GameStop: from FIFA 21 to Cyberpunk 2077, book new games and save on second hand – Asap Land

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From GameStopZing you can book the new games of the next gaming season saving by bringing back your used and taking advantage of promotions to get exclusive preorder bonuses. Here are all the offers valid online and in store until August 26th.

By bringing two used games valid for the promotion it is possible, for example, to buy Captain Tsubasa Rise of New Champions for 9.98 euros, WRC 9 at 9.98 euros, Project CARS 3 at 19.98 euros, Mafia Trilogy at 9.98 euros, Fast & Furious Crossroads at 19.98 euros and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 for just one euro, offer valid also for Mafia Definitive Edition and Star Wars Squadrons. Cyberpunk 2077 instead can be booked for 19.98 euros, while Marvel's Avengers has an even lower price: 44.98 euros on offer for everyone (while stocks last and for a limited period) or a single euro bringing back two valid games.

Nintendo Switch owners can buy with 50% discount games like Captain Tsubasa Rise of New Champions, Ben 10 Power Trip and WRC 9 bringing back a game valid for promotion. Also interesting is the offer linked to FIFA 21, the Standard Edition will cost one euro bringing two games valid for the promotion or 34.98 euros bringing a game, offer valid until 26 August. Always with two used games it will be possible to pay Assassin's Creed Valhalla Drakkar Edition at 19.98 euros while Far Cry 6 Yara Edition and Watch Dogs Legion Resistance Edition will cost 29.98 euros.

For all the details, updated prices and other information, we refer you to the new GameStop summer 2020 flyer, all offers are valid. only for GSZ + card holders.

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GameStop: from FIFA 21 to Cyberpunk 2077, book new games and save on second hand - Asap Land

Barron lawsuit amended to return to Worcester Superior Court; another OML violation determined – mysouthborough

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In May, I posted that a lawsuit filed by Southborough residents against selectmen and the Town was moving to the Federal Courts. Based on an amended complaint, the complainants were able to return the case to Worcester Superior Court. In an indirectly related matter, the Attorney Generals Office found that the Town again violated Open Meeting Law.

The original incident that prompted the lawsuit partially related to an Attorney Generals Office 2018 finding that the Board of Selectmen violated Open Meeting Law. Resident Louise Barron accused the board of minimizing the issue and repeatedly breaking the law. The relates to then-Selectman Dan Kolendas outburst towards Barron during and following the comments. Additional claims against selectmen and the Town relate to actions by the board following the incident.

This June, the board received a new ruling from the AGs office that they again violated OML. The AGs office determined that the Town took five days longer than allowed to respond to the Barrons Attorneys request for certain meeting minutes.The finding was an informal action with no punishments or directives issued towards the board.

The attorney had asked the AG to determine that the Town was wrongfully holding back unredacted Executive Session minutes. She wasnt successful on that count.

On December 16th, Attorney Ginny Kremer submitted a request for unredacted meeting minutes from two Recreation Commission meetings. A response by Town Counsel, maintaining that no unredacted minutes would be released, was received on December 31st.The Assistant AG determined that was a violation based on the 10 calendar day requirement.

However, the Assistant AG found she was unable to determine if the confidentiality was justified.*

As for the lawsuit. . .

Selectmen had filed to move the case to the U.S. District Court based on claims that a residents First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution were violated. The Towns attorney argued that a federal court was the appropriate venue.

Since then, the complainants asked to be sent back to the countys court, stating that they were amending the complaint to remove the First Amendment claims. The return to the Worcester court was approved.

You may assume that the amended complaint would reduce the number of Claims lodged. In fact, the recent amendment ups the count from four counts to six.

Three counts new focus solely on Kolenda.The amended list of Counts in the complaint are:

Initially, the first count above also referenced First Amendment Rights and was lodged againstKolenda, Shea, Healy, Bracccio and Stivers [sic]. An additional Count has been removed that focused solely on the First Amendment and charged Kolenda, Shea, Healy, Bracccio, Stivers, and Town of Southborough of violating Barrons First Amendment Rights.

The amended complaint still demands a jury trial.

*The AAGs letter explains:

The complainant challenges the Boards assertion that the April 25 and May 7, 2019 executive session minutes are protected by the attorney-client privilege and exemption (c) ofM.G.L. c. 4 7(26). . . .

Here, the Board is not relying on the Open Meeting Law as a basis for withholding the minutes, but rather has released the minutes subject to redaction pursuant to the attorney-client privilege and a Public Records Law exemption.Because the executive session minutes at issue here are no longer being withheld from the public under the Open Meeting Law, we find no violation of that Law in this respect.

The Open Meeting Law authorizes the Attorney General to investigate a complaint alleging a violation of the law and to request documents in the course of that investigation, but does not give us the authority to determine whether the Boards assertion of the attorney-client privilege was justified. . . In addition, the Attorney General may not require a public body to disclose any documentary material which would be privileged. . . . If the complainant disagrees with the Boards determination that these redactions are privileged, she may file an Open Meeting Law complaint in Superior Court to challenge the Boards decision to withhold the minutes, and request that the court review the purportedly privileged documents.

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Barron lawsuit amended to return to Worcester Superior Court; another OML violation determined - mysouthborough

Dateline-Saigon remembers the journalists who revealed a dirty war by Dante A. Ciampaglia – The Red Hook Star-Revue

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Nearly 60 years ago, Associated Press reporter Malcolm Browne was sent to Saigon to report on the conflict between the Communist North and American-backed South. He was soon joined in the AP bureau by Peter Arnett and photojournalist Horst Faas, and they found themselves competing with upstart UPI reporter Neil Sheehan and brash New York Times journalist David Halberstam on the beat as the Vietnamese civil war erupted into an American-led war of Cold War containment.

The consequences of that escalation the protests and culture wars, the draft and the quagmire were all years away. But the reporting those journalists did, and the price they paid for it, foretold what was in store for America. That story has been eclipsed by Vietnams more provocative media moments (My Lai, Agent Orange, Walter Cronkite declaring the war unwinnable on national TV), but its resuscitated by filmmaker Thomas D. Herman in his documentary Dateline-Saigon.

The Vietnam experience of Halberstam, Sheehan, Browne, Arnett, and Faas upended how conflict was covered in the American press, and it gave the government and its enablers ammunition in its war against the First Amendment and the reporters some still feel cost the country victory. And despite being more than a half century past, Vietnam has proven it will never be done with us nor we with it. Dateline-Saigons release comes as the country is more divided than at any time since the 1960s. The fault lines are familiar civil rights, brutal crackdowns of protests, state-sponsored attempts to delegitimize the press and they vibrate throughout the film

Herman spoke with the Star-Revue about his unexpectantly relevant film and the journalists at the center of it. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Dateline-Saigon is built on really great interviews, some with people who are no longer around, like David Halberstam, who died in 2007, and Malcolm Browne and Horst Faas who both died in 2012. When did you start working on this, and why did it take so long to complete?

I started in 2003 or 2004, and at the time I didnt know what the film was going to be. I had been a field producer for CNN and spent some time in Vietnam on some projects for some stories on the aftermath of the war. While I was there, there happened to be a reunion of men and women who had covered the war as journalists. In talking to them, I heard some amazing stories and met many fascinating characters. As you might imagine, the kinds of people who go to cover those stories are not necessarily going to be insurance actuaries or bank tellers. Theyre a different kind of person. In doing some research, I realized there really wasnt a documentary on the subject of journalism in Vietnam, which was very controversial and remains so to this day. So I started filming, and it went on over a number of years. Part of the reason for that was I would have to stop and go out and raise some more money, and that had benefits as well as detriments. The detriment being it took longer; the benefits were that some of the material I wanted to use in the film had been classified and I didnt have access to it until later on, like some of those secret White House tapes, which I had pushed to have declassified.

