Daily Archives: July 19, 2017

One year ago this month, members of Congress put aside party politics and took action to support millions living in extreme poverty.

The Global Food Security Act, a bill sponsored by Sens. Johnny IsaksonJohnny IsaksonLets not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security Senate Dems to Trump official: Don't give compounds to Russia in meeting next week Tillerson: Trump and Putin had 'positive chemistry' MORE (R-Ga.) and Bob CaseyBob CaseyDem leaders amp up calls for bipartisan ObamaCare fixes Lets not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security Vulnerable senators raise big money ahead of 2018 MORE (D-Pa.) and Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), passed on July 6, 2016 and was sent to the presidents desk for signature. The legislation authorized an agriculture development initiative to help alleviate global poverty and hunger in developing countries. The Act called for a comprehensive whole-of-government approach to global food and nutrition security, prioritized transparency and accountability in all programs, and recognized the critical role that women play in agriculture, nutrition and household food security.

Significantly, resilience was elevated to a full objective of the program to help ensure that unforeseen events do not derail progress toward reaching a world without hunger. With the new strategy in place, USAID has welcomed civil society to input into the selection of performance monitoring indicators. The country selection process is expected to be finalized soon.

Laws like the Global Food Security Act are strong examples of bipartisan efforts to help modernize Americas foreign assistance programs. But, these efforts to make government more efficient could be nullified should the draconian cuts to foreign assistance proposed by the White House this May be enacted.

In budget recommendations submitted to Congress, the White House called for 32 percent cuts to foreign assistance. Cuts of this nature would have a devastating impact on programs like Feed the Future that help to address global agricultural development. The initiative has helped nearly 7 million smallholder farmers and producers to improve their crop yields since being launched in 2009. The program has reached 12.5 million children with nutrition programs. The initiative has seen particularly strong results in Rwanda, Senegal and Malawi.

The White House has frequently made the case that other countries should take on the burden of global development and humanitarian response. Earlier this month, leaders from the twenty most powerful countries in the world attended the 2017 G20 meetings in Hamburg, Germany. Though 20 million people in Yemen, north-east Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan are facing starvation due to conflict and drought, food and nutrition security was not on the G20 agenda in any meaningful way. The imminent need for famine response and increased investment in food security initiatives that can promote resilience and prevent future disasters is profoundly clear. Yet the G20 hasnt had the political will to tackle this issue.

As one of the largest national donors to global food security initiatives, the United States must continue to lead. Rejecting President Trumps cuts to foreign aid is a critical first step. From Des Moines to Dallas, advocates in all parts of the country have taken 283,054 actions to demonstrate to policymakers that foreign assistance saves lives, builds economies, and keeps us safe here at home. Now, it is time for Congress to heed their call.

Judith Rowland is U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager atGlobal Citizen

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Let's not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security - The Hill (blog)

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[Editors Note: Because Splatoon 2 depends on servers for matchmaking, and because Nintendos Switch mobile app will launch alongside it on July 21, this review is in progress until shortly after its released to the public. Read on for our full impressions of Splatoon 2 as it exists in its pre-release state.]

It feels as if the paint had just begun to dry on Splatoon after its release on the Wii U in 2015 when Nintendo applied a fresh coat and relaunched it with Splatoon 2 on the Switch. That may be why this sequel feels less like a whole new game than a new version of the first one that rolls up the best post-launch updates to the colorful and adorably non-violent team-based shooter and adds some new toys. Of course, considering the first game is a lot of fun, thats not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you missed it for lack of a Wii U. And despite some questionable choices that can leave you trapped in matchmaking purgatory, the addition of a standout and clever take on a co-op horde mode provides some seriously addicting fun that has me coming back for more.

Like its predecessor, Splatoon 2s emphasis on using vibrant, ink-based weapons to splatter both enemies and the ground alike in your team color to control territory makes it a distinctive kind of visually rewarding fun. Controlling the ground is more than just a way of keeping score, though youre far more mobile in your own territory, creating lots of opportunity for strategies around creating a highway to an objective and cutting off your opponents, and also setting up areas to submerge into the ink and replenish your ammo. The key to victory on the eight distinct and symmetrical maps currently in rotation often lies in being aware of terrain, ink management, and the oppositions plans.

