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Global Fisheries Need Better Governance to Sustain Key Stocks – The Pew Charitable Trusts

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

A third of the worlds fish stocks are overfished and another nearly 60 percent cannot sustain any increases in fishing. Despite the critical role that key species play in marine ecosystems and the billions of dollars they generate for the global economy, there are inadequate rules in placeparticularly governing high seas fisheriesto ensure that catch levels are sustainable. Where rules do exist, gaps in oversight allow unscrupulous operators to illegally traffic in valuable catch, and penalties are minimal if they are caught.

It is time for a change. An improved system of rules and consequences would ensure that fisheries are sustainably managed and help governments better address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. All participants in the fisheries economyfrom individual vessel owners to government officials and fisheries managersmust work together to improve oversight, from the time a vessel leaves port to the final point of sale.

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Global Fisheries Need Better Governance to Sustain Key Stocks - The Pew Charitable Trusts

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Hosting World’s Only Biker Cruise in 2021 – Cruise Fever

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

The worlds only biker rally cruise, High Seas Rally, will now take place on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship October 22-29, 2021.

Riding with all the excitement and camaraderie of motorcycle rallies, the High Seas Rally will sail on Royal Caribbeans Mariner of the Seas from Port Canaveral to Nassau, Bahamas; Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Bahamas; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Labadee, Haiti.

2021 will mark the 21st High Seas Rally sailing, each powered by legions of bike enthusiasts who come together for a first-class vacation that celebrates love of motorcycles and the freedom of the high seas. Rally cruisers also share a passion for helping others, which is the engine behind the High Seas Rally Dialysis Program and its rich history of giving back to the community.

Top 10 world news: UK suspends extradition treaty, Oxford vaccine trials, and more – WION

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

UK suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong after controversial security law

Britain on Monday suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and indefinitely" in response to China's introduction of a controversial new security law in the territory, according to AFP.

Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial: Safe & produced immune response, data reveals

The Lancet medical journal said the vaccine AZD1222 under development by AstraZeneca and scientists at Britain's Oxford University did not prompt any serious side effects

Mens T20 World Cup 2020 postponed due to coronavirus pandemic: ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the ICC Mens T20 World Cup that was scheduled to be held in Australia later this year has been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

They could have stopped the virus but didn't: Trump lashes out at China again

President Trump attacked China once again over the coronavirus pandemic asserting that it's a worldwide problem caused by China.

'Nothing but rumours and slander': China to UK on Uighurs abuse

A day after Britain's foreign secretary accused China of committing "gross human rights abuses" against Uighurs, China on Monday described them as "nothing but rumours and slander".

China's 'Malacca dilemma': How India can control the Dragon on the high seas

The India-US drills on the high seas is a move to deter China. In fact, naval power could be India's answer to Chinese aggression. The exercises help New Delhi to only project its power but, it also adds to Xi Jinpings headaches.

Delhi reports under 1,000 coronavirus cases first time in over 35 days

Delhi on Monday reported 954 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hour-period, first day since June 1 when less than 1,000 infections were found.

US-Indian navies conduct joint drill in Indian Ocean in a strong message to China

Units of US Navy -- Nimitz Carrier Strike Group -- and Indian Navy undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the Indian Ocean on Monday. WION broke the story about the drill on Sunday evening.

Hope to produce 200 million coronavirus vaccine doses this year: Russia

Russia hopes to finish trials of a coronavirus vaccine in August and aims to produce 30 million doses with the help of international partners by the end of this year, the chief its sovereign wealth fund on Monday said.

Putin names new governor of restive Russian region hit by protests

President Vladimir Putin named a new acting governor to head Russia`s Far Eastern region of Khabarovsk on Monday after the previous regional head was arrested on murder charges, sparking a wave of protests.

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Top 10 world news: UK suspends extradition treaty, Oxford vaccine trials, and more - WION

Pirate attacks have doubled in Asia thanks to the coronavirus – New York Post

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

The coronavirus has been good for pirates.

Piracy incidents across Asia have doubled in the first half of this year due to the coronavirus, according to a report by Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

The majority of attacks took place in the Singapore Strait, but there has been an alarming increase near Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and in the South China Sea as well.

While a majority of the piracy acts are considered smaller, opportunistic robberies, Small crimes, if not addressed, can embolden criminals to commit more serious acts, ReCAAPs executive director Masafumi Kuroki told the BBC.

[Sometimes] the pirates are local fishermen who see piracy as a way to supplement their incomes. In other parts of Asia, many are jobless young men who have travelled to Batam [in Indonesia] or other places looking for work, Brandon Prins, a scholar of sea piracy at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville told the BBC.

The global pandemic is the cause of this upward tick on high seas robbery as joblessness rises.

My fear has always been that COVID-19 would reduce global trade, which lowers growth, increases poverty and joblessness [and then] leads to more sea piracy, Prins added.

There is certainly concern that with trade going down, there will be fewer sailors on board ships [and therefore] fewer crew monitoring for potential pirates or armed robbers.

A total of 77 seafarers were taken hostage or kidnapped for ransom since January, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

The organization upped their presence in West Africa and Peru, with the Gulf of Guineas responsible for 90% of the worlds pirate attacks.

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Pirate attacks have doubled in Asia thanks to the coronavirus - New York Post

With Skull And Bones Missing, King Of Seas May Be Your Pirate ARRPG This Year – TechRaptor

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

With Ubisoft's much-anticipatedSkull and Bonesabsent with scurvy this year, you may be hankerin' for another slice of high-seas adventure. Italian studio 3DClouds is stepping up to deliver just that.King of Seasis a procedurally-generated pirate ARPG (ARRPG?) set during the golden age of piracy. It'll launch for PC and consoles this autumn.

3DClouds saysKing of Seaswill immerse you in a time of "pirates, ferocious sea battles, hidden treasure, and lost islands". You are, amazingly enough, a pirate, who must embark on a journey to avenge the death of your father. As you journey, your quest takes on a new objective: you must stake your claim as the king of all pirates. You can check out a trailer forKing of Seasright here:

King of Seaspromises a world in which every action you take will cause a reaction, forcing you to "evaluate your strategy at every turn", according to a press release. Naval routes may change, so you'll need to find alternate routes to your destinations, or weather conditions may force you into more dangerous routes. This being a pirate game, there'll also be plenty of opportunity to travel to distant islands, trade goods with locals, and upgrade your ship, as well as engage in naval combat, and take part in a variety of story missions.

You'll be able to check outKing of Seasthis autumn on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. If you're into the idea of this pirate ARRPG (still not sick of that joke), you can wishlist it over on Steam right now. We don't have a concrete release date forKing of Seasyet, so when we know more - including more concrete gameplay details - we'll bring it your way.

DoesKing of Seaslook like your pirate-themed jam? Let us know in the comments below, ye scurvy dogs!

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With Skull And Bones Missing, King Of Seas May Be Your Pirate ARRPG This Year - TechRaptor

The Pentagon confronts the pandemic – NationofChange

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

On March 26th, the coronavirus accomplished what no foreign adversary has been able to do since the end of World War II: it forced an American aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, to suspend patrol operations and shelter in port. By the time that ship reached dock in Guam, hundreds of sailors had been infected with the disease and nearly the entire crew had to be evacuated. As news of the crisis aboard the TR (as the vessel is known) became public, word came out that at least 40 other U.S. warships, including the carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd, were suffering from Covid-19 outbreaks. None of these approached the scale of the TR and, by June, the Navy was again able to deploy most of those ships on delayed schedules and/or with reduced crews. By then, however, it had become abundantly clear that the long-established U.S. strategy of relying on large, heavily armed warships to project power and defeat foreign adversaries was no longer fully sustainable in a pandemic-stricken world.

Just as the Navy was learning that its preference for big ships with large crewstypically packed into small spaces for extended periods of timewas quite literally proving a dead-end strategy (one of the infected sailors on the TR died of complications from Covid-19), the Army and Marine Corps were making a comparable discovery. Their favored strategy of partnering with local forces in far-flung parts of the world like Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, and South Korea, where local safeguards against infectious disease couldnt always be relied on (or, as in Okinawa recently, Washingtons allies couldnt count on the virus-free status of American forces), was similarly flawed. With U.S. and allied troops increasingly forced to remain in isolation from each other, it is proving difficult to conduct the usual joint training-and-combat exercises and operations.