It took close to 15 years to make this damn thing, in the course of which, as you observed, three of the protagonists died. Fortunately, I was able to get them before that happened. I was fortunate to get these people. I ended up doing more than 60 interviews: print journalists, newspaper, magazines, wire service, TV journalists, radio, photojournalists, historians, military people, and others. And the film emerged out of those many interviews, and it was a story that very few people knew about, how these young men, all in their 20sI think actually Malcolm Browne was the oldest at 30got sent there when nobody thought it was going to be a very important story. None of the big shot reporters wanted to go, so they sent these young men. They had lived through World War II, they were real Cold Warriors, so their inclination was to support the American effort. Its what happened to them when they realized the government was lying, and they all went through something of a crisis of conscienceparticularly Halberstam and Sheehan, who wanted to report positively at first but then they realized the government was lying. And when they started to report the truth, they got called pinkos or traitors or cut off of information or put on assassination lists, got beaten up, put in jailall of those things happened.

Collections of Vietnam War reporting are fairly common, but we rarely see or hear directly from the people whose bylines are on the stories and rarely get the story behind the reporting.

Ive been told by a number of people that the example set by Halberstam, Sheehan, and the others is a real guide for people covering conflict today and what theyre reporting. For example, Dexter Filkins covered the war in Iraq and now hes a correspondent who writes for The New Yorker. He had gotten to know Halberstam, and he told me that quite a number of his colleagues whether it was in Iraq or in Syria or in Afghanistan or elsewheretook Halberstams book about Vietnam, The Best and the Brightest, with them. Dexter spoke at Davids memorial service and said something along the lines of, when the official version that the reporters were getting didnt match what they were actually seeing on the streets of Baghdad, theyd asked themselves what would Halberstam and Sheehan and these other greats of an earlier generation have done? Dexter also said that any reporter who has ever tried to hold his government to account learned from Halberstam, Sheehan, and the others that the truth is not just a point of view, it doesnt adhere to the person who shouts the loudest, and it doesnt necessarily belong to the person with the most power. Thats so relevant to today, and it makes this film about more than Vietnam. This is a film about the importance of a free press, an independent media, holding government to account, speaking truth to power. When I started making Dateline-Saigon, I didnt know anything more about Donald Trump than he had a bunch of failing casinos in Atlantic City and an ego that was so large it was difficult to walk for him to walk through a door. I had no idea that he would be elected president and then declare war on the media.

How did your estimation of these journalists change in the making of the film?

I knew a little bit about some of them and even less about a few others. I had read Sheehans reports, and I knew that he was the guy who got the Pentagon Papers. Id read a number of Halberstams books. I had been fascinated, even before this film, in the coverage of Vietnam because it is perhaps the most controversial period or case history of journalism in this country. Maybe the period were going through now well eclipse that. And then I got to know each of these five well. I had multiple interviews with each of them, I got to know them and their families, I spent time with them, and I developed an enormous respect for them. Among the interesting things I learned was that each of these guys had very little experience, very little reputation when they went in there. They each of them went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for covering essentially the same story of Vietnam. Each of them went on to have illustrious, if not legendary careers winning all sorts of awards and becoming very famous in their own right. To a person, they told me that their experience in Vietnam as a journalist was the single most important professional experience, the single most important story they covered in their very long, illustrious, award-winning careers. And beyond that, they said that the relationships they developed with each other were the most important professional relationship theyd established in their entire lives. I was interviewing them when they were in their 70s. They went in there as competitors, but because of what they went through they were forced to rely on each other to protect each other and they became lifelong friends. Halberstam was the godfather for Neil Sheehans oldest daughter. Sheehan is the godfather to Halberstams kids. They became very close.

Sheehan says in the film that the government realized it had made a mistake allowing journalists to have unfettered access at the start of the war and that was a mistake they would never make again. Because of how long it took to make it, the film touches on two live wires of current history as they intersect with press freedoms and access: one being the moment were in now, and the other the experience of journalists embedding in Iraq a decade ago.

Youre absolutely right. If you go to the service academies or wherever they teach Public Information Officers, they go into Vietnam as the big mistake. We cant give journalists unfettered access to whats going on. Initially, after the Vietnam War, they didnt even allow journalists nearby. So, for example, when Reagan invaded Grenada in 1983, journalists werent allowed to go watch American troops putting their lives on the line. That was specifically in reaction to Vietnam. So what the government then came up with is this idea of embedding, which is better than nothing but it is still a form of censorship. You have to go with the troops and you really arent supposed to look around independently. We spent about a weekend shooting in Baghdad with Peter Arnett. We did a stand up with Peter outside of some blown up hotel, and he talks about how the information that journalists have access to in Baghdad is much less than they had in Vietnam. When we went to Baghdad, it was during a really difficult period and when it was a very dangerous place, we had to of course go to the embassy to let them know we were there, which is a good thing to do. But we also had to go to the military to get a credential that would allow us to move around. We had to sign a whole bunch of forms, among which were, you are not allowed to quote or refer to any member of the military anonymously. You cant say a source, you have to use his or her name, which is effectively backdoor censorship. So, yeah, the experience of Vietnam has, in many ways, set the rules for how the government will allow conflict to be reported today. I think the controversy over Vietnam will live beyond my lifespan and yours. It will be controversial in many ways for many years and for many reasons. For example, a significant number of people today still believe that it was the critical reporting of Halberstam, Sheehan, and the others who came after that caused us to lose the war. Well, thats nonsense.

We hear this idea of a Vietnam Syndrome that gripped the government after the war, which put a brake on militaristic interventions and prevented the U.S. from rushing headlong into something like Grenada. You mentioned this pernicious myth that journalists cost the country the war. Do you think theres a kind of Vietnam Syndrome when it comes to the press and how the American public and political class look at media, journalism, and the First Amendment?

Im hopeful that the viewpoint that journalists caused us to lose the war is a minority viewpoint. But I think another very contemporary and relevant point, and I think youve picked up on this, is President Trumps war on the press is not the first time the government has declared war on the press. Trump has taken it to a new level and has gone to lengths that no one else previously in his position has gone and has really ignited an anti-journalism movement or fever in this country. But this is not the first time. The First Amendment is precious to me freedom of speech, freedom, assembly, all of that but its something that every generation has to struggle to maintain. Its not something that is happening only today. Its not a one-time thing. It happened during Vietnam. President Nixon had his enemies list with a number of journalists names on it. It happened to a lesser degree in World War I, under President Woodrow Wilson and his attorney general. Censorship was imposed by Lincoln during the Civil War. There was not censorship imposed during Vietnam. There were a lot of rules, and the journalists didnt break those rules, but Kennedy and then Lyndon Johnson knew they couldnt impose censorship. The country wouldnt stand for it. Freedom of the press is essential to a democracy, in my opinion. It was obviously essential to a democracy among the Founding Fathers because there wouldnt have been a First Amendment and it wouldnt have been so importantly defended and described by politicians and by the Supreme Court for many years afterwards. But its under attack right now in a way, I think, that perhaps it has never been previously. We cannot take it for granted. Fortunately, theres some extraordinarily good journalism going on today and some smart and honorable people who understand the importance of freedom of the press not only among so-called liberals; true conservatives understand the importance of this, as well. But every generation has to fight for it.

Dateline-Saigon is now available on DVD and video on demand from First Run Features. Visit firstrunfeatures.com for more information.

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Dateline-Saigon remembers the journalists who revealed a dirty war by Dante A. Ciampaglia - The Red Hook Star-Revue

USC Professor Joel Hay says we should not be shutting down the economy to fight COVID-19 – – KUSI

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August 5, 2020

Posted: August 5, 2020

Updated: 1:15 PM

KUSI Newsroom

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) San Diego County health officials have reported 290 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths, among the lowest numbers in the past month, although recent days have seen over 500 positive cases.

USC Professor of Pharmaceutical and Health Economics, Joel Hay, joined Good Morning San Diego to explain his frustration with how our public health officials are responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

As you know, Public Health Officials here in San Diego and across the country have relied on shutting down businesses in order to slow the spread of coronavirus in the community. Many Americans have been forced to permanently close their businesses because of this, and cases dont seem to be decreased at all.

Professor Hay believes shutting down the economy is the wrong approach to combat the virus. Hay told KUSIs Jason Austell, this virus is everywhere, it has been everywhere since at least March 2019. It spreads so rapidly, that its been in every community of the world for months and months and months.

