Monthly Archives: February 2022

Corning City Mayor Bill Boland and Deputy Mayor Alison Hunt say they fully share the anger felt by some Northside residents about the lack of progress at Northside Place.

Jay Benesh, general manager at Riedman Homes, said the Rochester-based company still plans to build 25 single-family homes at the former Northside School site.

Plans to build a second single-family home at the site, first announced in September 2021, are currently on hold, Benesh said. There are no changes to the overall plan, but we are kind of reevaluating things. But at this point we havent changed the plans.

Work, which started in early 2020with the construction of a spec house, was first delayed by COVID-19, then by associatedrising costs and delays in getting construction materials.

I can understand the concerns, said Hunt at the February Corning City Council meeting. The work at the site has been terrible and the city should be concerned. I walked up to the one house at the site, looked at the price, and said, 'Who is going to buy that little house?'I understand that.

Boland called the work at the former Northside Blodgett site terrible.

Related: Northside school site cleared, ready for next step (July 2018)

More: Class of 2021: Graduation rates exceed 86.1% state average in five Southern Tier counties

For subscribers: Check out local home sales and prices

The comments made by Boland and Hunt were during a meeting in which the City Council shot down plans to build an apartment complex targeting low-income families at the former St. Vincent de Paul Church campus.

Benesh had no comment in response to Boland or Hunts comments.

Several Northside residents who watched the February council meeting on Zoom at the Corning VFW expressed concerns about the school site.

We have one model home and a vacant lot sitting there and the homes are far overpriced compared to every other really well-kept home in the area, said Georgina Santilli, a Princeton Avenue resident.

Deborah Beck, also of Princeton Avenue, called Northside Place a "failed project."

I call it 'the wasteland,' Beck said. Youve got two big piles of dirt with weeds growing out of it. There is wire mess that animals are getting caught in. Whats going to happen with that development? We do need the city to help us develop the property at Northside Blodgett.

City Councilman Mark ReSue remains concerned that the cost of the new homes is just too high, expected to range from $336,900 to $377,900.

Benesh said a key benefit of buying a home at Northside Place is the houses are built in a plot organized with the state as a condominium development, which reduces school, city and county taxes about 40% on those properties.

'Condominiumization' is a method of dividing a parcel to allow independent ownership of each lot it does not change the zoning or permitted uses of a parcel or lot, according to officials.

Benesh said there is a self-guided tour available at the currently completed house at Northside Place on Cayuta Street.

"You can walk up to the front door at the home and take a tour from dawn to dusk," Benesh said. "What we have tried to do is make the tour as simple as possible so people can see the quality that we offer."

Benesh said people can also go to riedman.com to learn more about home options at the site.

Go here to see the original:

City of Corning leaders angered by lack of progress on planned housing at Northside Place - Corning Leader

CHICAGO About a month before training camp last fall, the Chicago Bulls began meeting up in their city, which would become a new home for most of them.

They got together for workouts they didnt have to do. They played five-on-five. They hung out. With only three players who had been with the team during the previous off-season, there were a lot of introductions to make.

Everybody that came here was very excited for this project to work, said Nikola Vucevic, one of the longer-tenured members of the Bulls, having joined the team at the trade deadline in March 2021. There was a very positive energy going into it. I think that helped a lot. Also, we had guys that were still trying to prove themselves.

Those workouts built team chemistry, and the Bulls surprised people Vucevic included with how quickly they started winning. And when injuries and coronavirus infections depleted their roster, they had a foundation that allowed them to adapt.

This season has demanded that teams be pliable, given how the pandemic has disrupted it. A virus outbreak during a wave of the Omicron variant in December meant that the Bulls were missing 10 players at one point and once they emerged from that setback, they began losing key players to injury. Despite all that, the Bulls, with a 38-21 record after Wednesdays 125-118 win over the Sacramento Kings, are well positioned for the run up to the playoffs after All-Star Weekend.

Were not able to see us at our full potential since the beginning of the year, said Zach LaVine, Chicagos two-time All-Star guard and the longest-tenured Bull. Even then we were working out the kinks, getting to know each other.

