Daily Archives: June 22, 2017

President Trump on Wednesday rallied supporters in Iowa by arguing his administration has already made "amazing progress" in the five months since the inauguration.

"While we are here tonight to celebrate the amazing progress that we have already made and we have made amazing progress we're also here to lay out the next steps in our incredible movement to make America great again," Trump said during a campaign-style rally at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The president celebrated Republican congressional wins in special elections on Tuesday. "I want to also extend our congratulations this evening to Karen Handel of Georgia," Trump said. "And we can't forget Ralph Norman in South Carolina."

He asked for prayers for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who is recovering after being shot on a baseball field last week.

"He was in my office the day before," Trump said of Scalise. "Incredible. We are praying for you. We are pulling for you. You have our absolute support and our deepest admiration."

Trump also referenced Otto Warmbier, the American student who died this week after being held in North Korea for more than a year.

"You look at North Korea, look at Otto," Trump said. "Beautiful Otto. Went over there as a healthy, wonderful boy. And you see how he came back. You see how he came back."

Talking up his administration, Trump said, "Jobs are just about the best they've ever been. We've created almost $4 trillion dollars in wealth. If you look at your stock values and you look at what's going on with our country, we've created tremendous wealth."

"The enthusiasm and spirit on every single index is higher than it's ever been before for our manufacturers and our companies," Trump argued. "After spending billions of dollars defending other people's borders, we are finally going to defend our borders. After decades of rebuilding foreign nations, all over the world, we are now rebuilding our nation."

Trump has not seen healthcare, tax reform or infrastructure legislation passed through both houses on Congress. But Trump talked of withdrawing from the "disastrous" Paris climate agreement and renegotiating trade deals.

Speaking of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trump said he will either renegotiate or terminate it. He said he initially was going to "terminate" but the leaders of Mexico and Canada asked him to reconsider.

"And I am always willing to renegotiate," Trump said. "So we will see how it goes. But it's been very unfair to the United States.

Trump boasted of his energy policies. "We've approved the Keystone XL pipeline and the Dakota Access pipeline," he said. "38,000 jobs. And better for the environment, by the way. Better. Underground. Better for the environment and safer." Talking of the Second Amendment, Trump cited his Supreme Court pick and said "that looks like it's in good shape with judge Neil Gorsuch."

As he did during the campaign, Trump played media critic during the rally. He praised Fox News, saying they have "treated us well." The crowd booed when he brought up CNN. He also referred to the "phony, NBC television network."

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Trump celebrates 'the amazing progress that we have already made' at Iowa rally - Washington Examiner

This afternoon, the San Francisco Superior Court tossed out 14 of the 15 criminal charges that had been brought by the state of Californiaagainst two journalists from the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), after theyreleased a series of undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthoods possible involvement in illegal fetal-tissue trafficking.

In late March, California attorney general Xavier BecerrachargedDavid Daleiden and Sandra Merritt with 15felony charges for recording what hedeemed to be confidential communications. Today, a judge dismissed14 of thosecharges, but will still consider the remaining fifteenth charge, against Merritt alone, forconspiring to invade privacy.

In a statement today, an official withthe group representing Merritt said they are optimistic about having this charge dropped as well. He also pointed out that Becerra receivedthousands of dollarsin campaign donatins from both Planned Parenthood and NARAL during his time as a Democratic congressman.

More details from Life News:

The San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday dismissed 14 of 15 criminal counts but the pair are still charged with one count of conspiracy to invade privacy. However the court dismissed the charges with leave to amend meaning Becerra could re-file the charges with additional supposed evidence against the pair.

The court ruled that counts 1-14 were legally insufficient. The state has the opportunity to amend if it can plead a more legally sufficient and specific complaint. The Californias Attorney General filed 15 criminal counts against Merritt, with counts 1-14 for each of the alleged interviews and count 15 for an alleged conspiracy. San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite gave the state attorney generals office until mid-July to file a revised complaint.

As from being a victory for the freedom of the press, this decision is another big win for the CMP journalists who were cleared of criminal charges last year in Texas, as well vindicating them against the frequent claim from pro-abortion activists that they engaged in illegal activity and duplicitous editing of footage to falsely incriminate Planned Parenthood.

There is still a civil lawsuit on this matter pending in California, brought against the CMP by Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation. Unlike these criminal charges, however, that suit does not carry the threat of jail time.