Hay pointed to Sweden as proof that there are better ways to combat the virus. Sweden didnt shut down their economy, and Hay says they are only seeing 1 case per day. For a country with over 10 million people, Hay believes their response was a major success.

Furthermore, Hay explained he is not an advocate of wearing masks because they have little to no effect on stopping the spread of coronavirus.

Not only am I not an advocate of wearing masks, I consider them unconstitutional, they violate the First Amendment. By the way, do you know what the First Amendment says? It says Congress shall pass no law, not a little law, not Faucis opinion, Congress shall pass no law abridging the right of the people to freely assemble and freely express their opinion. My opinion is masks are an emasculation, and they are a violation of my free speech rights, which under the First Amendment, no law shall limit my First Amendment rights to free speech and free expression and not wearing masks he explained.

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USC Professor Joel Hay says we should not be shutting down the economy to fight COVID-19 - - KUSI

Isaias update: outages, restoration progress and lingering road closures – RiverheadLOCAL

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More than 271,000 Long Island homes and businesses are still without power this morning, according to PSEG-Long Island, which continues its work to restore power to the hundreds of thousands of customers knocked out by Tropical Storm Isaias Tuesday.

The power companys online outage map, depicting active outages, customers affected, repair status and estimated restoration times, shows nearly 5,000 customers in Riverhead and across the North Fork were still without power as of 6:30 this morning. The numbers were actually up from the outages reported online by PSEG-LI at 4 p.m. yesterday.

The map shows 271,352 affected customers as of 6:32 a.m. PSEG-LI said in a press release issued at 10 oclock last night that number had shrunk to about 160,000.

The map reflects everything that is happening, so it will continue to change as the crews work on the system. Many times as they restore power we need to take additional outages to safely restore the power, PSEG-LI spokesperson Elizabeth Flagler said in an email last night in response to an inquiry about the fluctuations.

PSEG-LI said in a press release last night it estimates 85% of customers will be restored by end of day Friday.

More than 2,000 line workers, tree trimmers and other personnel are working around the clock, in 16-hour shifts and will continue to do so until every customer is restored, PSEG-LI said in the press release.

Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson said this morning that the only trees and large limbs still blocking roads or travel lanes on town roads are those tangled up or resting on power lines. Highway crews have to wait for PSEG-LI crews to arrive in order to clear those conditions, he said.

There are still a few spots across town where trees and large limbs are down with power lines involved and the town is waiting for PSEG-LI crews to address the situation.

In last nights press release, the company reiterated that the breakdown in customer communications during and after the storm Tuesday did not affect PSEG-LI restoration efforts.

We have still been able to assess the full extent of the damage and dispatch crews to the impacted areas, the company said in the press release.

PSEG Long Island understands how critical it is to share accurate and timely information with our customers. We have overcome many of the issues with Verizon that affected our call center operations yesterday, and we are working diligently to improve all of our systems to fully resolve these issues, PSEG-LI said.

The company urged customers to use its automated voice response system whenever possible by calling 1-800-490 0075.

Yesterday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he had directed the State Department of Public Service to investigate what he called the failed storm response of several utilities, including PSEG-LI and Verizon.

PSEG-LI also announced the opening of four drive-through distributions of ice and water, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until supplies run out, at the following locations:

We need your help.Now more than ever, the survival of quality local journalism depends on your support. Our community faces unprecedented economic disruption, and the future of many small businesses are under threat, including our own. It takes time and resources to provide this service. We are a small family-owned operation, and we will do everything in our power to keep it going. But today more than ever before, we will depend on your support to continue. Support RiverheadLOCAL today. You rely on us to stay informed and we depend on you to make our work possible.

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Isaias update: outages, restoration progress and lingering road closures - RiverheadLOCAL

San Diego OKs middle-income incentive as new analysis shows some progress on local housing crisis – The San Diego Union-Tribune

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San Diego is giving developers new incentives to construct housing for middle-income residents like nurses and firefighters, just as a new report shows other efforts to address the citys housing crisis might be starting to pay off.

The City Council last week approved the long-awaited middle-income density bonus, which aims to help developers focus on San Diego residents who dont earn enough to afford luxury housing but who make too much to qualify for subsidized housing.

These are important people to the fabric of our city were talking about teachers, police officers, firefighters and nurses, Councilwoman Vivian Moreno said. We need to make sure we have housing opportunities in the communities where they live and work.

Meanwhile, the citys third annual housing inventory report shows an increase in the number of projects where construction began in 2019 and a spike in the number of subsidized low-income units built last year.

Despite that good news, the report shows San Diego is still far behind the number of units that need to be constructed annually to meet local demand for housing.

There also was a decrease in 2019 in the number of projects that got final approval for future construction and a drop in the number of subsidized housing units that were either preserved or rehabilitated.

The middle-income density bonus defines middle income as households making up to 120 percent of the areas median income, which rose to $92,700 this spring.

It also stacks the incentive on top of a separate program approved in 2016 to encourage developers to build housing for low-income residents.

Without the stacking, some developers might have opted for the middle-income incentive instead of the low-income one. Under the adopted policy, developers who want to use the middle-income incentive must use both incentives.

Once a project maximizes the low-income incentive, which allows for a 50 percent spike in the number of units a developer can build, the project can then use the new moderate-income incentive for an additional 25 percent increase in units.

This new program will spur more housing for working San Diegans who want to live near transit and job centers Mayor Kevin Faulconer said. As we continue to implement reforms, were making it easier to build and incentivizing the production of housing for those with low or moderate income.

Middle-income housing is arguably the citys most glaring need. The citys Regional Housing Needs Assessment called for 15,462 middle-income units to be built from 2010 to 2020, but only 34 had been constructed through 2019.

Thats bad news from 2019, but the citys third annual housing inventory also included some significant progress last year.

The number of housing projects that began construction last year was 5,221, significantly more than 3,895 in 2018 and slightly more than 5,020 in 2017.

The neighborhoods most responsible for the strong numbers are downtown, with 910 new units; Mission Valley, with 493, and Kearny Mesa, with 442.

The numbers were even more impressive for subsidized low-income projects, where 940 units were constructed in 2019. Thats more than double the subsidized units built in 2018 and about 50 percent more than 2017.

Faulconer said some of the credit should go to legislation he has promoted in recent years.

Now were starting to see promising progress with affordable housing production doubling in the city as builders take advantage of the new opportunities we created with our housing reforms, he said.

Those efforts have included eliminating parking requirements for new housing near transit, fee waivers, allowing ground-floor housing in commercial areas, looser rules for mixed-use projects and incentives for granny flats.

The new 15-page inventory report also has some bad news, particularly regarding the citys efforts to meet state housing goals and local demand.

City officials say the number of units built each year will need to triple for San Diego to meet a state-mandated goal of 108,000 new housing units by 2029.

Meeting the state-mandated target will require an average production of 13,500 units per year, which is much more than the 4,100 average units built in the city each year since 2010.

Additional bad news is that the number of housing projects approved during 2019 for future construction dropped to 3,835 last year. The number of units approved in 2018 was 5,914 in 2018 and 5,865 in 2017.

There also was a drop in 2019 in the number of subsidized low-income units that the city either rehabilitated or lengthened the number of years the units would remain subsidized.

The number of subsidized units preserved or rehabilitated last year was 707, down from nearly 1,200 in 2018 and just over 1,000 in 2017.

Scarcity of open land is a key hurdle San Diego faces in solving the citys housing crisis.

The citys second annual housing inventory report, released last year, said the number of housing units built in San Diego in the 1970s decade was more than 100,000, followed by about 90,000 in the 1980s.

But as the city ran out of large, empty tracts of land, that dipped sharply to about 50,000 in each of the next two decades, and has slowed even further since 2010.

Because of that long pattern of slowing construction, 80 percent of the citys housing stock was built more than 30 years ago, that report said.