He added: Were still at the top of our conference and weve been doing a patch job.

With the Heat inactive Wednesday, the Bulls broke a tie with Miami which has dealt with its own virus and injury issues for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating Sacramento. It has been more than a decade since the Bulls were truly considered contenders in the East. They have missed the playoffs for the past four seasons, and two years ago they tried to shake up their front office in hopes of changing their fortunes.

They traded for Vucevic last season, and he became the first part of their remodel. Only the third-year guard Coby White and LaVine remain from the team that began last season.

DeMar DeRozan became their marquee free-agent signing, a player who had been written off because of his preference for midrange jumpers over 3-pointers.

The Bulls traded for Lonzo Ball in the off-season, and paid a small price the forfeiture of a second-round draft pick for tampering to get him. They signed Alex Caruso, who comes off the bench for a defensive jolt, in free agency as well. And they drafted Ayo Dosunmu, a Chicago native who had spent three years at the University of Illinois.

Critics wondered if this group would actually work, and how.

Bulls Coach Billy Donovan said the players time together before training camp really helped our team. For Vucevic that meant reconnecting with DeRozan, with whom hed played at the University of Southern California. It meant getting to know others hed played against in the N.B.A.

Its one of the great things about team sports, Vucevic said. You meet so many people and you never know who youre going to build friendships with.

The Bulls started the season 6-1 and went on a nine-game winning streak in late December and early January after their Omicron wave had passed.

Balls outlet passes, LaVines dunks and DeRozans buzzer-beaters were just part of the fun. Their up-tempo offense, fueled by DeRozan, LaVine and, eventually, Vucevic, was balanced by a clear defensive identity, led by guards Ball and Caruso.

They look like theyre having fun playing basketball together, said Joakim Noah, who played for the Bulls from 2007 to 2016, including seven straight trips to the playoffs. When you look around the league you realize you can probably count that on one hand.

Friendships might seem like a small thing on a professional sports team, but discord can derail even the most talented teams.

I think when you have a lot of guys built into the foundation as if were one household, one family, when you have guys going in and out its much easier to plug guys in, Dosunmu said.

DeRozan was out for almost two weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus in December. LaVine has missed 11 games, most of them because of a lingering knee injury, though he also played with back spasms earlier this month. Ball has been out since Jan. 15 with a knee injury.

Caruso missed 13 games in December and January with a foot injury. In the second game after he returned, he fractured his wrist after a hard foul by Milwaukees Grayson Allen. Caruso has not played since, but he has been on the bench, helping younger players learn from what he sees.

We have a strong-minded group, said Vucevic, who had a double-double Wednesday with 21 points and 10 rebounds. A group of fighters. When were going through it, we just talked about how we cant feel sorry for ourselves because nobodys going to feel sorry for us.

They have stayed afloat by beating lesser teams, but the leagues better ones have proved a tougher challenge. So far they are winless against Miami, Milwaukee, Golden State, Philadelphia, Memphis and Phoenix. They have only two wins against teams currently in the top four in their conferences they beat the Jazz and Cavaliers once each.

We understand that we are a good team, we are not yet at the level of the best teams, and we still have a lot of work to do, Vucevic said, adding, We have to wait to get full to be able to do that, but all of this is a good test for us to get to there.

After shootaround Friday at Chicagos practice facility, Ball hopped through a drill as he worked on rehabbing his knee. Nearby, Caruso watched a scrimmage. LaVine practiced shooting free throws and then spoke to reporters.

We get healthy and we do what were supposed to do, I dont see anybody better than us in the East, LaVine said. Thats my opinion. Competition-wise, you step on the line you go throw the ball up, I dont think anybodys better than us.

That night LaVine played 37 minutes and winced as he landed on his feet after a dunk. The Bulls announced Monday that he would be out until the All-Star break because of that lingering knee injury.

Since returning from his coronavirus-related absence, DeRozan has offered some consistency. Hes scored at least 35 points in the teams last seven games losses to Phoenix and Philadelphia, followed by five wins over pesky but less-accomplished teams. He had 38 points on 16 of 27 shooting from the field against the Kings.