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California Court Dismisses 14 Criminal Charges against Center for Medical Progress - National Review

That is one reason Erin and Andres Alvarez chose to remain in the hamlet when they realized that the cottage they had moved to in 1999 was no longer big enough for them and their two sons. Last summer the Alvarezes bought a five-bedroom contemporary for $425,000. Besides the good schools, they appreciate the wealth of outdoor offerings, like swimming at two town pools and the sandy Sparkle Lake beach, and bicycling along the North County Trailway, a 22-mile-long paved pathway.

And they have developed strong friendships and a feeling for the community. Of the summer concert series held at Jack DeVito Memorial Park, Ms. Alvarez said, Even if we went on our own, we would absolutely run into, and catch up with, a lot of people weve gotten to know.

Much is happening in Yorktown Heights in terms of development and revitalization, according to Michael Grace, Yorktowns town supervisor. He cited the restoration of the former Yorktown Heights railroad depot, once a station on the New York Central Railroad and now a local, state and federal landmark. He mentioned the pending construction of a rental apartment complex aimed at both millennials and older adults, touting the value of an intergenerational community. He spoke of aesthetic improvements replacing burned-out streetlights, hanging dozens of flags with Yorktowns motto, Progress With Preservation to engender pride. You create the character of the town through its physical appearance, he said.

Yorktown Heightss socioeconomic diversity is reflected in its housing options. Most are single-family raised ranches, split-levels, Cape Cods and colonials, along with some pre-Revolutionary homes. There are a few condominium complexes and rental apartments.

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In the southern portion of the hamlet, the lots are larger and the homes are more expensive, said Wayne Kokinda, a broker with William Raveis Real Estate.

Yorktown Heightss commercial center bustles with small businesses and strip malls. The hamlet, bordered to the south by the expansive New Croton Reservoir, contains thousands of acres of parkland.

Data from the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service indicate that as of Monday there were 92 single-family homes on the market. They ranged from a one-bedroom, 680-square-foot ranch built in 1929 on less than a fifth of an acre, listed for $157,500, to a 7,758-square-foot, four-bedroom estate built in 1800 on 20 acres with pool and pond, listed at $12 million.

The median sales price for single-family homes during the 12-month period that ended June 7 was $430,000, up from $411,000 the previous 12 months.

While Yorktown Heights does not have a quaint downtown, it does provide shopping convenience, with local stores like Turcos grocery and national chains. The surrounding areas are a quieter mix of residential neighborhoods and parks, including the Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve, which affords scenic vistas from its summit, and Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, where visitors can swim in a gigantic pool and fish in two bodies of water.

Farm produce and other treats are sold at the county-owned Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center and the family-owned Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm and Meadows Farm. Alpacas roam the fields of Faraway Farm.

Among dining choices are Jewel of Himalaya for Tibetan fare, and Peter Pratts Inn, set in an 18th-century former barn.

As for culture, the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center houses Yorktown Stage, which presents musicals and childrens theater; the Westchester Ballet Center for the Performing Arts, offering dance classes; and the Yorktown Museum, featuring displays of Yorktowns history.

Most Yorktown Heights residents send their children to Yorktown Central School District schools: Brookside Elementary and Mohansic Elementary for kindergarten through third grade, Crompond Elementary for Grades 4 and 5, Mildred E. Strang Middle School for Grades 6 through 8, and Yorktown High School.

On 2016 third- and fourth-grade state assessment tests, 52 percent met English standards, compared with 38 percent statewide, and 59 percent met math standards, compared with 39 percent statewide.

About 1,200 students who live in the northern part of Yorktown Heights are served by the Lakeland Central School District. Its 5,800 or so students attend one of five elementary schools, Lakeland-Copper Beech Middle School and either Lakeland or Walter Panas High School.

In 2016, average SAT scores for Yorktown High School were 533 in critical reading, 558 in mathematics and 538 in writing; for Lakeland High School, 519 in critical reading, 517 in mathematics and 508 in writing; and for Walter Panas High School, 514 in critical reading, 513 in mathematics and 506 in writing. Statewide equivalents were 489, 501 and 477.

There is no train station in Yorktown Heights, which is about 40 miles from Manhattan. The Croton-Harmon and Cortlandt Metro-North Railroad stations, on the Hudson line, are 15 to 20 minutes away, as is the Mount Kisco station on the Harlem line. Rush-hour trains between Croton-Harmon and Grand Central Terminal take 45 to 71 minutes; to and from Cortlandt 52 to 58 minutes; and to and from Mount Kisco 51 to 68 minutes. The monthly fare is $311 from Croton-Harmon and $369 from Cortlandt and Mount Kisco.