In the short term, American defense officials have responded to such setbacks with various stopgap measures, including sending nuclear-capable B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers on long-range show-of-force missions over contested areas like the Baltic Sea (think: Russia) or the South China Sea (think: China, of course). We have the capability and capacity to provide long-range fires anywhere, anytime, and can bring overwhelming firepower even during the pandemic, insisted General Timothy Ray, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, after several such operations.

In another sign of tactical desperation, however, the Navy ordered the shattered crew of the TR out of lockdown in May so that the ship could participate in long-scheduled, China-threatening multi-carrier exercises in the western Pacific. A third of its crew, however, had to be left in hospitals or in quarantine on Guam. Were executing according to plan to return to sea and fighting through the virus is part of that, said the ships new captain, Carlos Sardiello, as the TR prepared to depart that Pacific island. (He had been named captain on April 3rd after a letter the carriers previous skipper, Brett Crozier, wrote to superiors complaining of deteriorating shipboard health conditions was leaked to the media and the senior Navy leadership fired him.)

Such stopgap measures, and others like them now being undertaken by the Department of Defense, continue to provide the military with a sense of ongoing readiness, even aggressiveness, in a time of Covid-related restrictions. Were the current pandemic to fade away in the not-too-distant future and life return to what once passed for normal, they might prove adequate. Scientists are warning, however, that the coronavirus is likely to persist for a long time and that a vaccineeven if successfully developed may not prove effective forever. Moreover, many virologists believe that further pandemics, potentially even more lethal than Covid-19, could be lurking on the horizon, meaning that there might never be areturn to a pre-pandemic normal.

That being the case, Pentagon officials have been forced to acknowledge that the military foundations of Washingtons global strategy particularly, the forward deployment of combat forces in close cooperation with allied forcesmay have become invalid. In recognition of this harsh new reality, U.S. strategists are beginning to devise an entirely new blueprint for future war, American-style: one that would end, or at least greatly reduce, a dependence on hundreds of overseas garrisons and large manned warships, relying instead on killer robots, a myriad of unmanned vessels, and offshore bases.

In fact, the Navys plans to replace large manned vessels with small, unmanned ones was only accelerated by the outbreak of the pandemic. Several factors had already contributed to the trend: modern warships like nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and missile-armed cruisers had been growing ever more expensive to build. The latest, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has cost a whopping $13.2 billion and still doesnt work to specifications. So even a profligately funded Pentagon can only afford to be constructing a few at a time. They are also proving increasingly vulnerable to the sorts of anti-ship missiles and torpedoes being developed by powers like China, while, as events on the TR suggest, theyre natural breeding grounds for infectious diseases.

Until the disaster aboard the Theodore Roosevelt, most worrisome were those Chinese land-based, anti-ship weapons capable of striking American carriers and cruisers in distant parts of the Pacific Ocean. This development had already forced naval planners to consider the possibility of keeping their most prized assets far from Chinas shores in any potential shooting war, lest they be instantly lost to enemy fire. Rather than accept such a version of defeat before a battle even began, Navy officials had begun adopting a new strategy, sometimes called distributed maritime operations, in which smaller manned warships would, in the future, be accompanied into battle by large numbers of tiny, unmanned, missile-armed vessels, or maritime killer robots.

In a reflection of the Navys new thinking, the services surface warfare director, Rear Admiral Ronald Boxall, explained in 2019 that the future fleet, as designed, was to include 104 large surface combatants [and] 52 small surface combatants, adding, Thats a little upside down. Should I push out here and have more small platforms? I think the future fleet architecture study has intimated yes, and our war gaming shows there is value in that And when I look at the force, I think: Where can we use unmanned so that I can push it to a smaller platform?

Think of this as an early public sign of the rise of naval robotic warfare, which is finally leaving dystopian futuristic fantasies for actual future battlefields. In the Navys version of this altered landscape, large numbers of unmanned vessels (both surface ships and submarines) will roam the worlds oceans, reporting periodically via electronic means to human operators ashore or on designated command ships. They may, however, operate for long periods on their own or in robotic wolf packs.

Such a vision has now been embraced by the senior Pentagon leadership, which sees the rapid procurement and deployment of such robotic vessels as the surest way of achieving the Navys (and President Trumps) goal of a fleet of 355 ships at a time of potentially static defense budgets, recurring pandemics, and mounting foreign threats. I think one of the ways you get [to the 355-ship level] quickly is moving toward lightly manned [vessels], which over time can be unmanned, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper typically said in February. We can go with lightly manned ships You can build them so theyre optionally manned and then, depending on the scenario or the technology, at some point in time they can go unmanned That would allow us to get our numbers up quickly, and I believe that we can get to 355, if not higher, by 2030.

To begin to implement such an audacious plan, that very month the Pentagon requested $938 million for the next two fiscal years to procure three prototype large unmanned surface vessels (LUSVs) and another $56 million for the initial development of a medium-sized unmanned surface vessel (MUSV). If such efforts prove successful, the Navy wants another $2.1 billion from 2023 through 2025 to procure seven deployable LUSVs and one prototype MUSV.

Naval officials have, however, revealed little about the design or ultimate functioning of such robot warships. All that services 2021 budget request says is that the unmanned surface vessel (USV) is a reconfigurable, multi-mission vessel designed to provide low cost, high endurance, reconfigurable ships able to accommodate various payloads for unmanned missions and augment the Navys manned surface force.

Based on isolated reports in the military trade press, the most that can be known about such future (and futuristic) ships, is that they will resemble miniature destroyers, perhaps 200 feet long, with no crew quarters but a large array of guided missiles and anti-submarine weapons. Such vessels will also be equipped with sophisticated computer systems enabling them to operate autonomously for long periods of time and under circumstances yet to be clarified take offensive action on their own or in coordination with other unmanned vessels.

The future deployment of robot warshipson the high seas raises troubling questions. To what degree, for instance, will they be able to choose targets on their own for attack and annihilation? The Navy has yet to provide an adequate answer to this question, provoking disquiet among arms control and human rights advocates who fear that such ships could go rogue and start or escalate a conflict on their own. And thats obviously a potential problem in a world of recurring pandemics where killer robots could prove the only types of ships the Navy dares deploy in large numbers.

When it comes to the prospect of recurring pandemics, the ground combat forces of the Army and Marine Corps face a comparable dilemma.

Ever since the end of World War II, American military strategy has called for U.S. forces to fight forwardthat is, on or near enemy territory rather than anywhere near the United States. This, in turn, has meant maintaining military alliances with numerous countries around the world so that American forces can be based on their soil, resulting in hundreds of U.S. military bases globally. In wartime, moreover, U.S. strategy assumes that many of these countries will provide troops for joint operations against a common enemy. To fight the Soviets in Europe, the U.S. created NATO and acquired garrisons throughout Western Europe; to fight communism in Asia, it established military ties with Japan, South Korea, South Vietnam, the Philippines, and other local powers, acquiring scores of bases there as well. When Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Islamic terrorism became major targets of its military operations, the Pentagon forged ties with and acquired bases in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, among other places.

In a pandemic-free world, such a strategy offers numerous advantages for an imperial power. In time of war, for example, theres no need to transport American troops (with all their heavy equipment) into the combat zone from bases thousands of miles away. However, in a world of recurring pandemics, such a vision is fast becoming a potentially unsustainable nightmare.

To begin with, its almost impossible to isolate thousands of U.S. soldiers and their families (who often accompany them on long-term deployments) from surrounding populations (or those populations from them). As a result, any viral outbreak outside base gates is likely to find its way inside and any outbreak on the base is likely to head in the opposite direction. This, in fact, occurred at numerous overseas facilities this spring. Camp Humphreys in South Korea, for example, was locked down after four military dependents, four American contractors, and four South Korean employees became infected with Covid-19. It was the same on several bases in Japan and on the island of Okinawa when Japanese employees tested positive for the virus (and, more recently, when U.S. military personnel at five bases there were found to have Covid-19). Add in Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti and Ahmed al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, not to speak of the fact that, in Europe, some 2,600 American soldiers have been placed in quarantine after suspected exposure to Covid-19. (And if the U.S. military is anxious about all this in other countries, think about how Americas allies feel at a moment when Donald Trumps America has become the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic.)

A world of recurring pandemics will make it nearly impossible for U.S. forces to work side-by-side with their foreign counterparts, especially in poorer nations that lack adequate health and sanitation facilities. This is already true in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the coronavirus is thought to have spread widely among friendly local forces and American soldiers have been ordered to suspend joint training missions with them.

A return to the pre-Covid world appears increasingly unlikely, so the search is now on big time for a new guiding strategy for Army and Marine combat operations in the years to come. As with the Navy, this search actually began before the outbreak of the coronavirus, but has gained fresh urgency in its wake.