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San Diego OKs middle-income incentive as new analysis shows some progress on local housing crisis - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Training camp is slow motion in progress for Giants – Newsday

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Each day this week, the Giants have been able to spend some time together on the field. After such a long layoff, the initial reaction to even the slightest resemblance to actual football must have been met with joy and elation. And as they go through their walkthroughs events that Joe Judge said doesnt look tempo-wise anything like what you would expect practice to look like there has been a deep sigh of relief to be back.

But coupled with that pleasure is undoubtedly a sense of terror. Because while each day on the field is a step forward, it is also another box on the calendar that gets crossed off before the Giants are scheduled to open their season. In about five-and-a-half weeks theyll be facing the Steelers in a game that counts.

They are, in other words, a team currently moving in slow motion with a season that is fast approaching.

The Giants have been focusing on the very basics at this point calling plays, breaking huddles, recognizing formations and its all new. Judge even noted that second-year quarterback Daniel Jones is beginning from ground zero in the new system and trying to find a rhythm with receivers even those he has worked with in the past and spent time with during unsanctioned practices in the offseason.

Were going to work obviously at a much slower pace, a much more controlled pace, Judge said in a virtual newsconference on Wednesday. The fundamentals that we are teaching, were giving them a chance to walk through them at a slow pace.

Agility drills, when the players are broken up into three groups to allow for social distancing, are about the only time they can go full speed. Often those drills are designed to emphasize whatever lessons were taught in the previous days walkthrough.

Were getting some group time where we work multiple positions together, whether that be a quarterback with receivers or tight ends next to tackles talking about different block combinations, Judge said. A great deal of this is being run on air. On defense theyre lined up across from trash cans or maybe coaches posing as players to give us a sense of a formation that they can line up and make checks against.

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Remember: Five-and-a-half weeks. Tick tock, tick tock.

For Jones, Judge said, the most important part of this phase of training camp is actually being on the field and in the huddle with teammates, no matter how slow the action is.

With a quarterback its such a mental game, its really the grasping and the understanding, Judge said. If it was somebodys second year in the same offense, youd want to see their command of that offense on the field. For Daniel, to be fair, this is a new offense. Its a new system, new scheme for him. Hes had a limited number of walkthroughs of actually being on the field and able to do this. At this point Im just looking to see his progress day by day and not compare him to where he was last year Its important for everyone to understand that were starting completely over right now and weve got to start from ground zero.

Despite the lack of full-speed football that is undoubtedly driving Judge bananasyou may recall his introductory newsconference when he promised to add physicality and even full tackling to Giants training camp practices but now must adapt to these pandemic-modified rules and paces the head coach said he is pleased by what he has so far seen from the team.

We have a lot of guys who have already reached out to coaches on their own for extra help, weve had players in meeting rooms doing extra together, and you can see the things you want to go ahead and breed within your culture coming together already, Judge said. Thats important. Now that has to sustain over the test of time. A few days together doesnt solve all of the problems. But as far as the starting point, Im very pleased with that and the direction that were going.

There is an urgency to improve, there is an urgency to learn, he said.

With five-and-a-half weeks, thered better be.

Sam Beal was supposed to be one of the possibilities to replace DeAndre Baker at starting cornerback this season. Now the Giants have to replace Beal.The third-year corner became the third Giants player to opt out of the upcoming season due to concerns about the coronavirus, according to the leagues transaction wire. Beal, selected in the 2018 supplemental draft, was entering his third NFL season but had played in just six games due to various injuries.

With Baker on the commissioners exempt list and facing eight felony charges in Florida, the Giants were hoping Beal might be able to step in as a starter opposite free agent pickup James Bradberry. Now that job will be up for grabs among Corey Ballentine, Grant Haley and Montre Hartage, 2020 draft choices Darnay Holmes (fourth round) and Chris Williamson (seventh),and perhaps second-year pro Julian Love.The Giants could also add a veteran free agent at the position, but that will require nearly a week of COVIDtesting and quarantine before any such player can be on the field with the Giants.

NFL players have until 4 pm on Thursday to opt out of the season. Beal is the third to take advantage of that option, following LT Nate Solder and WR DaMari Scott.

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and has been the Giants beat writer since 2008.

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Training camp is slow motion in progress for Giants - Newsday

Minding the Perils of Progress by Daron Acemoglu – Project Syndicate

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The COVID-19 crisis has been a brutal reminder that, for all of our wealth and technological mastery, we are still vulnerable to catastrophic tail risks. To ensure future prosperity, we must adopt a growth strategy that places collective risks front and center, rather than treating them as an afterthought.

CAMBRIDGE It is always worth remembering that in the grand sweep of history, we are the fortunate ones. Thomas Hobbess description of life as solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short was apt for most of human history. Not anymore. Famines and hunger have become rarer, living standards for most people have risen, and extreme poverty has been reduced substantially over the past few decades. Average life expectancy at birth even in the least healthy parts of the world is above 60 years, whereas a British person born in the 1820s would have expected to live to around 40.

But, these fantastic improvements have been accompanied by catastrophic risks. Even if COVID-19 has shaken us from our complacency, we have yet to grapple with the dangers still facing us.

The improvements of the past 200 years are the fruits of industrialization, made possible by our acquisition of knowledge and mastery of technology. But this process involved trade-offs. Driven by the desire for wealth, firms and governments sought to reduce costs and boost productivity and profits, which led to disruptions that sometimes left hundreds of millions of people impoverished and unemployed.

For decades, workers in mines and factories were brutally coerced to eke out ever more output, until they managed to organize and secure some political power for themselves. And, of course, the early industrial age encouraged slavery and the quest for access to natural resources, which led to massive wars and brutal forms of imperialist rule.

These excesses were neither an aberration nor inevitable. Many have since been corrected through the market economy, labor-relations reforms, state regulation, and new (often democratic) institutions. But other significant unintended consequences of industrialization have yet to be addressed, because no organized political constituency emerged to address them. The most pressing concern is catastrophic global risks, the most obvious being anthropogenic climate change a prime example of how a process of enrichment can create an existential threat.

A second, somewhat related problem is biodiversity loss. The estimated rate of species extinction today is anywhere from 100 to 1,000 times that of the pre-industrial era, yet there is still very little recognition of the risks created by such a radical destabilization of nature.

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The third global risk is nuclear war. Splitting the atom exemplifies both our mastery over nature and the potential for profound misuse of science and technology. Though nuclear technology has many peaceful applications (and may have a short-term role to play in addressing climate change), its most important consequence has been to inaugurate an era of mutually assured destruction. As with climate change and biodiversity loss, we still do not appreciate the risks that nuclear technology poses to humanity; in fact, countries that have nuclear arsenals are now rebuilding and expanding them.

A fourth major risk is artificial intelligence, which could lead to technologies that we cannot control. In addition to the risk that superintelligent algorithms wipe out humanity, AI also has the potential to be deployed as an instrument of surveillance and repression, paving the way to a new kind of serfdom. And governments are already developing AI and autonomous weapons that could be put to all kinds of nefarious uses, especially if they end up in the wrong hands.

Though no one can deny these risks, most peoples first instinct is to discount steeply the likelihood of a catastrophic scenario. But this is misguided. During the twentieth century, the world came close to nuclear war on multiple occasions. Because we were lucky, we now assume retrospectively that the risk was never as high as it seemed.

But consider the counterfactual scenario. Where would we be today if all-out nuclear war had not been averted by the actions of Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov, a lone Second Captain who, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, urged restraint when the other commanders aboard his Soviet nuclear B-59 submarine mistakenly believed they were under attack by the United States? We certainly wouldnt be reading books about the supposed decline in violence over time.

On the other hand, those who do recognize the dangers posed by climate change and AI too often jump to the conclusion that economic growth itself is the problem. They argue that reducing emissions, preserving nature, and preventing the misuse of technology requires a deceleration or reversal of production, investment, and innovation.

But pulling back from growth and technological progress is neither realistic nor advisable. The world is still a long way from ending poverty, and what people in both rich and poor countries need most right now are good jobs that leverage technology in the interest of workers themselves. Without secure employment and income growth, US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be the last right-wing demagogues to threaten established democracies.