Yorktown has three free Westchester County park-and-ride commuter lots, including one that connects with the Bee-Line bus to the Croton-Harmon station.

In April 1781, the Continental Armys First Rhode Island Regiment was stationed at the Davenport House in Yorktown Heights. The unit was made up of freed slaves and Native Americans led by colonial officers. The men were charged with defending Pines Bridge, a strategic crossing over the Croton River.

On May 14, the British waged a surprise raid, defeating the unit and killing many soldiers. A planned monument commemorating the event, called the Battle of Pines Bridge, will feature three eight-foot-tall bronze soldiers: one African-American, one Native American, one European-American. The Davenport House, built in 1750, still stands on Croton Heights Road.

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Yorktown Heights, NY: Progress and Preservation - New York Times

T

he death of the rap artist Prodigy (Albert Johnson, half of the duo Mobb Deep) at only 42 this week, after a lifetime of suffering from sickle cell disease, was a reminder of the devastating cost of thesometimes fatal genetic disorder and of the failure to cure it.

It has been 61 years sincethe discovery of the mutation responsible for sickle cell, which affects about 100,000 people in the U.S., and 30 years since scientists found a compensatory mutation onethat keeps people from developing sickle cell despite inheriting the mutant genes. Last year, when STAT examined the lack of progress, scientists and hospital officials were frank about one reason for it: Other genetic disorders, notably cystic fibrosis, attracted piles of money that led to cures, but sickle cell strikes the wrong kind of people, including African-Americans, and so has historically been starved for funds.

The genetic mutation that causes sickle cell allowsred blood cells to cramp up in a way that impedestheir flow through blood vessels. Those who have the condition can suffer anemia, infections, fatal organ failure, tissue damage, strokes, and intense pain.

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In the last 12 months, there have been glimmers ofprogress against the disease. There are huge numbers of drug companies finally putting money into this, said Dr. Mitchell Weiss, chairman of hematology at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, who is developing a genome-editing approach, using CRISPR-Cas9, to cure sickle cell. As for the National Institutes of Health, the chief funder of basic biomedical research, I wouldnt say NIH is showering [sickle cell research] with money, but theyre trying to help.

Weve known for 50 years what causes sickle cell disease. Wheres the cure?

CRISPR, by making genome-editing easier than ever, is responsible for much of the hope surrounding sickle cell.

On Friday, at a meeting of the European Hematology Association in Madrid, scientists at CRISPR Therapeutics and their academic collaborators will present preliminary results of a study using it to create the compensatory mechanism that protects some sickle cell patients. Basically, that mechanism keeps the body producing fetal hemoglobin, which ordinarily vanishes soon after birth. But even in sickle cell patients, fetal hemoglobin is normal rather than deformed like adult hemoglobin. Scientists have identified several genetic routes to keeping fetal hemoglobin turned on, and even to turning it on again after the body has turned it off in infancy.

CRISPR Therapeutics does not reveal which gene it targeted, but the results were promising. Starting with blood-forming cells from both healthy volunteers and sickle cell patients, itcreated CRISPR-Cas9 molecules targeting regions of DNA involved in the fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switch. An impressive 85 percentof cellswere successfully edited, which kept fetal hemoglobin production humming. Result: Scientistsre-created genetic variants linked to high [fetal hemoglobin] levels in blood-forming cells from both healthy donors and those with sickle cell, the company said in a summary of the study. It compared how well different DNA edits increased production of fetal hemoglobin in red blood cells in lab dishes, getting 25 percent to 45 percent in the cells taken from six sickle cell patients.

The scientists then put the edited cells into lab mice, finding that they homed in on the bone marrow, as they would have to do in a patient to effect a cure. They also measured what are called off-target effects, or edits of genes that werent intended, and found none at the more than 5,000 sites deemed most likely to have them.

CRISPR Therapeutics said it had used several editing strategies to turn on production of fetal hemoglobin, underlining the accelerating progress in taking that approach to develop a cure. Weiss, for instance, is trying to turn on fetal hemoglobin by tapping into the very complicated genetics of fetal hemoglobin.