To insulate ground operations from the dangers of a pandemic-stricken planet, the two services are exploring a similar operating model: instead of deploying large, heavily-armed troop contingents close to enemy borders, they hope to station small, highly mobile forces on U.S.-controlled islands or at other reasonably remote locations, where they can fire long-range ballistic missiles at vital enemy assets with relative impunity. To further reduce the risk of illness or casualties, such forces will, over time, be augmented on the front lines by ever more unmanned creations, including armed machinesagain those killer robotsdesigned to perform the duties of ordinary soldiers.

The Marine Corps version of this future combat model was first spelled out in Force Design 2030, a document released by Corps commandant General David Berger in the pandemic month of March 2020. Asserting that the Marines existing structure was unsuited to the world of tomorrow, he called for a radical restructuring of the force to eliminate heavy, human-operated weapons like tanks and instead increase mobility and long-range firepower with a variety of missiles and what he assumes will be a proliferation of unmanned systems. Operating under the assumption that we will not receive additional resources, he wrote, we must divest certain existing capabilities and capacities to free resources for essential new capabilities. Among those new capabilities that he considers crucial: additional unmanned aerial systems, or drones, that can operate from ship, from shore, and [be] able to employ both collection and lethal payloads.

In its own long-range planning, the Army is placing an even greater reliance on creating a force of robots, or at least optionally manned systems. Anticipating a future of heavily-armed adversaries engaging U.S. forces in high-intensity warfare, its seeking to reduce troop exposure to enemy fire by designing all future combat-assault systems, including tanks, troop-carriers, and helicopters, to be either human-occupied or robotically self-directed as circumstances dictate. The Armys next-generation infantry assault weapon, for instance, has been dubbed an optionally manned fighting vehicle (OMFV). As its name suggests, it is intended to operate with or without onboard human operators. The Army is also procuring a robotic utility vehicle, the squad multipurpose equipment transport (SMET), intended to carry 1,000 pounds of supplies and ammunition. Looking further into the future, that service has also begun development of a robotic combat vehicle (RCV), or a self-driving tank.

The Army is also speeding the development of long-range artillery and missile systems that will make attacks on enemy positions from well behind the front lines ever more central to any future battle with a major enemy. These include the extended range cannon artillery, an upgraded Paladin-armored howitzer with an extra-long barrel and supercharged propellant that should be able to hit targets 40 miles away, and the even more advanced precision strike missile (PrSM), a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of at least 310 miles.

Many analysts, in fact, believe that the PrSM will be able to strike at far greater distances than that, putting critical enemy targetsair bases, radar sites, command centersat risk from launch sites far to the rear of American forces. In case of war with China, this could mean firing missiles from friendly partner-nations like Japan or U.S.-controlled Pacific islands like Guam. Indeed, this possibility has alarmed Air Force supporters who fear that the Army is usurping the sorts of long-range strike missions traditionally assigned to combat aircraft.

All these plans and programs are being promoted to enable the U.S. military to continue performing its traditional missions of power projection and warfighting in a radically altered world. Seen from that perspective, measures like removing sailors from crowded warships, downsizing U.S. garrisons in distant lands, and replacing human combatants with robotic ones might seem sensible. But looked at from what might be called the vantage point of comprehensive securityor the advancement of all aspects of American safety and wellbeingthey appear staggeringly myopic.

If the scientists are right and the coronavirus will linger for a long period and, in the decades to come, be followed by other pandemics of equal or greater magnitude, the true future threats to American security could be microbiological (and economic), not military. After all, the current pandemic has already killed more Americans than died in the Korean and Vietnam wars combined, while triggering the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Imagine, then, what a more lethal pandemic might do. The countrys armed forces may still have an important role to play in such an environmentproviding, for example, emergency medical assistance and protecting vital infrastructurebut fighting never-ending wars in distant lands and projecting power globally should not rank high when it comes to where taxpayer dollars go for security in such challenging times.

One thing is inescapable: as the disaster aboard the Theodore Roosevelt indicates, the U.S. military must reconsider how it arms and structures its forces and give serious thought to alternative models of organization. But focusing enormous resources on the replacement of pre-Covid ships and tanks with post-Covid killer robots for endless rounds of foreign wars is hardly in Americas ultimate security interest. There is, sadly, something highly robotic about such military thinking when it comes to this changing world of ours.

FALL FUNDRAISER

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The Pentagon confronts the pandemic - NationofChange

129 years in the UAE: My family’s journey through the birth of a country – Gulf News

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

Al Fahidi Fort built in 1799, the oldest surviving structure in dubai. Taken in 1950. Image Credit: Gulf News Archives

I was a child when I first heard the stories from my grandmother, daring tales of adventures and swashbuckling pirates on the high seas, embarking to a foreign land full of wonders. It would be years before the reality would dawn that my grandmas tales were in fact real-life accounts of the familys perilous journey to the Gulf more than 100 years ago.

To put things into perspective, I am a fourth-generation expat brat who grew up on the shores of Dubai Creek at a time when neighbourhood malls were all but a twinkle in the eyes of the construction juggernauts. Our weekend entertainment consisted of Thursday night abra rides with the family, while making haste to return home to watch the Bollywood potboiler of the week that would screen on the now defunct Channel 33.

Those of you who grew up in the UAE in the 80s and 90s would easily recall the Golden Falcon that perched proudly at the mouth of Al Shindagha Tunnel. It was a time when the Flame Roundabout actually burned bright into the night, when nothing existed beyond an afternoon snack of Chips Oman and Laban Up, and Dadabhai satisfied us aplenty before the razzle dazzle of Toys R Us and Hamleys caught the eyes of generation next.

Yet, this trip down memory lane pales in comparison to the tales narrated to me as a child, stories of real hardship that involved surviving soaring desert temperatures without basic electricity, hauling fresh water from the neighbourhood well that was ferried on the backs of donkeys, all while eagerly awaiting a bounty from the next pearl diving haul.

Tale as old as time

My great grandfather, Vissumal Narsinghdas Thawardas, first set foot on the shores of Dubai in 1891, with an endless, barren wasteland welcoming many adventurous spirits like him who recognised the potential of sparking a lucrative trade route between the Gulf and India.

The India-Pakistan partition, which split the two Asian powerhouses into two nations, was still 56 years away, while the dust had long erased the footsteps of Jaisalmers Bhatti clan that had abandoned their homes after being driven out of Rajasthan by the Mughals in the 1800s.

The clans settled far and wide, in the provinces of Punjab, Kutch and Sindh, losing ties with each other over the passage of time. My ancestors chose to journey to Sindh, finding solace and a new home in the village of Thattha. The Rajput warrior clans soon exiled their weapons and took to trading, with the following generations eagerly working to expand the merchant business in far-flung lands.

According to historical record, the Bhattis, who were now called Bhatias, heard of the lucrative pearl trade in the Gulf and chose to establish a trade route between the regions. Bahrain, Oman and the Trucial States of Sharjah and Dubai were singled out by the Gujarati, the Sindhi and the Bhatia communities who set sail for these foreign lands in 1880s.

My great-grandfather was one such enterprising mind who signed on during the Pearl Rush, embarking on a liner at Karachi port according to his grandson, Kishore Jamnadas, while travelling for days through stormy climes and questionable navigational charts to reach the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran, before journeying on through that final stretch that would bring him to a land called Sharjah.

Food was scarce and resources further limited during those early days, so anyone who travelled would pack perishables that would ride them out through the cruel summer months, recalled Jamnadas.

Liners would come to port sporadically at first, according to community members, with a haul of groceries and vegetables often not surviving the journey.

They made ends meet somehow, said Jamnadas. Everyone mastered basic skills of cooking before venturing here. My own father would tell us stories of a community cook who was also stationed here to ensure no one slept hungry.

Building a community

The UAE pearl trade, according to insiders, was a seasonal affair, with most members of the Indian community setting forth for the Gulf in April and conducting their business affairs until August.

The local divers would auction sealed oysters to Indian traders and much of it was a game of chance. My grandfather lost Rs35,000 (which would command a purchasing power of Rs1 million today) this one time when a years haul resulted in empty shells, stated Jamnadas.

As business grew, the community also established its roots here with the first Hindu temple reportedly being built on the banks of Sharjah in the late 1800s. Bharat Chachara, head of the India Club Dubai and a historian who has actively been archiving the stories of the Bhatia community, spoke of the temples eventual move to Dubai shortly after.