The only responsible option is to forge a new growth strategy that emphasizes the kind of technological innovation needed to address global threats. The goal should be to create a regulatory environment that encourages firms and entrepreneurs to develop the technologies we actually need, rather than those that merely increase profits and market share for a narrow few. And, of course, we need a much greater focus on shared prosperity, so that we do not repeat the errors of the last four decades, when growth became decoupled from most peoples lived experience (at least in the Anglo-Saxon world).

Although our track record in combating climate change is poor, we can embrace the fact that once-costly forms of renewable energy are now competitive with fossil fuels. This did not happen because we turned our back on technology. Rather, it is the outcome of technological advances brought about by a regulated market economy in which firms responded to carbon pricing (especially in Europe), subsidies, and consumer demand.

The same recipe can work against other catastrophic risks. The first step is to acknowledge that these risks are real. Only then can we get on with the business of building better institutions and re-empowering the state to shape market outcomes with humanitys shared interests in mind.

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Minding the Perils of Progress by Daron Acemoglu - Project Syndicate

David Hockneys Artistic Staging of The Rakes Progress Dazzles Even On-Screen – Observer

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Igor Stravinskys 1951 The Rakes Progress, his only full-length opera, manages to the both accessible and thorny all at once. Its Neoclassical musical vocabulary is winkingly Mozartian and its libretto by celebrated poets W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman uses richly ironic verse to sift and infer a narrative arc from William Hogarths series of eight paintings-cum-engravings that detail the rise and ruin of fictitious English spendthrift Tom Rakewell in Georgian London. But even for a new listener, this masterpiece yields its greatest pleasures when its arch aesthetic and absurdist philosophical underpinnings are embraced, interrogated and decoded. And the iconic 1975 production from the Glyndebourne Festival, restaged in 2010, is available for streaming through Sunday, showing that making sense of The Rakes Progress is both easier and more rewarding than it might sound.

The opera is practically in Glyndebournes DNAthespian and festival co-founder Carl Ebert served as the director of the first-ever Rakes Progress at the Venice Biennale and mentored John Cox, whose production is seen here in a pristine 2010 revival. However, its greatest innovation is its stage design, executed entirely and meticulously by English artist David Hockney, which sources the visual world of the opera entirely from Hogarths prints.

Working within a limited color palette of black, white, red, blue and green, Hockney renders every set, costume and prop using the bold and crosshatched lines of the etchings. And when the stage is populated, both the prints and the lore that the composer and librettists cast onto them come alive. The effect augments the elegant restlessness of the score (so energetically and precisely given voice here by conductor Vladimir Jurowski) and answers back to the librettos sarcastic philosophizing. The bold lines both affirm and challenge the operas backwards-looking aestheticthey are immediate, clever, eminently modern and visually striking.

SEE ALSO:Dueling Divas: Rene Fleming and Anna Netrebko Perform for Online Audiences

The singers uniformly rise to meet the challenge of inhabiting the operas spaces and times, with Finnish tenor Topi Lehtipuu leading the pack as the titular rake. His Tom, sensitively acted and sung with cleanly drawn Mozartian ardor and ringing high notes for the entirety of the marathon role, reads as a reluctant but abstruse libertine from the first scene. It only takes the intervention of Nick Shadow, a stand-in for the devil posing as a valet, to tempt Tom to London and away from the angelic Anne Trulove in pursuit of an inheritance. Bass Matthew Rose as Nick, though sometimes a bit pedantic in his villainy, is equal parts devilish and demonic in his persuasion with a voice both suave and forceful.

While Tom is gradually corrupted by the profligate immorality of London, Anne waits patiently at her fathers country home before finding the resolve in herself to track down Tom and rescue him from peril. Its the operas most famous moment and a glorious showcase for soprano Miah Persson whose cool, pliant voice spins silky musical filaments out of the scene. Anne departs, and upon arrival in London, she is devastated to learn that Tom has renounced her and instead taken an illustrious but mercurial bearded-lady sideshow performer, Baba the Turk, as a wife. Elena Manistinas vinegary tone somewhat undercuts the imperiousness that can make Baba such a scene-stealing role, though her sound remains resonant and she wields her beard with style.

Ultimately manipulated into his most irresponsible behavior by Nick, Tom ends up destitute, then hospitalized in the famous Bedlam asylum as Anne looks on, mournful and powerless. But right as the curtain falls on his pitiful death, the characters spring to life again to deliver the pieces moral directly to the audience: For idle hands and hearts and minds, the devil finds a work to do. Its a philosophy that invites criticism; its a little Puritanical for one and two, it doesnt resonate as well in times of tedious self-quarantine. But such critiques, asked by both by the creators and the audience, remain firmly within the spirit of the piece and make The Rakes Progress the provocative and progressive classic that it is. As is always mysteriously the case with an opera now approaching 70, the old has never felt so new.

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David Hockneys Artistic Staging of The Rakes Progress Dazzles Even On-Screen - Observer

Crop Progress – AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST – AGInfo Ag Information Network Of The West

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Rains came to parts of southern Colorado helping green some pastures but leaving some alfalfa worse off.

Bill Meyer, Director of the Mountain Region Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, tells Colorado Ag Today more rain is needed across most of the state.

MEYER: Drought is ongoing. We only had 23% of the acreage rated good, 1% excellent compared to the 5 year average of 48% good and 9% excellent. Barley producers have just started their harvest with 2% of their acreage harvested compared to 8% on average. Corn, 16% is in the dough state compared to 6% on average. Dry beans are 61% blooming compared to 61% on average and our Sorghum 26% of the crop is headed compared to 38% on average.

The details of the weekly crop progress and condition report are found at USDA-NASS.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows 83.7 percent of the state is experiencing moderate drought or worse conditions (D1-D4). Thats an increase from 74.0 percent the previous week. The area experiencing extreme drought or worse conditions (D3-D4) is at 26.6 percent, a decrease from 31.8 percent previous week.

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

New Data Demonstrate The Progress Of Farmer-Led Stewardship In The Chesapeake Bay Region – Yahoo Finance

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Insights from 10,000 cropland acres in Maryland and Pennsylvania indicate that net on-farm greenhouse gas emissions were near-zero

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. and CAMDEN, N.J., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business at Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's largest farmer-owned cooperatives, Campbell Soup Company, and The Mill, a Land O'Lakes agricultural retailer, today announced the results from year two of an agricultural sustainability pilot project.

While the adoption of conservation practices needs to be tracked over a longer period of time to assess impact and sustainability, the year-two results suggest important progress. Truterra and The Mill will identify opportunities based on these year-over-year insights, and work with farmers to continue to advance their stewardship and profitability in 2020 and beyond.

Using the Truterra Insights Engine, a best-in-class farm sustainability data tool, participating farmers and project partners tracked, aggregated and reported environmental and economic outcomes of on-farm stewardship practices across 10,000 acres in the Chesapeake Bay region of Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) was instrumental in building the original pilot structure.

The project focuses on measuring and accelerating stewardship on farms growing wheat in rotation in the supply regions for several Campbell brands such as Pepperidge Farmbakery classics,Pepperidge Farmcookies including Farmhouse andMilano,Goldfishcrackersand Snyder's of Hanoverpretzels.

Below are illustrative insights from participating project acres.

"These data help to provide proof of concept for farmer-led, and ag retailer-supported, stewardship efforts. While the concept has been popular for some time, insights from this project suggest that smart farm management practices can help to slow and mitigate the results of climate change, while supporting greater resilience to the impacts of a changing climate and farm profitability," said Jason Weller, Vice President, Truterra, LLC. "We are energized by this snapshot of data that signals the potential for a real and lasting impact on conserving our natural resources when we bring private sector resources to bear to support farmer-led stewardship."

The goal of the Campbell-Truterra project, launched in 2018, is to assess how working through farmers' most trusted advisor the agricultural retailer to deploy precision tools can result in adoption of conservation practices and lead to positive environmental outcomes, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions on farms and improved water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region. Additionally, the tools strengthen farm profitability and the business case for stewardship by modeling the field-by-field return-on-investment of conservation practices, while also equipping growers to benefit from incentives made available through the U.S. Farm Bill and other programs.