Cells have molecules that act like Victorian lamplighters: They roam the genome, turning genes on and off. One such lamplighter (in biology-speak, a transcription factor) is called BCL11A; it turns off production of fetal hemoglobin. Weiss is not targeting BCL11A itself (other scientists are considering that); rather, he is using CRISPR to disrupt where BCL11A lands. Just as a lamplighter cant turn off a light he cant reach, so BCL11A cant turn off a gene it cant reach. Expected result: Fetal hemoglobin stays on and patients have enough healthy hemoglobin to compensate for the sickled kind.

One boys cure raises hopes and questions about gene therapy for sickle cell disease

After making progress with this approach editing cells in lab dishes, Weiss said, he and his colleagueshope to launch a clinical trial in three to four years, using money raised by St. Jude but, so far, they have no commercial partner. At Boston Childrens Hospital, Dr. David Williams said he hopes to open his clinical trial, also using gene therapy to target sickle cell, this summer, and is just waiting on final safety testing of the virus that will be used to deliver the therapy.

An even more basic approach to curing sickle cell targets the causative mutation directly.The most encouraging human data so far have come from a genetic therapy being tested by Cambridge, Mass.-based Bluebird Bio. In March, the company reportedthat a boy who received the gene therapy in October 2014, when he was 13, had been able to stop taking medication that helps alleviate symptomsand has not needed to be hospitalized with a sickle cell crisis (as Prodigy was in the days before he died). Nor has hesuffered the crushing pain or bone and tissue damage that results from the inability of sickled blood cells to carry oxygen.

Bluebird uses viruses to carry the healthy hemoglobin gene into blood-making bone marrow cells taken from patients, which is the original form of gene therapy. If healthy genes insert into the DNA of enough cells, which are infused back intothe patient, the marrow makes enough healthy blood cells to cure sickle cell. With the sudden surge of activity, said Dr. Charles Abrams of the University of Pennsylvania and past president of the American Society of Hematology, people say were within 10 years of reaching the goal of a cure, and maybe less.

Sharon Begley can be reached at sharon.begley@statnews.com Follow Sharon on Twitter @sxbegle

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With a rapper's death, harsh spotlight falls on slow progress against sickle cell - STAT

Doug Finke GateHouse Media Illinois

SPRINGFIELD Day one of the special legislative session ended quickly Wednesday with no movement on settling the states budget impasse, but with more of the finger-pointing that has characterized Illinois government for most of the last three years.

Republican lawmakers said the next move is up to House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, who has yet to outline specifics of a tax-and-spending plan that he and House Democrats will support.

House Democrats again complained about ads and mailers financed by Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Illinois Republican Party that attack Madigan and Democrats at the same time they need to work together to pass a budget or the pro-business changes Rauner wants.

Both the House and Senate spent only a few minutes actually in the 10-day special session called by Rauner to deal with budget issues. They will return for day two at noon Thursday. The states fiscal year ends June 30.

Democrats held a private meeting to review a Republican proposal that calls for spending $36 billion next year and not increasing that amount for four years. Rauner and Republican lawmakers have touted the plan as a compromise that should be acceptable to everyone.

There are some things in it I think we could be in agreement with. There are some things in it we could be in opposition to, said Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago, the House Democrats top budget negotiator. I think we looked at the Senate Democratic plan the same way.

Senate Democrats have approved a $37.3 billion spending plan, but it has not been taken up by the House.

Several Republican lawmakers held a news conference Wednesday morning to say the next move is basically up to Madigan.

It is important that the House Democrats come to the table to meet a compromise that moves forward for the people of Illinois, said Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, a principal author of the Republican spending proposal. The only caucus that has not put forward a plan of their own is the House Democrats.

Where is the speaker? That is the central question before us today, said Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.

Madigan said hes in the same place that hes been in for the last 2 years.

That we ought to work on balancing the budget. That means there should be cuts and new revenue, Madigan said. Ive said that for 2 years.

Madigan said House Democrats have been working on a spending plan for several weeks that is not too far apart from the Republican spending plan.

House Democrats again Wednesday criticized Rauner and the state Republican Party for attacking Madigan and other Democrats while also saying they want to work with them to resolve the budget impasse. Rauner delivered a short speech Tuesday night that he billed as a call for unity ahead of the special session.

I think people would like to see us have the unity like the governor talked about the other night, but you cant ask for unity while youre spending millions and millions of dollars attacking the people youre trying to get unity with, Harris said.