Bharat Chachara

The late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum gifted the land to the community which stands in Al Bastakiya neighbourhood where the Krishna temple was established the oldest in the UAE, recalled Chachara. While stories date the establishment to 1903, official records place the construction in mid-1930s.

With the collapse of the pearl industry in the 1920s, followed by the Great Depression and the Second World War, trade in Dubai was affected, prompting many Indian traders to journey back home and ride out the economic storm. The corresponding few decades would see a lull before the oil boom of the 60s and the establishment of electricity and the states first paved road.

The British would remain steady with their influence on Dubai until 1971, but the Al Maktoum familys open-door policy invited many Indian community members, including my ancestors, to return and expand their business enterprise in the emirate with the passing of the baton to the next generation of traders. My grandfather happened to be one of them and he undertook his own journey to the Gulf in 1943, or 77 years ago.

While Oman was his first port of call for a few years, the budding opportunities in Dubai soon led him to also follow in his fathers footsteps and make his way to the Trucial coast in 1950, with my grandmother soon following him with children in tow.

Kishore Jamnadas

I followed my father 13 years after he followed in his fathers legacy, recalled Jamnadas. It was the year 1956, the struggles of the partition were still vivid in the minds of our parents and the UAE provided that safe haven for many, away from the politics and the destruction that we left behind.

Chachara also weighed in, saying: There was almost a mass exodus towards the Gulf post the India-Pakistan partition. Perhaps a lot of it had to do with people being forced to abandon their homes, with many in search of a new home, security and steady income.

Neighbourly bonds

My grandmother, Nenibai Jamnadas, was one of a handful of female community members who decided to journey to the UAE with her children in the hope of making some extra income and keeping the family together. While she has long passed, her stories remain entrenched in my memory tales of her harrowing journey across the seas with meagre belongings, fears of cholera rife and battling motion sickness along the route.

While piecing together memories of their lives in the late 50s on the banks of Dubai, stories unravelled through their neighbour in Thattha who would take tuitions from my late aunt before her journey as well to Oman, which became her permanent home for 60 plus years before her demise.

Muljimal Lalchand

I was stationed in Bahrain with Gulf Air in those initial years, but because my father had been in Dubai I became a frequent visitor since 1957, before eventually moving here, recalled longtime UAE resident Muljimal Lalchand Chachara and Bharat Chahcharas father. What sticks with me even today is the taste of the water.

We were in a desert, with no real avenue of getting fresh drinking water. So neighbourhood wells would be dug up and water stored in bags made of camel hide that would be ferried on the backs of donkeys. We had one such well in the old Bastakiya area, which is pretty much very everyone lived in little shanties, waiting for the liners to dock every Thursday that would bring in the post, stories of loved ones and, more importantly, fresh vegetables. We would eat once a day, with the evening meal limited to a piece of fruit sometimes. But on Fridays we feasted.

Jamnadas affirms the same, saying his mother was one of the first women from the community to move here and she would partake in the Friday community cookout that invited neighbours and friends to dine together.

Those were simpler times. We had not much going for us in terms of resources, but we had a sense of belonging. People like my mother would cook for the community, while my father had become the resident healer, walking through the neighbourhood every night with his cane in one hand and a lantern in the other, asking around if anyone needed his help, recalled Jamnadas.

Electricity was still years away, but senior Chachara says each home was given a bulb, with generators allowing everyone meagre lighting in the late hours for a limited time. The summer heat would be stifling, so every night, we would take our bedding and sleep in the outdoors. Not that that was any better, but we made it work, somehow.

Family legacy

After finishing his higher studies in India, my father, Suresh Jamnadas, also permanently moved back to Dubai in the 60s to work his way up the relatively new banking sector that had found a foothold here under the British.

The oil boom was upon the UAE, as were opportunities, but the Trucial states had yet to form a union.

We had to pay 25 fils for a visa if we wanted to visit Abu Dhabi even when I arrived, recalls Kanta Suresh, a resident of Dubai since 1968 and my mother. By the time I moved, there was running water and electricity but the city was still limited to the outer stretches of Jumeirah and Karama. Life revolved around the old Chapra Bazaar (or Souk Al Kabeer as we know it) where traders like my cousin provided us all that we needed in basic food supplies.

The business in question is that of Tulsidas Lalchand General Trading that has been standing in Souk Al Kabeer for more than 100 years, with four generations of his family playing a part in the citys growth. Lalchand moved to the UAE in 1870, with the business now being run by his grandson.

Our four generations, including my grandchildren, have become a fabric of Dubais growth, he states.

Stories like that of my family are aplenty when you look at the original settlers in the Gulf. Bharat Chachcara agrees, saying: We are pioneers in this part of the world, but as a community, we have maintained low profile, but it satisfies me to say that our place in history is recorded. It is visible in the books, the literature and the stories that will be passed down generations.

Credit goes to the early settlers, who chose to come to a desert land with no facilities, resources or money but harboured a simple dream. They chose to live here and in turn, help build the foundation of a country. And irrespective of the highs and lows life throws at us, we have left our mark in the temple that stands tall even after 100 years, through the spices that are blended in daily Arabic cuisine today and in the trade and business that we brought to this land. This is and shall remain our legacy, even as the UAE stands at the cusp of turning 50.

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129 years in the UAE: My family's journey through the birth of a country - Gulf News

Justice League Death Metal Tie-In Introduces Major Villain: The Omega Knight – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

As a reimagined Justice League sets sail on Death Metal's high seas, the fearsome Omega Knight rises from watery depths to meet them.

The reimagined reality of the DC UniversefromDark Nights: Death Metal has led to the heroes taking on radically different roles, with Nightwing leading a crew of pirates made up of familiar faces.

In DC's October solicitation forJustice League #55, readers will see the middle installment of a five-issue story arc tying in directly to Death Metalthat follows an ensemble of redefined heroes on the pirate ship Doom Metal, made from the Metal Men as they encounter a new Dark Knight, the Omega Knight.

RELATED:DC Declares the Batman Who Laughs a New God With Death Metal One-Shot

The opening issue of Death Metalrevealed The Batman Who Laughs had placed Aquaman in charge of the Black Fleet patrolling the high seas of his hellishly rewritten DCU. With Atlantean superhero nowhere in sight, the crew of Doom Metal may find themselves outmatched as Omega Knight rises like a leviathan from the deep.

RELATED:The Robin King: Why The Batman Who Laughs' Sidekick is So Dangerous

Justice League #55,by Joshua Williamson, Robson Rocha and Daniel Henrique, goes on sale Oct. 20 from DC.

Justice League Dark #24

Sam Stone is a 10th level pop culture guru living just outside of Washington, DC who knows an unreasonable amount about The Beatles. You can read his work in the pages of Image+, follow him on Twitter @samstoneshow, and listen to his podcast Geek Out Show on iTunes and Google Play.

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Justice League Death Metal Tie-In Introduces Major Villain: The Omega Knight - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Potters Progress Cleanup Day held in East Liverpool | News, Sports, Jobs – Morning Journal News

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

EAST LIVERPOOL The East Liverpool community got together for a community cleanup on Saturday.

It is all part of the Potters Progress Cleanup Day, an initiative created and hosted by the mayor, Greg Bricker.

This was the fifth cleanup event that the city has hosted. For the past few months, people have gathered to help clean and restore various parts of the town.

Previously, the cleanup efforts included cleaning city parking lots and cleaning up areas near the river. Bricker says about 50 people showed up to volunteer at these events.

Some neighborhoods are actually starting some initiatives, and theyre getting together to pick up some trash and cut some weeds, too, said Bricker.

The local Scouts, along with members of the community, were restoring a community garden on the East End Saturday. The Garden has been inactive for years, but they want to change that.

Cade Karnosh was there working on his Eagle Project with the Scouts. He said the plan was to eventually put some planter boxes out there for people to use.

Realistically, all of the boxes are going to be used for community members, whoever wants them. So, they can plant pretty much whatever they want in them, said Karnosh.

People were out working on leveling the dirt in the area where the garden will be placed, including raking and pulling weeds.

Another project happening Saturday was over at Thompson Park, where people were replacing old basketball hoops.

Weve been looking for community feedback to see what does the community want to see, as far as the next project, said Bricker.

The group hopes to host another cleanup event in August. To find out when, check out the Mayors Facebook Page.

By Hanna Erdmann, via media partner, WKBN

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Potters Progress Cleanup Day held in East Liverpool | News, Sports, Jobs - Morning Journal News

Signs of progress needed from Lions in short order – The Oakland Press

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

The Lions need to make a ton of progress in 2020 in order to make a significant improvement in the win-loss column from 2019.