"This project has provided an awesomeplatform for our growers to share their story that is built on the success of conservation with the data to back it up," said Tim Hushon, Truterra Champion, The Mill. "Opportunities to engage more growers about the Truterra Insights Engine excites us and can only drive positive outcomes for the environment. Growers are the stewards of the land and this project has given them a piece of the recognition they deserve."

With a shared vision of making every farm sustainable, Truterra and Campbell are working together to continue to scale this model. Campbell recently announced that it has reached its goal of enrolling 70,000 acres in the Truterra Insights Engine in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio, a year ahead of schedule.

"Our project with Truterra has been essential for achieving our goal to drive sustainable agriculture on 70,000 acres of wheat farmland by 2020. Our partnership links sustainability to financial returns for the farm, which aligns with our sustainable agriculture priorities," reported Dan Sonke, Campbell's Director of Sustainable Agriculture. "We are excited by the potential to drive more regenerative practices on farms in our supply regions."

About Truterra, LLCTruterra (formerly Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN) is a leading stewardship solutions provider, advancing and connecting sustainability efforts throughout the food system with scale from farmers to ag retailers to partners like food companies. Truterra positions farmers for success by providing them tools and resources to establish a stewardship baseline and track progress on every field they farm. The Truterra network brings together the best in agricultural technology and on-farm business management to drive sustainability across the food system, feeding people, safeguarding the planet and supporting farmer livelihoods. Truterra was launched in 2016 by Land O'Lakes, Inc., a member-owned cooperative that spans the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods.

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About Campbell Soup CompanyCampbell (NYSE:CPB) is driven and inspired by our purpose, "Real food that matters for life's moments." For generations, people have trusted Campbell to provide authentic, flavorful and affordable snacks, soups and simple meals, and beverages. Founded in 1869, Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the planet's natural resources. The company is a member of the Standard and Poor's 500 and the FTSE4Good Index. For more information, visit http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com or follow company news on Twitter via @CampbellSoupCo.

About The Mill Since 1986, agricultural retailer The Mill has delivered quality products and services to farmers. Headquartered in Bel Air, Maryland, The Mill has seven retail locations that includes a complete agronomy services team. The company's services spread throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Mill's Agronomy Division began in 2003 and has expanded into a team of five Certified Crop Advisors, two precision ag managers and seven professional fertilizer applicators, offering farmers a combination of practices, products and technologies available to help maintain soil health, improve nutrient use efficiency, and minimize environmental impact. The Mill prides itself on the valuable relationships it has developed and maintained with farmers and other environmental, government and university organizations.

Land O'Lakes NatalieLong 612-368-5600 NLong@landolakes.com

Campbell Soup CompanyAmanda Pisano 856-342-8590 Amanda_Pisano@campbells.com

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New Data Demonstrate The Progress Of Farmer-Led Stewardship In The Chesapeake Bay Region - Yahoo Finance

Ag Progress Days virtual town hall will address COVID-19 impact on agriculture – huntingdondailynews.com

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UNIVERSITY PARK The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on agriculture in Pennsylvania will be the subject of an online town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Aug. 10, as part of Penn State's virtual Ag Progress Days exposition.

Hosted by Rick Roush, dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, and Russell Redding, state secretary of agriculture, the forum will cover the lessons learned from the pandemic to date and the next steps needed to recover from the crisis, which has caused significant disruptions to food and agricultural markets, supply chains, and workforces.

The virtual town hall is free to attend, but registration is required. Those who register also will have access to a recording of the town hall for future viewing. A link to the registration page can be found on the Ag Progress Days website at http://apd.psu.edu.

Registered participants are invited to submit questions and discussion topics for Roush and Redding prior to the webinar. Details on how to submit questions will be provided in a confirmation email sent to registrants. The deadline for submitting questions is noon Sunday, Aug. 9.

Virtual Ag Progress Days, Aug. 9-12, will feature live, interactive webinars; virtual tours of the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center; videos highlighting research, educational programs and best practices in agriculture, natural resources, health and nutrition, and other topics; and opportunities to learn about and connect with the event's commercial exhibitors.

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Ag Progress Days virtual town hall will address COVID-19 impact on agriculture - huntingdondailynews.com

NBA Restart Continues To Progress Without Positive COVID-19 Test – LakersNation.com

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The NBA and NBPA announced that out of the 343 players screened in the Walt Disney World bubble, zero players tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) since the last round of results were announced July 29.

There was initially plenty of concern regarding the leagues plans to pursue a restart in a hotbed like Orlando, Florida, during the ongoing pandemic. Even commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged the drastic impact that a few positive tests could mean for the entire operation.

Fortunately, the NBAs hopes of becoming a virus-free zone has gone according to plan up to this point. Although there have been a few instances of players breaking protocol before the seeding games, it has not led to any significant repercussions outside of a delayed return to their respective teams.

The league also opted to ease the consequences of inconclusive tests, which have started to occur in approximately five of every 1,000 tests. Players can now have the chance to produce two negative tests within 60 minutes of tipoff rather than waiting 48 hours to become eligible.

Despite having to deal with the restrictions placed in response to the coronavirus pandemic during the most crucial point of the season, the NBA has fared better than other major professional sports leagues that have attempted to make its return.

The NFL is still in the midst of putting their health guidelines to the test with the start of training camp. Meanwhile, the MLBs lackluster efforts in containing any outbreaks have led to speculation about the uncertain fate of their season.

Just because the bubble has managed to accomplish all that it was designed to do, does not mean that it has been smooth sailing for the players and staff involved. LeBron James recently admitted that the time away from family certainly takes its toll.

Obviously, being away from your family is an unbelievable sacrifice were all making, and its very difficult. We have road games, when we go to the West Coast or East Coast, you have 11-day road trips of five or six games, James said.

And sometimes when you play in the Olympics, you can be away from your family because youre traveling from country to country. But nothing has ever compared to this. Its a huge sacrifice were all making. I miss the hell out of my family, my wife, my kids, my mother and so on. Its a huge challenge to be able to stay locked in.

Although players can take solace in the fact that the bubble experiment has worked out, being away from family has offered up its own set of challenges for those trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

As a result, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has been adamant about hi guys maintaining a healthy balance of basketball and off-field activities to avoid any potential burnout in the season restart.

James has been a man on a mission throughout the course of the pandemic with his efforts in maintaining the Lakers status as bonafide title contenders while raising awareness to the social injustice taking place off the court.

Perhaps the most difficult part is the fact that he is now limited to virtual interactions with his family. Despite the challenges involved, James admits it does allow him to narrow his focus on getting the job done on the court.

Once you get on the floor, the game is the game. Its an opportunity to lock in on the situation at hand, the task at hand, and you keep the main thing the main thing, James said.

Because at the end of the day when you get on the floor, you have a job to do. Me personally, I have a job to do to continue to take this team in the right direction. So Im able to lock in on that, and at the same time keep my family and loved ones in my heart and mind as well.

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NBA Restart Continues To Progress Without Positive COVID-19 Test - LakersNation.com

For Raiders QB Derek Carr, creativity outside the pocket still a work in progress – Raiders Wire

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When Raiders coach Jon Gruden rejoined the franchise in 2018, he said the job was appealing, in part, because of quarterback Derek Carr.

But it appears theres still a bit of work to do if Carr is to tap into the full potential of Grudens offense.

Since his return, Gruden has tried to mold Carr into his ideal QB. Carr, by all accounts, has done what he can to absorb his coachs lessons.

For instance, Carr adapted to Grudens demand to mitigate risk and avoid turnovers, and his completion percentage hit a career-high in 2019. But as Gruden stymied any gunslinger mentality that Carr possessed, there were growing pains.

The Raiders 2018 loss in Miami against the Dolphins is one example. With three minutes to play and a 1st-and-goal situation, Carr threw a risky pass to former Raiders wide receiver, Martavis Bryant. The ball was intercepted, and the Raiders lost, 28-20. Gruden voiced his displeasure with the play postgame, of course.

Carrs decision-making in the pocket slowly improved after that game, however, and its hard to imagine him making another such throw on first-and-goal in the future.

