron 3 movie that follows the storyline of Tron Legacy (2010). Recently, Disney executive Mitchel Leib spoke out about the possibility of Tron 3 coming to fruition.

Leib stated:

were looking at making a sequel to Tron now, were looking at Tron 3. And weve got a great script, I mean a really phenomenal script that were very excited about. Whereas the timing wasnt right to have done it years ago, I think we feel like the timing is right now, and I feel like weve learned a lot of lessons from that last movie.

It would be the perfect tie-in to announce Tron 3 on the day the Tron coaster debuts in Magic Kingdom!

Are you excited to see Disney World Tron roller coaster construction progress?

Read the original:

Tron Coaster Construction Progress at Magic Kingdom - Inside the Magic

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Alarming surges in coronavirus cases across the South and West raised fears Monday that the outbreak is spiraling out of control and that hard-won progress against the scourge is slipping away because of resistance among many Americans to wearing masks and keeping their distance from others.

Confirming predictions that the easing of state lockdowns over the past month and a half would lead to a comeback by the virus, cases surpassed 100,000 in Florida, hospitalizations are rising dramatically in Houston and Georgia, and a startling 1 in 5 of those tested in Arizona are proving to be infected.

Over the weekend, the virus seemed to be everywhere at once: Several campaign staff members who helped set up President Donald Trumps rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive, as did 23 Clemson University football players in South Carolina. At least 30 members of the Louisiana State University team were isolated after becoming infected or coming into contact with someone who was. Meatpacking plants were also hit with outbreaks.

It is snowballing. We will most certainly see more people die as a result of this spike, said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital, noting that the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has tripled since Memorial Day to more than 1,400 across eight hospital systems in the Houston metropolitan area.

He warned that hospitals could be overwhelmed in three weeks, and he pleaded with people to cover their faces and practice social distancing.

It is possible to open up at a judicious pace and coexist with the virus, but it requires millions and millions of people to do the right thing, Boom said.

Texas is among a number of states including Arizona, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina whose governors have resisted statewide mask requirements, leaving the matter to local authorities.

The number of new coronavirus cases across the country per day has reached more than 26,000, up from about 21,000 two weeks ago, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Over 120,000 deaths in the U.S. have been blamed on the virus, the highest toll in the world.

In Georgia, the number of people hospitalized because of COVID-19 rose to 1,000, erasing a months worth of progress.

Infections are at their highest level since the outbreak began, nearly two months after Georgia began lifting restrictions on businesses. Gov. Brian Kemp has required face coverings by waiters, barbers and others working face-to-face with customers but has largely let businesses decide whether customers must wear masks.

In Orlando, 152 coronavirus cases were linked to one bar near the University of Central Florida campus, said Dr. Raul Pino, a state health officer in the tourism city.

A lot of transmission happened there, Pino said. People are very close. People are not wearing masks. People are drinking, shouting, dancing, sweating, kissing and hugging, all the things that happen in bars. And all those things that happen are not good for COVID-19.

Although he asked health officials to renew calls for people to wear masks and keep their distance, Gov. Ron DeSantis has not signaled he will retreat from reopening the state after three months of shutdowns that have damaged the economy.

In Louisiana, however, Gov. John Bel Edwards extended restrictions on businesses because of a troubling uptick in cases, following the example set by Utah and Oregon last week. Louisiana has recorded more than 3,000 deaths.

There are a lot of people out there saying they are done with this virus. Well, the virus isnt done with us, Edwards said.

Countries such as Brazil, India and Pakistan are also seeing surging cases.

Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organizations emergencies chief, said the outbreak is definitely accelerating in the U.S. and a number of other countries, dismissing the notion that the record-breaking daily levels of new cases simply reflect more testing. He noted that numerous countries have seen marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths.

The epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries, he warned.

In the U.S., Arizona, in particular, is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks, including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus. Arizonas is the highest in the nation.

The states positive test rate is at a seven-day average of over 20%, well above the national average of 8.4% and the 10% level that public health officials say is a problem. When the positive test rate rises, it means that an outbreak is worsening not just that more people are getting tested.

At Marylands Fort Washington Medical Center on the outskirts of the nations capital, workers described a scramble to find new beds, heartbreaking encounters with family members of critically ill patients and frustration with Americans who do not believe the coronavirus threat is real.

Everybody is out lounging on the beaches. Just thinking that its over. And its not, respiratory therapist Kevin Cole said. Its far from being over. And unfortunately, its those people that will keep this pandemic going.

Meanwhile, New York City, once the most lethal hot spot in the U.S., lifted more of its restrictions, moving a big step closer to normal. Restaurants can serve diners outdoors, customers can browse through stores and get a haircut, and children can return to playgrounds.

Eve Gonzalez, a 27-year-old food industry worker in New York whose job had not yet resumed, said it is too soon: Im dying to go out, but peoples health is more important.