It goes without mentioning that last season was not a good one for the organization.

Detroit, in its second year with Matt Patricia as its head coach, experienced a hugely dismal 3-12-1 campaign that resulted in a last-place finish in the NFC North.

Subsequently, the ship in Motown needs to be turned around quickly in order for Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn to survive past this upcoming season.

If they are to return in 2021, here are four signs of progress that need to be on display this fall:

Patricia and company were called for seven or more penalties each week from Weeks 1-8 of the 2019 campaign.

His team also committed at least five penalties on a weekly basis from Weeks 9-13.

The Lions' Week 14 tilt with the NFC North divisional rival Vikings ended up being the first contest of the year in which four or less penalties were committed by the franchise.

The feat was accomplished again the following week against the Buccaneers (two penalties) and in Week 17 against the Packers (four penalties).

A total of 113 penalties and 900-plus yards of negative yardage (937) was racked up by the organization a year ago.

In a year of many shortcomings, this was a major one.

Patricia needs to get his team to cut down on the penalties and to play more disciplined football in 2020.

No doubt, this was an issue last year.

The first guy whose health comes to mind is that of franchise passer Matthew Stafford.

He played in only eight games in 2019, suffering a back injury in Week 9 against the Oakland Raiders.

Once he went down, the Lions went into a tailspin. In fact, losing their remaining eight games.

Stafford, who's entering his 12th year in the NFL, needs to stay healthy for the entirety of the upcoming season in order for the Lions to even have a shot at qualifying for the playoffs.

It'd also be nice to see the franchise's incumbent No. 1 running back Kerryon Johnson stay healthy for a full season for the first time in his career.

Johnson, who's entering his third year as a pro, played in just eight games a year ago, and suited up for only 10 as a rookie in 2018.

The health of both Stafford and Johnson is an integral element to the Lions being a competitive team on a week-to-week basis in 2020.

This will be a paramount ingredient to the Lions having a more balanced attack in offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell's second year of calling plays for the franchise.

With Johnson as the lead back last season, Detroit rushed for a total of 1,649 yards and seven touchdowns -- good for 21st and 29th in the league, respectively.

D'Andre Swift has since been added to the backfield, via the 2020 NFL Draft. Quinn & Co. took him in the second round (No. 35 overall) out of Georgia.

His presence should allow Johnson's legs to maintain freshness as the season progresses, and hopefully, will lead to Johnson remaining healthy for the entire '20 campaign.

If so, Johnson and Swift have a legitimate shot at forming a very impactful 1-2 punch at running back -- and for many years to come.

Here's another must for the franchise, as it gets ready to head into a new campaign and new decade.

Patricia's "bend-but-don't-break" defensive philosophy was far from effective a season ago.

His defense allowed the 26th-most points per game at 26.4. And a good amount of those points scored by opponents came in the fourth quarter.

In fact, the Lions allowed a total of 17 touchdowns in the fourth quarter -- the most TDs surrendered by the organization in a single quarter in 2019.

On top of that, the defense was hugely ineffective when Detroit was leading with less than 2:30 to go in regulation. In those late-game situations, it allowed the opposition to score four touchdowns.

Most notably, it permitted Kansas City to score with 23 seconds to play in Week 4, which gave Patrick Mahomes and the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs the 34-30 victory.

It was a microcosm of the defense's struggles the entire season.

And subsequently, the onus is now on Patricia to ensure that those fourth-quarter woes don't flare up once again in 2020.

This article was produced by the staff at Sports Illustrated/All Lions. For more, visit SI.com/NFL/Lions/

Signs of progress needed from Lions in short order - The Oakland Press

Progress to What? – The Yale Politic

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

It seems almost trite to describe my experience at Yale as a world-class education. The teachers are phenomenal, the resources unparalleled, and my fellow students brilliant. However, there is a reason that Yales sticker price is around $73,000, despite many of the classes being available online: you learn a lot outside of the classroom. Being from Indiana, I had never really been exposed to truly radical politics. Of course, I had experienced plenty of liberals, both in my home and community, but I had never really encountered a burn-it-down mentality before showing up on Old Campus. Such a mentality abounds. I encountered more anti-capitalists in my first week at Yale than probably exist in the state of Indiana. The Yale extracurricular bazaar is a sea of opportunities to help those in need. Siren songs of radical leftism periodically blow up my Facebook. And yet, Ive come to realize something which has puzzled me: progressivism is, in many manifestations, a particularly elitist ideology.

I imagine this statement is a tad bracing. After all, progressive politics seem to be organized around helping the least and last among us; in that sense, it is anti-elitist. In the material realm, this seems to be true. Critiques of capitalism by the left involve blistering attacks on the most privileged among us (who, ironically, make up most of Yales student population). Movements to defund the police do not come out of any deep-seated desire to preserve systems of power. If we were merely discussing the material preconditions, I would concede that progressives are, in no sense of the word, elitist. However, progressivism does not merely concern itself with the material; Man shall not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4 KJV). It concerns itself with the entirety of human affairs. Here is where the elitism comes into play.

Firstly, it is useful to clarify the core of progressivism, as I see it. This core is a concern regarding power structures. The goal of progressive politics is to tear down unequal power structures wherever they are, at least as much as feasibly possible. In many ways, this is a laudable goal. As one example, the edifice of white supremacy, the American power structure par excellence, ought to be dismantled. To wipe white supremacy off the face of the earth is to do the work of the Lord. However, the way progressives undertake this task is to detonate the entire system.

Race is not the only structure they seek to upend. Progressives, at least in their more radical moments, want to destroy the gender binary, open up traditional nuclear family units, and paint national identity as crypto-racism. They are leery of organized religion, to say the least. The unifying feature of the conservative social orders targeted by progressives is that they are non-voluntary. In the eyes of the conservative, one does not get to choose ones gender or ones nation. These are social roles that we play out on a stage made by others. Progressives see imposed identities as yet another insidious avenue through which power can corrupt. They would like to see a world in which everything is up to the individual; a world in which the things we cannot control do not constrain us.

This is elitist because it assumes the experience of a Yale student can be universalized. As a Yale student, I will never want for meaning in my life. I am lauded for my intelligence and hard work (regardless of how accurate the praise is); I am likely to work in a field or for an employer that society values. If the American meritocracy is in any way real, Yale students are the winners. This is not even getting into the fact that I am wealthy and white. The American meritocracy works great for me. The obvious question is, what about the losers? In the progressivism Ive described above, all forms of meaning which are non-voluntary ought to be expunged from our consciousness. Where does this leave those who are left behind by our meritocracy? By its very nature, meritocracies provide meaning to the successful. If we are interested in providing meaning to everyone, we should seek to preserve non-voluntary forms of meaning.

This is the great insight of conservatism: we love things not because they are great, but because they are ours. I am a proud Hoosier not because of any intrinsic characteristic of Indiana (though there are many), but because it is mine. I would be disappointed if someone didnt feel the same way about Washington or Kansas. Similarly, many people derive great meaning from their imposed gender identity. Fathers feel that their sacrifices are worth it not because they are parents, but because they are fathers. Last month, I started volunteering at a local homeless shelter. One of the volunteers was a drug addict who has been clean for over a decade. His secret? The love of Christ. One of the beautiful things about Christianity is that we do not earn Gods love. Faith is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). In our society, there will always be those at the lower rungs. For them, non-voluntary forms of meaning is all they have. We should not strip that which gives their lives dignity.

It is not as if involuntary meaning is without its shortcomings. Race comes to mind as an involuntary identity. White people historically have derived much meaning from their racial identity. They also fought fiercely to preserve the prerogatives that they thought whites deserved. Here, it is important to distinguish between identity as privilege, and identity as meaning. Group supremacy, like white supremacy, falls into the first category. As a function of whiteness, certain things are deserved, ranging from segregated facilities to indigenous land to slave ownership. Another example is the patriarchy, in which men are entitled to exclusive control over the public sphere. It is exclusive, exclusionary, and distinct from identity as meaning. The function of identity as meaning is not to provide you with material things. Being a Connecticuter does not make you better than your neighbor. Being a father doesnt prevent anyone else from being one as well. This form of identity doesnt benefit you; in fact, it can require things of you. If we care about meaning, this is the identity that needs to be preserved.