After Saturdays home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, DeRozan spoke wistfully about what it might feel like when the Bulls are all healthy again.

Its like a dream I dream about every night, DeRozan said as he looked into the distance.

Outside the United Center, the winter Chicago air was biting cold just a few hours before the city would be dusted with snow.

Being on a sunny beautiful island, thats how I picture it when we get back healthy, DeRozan said. Were going to get there. It sucks right now, but we got to weather it. Its going to come.

See the original post here:

Bulls Embrace Their Status as a Joyous Work in Progress - The New York Times

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

Read more here:

Mayor focuses on goal progress, community in 'State of the Town' address - Jackson Hole News&Guide

featured newsFebruary 19, 2022 at 2:33 pmZara Flett in action for Orkney today. (Orkney Photographic)

Orkneys senior inter-county netball side beat Shetland this afternoon to progress in the Scottish Cup.

The reds beat the blues 45-30 as two new-look sides went toe-to-toe at The Pickaquoy Centre.

Orkney, led by the attacking trio of Inga Kemp, Bev Flett and Zara Flett, flew out of the traps, ending the first quarter on top at 14-6.

Shetland, missing several familiar faces, hit back in the second quarter, making Orkney pay for a series of missed scoring opportunities to cut the deficit to 19-15 at half-time.

The third quarter was fairly even as Orkney got back in their groove, finishing 33-25, and into the final quarter, Orkney held on comfortably to close the game out at 45-30.

Orkney will now play Lossiemouth in the next round.

Similar posts

Go here to see the original:

Orkney beat Shetland to progress in Scottish Cup - The Orcadian

Top Stanford administrators shared recent updates to the Universitys Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access in a Learning Community (IDEAL) initiative and highlighted existing challenges to racial equity during the latest installment of Campus Conversations on Wednesday.

Launched in 2018, the IDEAL initiative is a cross-campus effort to make progress toward an inclusive, accessible, diverse and equitable University community, especially for those from traditionally marginalized identity groups. Since its inception, the initiative has launched efforts to hire a more diverse cohort of faculty and diversify both graduate and undergraduate admissions; facilitated identity/race data collection across campus; and initiated plans for campus-wide diversity, equity and inclusion training. Despite the growth of the program over the past four years, Stanford community members have questioned the initiatives commitment to making tangible, lasting progress.

According to Provost Persis Drell, current leadership is painfully aware of the criticism of past efforts in the area as one-offs that faded and is committed to making sure IDEAL is about institutional change. Still, Drell said, there is significant work needed before Stanford can become the type of community that the University envisioned when it launched the initiative.

Vice Provost for Institutional Equity, Access and Community Patrick Dunkley emphasized that changes may appear slower than originally expected, but that it is on leadership to give advocates in Stanfords marginalized communities a reason to believe in the efforts.

IDEAL recently published the findings of a campus climate diversity, equity and inclusion survey that showed the widespread and disproportionate impact of discrimination on marginalized communities at Stanford. Dunkley said the results and statistics were not shocking and that the committee planned on following up with a community-centered goal-setting process where every community center would partake in making goals to address survey areas.

Despite the results of the survey, Dunkley said the IDEAL initiative team was encouraged by the tremendous interest in data by allied groups representing non-marginalized communities who asked him about ways to effect change.

Vice Provost for Faculty Development, Diversity and Engagement Matt Snipp also emphasized the Universitys excitement about the new faculty director for the Martin Luther King Research and Education Institute, Lerone Martin, who began his post in January.

Snipp said that he hopes Martin will be able to empower the King Institute to reach its potential. The King Institute should be a global destination and a leader for the study and public understanding of the works of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and their relevance to contemporary global society, Snipp said.

Snipp also said a second cohort of IDEAL postdoctoral fellows would be invited to Stanford soon.

Senior Advisor to the Provost on Equity and Inclusion Shirley Everett shared recent progress in the Universitys efforts to prioritize diversity in recruiting. IDEAL is currently developing what it calls its learning journey,a staff training on equity and diversity intended to help foster more inclusive recruiting practices.

