Monthly Archives: February 2022

Phil Murphys COVID briefings are coming to an end.

The last briefing is set for March 4, which is the two-year anniversaryof the states firstrecorded case of what was then called the coronavirus. So, you can say the circleis about to close.

We believe now is the time to end these briefings, Murphy said today.

The governor said the time is right for a number of reasons. New cases and hospitalizations are down. More people are getting vaccinated and the school mask mandate ends on March 7.

Murphy said virtually all governors in the country convened regular pandemic briefings, but he said he takes pride in holding more than anyone else.

The governor began regularly briefing the press and public on the virus as soon as the pandemic erupted in March, 2020. Initially, the briefings were seven days a week, but were then scaled back to weekdays only.

As the pandemic ebbed, Murphys briefings were reduced to three days a week and lately, to once a week.

In summing up where we are now, and why the briefings are ending, the governor said, Were pretty much getting back to where we want to be, which is normal.

Its easy to forget how the world was two years ago, but one thing is clear Murphys visibility at the time was not all that high. The briefings changed that and quickly.

Murphys name recognition and poll numbers soared, at least in the beginning of the pandemic.

After all, the governor was on TV every day. He not only updated the numbers, but expressed sympathy for those who perished by highlighting three victims of the virus at every briefing.

The regular briefings introduced the term, knucklehead, into the states political lexicon. That was the label Murphy gave to those who brazenly violated pandemic regulations. The briefings also gave publicity to two people normally unknown to average New Jerseyans Pat Callahan, the head of the State Police, and Judy Persichilli, the commissioner of the state Health Department. Both attended virtually every briefing. At just about every session, Murphy called Persichilli the woman who needs no introduction.

As he did today, the governor also used his briefings to answer questions about broader points. Today, he called Vladimir Putin a thug and said Donald Trump should be ashamed of himself for praising the genius of Russias move into sections of Ukraine.

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From 'Knucklehead' to 'Thug': Murphy, COVID Progress, and a New World Crisis - InsiderNJ

Imagine how productive the Texans offense could be next season if they solve a problem with the running game the way they did in 2010 Gary Kubiaks fifth season as coach.

In 2009, leading rusher Steve Slaton generated only 437 yards rushing. The next season, the Texans turned to second-year running back Arian Foster, and he produced 1,616 yards.

Think coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton would be happy with that?

The running game has to be the top priority for Smith, Hamilton and general manager Nick Caserio, who has final say on all personnel decisions. The Texans have a lot of needs, but theyre desperate to improve the running game.

Not only was it the worst in the NFL with an average of 83.6 yards a game, it was the worst in team history even worse than the 2002 expansion team average of 84.2.

Rex Burkhead led the Texans with 427 yards rushing, setting another record for fewest yards by the teams leading rusher.

So what is Caserio going to do about it?

The Texans dont have money to burn in free agency, but they do have nine draft choices, including the third overall pick.

The Texans need three new starters in the offensive line and four if left tackle Laremy Tunsil is traded. If he keeps Tunsil to play opposite Tytus Howard and enough with this Howard is a better guard bull from last season Caserio can focus on the interior.

Caserio also needs two new backs to go with Burkhead, including a starter and backup.

While Hamilton will call the plays, returning running backs coach Danny Barrett and new offensive line coach George Warhop have to do the grunt work of preparing their players to play the way Smith will demand.

Barrett, who coached for Bill OBrien and David Culley, knows what his ideal back would be.

Talent is the key, of course, he said. You want a home run hitter. You put the ball in their hands, and they can take it the distance.

You want to get someone thats consistently available and understands what youre trying to accomplish, whether its inside or outside. Hes got to be durable enough to handle all of that.

Toughness is essential.

Any time you can get physicality at running back, youll take it, Barrett said.

Caserio doesnt have to draft a back in the first round. Of the top 10 rushers in the NFL last season, the only two first-round picks were Najee Harris (Steelers) and Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys).

Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Nick Chubb (Browns), Joe Mixon (Bengals), Dalvin Cook (Vikings) and Derrick Henry (Titans) were second-round picks. Antonio Gibson (Commanders) and Damien Harris (Patriots) were drafted in the third round. Elijah Mitchell (49ers) was a rookie selected in the sixth round.

The position has evolved over the years, Barrett said. If you have a guy thats durable and can help you in the running game and passing game, those are the guys you want to have, an every-down back.