One key question is whether malignant identity can be rehabilitated. Can we turn group supremacy into harmless meaning? After all, there is a reason that pride in white identity is only the domain of Neo-Nazis and Neo-Confederates: it is intrinsically bound up in the economic and political superiority of whites. We dont see how you can be proud to be white without being a racist and a white supremacist. However, this doesnt seem to be true for every example of group supremacy. Albeit imperfectly, male identity can be expressed without implicit superiority over women. Similarly, British national pride in the nineteenth century was extremely warlike and militaristic; it also trafficked in the supposed supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon race. Nowadays, British national pride seems relatively benign (depending on ones view of Brexit). In at least some cases, harmful identities can be moderated into beneficial ones.

The second issue is that meaning might lead us away from whats important; itll cause us to take our eye off the ball. Much of the argument so far is that there are those in our society who are poor, maligned, and forgotten. They have no economic opportunity, and their chance at dignity is being dismantled piece by piece. An obvious question might arise: Why not just give them economic opportunity? It is not obvious why we cannot just provide enough economic opportunity to obviate the need for involuntary meaning. This is compelling, but there will always be some people who fall off the wagon. Even if we have a perfectly meritocratic education, there will be those who dont get into college.Even if our prison system becomes just, people will still be incarcerated. No matter how well we handle the opioid epidemic, there will be those whose substance addiction makes it difficult to take advantage of opportunity, no matter how plentiful. In short, there will always be those at the margins, for whom all the economic opportunity in the world will be insufficient; this doesnt mean they dont deserve dignity as well.

The problem with progressivism is two-fold. The first is that the destruction of tradition doesnt leave meaning for the unsuccessful in our society. The second is that it is cavalier about stripping that meaning. It may be true that people can find other forms of meaning in life. Perhaps being a good father can be replaced by being a good parent. A proud American can instead be a proud citizen of the world. But this strikes me as a bit presumptuous. My love of Indiana is not easily replaceable. One cannot choose to grow up where they do; they also cannot love any other place in the same way. If we decided to redistribute the world at random into new countries, it would be hard to create a new nationalism. Heck, one need only look at modern Africa to see the difficulty of synthetic nationalism.

Meaning is fickle and cannot be easily replicated. It is not pliable or malleable, or even durable. It cannot be created in a lab or a government building, and once destroyed it is difficult to resurrect. Pres. Josiah Bartlett of The West Wing says of heirlooms: Something with a history, so we can say, my father gave this to me, his father gave this to me; now Im giving this to you (The West Wing S2E8). This meaning is valuable almost because it cant be made; the beauty of history is that it is organically meaningful. We understand this intuitively when we talk about things like family history, but its more broadly applicable.

Now, the death of meaning doesnt matter to me personally, because I will be insulated no matter the outcome. Yale students, as bright, upwardly mobile people, need not fear a meaningless life. Despite this, there are millions of people today who find meaning in their lives from the structures that progressives want to destroy. There are drug addicts who are clean by the grace of God; there are mothers who reckon their sacrifices worth it for their children. Many give for their country selflessly. This should not prevent us from making a more equitable society. It does not preclude racial justice, nor a more egalitarian economic policy. All it does is circumscribe the change we should be trying to bring about. It is improving lives without removing what makes them meaningful now. While it is conceptually possible that all of this current meaning can be replaced, it strikes me as arrogant to make such a gamble.

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Progress to What? - The Yale Politic

Advocates: Louisiana making progress on prison-to-workforce-reentry, but more work to be done – The Center Square

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

(The Center Square) It's no secret that workers are facing a tough job market.

Restrictions and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic have many employers considering laying people off, if they havent already. Employers who have furloughed employees are wondering when they can bring them back.

And as with most downturns, its the people who already were struggling who are in the toughest position, said Will Harrell, a criminal and juvenile justice consultant.

Poor people are going to be hit the hardest, he said. And poor people with criminal convictions, and thats most people with criminal convictions, are going to be hit harder than that.

Louisiana historically imprisons more of its residents per capita than anywhere else in the world. Some 18,000 are released every year, according to the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and about 43 percent will return to jail within five years for either violating the terms of their release or committing a new crime.

Advocates say those who are able to find consistent work are less likely to re-offend, which means policies that help former prisoners find work protect public safety while potentially saving taxpayer dollars that might otherwise be spent on reincarceration. A 2016 study estimates that excluding people with criminal backgrounds from the workforce subtracts at least $78 billion annually from the nations gross domestic product.

Harrell says the state is making progress in this area but there is plenty of work to be done. He calls the package of criminal justice changes approved in 2017 a watershed moment, representing a shift of emphasis away from warehousing people and encouraging reentry support.

And while the connection between voting and getting a job might not be obvious, Harrell considers the recent restoration of voting rights for thousands of felons a huge transformative moment.

What we want is for people to integrate, to join the workforce, to pay their taxes, and to be productive members of our community, he said. Acknowledging their humanity and restoring their civil rights is a great step toward that end.

Harrell said legislation approved this year, including renewal of the Clean Slate Task Force, is meant to put the state on a path to expand and simplify opportunities to have crimes expunged from offenders records. The current process is expensive and basically requires a lawyer to navigate, Harrell said.

He said next years agenda should include legislation to ensure defendants understand when a guilty plea might affect their ability to get housing, student loans, or an occupational license, even if they arent sentenced to any prison time.

All of these consequences that people arent aware of should be considered part of the sentence, because it is, Harrell said.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission provides OSHA 10 workforce training to prisoners at seven state institutions so theyll have a credential when they leave, the LWC says in an emailed response to questions. The LWC also assigns personnel to five reporting centers within the Department of Corrections, which begins helping prisoners prepare for the transition process about nine months prior to release.

The commission also oversees the states Fidelity Bonding program, insuring employers against employee dishonesty, including theft, forgery, larceny or embezzlement. The goal is to encourage hiring of people who are qualified for the job but might be perceived as high risk.

This year, the LWC partnered with the corrections department and local nonprofits on a pilot project for formerly incarcerated men with a moderate-to-high risk of recidivism in East Baton Rouge Parish. Participants in the 60-day program went through life skills, employment training, transitional employment, job coaching and case management.

Asked if there are initiatives being tried in other states that might be worth considering in Louisiana, the LWC noted that states such as Texas, Massachusetts and Missouri are providing transitional housing to ex-offenders while they are receiving employment wrap-around services.

Its has always been difficult to get employers to give formerly incarcerated personnel a second chance, but during the pandemic this has proven even more difficult, the LWCs statement says.Given the employment circumstances of COVID-19, employers are now faced with layoffs of current workers and they are still not at a point where they can bring back the initial employees that have been laid off.

House Bill 77 from this years regular session allows probationers and parolees to meet with their probation officers virtually, rather than having to miss work for an in-person visit.

My probationers would tell me I cant afford to miss a day of work, former probation and parole specialist Scott Peyton said. Peyton is Louisiana director for Right on Crime, which says it advocates for policies that help convert former prisoners from tax burdens to tax payers. The measure has the added bonus of reducing the risk of spreading infectious diseases such as COVID-19, he notes.

Asked about things other states are doing that Louisiana lawmakers should consider, Peyton brings up occupational licensing. Current rules set by many licensing boards make it difficult, if not impossible, for ex-offenders to qualify. A proposal last year to loosen some of those restrictions was amended with so many exemptions that the author decided not to move forward, Harrell said.

These boards come forward and say, We agree in principle, but not for us, Harrell said.

Peyton likes to emphasize the upsides of hiring formerly incarcerated people, which include federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits. He also says former prisoners, when given a second chance, often are more loyal employees than the average worker.

People on supervised release are tested for drugs and required to work. If theyve received skills training on the inside, they might even be better prepared than some workers who havent been incarcerated.

Its almost like a whole separate HR department, Peyton said.

Bills and resolutions Louisiana lawmakers approved this year meant to help former prisoners reenter the workforce include:

House Bill 77 (regular session): Allows the use of video technology for probationers and parolees as an alternative to taking time off work for an in-person meeting.

Senate Bill 354 (regular session): Requires the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to provide an identification card to each individual upon their release that includes a list of vocational training accomplishments.

House Bill 529 (regular session): Requires probation and parole officials to issue a letter of incarceration upon request that provides an accounting of a persons time spent in corrections department custody.

House Bill 643 (regular session): Allows reevaluation of supervision requirements for people on parole after they have served five years for non-violent offenses and seven years for violent offenses.

House Resolution 67 (regular session): Recreates the Clean Slate Task Force, which is tasked with recommending ways to help people with criminal histories navigate Louisianas expungement process and clear barriers to employment and housing.

House Concurrent Resolution 17 and Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 (special session): Urges state agencies and businesses to recognize the value that justice-involved persons can bring to the workforce and society and to act with intention to empower, train, and employ such individuals.