But theres yet another trait that Gruden wants Carr to possess. It also involves decision making, but after the play breaks down.

Offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who is always on the same page as Gruden, said Carr can still improve his ability to gain yards when the unexpected happens.

[I] want to see him create and I think if you said that about Dereks career, can he be more creative? Olson said via conference call on Tuesday. When a play breaks down, can you get out and create and be the play after the play call? Thats been an emphasis. He sees it, hes athletic enough that he can create with his legs, so we are just working on him to create more outside the pocket.

As Olson noted, Carr is certainly athletic enough to be a threat when the play breaks down, which keeps the defense on their toes and slows their aggression. Also as Olson mentioned, Carr is aware of the situation. The QB was asked about his ability to create offense after Olsons comments on Tuesday.

Before coach Gruden got here, I barely did it, said Carr via conference call, after learning of Olsons critique. Im going to sit in the pocket. These reads are going to beat you and my arm is going to beat you. Then he came in and the first year was a struggle just trying to figure out how to move and run around in the pocket. Then last year happens and were getting more first downs with my legs. Were winning football games with me scrambling. The arrow is trending up. But we want to still do more.

Fortunately for Carr, it shouldnt take much more to unleash the full potential of Grudens offense. With his skills inside the pocket, merely being a consistent threat to leave the tackle box and make a positive play even its just a few yards is enough to make an impact.

That skill is simply a must if Grudens ball-control offense is to reach its max potential. And if a QB with Carrs athleticism can evade sacks and avoid a loss, hell eventually begin to break plays for decent yardage, or even better, hit his targets on the run with regularity.

Even as Carr attempts to improve in that area, Gruden has made it clear how much he covets such a quarterback. Before facing Andrew Luck and the Colts in 2018, Gruden raved about Lucks ability to create offense when the play goes awry.

Thats what I think the great quarterbacks do. They dont just make the throws and fix plays at the line of scrimmage. Whens theres no blocking or nobody open, he can still make big plays, Gruden said.

Additionally, during Week 14 of the same campaign, Gruden said there are natural QB scrambling lanes in his offense when skill players are double-teamed, especially if its the tight end or running back.

In 2019, Carrs progress off-the-cuff was a focus on the first day of training camp, with a scramble by the QB making news. Later in the same camp, Gruden prepared Carr for unblocked pass-rushers by running into Carrs face himself while shouting instructions at his pupil.

The effort yielded some results during the season that followed, as Carr mentioned. In the Raiders loss in Oakland to the Jaguars, Carr scrambled from the pocket when his team needed a first down to put the game away, and it appeared he did enough to win. Unfortunately, due to a questionable call from the official, the Raiders lost that game, their last in Oakland.

But that consistent threat has to develop if hes to take another step at QB. And it appears Gruden needs to see more progress if his wandering eye for signal-callers is to subside.

The coachs affection for dual-threat quarterbacks dates back, at least, to former Raiders QB Rich Gannon, who was in Oakland with Gruden from 1999-01. Recently, Gruden had rumored interest in former Oklahoma QB and 2019 Rookie of the Year, Kyler Murray.

And Gruden brought an experienced, dual-threat QB to Las Vegas, Marcus Mariota, to compete with Carr. As a draft analyst, the coach raved about Mariota, as did Raiders general manager, Mike Mayock.

Carr is still the clear choice as starter, but hed do well to improve in this area, shutting the door on talk of a possible demotion that followed the Mariota signing. Such rumors will continue until Carr leads the Raiders to the playoffs, signs an extension or is let go.

Amazingly, though Carr is in his seventh year as the Raiders starting QB and the franchises all-time leader in passing yards, hes still a work in progress regarding a skill his coach covets. Its his third year in Grudens offense, however. Carrs never had such continuity in his career, which bodes well for his chances.

Still, it doesnt figure to be easy, even if Carr only has to show consistent, competent ability outside the pocket. Its not a rudimentary skill. As Gruden said, its a trait shared by great quarterbacks.

But Carr will give it all hes got. Its his job to realize the potential of the Raiders offense, and if he does so in 2020, he could be Grudens long-term solution at quarterback, and they can both finish what they started in 2018.

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For Raiders QB Derek Carr, creativity outside the pocket still a work in progress - Raiders Wire

More progress at Hanford despite the challenges of a Global Pandemic – FOX 11 and FOX 41

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HANFORD, WA The Energy Department and Tank Farms Contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions, joined ranks with the state Ecology Department to break ground on a new waste pre-treatment system.

Its a critical component of turning legacy waste now stored in underground tanks into glass.

The groundbreaking marks a year and a half of design and fabrication work.

Were out here today to break ground on the line that will bring the waste from the new tank-side cesium and removal facility over to the waste treatment plant for treatment and its a big deal because this is the missing link for really getting waste treatment started at Hanford. Which has been a priority for the State of Washington for a very long time, said Alex Smith, Washington Department of Ecology Nuclear Waste program manager.

The system helps strain solids and remove radioactive cesium from the tank waste.

Its then stored in a tank until it can be sent through underground pipes to the low-activity waste facility, where it will be heated to 2,100 Degrees Fahrenheit, mixed with glass-forming materials and poured into stainless steel containers for disposal.

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More progress at Hanford despite the challenges of a Global Pandemic - FOX 11 and FOX 41

Progress being made on restoring power to the Cape Fear – WWAY NewsChannel 3

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WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)On Monday night, more than 150,000 people were left without power after Hurricane Isaias passed through the Cape Fear. Duke Energy, Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation and Four County Electric have had crews out restoring power since late last night.

As of 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday night, Duke Energy was still reporting over 38,000 people without power in the Cape Fear. The Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation currently has 9,421 outages at this time.

A Duke Energy spokesman says their goal is to have everyones power back up by tomorrow, but its process that takes time.

This is going to be a multiple day restoration for Wilmington, theres just too many outages,said Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks. Were looking at 700 to 800 outages that have to be repaired. That means individual locations where crews have to go to make repairs. So, a lot of work ahead of us, but were making good progress and were going to keep working till we get it done.

Duke Energy brought in nearly 300 workers from the Midwest to assist in restorations. You can visit your individual electrical companies website for more information on when power may be restored to your area.

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Progress being made on restoring power to the Cape Fear - WWAY NewsChannel 3

Groundbreaking study of women in leadership positions in state government shows progress, but need for improvement – Cache Valley Daily

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A new research study from Utah State Universitys Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP), in conjunction with USU Extension, reports that state government leaders are implementing strategies to diversify gender leadership, but there are still opportunities for improvement.

The research is the first in a series that focuses on women leaders who work in Utahs public sector. It will be followed by similar analysis at the county and municipal levels.

The groundbreaking study included an analysis of gender representation across 3,850 leadership positions within 53 Utah state agencies. Researchers were interested in understanding how women are represented in formal leadership roles within governments in Utah. The goal was to document a baseline of the number of women in leadership roles to track the progress made and help make improvements in the future.

Susan Madsen, founding director of the UWLP and inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in USUs Huntsman School of Business, said identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for womens equal representation across state agencies and leadership levels.

According to lead researcher April Townsend, the study showed that because departments and divisions tend to adopt masculine and feminine divisions of labor, the place a woman works often impacts her career progression. Feminine agencies tend to be redistributive areas such as education, social services, healthcare, the arts and veterans affairs. Masculine agencies are primarily administrative, distributive and regulatory, such as in business and economic development, labor, defense, transportation, taxes, budget, criminal justice, natural resources, agriculture and environmental quality. These divisions of labor often determined the type of leadership roles men and women held.

The Utah Foundation, an independent research organization, notes that 13 of the 20 largest employers in the state are government entities, and when looking at the top 50 employers in Utah, nearly half are government entities.

Because of the high rate of state government employment, its important to balance the role of men and women, not just as leaders generally, but at all leadership levels, said Madsen.

The research findings identified that women hold 39.3% of supervisory, managerial and leadership positions in Utah government. Women comprised 41.2 percent of front-line leadership positions, but just 27.1 percent of cabinet-level roles.