Theres a good chance Caserio will draft an offensive lineman in the first round. Alabamas Evan Neal (tackle) and North Carolina States Ickey Ekownu (tackle/guard) are the top-rated prospects.

Warhop is the Texans third offensive line coach in three years after Mike Devlin and James Campen. The Texans are the eighth team thats employed him to coach the line in his 27-year NFL career.

Warhop, who came to the Texans from Jacksonville, has an interesting philosophy.

The way I look at the run game, its about yards per carry, he said. We cant dictate how many carries a backs going to get in a game based on how the games going. If were getting a lot of carries, great. Then we might have 140 or 150 yards rushing.

But the one thing Im always going to look at is our yards per carry. Id like for it to be above 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 somewhere in there.

The Texans averaged 3.4 yards a carry last season worst in the league. They also ran for only eight touchdowns, tied with the Giants for fewest in the league.

Even though the Jaguars had the NFLs worst record, they averaged 4.5 yards a carry. Second-year running back James Robinson averaged 4.7.

If its just on the line, were going to be a 3.8- to 4-yard average team, Warhop said. If everybodys involved in it and we have a real back and everybodys doing what theyre supposed to do, then we average 4.5, 4.6 or 4.7 a carry.

Getting everybody involved means the tight ends and wide receivers. Ben McDaniels, who was the assistant wide receivers coach last season, was elevated to passing game coordinator/wide receivers.

We have a vital role, McDaniels said about receivers blocking in the running game. Most big runs include the receivers doing their jobs at the second level or beyond.

Were sometimes at the starting point at the point of attack in the running game. Were going to give great effort, bring physicality and detail our jobs in the running game just like we will in the passing game.

Wide receiver isnt a need position like running back and the offensive line. Theres a long way to go in the evaluating process, but its no secret where the Texans are desperate: offensive line, running back, defensive end and safety.

Fans should hope Caserio provides Barrett and Warhop with the kind of players they need to improve the most glaring weakness on the team.

We want to give our backs the best chance to be successful, Warhop said. We want them (linemen) to be physical and tough, and we want them to have a mindset that were not going to take crap out of anybody.

When Warhop was asked what kind of coach he is, he hesitated, laughed and gave an indication of what he expects from his players.

Demanding (and) fair, he said about himself. Ill hold them to the same level of accountability I hold myself. I know how I like to be treated, and I try to treat my players the same way.

One reason I love working for Lovie is theres no gray (area) with what the expectations are, and were going to work toward those expectations. Im being held to that level, and Im going to hold them to that level.

john.mcclain@chron.com

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McClain: Going from 3.4 to 4.2 would accelerate progress in Texans' running game - Houston Chronicle

Bryan Bresee hasn't played a snap of football since Sept. 25, 2021.

The Clemson defensive tackle tore his ACL on that day in Raleigh, N.C., where the Tigers lost in overtime to NC State. But Bresee, who was one of the many Clemson players to get injured in 2021, is making progress in his return to the game.

He posted a video on his Twitter account of him jogging and then sprinting a short distance at the team's indoor practice facility on Tuesday.He's seen wearing a knee brace on that left leg, and it's something he's likely to play with this fall.

Clemson ended its longest losing streak in nine years without its two leading scorers. With P.J. Hall nursing his injured foot and Hunter Tyson a broken clavicle, the Tigers stunned Wake Forest with an 80-69 victory at Littlejohn Coliseum.

In his first career start, freshman Billy Barlow showed what the future might look like for Clemson pitching for the next few seasons. Then his teammates showed off what Clemson pitching might look like for the rest of the year.

Bresee reaching the sprinting phase of his rehab is an important development as he's about five months into rehabilitation. The typical recovery time is six months, with athletes usually being able to return in full 9-12 months after the injury.

It's unlikely he'll do much in terms of on-field work when Clemson opens spring practice on March 2, but Bresee should be ready to roll when fall camp starts in August.

Bresee is one of the defense's most impactful players. One of the nation's top-3 recruits in the 2020 class, Bresee was a preseason All-ACC selection in 2021. He had three tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks in just four games last season, which still landed him on the All-ACC third team.

As a freshman in 2020, the Damascus, Maryland, native had 6.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks. He'll play a huge role in Clemson's stellar returning defensive front, which is also made up of veterans Tyler Davis, Xavier Thomas, K.J. Henry, Myles Murphy and Ruke Orhorhoro, among others.