Advocates: Louisiana making progress on prison-to-workforce-reentry, but more work to be done - The Center Square

Test Progress Keeps UltraFan Demo On Track To Run In 2021 – Aviation Week

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

Six-and-a-half years after Rolls-Royce revealed radical plans to develop a next-generation geared engine called the UltraFan, the company is starting to build up modules for the first demonstrator.

Rated at 84,000-lb. thrust and with a 140-in.-dia. composite fan, the engines new core and geared drive mark a departure from the three-shaft architecture that has formed the basis of the companys big-fan family since the 1970s. The engine is scheduled to begin ground tests in 2021, with follow-on units joining the test effort in 2022 and paving the way for initial production versions later in the decade.

The engine size for those initial applications remains unknown, but lies within the 25,000-100,000-lb.-thrust range covered by the scalable UltraFan architecture. Having seen the first potential application, the New Midmarket Airplane, disappear with Boeings product strategy rethink, Rolls remains agnostic on initial candidate applications.

The collapse in global air transport triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic may give Rolls more time to refine its initial offering as Airbus and Boeing pause their product-development planning. We are keen to get through the technology de-risking stage . . . so having a little more time to reflect on that might be beneficial, says Andy Geer, chief engineer and UltraFan program head.

But the world doesnt stand still. Depending on the rate at which the business recovers and to what extent the fuel price goes back to where it wasor starts to attract carbon taxationall of those factors could affect the dynamics of the market quite quickly. We just have to be in a position to be ready for when that long-term market recovery comes along, Geer says. It is still the purpose of the demonstrator to be ready for whenever the customer airlines and airframers converge their strategic needs.

Rolls believes nothing has changed to fundamentally alter either the goal of the UltraFan demonstrator or the long-term prospects for the engine. Its scalable and then you have choices, says Geer. Once you have demonstrated the capability, you have choice. And beyond that, you have credibility when you offer those choices. The goal is to get these technologies ready to use. The exact way we use themthe mixwe can adapt that once you have credibility of the technology set.

To get to the demonstrator, Rolls has focused on two main tracks: improving thermal efficiency by building the hotter, smaller core of the Advance3 test engine; and enhancing propulsive efficiency by developing new low-pressure (LP) system components to increase bypass ratio with a bigger, slower fan.

While the Advance3 core could form the heart of a future direct-drive turbofan, it also paves the way for the geared UltraFan. The new core reduces the workload on the intermediate-pressure (IP) compressor while increasing the workload on the high-pressure (HP) compressor.

The UltraFans new LP architecture builds on this by introducing a bigger IP turbine that is used to drive the IP compressor and fan via a gearbox. By linking the fan to the high-speed IP turbine instead of driving it directly with the LP turbine, as in Rolls current Trent engines, the UltraFan eliminates this large latter turbine section, making underwing installation easier.

The first large components for the demonstrator engine are coming together. Initial composite fan blades are in assembly following ground and flight tests under the Advanced Low Pressure System program. Developed in partnership with industry, the European Clean Sky and UK government Innovate programs, the blade set and composite fan case will save around 1,500 lb. per shipset on a twin-engine aircraft compared to a metallic design.

Having a low-speed fan is essential when you move to such a high bypass ratio, so for this it involves both low-speed aerodynamics and carbon-titanium construction, says Geer. Building on ground and flight testing at Trent 1000 scale, plus component tests at UltraFan scale, the company has completed the first fan case. Further tests at UltraFan scale are planned in a trailing-blade impact rig in 2021.

Testing of the power gearbox in Dahlewitz, Germany, has been underway since the end of 2019 with the eighth build-standard of engine-representative hardware. The system consists of a ring gear enclosing five planetary gears that rotate around a central sun gear. The fan drives off a centrally mounted planet carrier.

The baseline gearbox design has been tested in a special attitude rig since 2016 and in a power rig since 2017. We have a number of other units in build which will continue testing through 2021 to take it to maturity. Basic characterization is now complete, and we are happy with that, says Geer.

Advance3 demonstrator tests have meanwhile passed the 100-hr. mark, including full-power runs. The advanced core is integrated with a Trent 1000 LP turbine and Trent XWB-84 fan system to demonstrate new features including a low-emissions lean-burn combustor and additively manufactured components.

The rebuilt engine will return to test this year for a second phase that is scheduled to continue through 2021. The first phase characterized the cores basic behavior under relatively controlled operating conditions. Now we get to push it into more extreme circumstances it would see in operation, says Geer.

In parallel with testing under Advance3, the lean-burn design is being evaluated under the Advanced Low Emissions Combustor System program. Reducing emissions by combusting fuel more efficiently through a series of concentric burners, the design has completed ground tests in a modified Trent 1000. A further phase of ground and flight tests is to start shortly, according to Geer.

A better combustion system also is expected to maximize turbine capability and help improve cycle efficiency in the UltraFan. The exit conditions of the combustor play a significant role in the efficiency of the HP turbine. If you can design your combustor to provide the best possible temperature profile entry conditions to the turbine, that helps the engine system, he says.

Another area of testing is focused on the aerodynamics and mechanics of the UltraFans lightweight four-stage IP turbine. Developed with Rolls Spanish subsidiary ITP Aero, the nickel alloy turbine section has completed aerodynamic evaluation on a rig at the CTA Aerospace Test Laboratory near Barcelona. ITP has manufactured the first IP turbine case for the demonstrator.

We are moving quickly through the design release and manufacturing of components across the whole of the UltraFan demonstrator engine, reports Geer. Its a busy time, and its not ideal that we happen to be doing this on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inevitably, its a bit of hard work at the moment with the world supply chain being disrupted.

Despite this, the demonstrator remains on track to start tests in 2021. Weve had hits as a result of COVID and are seeing a range of challenges, he says. If we only need a single part in a module, but it has been impacted by a supply-chain disruption, then it causes us to wait to launch that module. Its been a little bit hand-to-mouth in how that works out in todays world.

Originally posted here:

Test Progress Keeps UltraFan Demo On Track To Run In 2021 - Aviation Week

Trey Songz accuses Kanye West of standing in the way of progress after controversial presidential rally – NME

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

Trey Songz has accused Kanye West of standing in the way of progress after the rapper kickstarted his presidential campaign with a rally in South Carolina over the weekend.

Wests first major stop on the campaign trail was marred by controversy after he suggested that American abolitionistHarriet Tubman didnt actually free slaves.

He also doubled down on his his anti-abortion statements and detailed how he and wife Kim Kardashian West spoke about not having their first child, North.

Sharing a video of Kanyes rally on Instagram, Songz wrote: They been sayin man Trey need to call these n****s before he just put em online blastin.

Ye you in the way of progress foreal, how you turn this goofy from who you were? Im so confused, whoever got his number need to call him.

West is yet to respond to Trey Songz comments, but his remarks at the rally prompted immediate walk-outs with one woman heard to say we leaving right now after he commented on Tubman.

The rapper also told the rally that he isnt anti-abortion, but that he wants to give maximum support to pregnant women and their partners.

No more Plan B, Plan Aanyone who is pregnant, you have an option of $50,000 of support to take care of your child, he said.

He then upped the option to $1million, saying Everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars, or something like that.

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Trey Songz accuses Kanye West of standing in the way of progress after controversial presidential rally - NME

City leaders make progress on bike lanes and sidewalks in Algiers – WDSU New Orleans

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

City leaders make progress on bike lanes and sidewalks in Algiers

Leaders are making changes as a part of the Moving New Orleans Bikes initiative.

Updated: 9:09 AM CDT Jul 20, 2020

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IN OTHER NEWS BACK HERE AT HOME, , THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ISNT STOPPING STREET IMPROVEMENTS IN ALGIERS. THE NEWTON STREET CORRIDOR WAS RECENTLY REVAMPED WITH NEW BIKE LANES, PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS. THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ARE PART OF A BIGGER EFFORT TO MAKE NEW ORLEANS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. LOCAL LEADERS SAY THE CHANGES COULD ALSO BOOST BUSINESS IN ALGIERS. >> WEVE SEEN STUDY AFTER STUDY AFTER STUDY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT SHOWS WHERE BIKE LANES COME, AND WHERE WE HAVE THIS MORE FRIENDLY PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE, SALES TAXES TEND TO INCREASE. SHERMAN: AND MORE IMPROVEMENTS ARE COMING. FOSTER SAYS CONSTRUCTION JUS

City leaders make progress on bike lanes and sidewalks in Algiers

Leaders are making changes as a part of the Moving New Orleans Bikes initiative.