Worldwide, 9 million people have been confirmed infected by the virus and about 470,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins, though experts say the true numbers are much higher because of limited testing and cases in which patients had no symptoms.

Amid the global surge, the head of WHO warned that world leaders must not politicize the outbreak but unite to fight it.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has faced criticism from President Donald Trump, said during a videoconference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit that it took over three months for the world to see 1 million confirmed infections, but just eight days to see the most recent 1 million cases.

Tedros did not mention Trump by name but warned: The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself; its the lack of global solidarity and global leadership.

He added, We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world.

Trump has criticized the WHO over its early response to the outbreak and what he considers its excessive praise of China, where the outbreak began. He has threatened to pull the U.S. out of the agency.

Brazil, with over 50,000 deaths, the second-highest toll in the world, registered a record 54,000 new coronavirus cases in its latest single-day count. And nearly 1 in 3 people tested overall have turned up positive, according to the WHOs Ryan, who said that the startlingly high number suggests cases are going either unreported or undetected because of a low rate of testing.

Saudi Arabia said this years pilgrimage, or hajj, to Islams holy sites will not be canceled, but only very limited numbers of people will be allowed to take part. The hajj traditionally draws around 2 million Muslims from around the world for five intense days of worship and rituals in Mecca.

Indias health care system has been slammed by the virus, with the caseload in the country of more than 1.3 billion people climbing by nearly 15,000 Monday to over 425,000. The number of deaths climbed past 13,000.

In Pakistan, infections are accelerating and hospitals turning away patients, with new cases up to 6,800 a day. The government has relaxed its coronavirus restrictions, hoping to salvage a near-collapsed economy in the country of 220 million people.

___

Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed.

Read the original:

Surging US virus cases raise fear that progress is slipping - The Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Coronavirus cases in Florida surpassed 100,000 on Monday, part of an alarming surge across the South and West as states reopen for business and many Americans resist wearing masks or keeping their distance from others.

The disturbing signs in the Sunshine State as well as places like Arizona, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and South Carolina along with countries such as Brazil, India and Pakistan are raising fears that the progress won after months of lockdowns is slipping away.

It is snowballing. We will most certainly see more people die as a result of this spike, said Dr. Marc Boom, CEO and president of Houston Methodist Hospital, noting that the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has tripled since Memorial Day to more then 1,400 across eight hospital systems in the Houston metropolitan area.

He predicted that in three weeks hospitals could be overwhelmed, and he pleaded with people to cover their faces and practice social distancing.

It is possible to open up at a judicious pace and coexist with the virus, but it requires millions and millions of people to do the right thing. Right now, we dont have that because people have let their guard down, Boom said.

The number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases across the country per day has reached more than 26,000, up from about 21,000 two weeks ago, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The analysis looked at a seven-day rolling average through Sunday.

Over 120,000 deaths in the U.S. have been blamed on the virus.

Over the weekend, the virus seemed to be everywhere at once: Six staff members helping set up for President Donald Trumps rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive, as did 23 Clemson University football players in South Carolina. At least 30 members of the Louisiana State University football team were isolated after becoming infected or coming into contact with someone who was. Meatpacking plants were also hit with outbreaks.

In Orlando, 152 coronavirus cases were linked to one bar near the University of Central Florida campus, said Dr. Raul Pino, a state health officer in the resort city.

A lot of transmission happened there, Pino said. People are very close. People are not wearing masks. People are drinking, shouting, dancing, sweating, kissing and hugging, all the things that happen in bars. And all those things that happen are not good for COVID-19.

Although he asked health officials to renew calls for people to wear masks and keep their distance, Gov. Ron DeSantis has not signaled he will retreat from reopening the state after three months of shutdowns that have damaged the economy.

Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organizations emergencies chief, said that the outbreak is definitely accelerating in the U.S. and a number of other countries, dismissing the notion that the record daily levels of new COVID-19 cases simply reflect more testing. He noted that numerous countries have noted marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths.

The epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries, he warned.

Arizona, in particular, is seeing disturbing trends in several benchmarks, including the percentage of tests that prove positive for the virus. Arizonas is the highest in the nation.

The states positive test rate is at a seven-day average of 20.4 percent, well above the national average of 8.4 percent and the 10 percent level that public health officials say is a problem. When the positive test rate rises, it means that an outbreak is worsening not just that more people are getting tested.

At Marylands Fort Washington Medical Center on the outskirts of the nations capital, workers described a scramble to find new beds, heartbreaking interactions with family members of critically ill patients and their frustration with Americans who do not believe the coronavirus threat is real.

Everybody is out lounging on the beaches. Just thinking that its over. And its not, respiratory therapist Kevin Cole said. Its far from being over. And unfortunately, its those people that keep well keep this pandemic going.

Meanwhile, New York City, once the most lethal hot spot in the U.S., lifted more of its restrictions Monday, moving a big step closer to normal.