Between the original arsenal, the guns added in post-launch updates, and the new ones introduced in Splatoon 2, theres plenty of ink-based weaponry to choose from, and yet each type has distinct uses. Theres the fast and furious Inkbrush that covers ground quickly, contrasted with the Slosher that manages to turn a literal bucket of ink into a deadly close-range weapon. One of my favorites of the new batch is the Dualies, dual-pistol style weapons that have a great rate of fire and also let you quickly dodge-roll when firing to strafe enemies and release a concentrated burst of ink. Theres also a brand-new array of special weapon powerups, many of which work well with proper coordination to break stalemates. The protective Ink Armor shields your entire team from harm, while the Tenta Missiles can lock onto and fire a salvo of ink strikes on multiple enemies.

Obtaining new gear is a smoother process than in the first game.

Going hand in hand with Splatoon 2s wealth of weapons is a set of gear that provides both style and bonuses in combat, with the added twist of over 20 random secondary abilities that unlock after youve battled with them equipped enough times. These range from practical effects, like increasing ink recovery rates, to highly specialized abilities that can track the enemy who last splatted you or players youve recently hit. Obtaining new gear is a smoother process than in the first game, too you can now order any gear youve seen on other people in-game using currency earned from battle, though the abilities attached to yours might not be the same due to random generation. Paying to scrub unwanted extra traits to make room for new ones leaves chunks of those abilities behind to apply to other gear, letting you mix and match from your inventory, or you can try your luck at unlocking different bonuses to replace the old ones that better align with your playstyle. This is a good way get value out of gear you earned but dont plan to wear: by scrubbing enough ammo-conserving bonuses from gear I wasnt using, I was then able to apply that trait to my favorite jersey (for a hefty price). Offering the chance to craft the perfect gear for your playstyle to give you a better edge in the more competitive Ranked Battles has kept me more invested than I was in the first Splatoon.

Aquatic Ambience

With a world this colorful and fun, its great to see how much better people and places look on the Switch. Characters like the weapons dealer Sheldon and clothing merchant Jelfonzo look better than ever with more detailed models and textures, and the various forms of street art and graffiti scattered around the maps pop. The ink itself shimmers and glints with shiny flecks. Despite it all, Splatoon 2 never failed to maintain a smooth 60 frames per second in battle even with ink flying in all directions in a fully populated eight-player match. In handheld mode, things look great, and the option to set sensitivity for both modes of play helped immensely when switching between handheld and docked mode. I actually ended up swapping between motion and non-motion controls with surprising ease (though not being able to use the control stick to look up and down with motion and controls does take getting used to every time).

Solo Artist

Splatoon 2 brings back a very familiar and simple 32-mission single-player campaign that, with some exceptions, follows the style of its predecessor almost to the letter. Theres a fair amount of hand-holding and will only take six or so hours to run through and find most collectibles, but missions provide some pretty fun ideas to play around with. There are places to stylishly grind on ink-rails like a squid version of Tony Hawk, and elsewhere you can lure giant, ink-vacuuming Squee-G robots into your enemies path. Spraying ink to activate expanding sponges or moving platforms gives it a light Super Mario Sunshine feel, but it rarely challenges you the way co-op and multiplayer do. The most significant improvement over Splatoon is that the sequels campaign lets you try out each of the weapon types, which is a great way to learn about their potential and how they can be used in multiplayer before jumping online. This focus on weapon research greatly extends replay value, as you can head back into levels youve already conquered to discover new challenges based on the weapons strengths and limitations.

Heading into Splatoon 2s main lobby lets you queue up for an engaging variety of online modes. Each mode automatically drops you in one of two maps that change up every two hours, which keeps things feeling fresh and doesnt let a map wear out its welcome as quickly as in other games, where the community often picks a favorite and plays it to death. The standard Turf War mode, which carries over from the original, is welcoming for beginners and veterans alike with the simple yet entertaining concept of competing to ink the most territory in three minutes. No two matches ever feel the same because the battlefield hotspots dictated by the competing colors of ink are constantly changing, and several times being at the right place at the right time was what narrowly pushed our team to victory. This is one case where I actually miss the Wii U gamepad without the second-screen map or an always-on-screen minimap, you have to hold a button to overlay a map to see how things are going or jump to a teammates location. This means youll need to be that much more alert to the status of your team and the terrain, and finding a safe spot to check the map overlay took some getting used to.

Being at the right place at the right time was what narrowly pushed our team to victory.