Updated: 9:09 AM CDT Jul 20, 2020

Leaders are making changes as a part of the Moving New Orleans Bikes initiative.

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City leaders make progress on bike lanes and sidewalks in Algiers - WDSU New Orleans

"Reading, Writing, Rowling" Episode 44: "The Ickabog: Thoughts in Progress" – MuggleNet

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

Far from an offhand or casually constructed story, The Ickabog intentionally continues many of the themes and structures of the Harry Potter books in a fairy tale genre.

In this months episode, Katy and John talk with Harry Potter scholars John Pazdziora (University of Tokyo-Komaba) and Lana Whited (Ferrum College) about our first analyses of The Ickabog, which was released in installments from June to July 2020. The slow release has allowed fans of Harry Potter once again the delights of speculating about what will happen next, and we have captured that spirit in our conversation recorded after Chapter 51 was posted.

Lana Whited points out the connections with The Emperors New Clothes, while John Pazdziora shows how they fit within the French conte tradition that combined fairy tales with social criticism. Following both those traditions, The Ickabog lures the reader into a politically sharp and often violent tale. We discuss what the fairy tale theories of Bruno Bettelheim tell us about how children process gruesome stories. The third-person omniscient, even parental, voice of the narrator serves a purpose in talking readers through the difficult experiences of the Cornucopians.

Other literary allusions abound. The name Beamish references The Jabberwocky; the Ickabog reminds of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Ickabogs cave recalls Odysseuss encounter with the Cyclops, but also Platos Allegory of the Cave, where the stories that compose reality are revealed to be false. We consider whether The Reluctant Dragon and The BFG might contains clues for us about the Ickabogs true nature. We also use Freudian psychoanalysis to interpret the story in surprising ways. The Ickabogs name allows several possible literary and linguistic interpretations. The Ickabog is a story about stories: why we tell them, how they influence us, and how our interpretations may change with our experience of the world.

There are similarities between this story and both Harry Potter and the Cormoran Strike series. From common thematic elements to alchemical symbolism and once again a chiastic, turtleback structure for the tale, we consider how parallels to these other works reveal the meaning of The Ickabog. We then use that knowledge to make predictions for its end. How well did we predict it? Listen in and see what you think!

Please join the conversation via email (ReadingWritingRowling@gmail.com), Twitter (@ReadWriteRowl), or our Facebook page! Wed love to hear from you.

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"Reading, Writing, Rowling" Episode 44: "The Ickabog: Thoughts in Progress" - MuggleNet

Conservation for urban streams to be focus of webinar – Farm Progress

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

A virtual soil and water conservation field day on urban stream and riparian area management will be at 1 p.m. July 23. Hosted by Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and the Conservation Learning Group, the webinar will be led by Jan Thompson, Iowa State University Morrill professor of natural resource ecology and management, and Aaron Gwinnup, water resources engineer with Emmons & Olivier Resources Inc.

Rivers and streams reflect the activity of the watershed that drains into them. This is especially true in urban areas, where these waterbodies are tasked with not only providing habitat and recreation, but also capturing and transporting stormwater away from homes and businesses in areas dominated by impervious surfaces that continue to increase.

Our research indicates that restoration activities and practices to protect urban streams can significantly improve water quality and ecological integrity of the streams themselves, as well as providing place-based opportunities for urban residents to better connect with these natural features in their neighborhoods and communities, Thompson says.We are excited to offer this opportunity that will include video footage from thefield, as well as the opportunity to ask questions live.

Make plans to join the live field day. Shortly before 1 p.m. July 23, go toISUs Zoom page, or visit iowalearningfarms.org/page/events and click Join Live Virtual Field Day. Orcall312-626-6799 or 646-876-9923. The meeting ID is 914 1198 4892.

The field day will bearchived on the ILF website.A certified crop adviser board-approved continuing education unithas been applied for, for those who are able to participate in the live webinar. Information about how to apply to receive the credit (if approved) will be provided at the end of the live field day.

Source: ILF, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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Conservation for urban streams to be focus of webinar - Farm Progress

The NFL and the NFLPA are making progress towards 2020 season – FanSided

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

NFL. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

The NFL and the NFLPA are getting closer to figuring out what theyre going to do this fall.

According to Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network, the NFLs latest proposal to players includes just one preseason game, rather than twoPlayers still want no preseason games and a longer acclimation period. But a sign the sides are working and getting closer to a plan for 2020.

Pelissero replied to his own tweet early Monday morning with a bit more clarification to help us better understand whats going on. Under the NFLs proposal, the one preseason game would be played in what normally is the third preseason week, the week of Aug. 27. Thatd provide an extra week of preparation, though not the full 21 days of strength and conditioning players want.

It should come as a surprise to no one that the players dont want to play in any preseason games. Why take a beating on your body for a game that doesnt count and wont have any fans in the stands? With the league conceding to only one preseason game, coming on what would be the typical week for preseason game No. 3, you can see its trying to meet the players halfway.

At their core, the players do want to play. They understand fully America needs football right now and these are full-grown men making absurds amounts of money to play a game they love professionally. However, they should be concerned about the NFL being behind the curve on implementing certain testing protocols. Uniformity will be key to ensuring us having a season.

Ultimately, there is too much money at stake for the NFL not to have a 2020 season. Itll look different than any other season before it, and we know that to be unequivocally true. With other North American sports leagues like the MLB, the MLS, the NBA and the NHL either playing already or are on the precipice of doing so, look for the NFL to learn from what the other leagues have done.

Even though it is a lost opportunity to make revenue should the NFL do away with preseason games altogether this year, it also hurts players desperately trying to make a roster. Star players have no interest in taking a snap in the preseason, but for rookies and fringe roster players, the preseason is their Super Bowl. Maybe expanded rosters are a way to rectify this issue in some way?

Look for the NFL and the NFLPA to reach an agreement here soon for how to tackle the preseason.

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The NFL and the NFLPA are making progress towards 2020 season - FanSided

USC football progress report: Solomon Tuliapupu finally ready to go – Reign of Troy

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

USC football at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Back in 2018, USC football was thrilled to land Solomon Tuliaupupu out of the Mater Dei pipeline.

Two years later, the Trojans are still waiting for the gifted linebacker to see the practice field for an extended period, let alone make an impact in a game.

What has kept Tuliaupupu from launching his college career and what can USC fans hope to see from him going forward?

Tuliaupupu was one of the top linebackers in the class of 2018, ranking No. 86 nationally in the 247Sports composite.

Having delivered 63 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks for Mater Dei as a senior, he was named USA Todays All-USA Defensive Player of the Year.

Scouts were high on his potential. They ranked him No. 86 nationally in the 247Sports composite. Only two inside linebackers were rated ahead of him and one of those was fellow USC signee Palaie Gaoteote.

With a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, the aggressive nature to rush the passer and the athleticism to drop back into coverage, Tuliaupupu was seen as a future high impact player for the Trojans.

Unfortunately, Tuliaupupu missed the final two games of his Mater Dei career because of a foot injury and he hasnt played football since. Thats two-and-a-half years without taking part in a meaningful football game.

MORE:Speedy running back names USC in Top 8

He hasnt been able to practice much either. He arrived at USC with his foot still holding him back and sat out the 2018 season after undergoing surgery.

The 2019 season was supposed to offer Tuliaupupu the chance to return to the field and form. However, after participating in early Spring Camp practices he reaggravated the foot problem. Another surgery kept him out for the entirety of the season once more.

With any luck, Tuliaupupu will be fully recovered from that lingering foot injury and ready to make good on his potential in 2020.

The Trojans are replacing a starter in John Houston at middle linebacker, so there is theoretically a spot for Tuliaupupu to step into. Hell have to see off veteran Jordan Iosefa and other challengers for the job though.

CHECK OUT:Prophet Brown commits to USC

The biggest concern is how long it will take for him to shake off the rust having spent so much time on the sidelines. If thats not a problem for him, its reasonable to expect the linebacker to not only take over a starting job but to rise into a starring role on defense. If it is, Trojan fans may have to wait another season before they see the best of Tuliaupupu.

Tuliaupupus troubling history will no doubt give NFL evaluators pause, but his immense potential could still give him a pathway to the pros. First, he needs to prove he can succeed at the college level.

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USC football progress report: Solomon Tuliapupu finally ready to go - Reign of Troy

Recognize the progress of high speed rail – CALmatters

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Danzig

In summary

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

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

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

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

Keep tabs on the latest California policy and politics news

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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