My hope is that IDEAL becomes the foundation on which we build an equitable ecosystem so all staff can bring their full authentic self to work, Everett said.

While administrators highlighted the value of including and appreciating the perspectives of stakeholders in issues of equity on campus, those in attendance raised concerns about the initiatives willingness to serve the Stanford community. One community memberhighlighted the use of intimidation tactics by managing supervisors in higher education, pointing out how reports of wrongdoing have often been overlooked at universities across the country.

Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said that intimidation tactics are unacceptable, adding that it is important to elevate such reports even beyond human resources in some situations.

Its distressing to me to hear that the questioner feels that the issues they have experienced and have raised are not being addressed, Tessier-Lavigne said. That is certainly not the Stanford we want to be.

For IDEAL administrators and leaders throughout the University to make a positive change to the campus community, they must look inward and face the problems they identify head-on, Tessier-Lavigne said.

The willingness to engage in dialogue is the foundation for communicating and listening across differences he said, adding that it is an essential condition for the success of everything were trying to do.

This article has been corrected to reflect the learning journey is not mandatory. The Daily regrets this error.

Here is the original post:

University leaders share progress on IDEAL, highlight persisting institutional weaknesses - The Stanford Daily

Share this article

The good news is the games industry has been making progress on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, that progress has been slow, and particularly so for Black professionals.

As noted by a recent Washington Post article, the IGDA's 2021 Developer survey report said that the group has doubled in 16 years to account for 4% of the industry.

That survey is open to developers globally but it leans heavily North American. For comparison, the 2019 US Census reports that Black people make up 13% of the country's population. In Canada, the 2016 Census found 3.5% of the population identified themselves as Black.

The industry by and large acknowledged the systemic issues present within it like many others in 2020. This was in direct response to the nationwide protests calling for equality that followed the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man who was killed while in police custody in May of 2020.

Many companies came forward to express support for Black Lives Matter support and promised to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive of Black professionals.

With the two-year anniversary of those promises coming up in a few months, GamesIndustry.Biz reached out to DEI professionals and researchers to ask them about the progress the industry has made and their predictions looking ahead.

"Overall progress is being made when conversations are taking place when BIPOC folk are speaking out about their experiences, and setting boundaries"

Rejess Marshall

"Overall progress is being made when conversations are taking place when BIPOC folk are speaking out about their experiences, and setting boundaries," said Rejess Marshall, head of diversity and inclusion at Iron Galaxy.

Marshall adds that progress has been visible in some specific areas.

"Content creators are speaking out, gaining more visibility, and finding spaces that celebrate their unique perspectives. Within game development, companies are hiring more DEI professionals to help lead these efforts and there are more efforts being made to show diverse representation in the games."

When speaking about the headway that has been made, Cinzia Musio, diversity and inclusion advisor at Splash Damage, notes that the media's broader coverage of company problems and allegations has shifted.

"While progress is always slow, it is clear to see that the games industry is moving in the right direction. It was encouraging to see that late last year, with new allegations of abuse and harassment in the industry, there was a real drive across the board to create accountability," Musio explained.

"From games media refusing to publish any articles without mentioning history of abuse and harassment, to major platform holders calling out the behaviour. The next few years will be key to see whether that accountability continues, and whether it turns into real action across large studios."

Stephanie Ijoma, DEI consultant and founder of gaming outfit Nnesaga, agrees that the industry has quite a way to go in terms of addressing diversity and inclusion.

"Quite frankly, the industry only decided to wake up when the Black Lives Matter movement became popular and [the industry] panicked"

Stephanie Ijoma

"Quite frankly, the industry only decided to wake up when the Black Lives Matter movement became popular and [the industry] panicked," Ijoma said.

"They tried to outsource DEI consultants to internally fix a system that has been purposely designed to not embrace and include diversity, representation and inclusion when this should have been a priority before things hit the fan," Ijoma adds.

"We constantly still fight tooth and nail to ensure that active changes are put in good faith till this day."

Dr. Kishonna Gray, author of "Intersectional Tech: Black Users in Digital Gaming" and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky, questions if companies are working on efforts that are both front facing to the public and internally.