Eve Gonzalez, a 27-year-old food industry worker in New York whose job had not yet resumed, said it was too soon: Im dying to go out, but peoples health is more important.

Nine million people have been confirmed infected by the virus worldwide and about 470,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins, though experts say the actual numbers are much higher because of limited testing and cases in which patients had no symptoms.

Amid the global surge, the head of WHO warned that world leaders must not politicize the outbreak but unite to fight it.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has faced criticism from President Trump, said during a videoconference for the Dubai-based World Government Summit that it took over three months for the world to see 1 million confirmed infections, but just eight days to see the most recent 1 million cases.

Tedros did not mention Trump by name or his determination to pull the United States out of the U.N. health agency but warned against politicizing the pandemic.

The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself, its the lack of global solidarity and global leadership, he said. We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world.

Trump has criticized the WHO for its early response to the outbreak and what he considers its excessive praise of China, where the outbreak began, though his own administrations response in the U.S. has come under attack. Trump has threatened to end all U.S. funding for the WHO.

Companies around the world are racing to find a vaccine, and there is fierce debate over how to make sure it is distributed fairly. WHOs special envoy on COVID-19, Dr. David Nabarro, said he believes it will be 2 1/2 years until there will be vaccine for everybody in the world.

Indias health care system has been slammed by the virus. The countrys caseload climbed by nearly 15,000 Monday to over 425,000, with more than 13,000 deaths.

After easing a nationwide lockdown, the Indian government in recent weeks ran special trains to return thousands of migrant workers to their home villages.

In Pakistan, infections are accelerating and hospitals are having to turn away patients, with new cases up to 6,800 a day. The government has relaxed its coronavirus restrictions, hoping to salvage a near-collapsed economy in the country of 220 million people.

Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed.

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Surge in U.S. virus cases raises fear that progress is slipping - Press Herald

AMDs recent return to the upper echelons of HPC was marked by gains on the latest Top500 list announced today in conjunction with ISC 2020, which is has been transformed this year into a digital event with livestreamed and pre-recorded sessions. There are 11 systems using AMD Epyc microprocessors (8 Rome and 2 Naples and a Sugon system using CPU technology licensed from AMD) on the current list that includes four systems in the top 50 and notably Nvidias Selene SuperPOD system which debuted at number seven.

The latest Top500 results show AMDs growing strength in high-end server and supercomputer markets following the launch of its Epyc microprocessor line in June 2017. AMD had walked away from the server market for years.

During the intervening period several legacy HPC systems using AMD Opteron CPUs remained on the Top500 though declining in position. It is interesting to recall AMDs Opteron glory days. It made its first appearance in 2003 with four systems. In 2010 there were 51 Opteron-based systems. By 2018 there were just two systems, including venerable Titan (ORNL) which was the first big supercomputer to bet on GPU accelerators. It was retired last summer. There are no Opteron-based on the current list.

Last November, AMD returned to the list with two systems using Epyc microprocessors. The jump to 11 now is a good sign.Todays showing, along with several big recent wins including two of the planned U.S. exascale systems (Frontier and El Capitan), suggests that systems builders, cloud providers, and the user community are now convinced AMD is in high-end CPUs for the long haul.

Leading HPC institutions are increasingly leveraging the power of 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors to enable cutting-edge research that addresses the worlds greatest challenges, said Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager, data center and embedded systems group, AMD. Our AMD EPYC CPUs, Radeon Instinct accelerators and open software programming environment are helping to advance the industry towards exascale-class computing, and we are proud to strengthen the global HPC ecosystem through our support of the top supercomputing clusters and cloud computing environments.

Here are the 11 systems using AMD Epyc microprocessors on the most recent Top500:

As the Top500 organizers noted, The x86 continues to be the dominant processor architecture, being present in 481 of the 500 systems. Intel claims 469 of these, with AMD installed in 11 and Hygon in the remaining one. Arm processors are present in just four TOP500 systems, three of which employ the new Fujitsu A64FX processor, with the remaining one powered by Marvells ThunderX2 processor.

Four of the new Epyc-based systems are from Atos. Atos is proud to provide to its customers with cutting edge technology, integrating 2nd Gen AMD Epyc processors as soon as released, and demonstrating increased performance on HPC applications in production environments, said Agns Boudot, group senior vice president, head of HPC and Quantum at Atos.

Coinciding with release of the latest Top500 list AMD reported, Momentum for AMD EPYC processors in advanced science and health research continues to grow with new installations at Indiana University, Purdue University and CERN as well as high-performance computing (HPC) cloud instances from Amazon Web Services, Google and Oracle Cloud.

Link to AMD release, https://www.amd.com/en/press-releases/2020-06-22-amd-epyc-processor-adoption-expands-new-supercomputing-and-high

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AMD's Top500 Showing Points to Progress and Commitment - HPCwire

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Brush fire on Progress Ave. in Springfield contained - WESTERNMASSNEWS.com