Besides Turf Wars, Ranked and League Battles are where more precise and objective-based modes await. The king-of-the-hill-inspired Splat Zone, a tug-of-war style payload mode called Tower Control, and a spin on capture-the-flag where you carry a powerful but movement-impeding weapon to the enemy base called Rainmaker. Unfortunately, these modes arent well populated yet, so Ill have to wait until Splatoon 2 goes live before I can effectively test them out.

The only real problems Ive encountered so far are the lobbys matchmaking system and the lack of a between-match loadout screen. Like in most games, once youve picked your mode of choice youll be sent to a room awaiting seven more players to begin. The catch is that nobody can cancel out or do anything else (such as the minigame the first Splatoon gave us to kill the time here) until either the match fills up or the timer runs out a couple of minutes later. Even if your group does fill up fast (which we can assume will be more likely after launch) and you get to play a round, you're still left with the problem of being unable to swap out weapons and gear between matches. I dont mind not being able to switch during a match because that makes you carefully consider your choices and commit to the role your weapon fills, and the matches arent that long to begin with. But after playing with a great group and leveling up, the last thing I want to do is ditch them just so I can put on a new pair of shoes.

Cooperative Calamari

Where Splatoon 2s single-player campaign gently guides you through Octoling enemies, the new Salmon Run mode is an excellent cooperative foil. As hilarious as it is addicting, this mode puts you and up to three other players up against three timed waves of relentless enemies while collecting a quota of golden eggs from boss creatures and depositing them in a basket. Unlike other horde modes, Salmon Run deftly uses Splatoons ink and territory mechanics to ensure youre not only splatting fish but also struggling to maintain control of the ground as enemies try to stifle your movement. The Boss Salmonids you face are some of the most memorable enemies Ive seen in a horde mode since Left 4 Dead, wielding trash as makeshift weapons and armor and shooting beams of ink from atop a tower of pots and pans. Their distinct looks help you assess threats quickly, which is essential because your team must neutralize them before being overwhelmed.

When playing online, youll be given one of four random weapons to use for every wave, and I love how it challenged me to adapt and fill new roles on my team: In one wave I was sniping bosses with the Splat Charger, but in the next wave I had to clear a path to the egg basket with the Roller instead. Difficulty can be set when playing locally, and steadily grows when online thanks to the randomized nature of enemy waves and weapon loadouts, boss configurations, and special events like rising water levels or egg-stealing mothership invasions. Those shifting conditions kept me coming back to see what would happen next.

The Boss Salmonids you face are some of the most memorable enemies Ive seen in a horde mode since Left 4 Dead.

Playing locally with friends is a blast my teammates and I frantically screamed out boss names and locations of golden eggs to direct each other to counter problems and capitalize on opportunities. But this also highlights how key communication is to survival, something that doesnt currently translate well in random online matchups, where you can only give basic callouts. Thats something that will hopefully improve with the launch of Nintendos mobile app, which will allow voice communication (one of the things we found lacking with the original Splatoon on the Wii U). Co-op is also the only mode that can only be played online on certain days for specific amounts of time, which is truly frustrating considering just how fun it is. I get that Nintendo wants to ensure full rooms on the days Salmon Run is active, but Id rather have the option to queue up with friends online or have a way to easily back out if nobody is around to play with (going it alone is pretty much a death sentence). Luckily, you earn rewards much faster online; if you choose to play locally you can play as much as you want, but it takes much longer to earn bonuses.

Thats it for now, but check back after Splatoon 2 and the Nintendo mobile app launch on July 21 for the final review. But if I had to score Splatoon now, Id give it an 8.3.

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Review in Progress - IGN

How do you measure progress? Thats great question. In the fight to reduce standardized testing and return decision-making to classroom teachers, some critics say New York is moving too slowly.

They say: Theres too much testing! Let teachers teach!

In response to that fierce criticism, the Board of Regents took an important step recently to address the widespread belief by parents and educators that New York State tests students far too much.

The Regents reduced standardized testing in English Language Arts and Math from six days to four days a 33 percent decrease that will re-capture two additional days next year for teaching and learning. I applauded that move as a positive step.

However, the State Education Department also placed a gag order on teachers that prohibited them from discussing Regents exams.

NYSUT the union I lead jumped in on behalf of teachers. Teachers are professionals who must be free to speak out if they believe test questions are unfair or contain errors that would hurt their students. We insisted on transparency in testing and the Department quickly responded to our concerns. The gag order was rescinded and now teachers can communicate about the exams after they are fully administered.