Since the Democrat-controlled General Assembly failed to approve a budget by May 31, it will require Republican votes in the House to pass anything. It now takes a supermajority of 71 votes to pass bills in the House, including a budget. Democrats hold 67 seats.

Speaker Madigan and the House Democrats will need Republican votes if they want to end this impasse, said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. It is up to them. The time for just having vague, general discussions is over.

Durkin also said Republicans are done with committees-of-the-whole in which the entire House hears testimony on a particular topic. However, thats exactly what the Democrats have in mind for Thursday and Friday. Thursday will be given over to a hearing on workers compensation changes, not the first time the House has done this. On Friday, the House will conduct a hearing on a property tax freeze.

Rauner and Republicans want to freeze property taxes for four years. The Senate approved a two-year freeze. Senate President John Cullerton said a longer freeze could harm financially vulnerable school districts.

During Wednesdays news conference, Durkin reiterated that the House Republicans arent interested in another stopgap measure if agreement cant be reached on full-year budget. Cullerton has also said he will not consider another stopgap spending plan since the Senate has approved a budget. And Rauner has said he wont sign a stopgap without approval of the other reforms hes been demanding.

Still, Harris said the House Democrats have not ruled anything in or out when it comes to a stopgap budget.

Lawmakers will meet in special session each day until June 30, including this weekend, unless they approve a budget earlier than that.

Contact Doug Finke: doug.finke@sj-r.com, (217) 788-1527, twitter.com/dougfinkesjr.

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First day of special session ends with no progress - Peoria Journal Star

NewsBusters (press release) (blog)

'The View' Panelists Claim Democrat's Loss Is Actually 'Slow Progress' NewsBusters (press release) (blog) Co-host Whoopi Goldberg said that she considers the loss as a sign of slow progress instead even though Democrats have lost three elections since Republican Donald Trump was elected president last November, and Joy Behar claimed that using Donald ... Whoopi Goldberg won't accept Jon Ossoff loss: 'I'm looking at it as slow progress'Washington Times all 2,822 news articles »

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'The View' Panelists Claim Democrat's Loss Is Actually 'Slow Progress' - NewsBusters (press release) (blog)

On June 20, CMS published a much-anticipated proposed rule that, according to a CMS press release,(www.cms.gov) aims to simplify the Quality Payment Program (QPP) in 2018.

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act requires that the program be updated annually.

The proposed rule, available now for public inspection(s3.amazonaws.com) and scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on June 30, devotes special attention to the hurdles faced by physicians in small, independent and rural practices who want to participate in the program.

At the same time, it addresses other CMS primary responsibilities: ensuring fiscal sustainability of the Medicare program and maintaining a high level of quality care for Medicare beneficiaries.

"We've heard the concerns that too many quality programs, technology requirements and measures get between the doctor and the patient," said CMS Administrator Seema Verma, M.P.H., in the release. "That's why we're taking a hard look at reducing burdens."

The proposal seeks to ease the onerous administrative tasks that bog physicians down and keep them from their clinical responsibilities, she noted.

"We aim to improve Medicare by helping doctors and clinicians concentrate on caring for their patients rather than filling out paperwork," said Verma.

"CMS will continue to listen and take actionable steps towards alleviating burdens and improving health outcomes for all Americans that we serve."

In response to the proposal's release, the AAFP published a statement, attributed to AAFP President John Meigs, M.D., of Centreville, Ala., expressing overall support.

"The proposed regulation will improve the ability of family physicians to participate successfully in payment reforms envisioned by the bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act," said Meigs in the statement.

He noted that in addition to CMS' apparent effort to tame the administrative duties that plague physicians, an initial -- albeit brief -- review of the proposal revealed progress on other fronts.

For example, Meigs said the AAFP was pleased to see that the agency had incorporated some of the Academy's suggestions regarding medical homes, including a gradual rollout of the financial risk borne by these entities, as well as steps taken to reduce risk "for practices of all sizes" that are participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.

The AAFP also praised CMS for addressing virtual groups.

"This is a solid step forward in leveling the playing field for small practices who -- without a mechanism by which they can join other practices for reporting purposes -- would be subject to a negative payment adjustment," said the statement.

As always, a dedicated team of AAFP staff members will now dive into the details of the proposal and conduct a thorough analysis before the Academy responds to CMS within the 60-day commenting period allowed.