"So diversity can be those outward-facing kinds of things, and equity and inclusion really looks more internal to a company/organization. So, is there equitable hiring? Are folks getting promoted and being hired at the top ranks of a company? Are there inclusive practices addressing all of the harassment claims?"

"So diversity can be those outward-facing kinds of things, and equity and inclusion really looks more internal to a company/organization"

Kishonna Gray

Gray continues, "But we can point to specific things from companies and point out what they're not doing that well. Conversations related to unionization, harassment, hiring, etc."

"We have to ask more questions to understand what a company needs to be doing right now. And it's different across companies. So Twitch DEI might be different than Discord and of course, Microsoft has completely shifted the conversation with its recent acquisition."

Gray further expounds that the efforts for the industry at large need to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive isn't a one size fits all concept.

"I don't think we can really answer that in a general way, but broadly 'Is the industry making progress?'" she says.

"It depends on how you define progress and DEI," she says. "Visibility and representation of diversity might be enough for some, but not for all."

When addressing the promises companies made to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive in 2020, Ijoma is rather candid in her response.

"Out of 100%, the industry has only improved by 20-25% if I am being completely honest," she explains.

"Words do not mean anything without action. Permanent action."

Stephanie Ijoma

"Having worked with a lot of companies from 2020 and now, while there have been companies that have actively made changes, there have been many that have fallen short and returned to their old ways. Words do not mean anything without action. Permanent action."

Saba Ghebreyesus, 2K Games diversity and inclusion manager, agrees that changes have been slow.

"In many respects, it feels like we've all agreed to attend the dance, but many are still staring at one another from across the room and not out on the dance floor just yet," Ghebreyesus says.

They go on to note the publisher's ongoing commitment to staff in becoming more inclusive and diverse.

""We promised employees that 2K would hire diversity and inclusion team members, provide further education, create safe spaces for employees, and much more -- and further -- that we were all going on this journey together," Ghebreyesus explains.

2K director of diversity and inclusion Toni Ligons says the company has already seen a shift in the data as a result of its DEI efforts, which have included rolling out unconscious bias training for staff and other learning initiatives, as well as partnerships with not-for-profit organizations and historically Black colleges and universities.

When assessing the efforts following the summer of 2020, Gray questions the results made thus far.

"They affirmed their beliefs and values that Black Lives Matter," she explains. "They affirmed their commitment to addressing the violence against Asian communities."

"So they said some really amazing rhetorical and discursive kinds of things that sound really nice and look really good on their website but to answer the question have they followed through on what their statements outlined? I'm not so sure."

"When we think about the larger companies, I don't know if we can see the tangible results of their commitments. And I think that's a problem"

Dr. Kishonna Gray

She goes on to acknowledge the work done with large investments to overlooked communities, increased visible representation, and better hiring practices.

She names Niantic's efforts as an example of a company doing a lot of work in that regard. However, she believes that when improvements can't be seen, that may be a matter for concern.

"When we think about the larger companies, I don't know if we can see the tangible results of their commitments. And I think that's a problem," Gray states.

When assessing where the games industry is lacking, Marshall says it's the lack of outreach to unserved and overlooked youth.

"I think we're falling short in reaching out to underrepresented minority youth to provide them with access to resources and knowledge about potential career opportunities in gaming," she explains.

"That's one of the reasons why Iron Galaxy Studios has endowed two scholarships for underrepresented students in our markets."

Although there have been advancements for DEI over the years, missteps continue.

When considering the industry-at-large's deficiencies, Musio notes an ongoing problem with intersectionality regarding gender and marginalized people. She also mentions a tendency to focus on a particular kind of diversity.

"We often focus on the experience of women in the games industry, without considering the vast gender diversity present..."

Cinzia Musio

"We often focus on the experience of women in the games industry, without considering the vast gender diversity present, especially in an industry that has a much larger portion of LGBTQ+ people than other industries," she explains.

In terms of moving forward, Gray cautions that increased visible representation reveals a problem seen among other industries grappling with DEI.

"But there is a fine line of this becoming tokenism as well," she explains. "There are some companies accused of 'discovering' their workforce of diverse folks."