I see both of these as signs of slow, steady progress.

Teachers and parents, working together, are in the process of banishing the test-and-punish agenda to the ash heap of history.

Under pressure from parents, teachers and teachers unions, New York has shortened both the number of questions on state tests and now the number of days devoted to standardized testing.

Under pressure from teachers and parents, the Common Core is gone. Good riddance!

Instead, New York is in the process of adopting Next Generation standards.

Together, weve won a moratorium on the use of invalid and inaccurate Common Core tests. These flawed tests cant be used to hurt students or educators a decision that came because of the powerful opt-out movement led by parents and teachers.

Whether this progress is too slow about right or downright quick, Ill leave to others. But I will say the progress we made this year is real and is having a positive impact on the classroom. Teaching and learning is winning out over testing. Little by little, a little is becoming a lot.

In the fall, the state will turn its attention to how teachers should be evaluated. Thats the next battle, and it is going to be a difficult one. Teachers want their evaluations to be fair and meaningful.

They want evaluations to be decided locally by their own communities. To borrow a clich one size does not fit all. And, they dont want to be judged by how their students perform on a standardized test of dubious value.

I know that teachers and parents are going to press just as strongly. And, Im confident that we will not only make progress, but we will prevail.

Andy Pallotta is president of the 600,000-plus member New York State United Teachers.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

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Measuring Progress On Testing - WAMC

Concerns over the operation of the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater were addressed again by neighborhood individuals and county representatives as the local neighborhood association tries to bring more accountability to the way the venue operates.

The Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association sat down with officials from the county July 13 to discuss progress made regarding the operations of the amphitheater. Although the property is owned by the county, an independent group runs the day-to-day operations.

The neighborhood association has been focused on the amphitheaters operations for about a year, spearheaded by association president Bridget Schwarz. Chief concerns include noise and traffic issues, as both have caused headaches for residents due to perceived improper management at the hands of the venues runners.

Clark County Traffic Engineering and Operations Section Supervisor Matt Griswold admitted that the role of dealing with the amphitheater was something neglected previous to the raising of the recent complaints.

We thought everything was going fine. We hadnt heard any complaints or anything until last July or August, Griswold said.

After being contacted by Schwarz, the issues started to show themselves, specifically regarding traffic signals in the vicinity.

Much like the county, the state Department of Transportation had not been monitoring the situation, Griswold explained, adding that it was discovered that something was, in fact, awry with the traffic signal setup.

Since that discovery, the WSDOT has fixed the signal issues, Griswold said. He added that the county had met with amphitheater operators a few times this year, going over the traffic plan for the then-upcoming Train concert.

The traffic plan is not something set in concrete, its sort of fluid thing because its always changing depending on the size of the crowd, Griswold explained. He made mention of the change in background traffic since the venue started more than a decade ago as well as more recent developments like the extension of 10th Avenue as some of those variables.

Clark County Neighborhood Relations Coordinator Marilee McCall said since the previous June meeting she has spent the majority of time gathering what was available that Schwarz had requested. Schwarz said her three huge questions about noise, traffic and possible changes in the traffic management plan were at that point being addressed by McCall but not necessarily complete.

We still dont have all the information, but were making some progress, Schwarz said.

Actual imposition of fines for non-compliance was another issue, as Schwarz and other association members had mentioned that they were not aware of any time the county actually fined the amphitheater. McCall said there was one instance when the venue was fined $1,000 in 2004 for a concert that ran too late in the night.

Through McCalls data mining, she uncovered a previous record of complaints, much the same as is current, including a point-by-point plan the county drafted to deal with said issues.

As to why there had been relative silence regarding the amphitheater, Griswold said it was likely due to turnover at the county. An individual who had once been the liaison with the venue had left and nobody replaced the role, he reasoned.

Now that the county is aware of the issue and appears to be actively doing something about it, progress can be made, though Griswold said whatever happened would not be a solution to every problem.

We all know that its never going to be perfect. At the night of an event you are not going to come down 179th Street and not be delayed for some time. Griswold said. When you are going to bring four or five thousand people, or 10,000 people depending on the size of the event, into one spot and one interchange, its going to back things up.

Following the associations break from a formal meeting in August, Schwarz said that at either the September or October meeting, representatives from the venue could be present.

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Group talks progress on amphitheater concerns - The Reflector