Related AAFP News Coverage MACRA: The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act

More From AAFP MACRA Ready: The Shift to Value-Based Payment

Additional Resource CMS fact sheet(www.cms.gov)

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First Look at Proposed Rule Shows Progress in Easing Burdens - AAFP News

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer is a defensive guru and a man who has built a reputation by being one of the leagues best coaches at shutting down opposing offenses.

But after Minnesotas offensive line struggled with injuries and execution in 2016, Zimmer has had more of a hand in helping the line get ready for the upcoming season.

Part of it is, I want them to know Ive got their back, Zimmer said. Im going to sit in there with them. Im listening to them and communicating with them. Im trying to tell them things, defensively.

I talk to Sam [Bradford] all the time about things that I think defensively and how other people might think. While Im sitting in there they might ask me, With this rotation, wheres the blitz coming from? Or, Hows the linebacker going to react to this kind of play and things like this. Ill tell them the things that I see thats really tough on a defensive end or whatever, Zimmer said. I think its been good and its not that Im overlooking any of those guys. I want them to know that theyre my guys.

The Vikings used eight different starting offensive line combinations in 2016, and started five different left tackles. Minnesota ranked last in the NFL with 1,205 rushing yards and was last with an average of 3.2 yards per carry.

The Vikings and General Manager Rick Spielman beefed up the line this offseason, adding a pair of tackles in Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers. Both are expected to start this season.

Minnesota also added center/guard Pat Elflein and guard Danny Isidora in the draft, bringing young talent to the position group.

Veteran Joe Berger, who started 2016 at center and finished at right guard, worked at right guard with the first team during Organized Team Activity and minicamp practices beside center Nick Easton.

Add it all up, and left guard Alex Boone could be the only lineman who resumes the same starting spot he had at the start of the 2016 season.

With Reiff and Remmers on the outside, the interior of the line could see Boone at left guard, Easton at center and Berger at right guard.

Zimmer noted that Easton and Elflein will fight for playing time during training camp.

Theyre both doing good, Zimmer said. Again, its going to come down into training camp and things like that. We may look at some other scenarios as well.

With Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano back for his second season in Minnesota, players said they can sense a revamped attitude within the unit.

Ive got great teammates, great guys in the room, Reiff said earlier this spring. Were in the beginning steps right now. Were working. Its all we can do. Im not going to say much, but were out there working together, building camaraderie.

Added Remmers: Just from what Ive heard from the guys who have been here, going into this season has been a completely different change of pace and a different mindset. From what Ive seen, everyone works so hard here. Were going to do everything we possibly can to have the most success on the field.

At the end of spring practices, Zimmer noted the real test will come in pads whether thats at training camp or in the preseason.

But in the few weeks that Zimmer has spent with his new-look offensive line, he likes what he observed.

They seem pretty focused, Zimmer said. Theyre not a big joke-around room, they have their little fun here and there. I think they just want to get it right.

Like Reiff said to me, Ive made money in this game, I just want to win a Super Bowl. Thats kind of his mentality, Zimmer added. I think its good for the football team.

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Zimmer Evaluates Progress of Revamped O-Line - Minnesota Vikings - Vikings.com

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., right, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif. walk to a security briefing for lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 14, 2017, after a gunman opened fire wounding House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise of La., and others during a Congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. J. Scott ApplewhiteAP

One week after Steve Scalise was shot during a congressional baseball practice, the congressman has continued to improve, with his condition upgraded from serious to fair.

"Congressman Steve Scalise continues to make good progress. He is now listed in fair condition and is beginning an extended period of healing and rehabilitation," Medstar Washington Hospital, where Scalise is being treated, said in a statement Wednesday.

On June 17, the last time the hospital provided an update, the hospital said his condition was "serious," and that he had undergone another surgery but was continuing to improve. Before that, he had been in critical condition since he was brought to the hospital in shock after the shooting.

Scalise was shot Wednesday June 14, after a gunman opened fire at a GOP congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. He was shot in the left hip, and t he bullet injured his internal organs.

"Hes in some trouble," President Donald Trump said last Thursday, "but hes a great fighter, and hes going to be OK, we hope."

The FBI said Wednesday they believe shooter James Hodgkinson , 66, of Illinois, who was killed in gunfire exchange with law enforcement, acted alone when he opened fire on the baseball practice.

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Steve Scalise Making 'Good Progress' After Shooting, Hospital Says - TIME