"So people who have been at the company for a while are finally getting recognition. This is a positive thing," she adds.

"But it's sad how it had to come about. So many people were feeling neglected inside their companies and many suggest that external hires are getting the attention and praise to the detriment of existing employees who have been there."

Looking ahead, Ijoma says DEI headway will be reliant on the efforts of leadership and their dedication.

"The biggest improvements will have to be made from the very top of the hierarchy. Where the executives and decision makers sit," she explains.

"If we have more diverse perspectives and voices, the influence will carry down and across in what you see: campaigns, launches, HR and communities."

She adds, "The industry won't move unless they consciously make an effort to implement change. This will enable us as consultants to work cohesively and not let our work be in vain."

"Through continued learning, connection and conversation, action, and accountability, we can and will initiate the change we continue to need internally..."

Saba Ghebreyesus

Ghebreyesus echoes the importance of working continuously to improve as well as using employee resource groups.

"Through continued learning, connection and conversation, action, and accountability, we can and will initiate the change we continue to need internally and across our industry," they say.

"We're also really proud of the work our ERGs have done to date and are scheduled to take on in 2022. We encourage any fellow developers and publishers out there who don't have ERGs to explore investing in them for their employees."

Musio herself hopes to see that diversity continues to improve; she notes she's waiting to see the UKIE Games Industry census report for 2022. Additionally, she would like to see leadership that is more representative of the world.

"My hope is to see that diversity has improved at the more senior layers of studios, where we are likely to see long-term changes which will positively impact the industry," she explains.

"With the games industry being more competitive than ever for candidates, it will be interesting to see the shift in employee wellbeing that studios are likely going to need to make, in order to make their companies be the most attractive on the market."

Musio adds that it will be interesting to see changes alongside the shifts in studio work cultures.

"We have started seeing a big shift to four-day weeks from studios of all sizes," she explains.

"As these efforts do tend to attract and benefit marginalised people in more impactful ways, we are likely to see Diversity & Inclusion at the forefront of it in the coming months/years."

"I hope that it means having a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion role at studios will become a staple across the industry."

See the article here:

How much progress has the industry made on diversity, equity, and inclusion? - GamesIndustry.biz

Congressional negotiators are making headway in government spending talks, with top lawmakers confirming on Tuesday that all of the Senate Appropriations subcommittees have received their top-line spending numbers for fiscal 2022.

Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahySenate passes bill to avert government shutdown Senate seeks offramp as funding deadline nears On The Money GOP senators block Biden's Fed picks MORE (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday that all 12 of the chambers appropriations subcommittees have received allocation figuresfor their portionsof the fiscal 2022 budget.

Sen. Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbyBritt in new ad tells 'boys in Washington' to 'man up' Trump meets with Alabama GOP Senate candidate Katie Boyd Britt Senate seeks offramp as funding deadline nears MORE (Ala.), top-ranking Republican on the panel, also confirmed the development on Tuesday afternoon.

The news comes days after Shelby said negotiators struck an agreement on the framework for an omnibus spending package, which he added would be key to helping leaderssecure top-line numbers for defense and nondefense discretionary spending.

The announcement, which Shelby described as a breakthrough at the time, follows a months-long stalemate between both sides of the aisle over a range of disagreements, including parity between defense and nondefense spending, as well as legislative riders.

In remarks to reporters on Monday night, Sen. Jon TesterJonathan (Jon) TesterWhite House chief of staff tries to pump up worried Senate Democrats Democrats try to regroup heading into rough November On The Money GOP senators block Biden's Fed picks MORE, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, wouldnt say what his panel was allocated, but said it's better than [he] expected.

Sen. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyHillicon Valley Senators introduce online kids' safety bill Senate Democrats press YouTube on removing 'ghost gun' videos Senate seeks offramp as funding deadline nears MORE (D-Conn.), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, said appropriators workedthrough the weekendto hash out allocations.

The progress arrives as negotiators are running up on a Feb. 18 deadline to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown.