Our research states that organizations increasingly thrive when both men and women hold leadership roles and work together, Madsen said. Gender inclusivity in leadership benefits not only Utahs businesses, but also its government organizations, such as state legislatures, city councils and state and local bureaucracies. A lack of womens equal representation in the leadership ranks stands in stark contrast to the goal of a diverse government workforce.

The benefits of diverse leadership teams include improved strategic decision making, increased capacity for problem solving, enhanced resilience, increased innovation and expanded capacity to adapt to change.

Researchers recommended several ways to increase gender diversity in Utah leadership:

* Make it clear that diversity is part of the organizational culture, with elected officials and top cabinet members playing an active role in prioritizing gender diversity and communicating that throughout state agencies.

* Develop strategic plans that clearly show steps for recruiting and advancing women, with an eye to women of color, into leadership positions, particularly in agencies that may be considered non-traditional for women.

* Evaluate hiring processes to eliminate potentially outdated language, unnecessary minimum qualifications and other exclusionary measures.

* Update interview practices for hiring managers with a lens to diversity. Emphasize the need for training agency managers to raise their awareness of gender equity and to provide proper ways to address gender bias in the workplace. This includes incorporating unconscious bias training that addresses negative stereotypes of women managers and shows the benefits of hiring women leaders.

* Make gender diversity a priority by tracking and sharing the data, both inside and outside the organization.

* Train women and men to respond appropriately when they encounter gender bias in language, behavior or policy.

Having women at top levels can inspire other women to pursue their own advancement, said Madsen. It also increases the willingness to hire and promote highly skilled, competent women routinely. Shifting to more balanced leadership will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities and the state as a whole.

Click herefor the full research brief. Visit the UWLP website athttps://www.usu.edu/uwlp/.

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Groundbreaking study of women in leadership positions in state government shows progress, but need for improvement - Cache Valley Daily

County making progress on road projects – Daily Mountain Eagle

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The Walker County Commission on Monday said it is making progress on several road projects.

Chairman Jerry Bishop and District 4 Commissioner Steven Aderholt were absent due to illness. District 1 Commissioner Keith Davis presided over the meeting.

County Engineer Mike Short said, "As you are aware, we have several projects going on right now. I guess the one that is furtherest along is Fall City Road," which is getting asphalt treatment for 6.7 miles. Work was supposed to start this week. However, a subcontractor for surface treatment is having a difficult time getting testing for stone delivered to District 1. "It's nothing under our control. It is strictly getting a product to pass the state's tests," Short said.

A pre-construction conference is being scheduled on the Nauvoo Road project in the Carbon Hill area, he said. "That should be getting started shortly," he said.

Davis noted he was encouraged a large amount of road work was going on in all the districts. In District 1, he noted that surface treatment is planned for Baughn Road (.4 of a mile), Lamon Chapel Road (6.2 miles), Whittemore Road (2.8 miles) and Bird Farm Road (6 miles). All will be striped in the process. Davis said with Fall City Road included - which will also include reflectors - the total mileage will amount to 21.4 miles of work.

District 2 Commissioner Jeff Burrough said resurfacing work is also set to be done in his district on Homestead Road, Trinity Road and Coalbed Road.

District 3 Commissioner Ralph Williams also thanked Burrough for having his crews help in District 3 on Gardner's Gin Road for prep work. "Hopefully we can get that done in front of the school this week," Williams said.

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County making progress on road projects - Daily Mountain Eagle

Which states are making the most progress on emissions? Not the ones you think. – Grist

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News on climate in the time of coronavirusSubscribe today

For over a decade, the U.S. federal government has failed to pursue major action on climate change, leaving most of the hard work of cutting carbon emissions to individual states. But even without national leadership, many states are succeeding at slashing emissions and fast.

According to a new report from the World Resources Institute, an international research organization, 41 states managed to cut their carbon emissions between 2005 and 2017, even as their economies grew. (State-level emissions data usually takes more than two years to be reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, making 2017 data the latest available.)

The states leading the charge might not be the ones you expect.

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The state that cut emissions the most wasnt Washington, where Governor Jay Inslee has cooked up ambitious climate plans that have been partially adopted by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Nor was it California, which is famous for strict fuel efficiency standards, one of the worlds largest cap-and-trade programs, and the long tenure of environmentalist former Governor Jerry Brown.

No, the most significant cuts in carbon emissions came from Maryland, with New Hampshire, Washington, D.C., and Maine following closely behind.

Clayton Aldern / Grist

According to the report, Maryland cut emissions 38 percent in those 12 years, and the Northeast region as a whole cut emissions by around 24 percent. In contrast, most Western states including Washington and California saw their carbon emissions rise or decrease only slightly over the entire period.

Devashree Saha, one of the authors of the report and a senior associate at the World Resources Institute, said that the Northeast had several factors on its side. For one thing, many Northeastern states once used coal to power their electricity grids. In recent years, they have quickly switched over to natural gas, which produces far less carbon dioxide than coal-fired power.

The Northeast is also the home of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an interstate agreement that caps carbon emissions from power plants in Maryland, Maine, New York, and seven other member states in the region. According to a report from the nonprofit Acadia Center, the program has reduced power plant emissions by almost 47 percent since it started 10 years ago, far outpacing the rest of the country.

But theres more to the data than meets the eye. Saha says that some of the states that seem to be lagging behind, including California and Washington, already had fairly low carbon intensity before the study period began. (Carbon intensity is a measurement of the carbon emitted per dollar of economic growth.) In other words, the large cuts in the Northeast may reflect the ways in which it was actually catching up with states that already had cleaner electricity systems in 2005: Washington has consistently pulled a lot of power from its giant dams, and California has powered its grid off of natural gas since the early 2000s.

Once you take into account the low-hanging fruit, then there are another series of challenges, Saha explained.

Thats one reason why the federal government may have to step in. Even states that have seen decreases in carbon pollution will need to do much more: shifting from natural gas to renewable fuel sources, for example, and decarbonizing cars and other vehicles. That will require a more comprehensive federal policy, like big federal spending on wind and solar energy or a nationwide cap-and-trade system. Meanwhile, some states like Idaho, Texas, and the Dakotas still have rising emissions levels.

It is high time that the federal government starts taking action, Saha said.

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Which states are making the most progress on emissions? Not the ones you think. - Grist

Gordon Moore Park Renovations Continue To Make Strong Progress, Turf Fields Are In Place For Fall – RiverBender.com

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ALTON - The Gordon Moore Park renovations appear right on track, despite the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The renovations have gone in phases a big recent component has been revitalization of the Gordon Moore Park turf soccer fields. The park has two new turf surfaces on fields three and four. Field three is a combination soccer and football multi-use field for local youth and field four is a tournament-size soccer field on which IHSA-sanctioned play can occur.

Pedestrian access pads are also being installed at the Gordon Moore Park. The entrance to Gordon Moore Park is coming along quite nicely, Alton Public Works Director Bob Barnhart said. We have had some delays with IDOT approvals of materials related to traffic control lights, but overall, it is going quite well.

Alton Mayor Brant Walker said the park additions will make this already premier area sports park even more appealing.

The park restoration is part of a project that the parks department partnered with the Gordon Moore Park Restoration Committee to raise funds for new concession and the all-inclusive playground area. Walker said it is wonderful to have the all-inclusive area. The work at the park has occurred simultaneously with the CMAQ Grant for which the city is receiving a $900,000 for widening and improving the entrance to the park and related park.

The artificial turf enables us to save on field maintenance expenses and many man-hours that would be spent treating, mowing and planting fields, Michael Haynes, Alton Director of Parks and Recreation, said.

The park field renovations, concession stand, entrance and all should be a huge plus for sports marking in the region, Mayor Walker said. At 1 p.m. on July 14, Altons future Prospect League Baseball team will announce the new team name at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park, which has been selected from about 1,000 community entries. There is also excitement surrounding the Prospect team, expected to begin play in 2021.

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Gordon Moore Park Renovations Continue To Make Strong Progress, Turf Fields Are In Place For Fall - RiverBender.com