The House has already passed a stopgap measure to allow the government to remain funded under the previous fiscal years spending levels through March 11, in hopes to buy appropriators more time to tie up negotiations. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation later this week.

If passed, the act would mark the third such time Congress has had to approve a third continuing resolution to prevent a shutdown since spending negotiations began for the current fiscal year, which started in October.

Murphy told reporters he is confident appropriators can get their work done by the March deadline if lawmakers continue to make progress in talks.

I think we can get it done by March 8 if we can get our allocations locked down. We're ready to go, Murphy said late Monday.

Read the original post:

Negotiators make progress in fiscal 2022 spending talks | TheHill - The Hill

Egan Bernal is "making great progress" in his recovery from serious injuries, but it is too soon to provide a timeline on his return to cycling, his Ineos Grenadiers team have said.

Bernal reportedly suffered 20 different fractures in a life-threatening collision with a parked bus in his native Colombia while training in January.

The 25-year-old underwent multiple surgeries and significant medical treatment after the incident, and was discharged from hospital last week.

Cycling

'My first steps!' - Bernal walking unaided in latest recovery update

10/02/2022 AT 22:18

He has been continuing his recovery at home, and the Grenadiers are pleased with the progress he is making.

"Egan is making great progress at home and working with a local rehab clinic where his recovery is going well," the team said in a medical update.

"At present our medical staff have not set a definitive timeline for when we should expect to see him back on his bike.

"For the time being he will remain in Colombia until his progression has reached a satisfactory level for him to return to his European base."

The Colombian, a two-time Grand Tour winner, shared a video this week of him riding a static bike.

Underneath, he wrote: "Never let anyone tell you that you cant do something.

The 25-year-old secured the maglia rosa at last year's Giro d'Italia to add a second Grand Tour triumph to his 2019 Tour de France win.

Bernal was hampered by a back injury at the 2020 edition of the race as Pogacar stunned Roglic in the penultimate stage time-trial to take his first Grand Tour crown.

If the Colombian is ruled out of Tour de France contention, as seems likely after such significant injuries, fellow former winner Geraint Thomas could take on a greater role.

Highlights: Glory for Ineos as Bernal wins Giro, Ganna takes final stage

The Welshman confirmed that he is sculpting his season in a bid to peak across the three weeks in France.

In the lead-up to that, Im just going to race every race and look to try to get what I can out of it and look to enjoy the racing.

"In the past, it was maybe a bit more controlled and every race was more for the General Classification. Now I think its a bit more that sometimes Ill go GC if Im up there, and other times Ill go for stages or help with lead-outs and all that kind of jazz.

"Its like I keep on saying, just enjoying the race.

- - -

Cycling

'Like being born again' - Bernal says he has second chance after leaving hospital

07/02/2022 AT 19:57

Cycling

Bernal leaves intensive care as recovery from horrific crash continues

05/02/2022 AT 12:25

Follow this link:

'His recovery is going well' - Egan Bernal making 'great progress' but Ineos Grenadiers unsure of training return date - Eurosport.com

The NFL Scouting Combine is approaching, and the new league year along with free agency begins shortly after that. With that in mind, writers Matt Barrows and David Lombardi ofThe Athleticareteaming up for an eight-part series leading to the combine that looks at every aspect of the49ers roster. Next up: offensive line.

Season in review

Whether its been Chilo Rachal or Marcus Martin or Joshua Garnett, recent 49ers teams have tended to have one highly drafted but underperforming interior offensive lineman on the roster.

Aaron Banks will spend the run-up to the 2022 season trying to make sure his name isnt etched in that list.

The 49ers not only chose Banks in the second round (No. 48), but he was the second pure guard taken in the draft after the Jets selected Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th pick. Despite a clear need at right guard, Banks played five offensive snaps as a rookie, all of which came at the end of a blowout win in Jacksonville.

The only other 2021 second-round pick with fewer offensive or defensive snaps than Banks was quarterback Kyle Trask, who was the last player taken in the round and third on the Buccaneers depth chart behind Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert.

It wasnt as if there was no room for Banks.

Excerpt from:

State of the 49ers' offensive line: Progress in pass protection, but more strides are needed - The Athletic