Want to join in on the discussion? 100% FREE! Interact with fellow Tiger fans and hear directly from publisher Zach Lentz, deputy editor Brad Senkiw, recruiting analyst Jason Priester and staff writer Will Vandervort on any subject. Click here to become a member of the ALL CLEMSON message board community today!

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Clemson DT Bryan Bresee Making Progress in Return to Football - Clemson Maven

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Poorer Americans are seeing the benefit from strong U.S. economic growth, the Biden administration said on Wednesday, citing research suggesting that COVID stimulus and other measures may have eased inequality.

U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a virtual roundtable on securing critical minerals at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 22, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, used new tools to evaluate growth in national income, and their data showed the economy was delivering gains to the bottom half of the income ladder, even without counting the pandemic aid.

After adjusting for inflation, adult labor and capital income - before taxes and government benefits - rose by 5.6% overall in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to a year earlier, but it jumped by 10.9% for adults in the bottom half of the earning scale, it showed.

The data was highlighted in a blog published on Wednesday by the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

In recent decades, U.S. economic growth has increasingly rewarded the richest disproportionately, but Biden administration officials say the new data shows their policies are rebuilding a pandemic-scarred economy more equitably.

The data showed that so-called market incomes excluding government benefits for the bottom half of earners fell 25% in the second quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19 shutdowns, but rebounded by the fourth quarter of 2021, after adjusting for inflation, and were now 4% higher on average.

Income including government cash and other transfers also rose sharply due to pandemic relief, but has since tapered off, although it remains above pre-pandemic levels, the blog said.

Market incomes for the bottom 50% were 2% higher on average in the fourth quarter of 2021 than they before the pandemic, while disposable incomes were up 11%.

While all income groups saw incomes rising in 2021, those between the 50th and 90th percentile saw their market income grow more slowly than those in the bottom half or the top 10%.

The blog noted that Americans were not necessarily feeling better off, despite the income growth, and that many appeared concerned that inflation could wipe out these gains.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Tim Ahmann

Excerpt from:

Biden team sees progress shifting economic gains to the poor - Reuters.com

Black History Month provides an annual opportunity to celebrate the steps taken toward racial equality, and to scrutinize the persistence of systemic racism in America.

The month of February is named to recognize the accomplishments of Black people and the adversities they have overcome. Each year, a theme is established by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History to focus the publics attention. This years theme is Black health and wellness, and Texas A&M student organizations have planned various events intending to bring awareness and educate the community.

Member of the Memorial Student Center Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee, or MSC WBAC, Kevin Johnson said Black History Month started out as a one-week celebration called Negro History Week, which encompassed the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

The purpose was to highlight the history of people who were not recognized as having much history in the United States, people who were in various times in U.S. history referred to as everything from African, colored, Negro, Black and now we see the term African American used, Johnson said. That group of people would study their own history as well as share the history with the community. The purpose was to provide that which otherwise may have been overlooked in the past in U.S. history.

Furthermore, Johnson said Black History Month provides a way of telling the story of a group of people.

If we can understand that story, and have better context on the stories that shape the communities that are represented on campus, the more we can understand these narratives and stories that give us a better appreciation of one another, Johnson said. From that, we can learn to communicate and understand one another and respect one anothers challenges, as well as unique talents and skills and innovations that we have.

MSC WBAC development and public relations Vice President Ashley Dean said Black History Month means the appreciation and acknowledgment of Black culture throughout society.

It is an invitation for others to join in and celebrate Blackness and to really open the conversation that we probably wouldnt have any other month, Dean said.

This conversation about racial equality is one which Johnson said has gradually sparked change.

Its a work in progress in terms of the overarching theme of improving the nation and creating a more perfect union, Johnson said. One visible [piece of] evidence of that progress would be the demography of A&M today, in 2022, versus prior to 1963, for example, when basically there were zero Black students on campus.

To celebrate Black History Month, student organizations have hosted various educational and celebratory events. National Society of Black Engineers President Jeremiah Lockhart said his organization is hosting Black excellence events to further educate members.

The first thing we did was a Black history general body meeting, where we talked about Black wellness, social, cultural and emotional wellness, Lockhart said. We also went to the Brazos Valley African American Museum in Bryan.

At the museum, Lockhart said the group was able to reflect on different aspects of Black history and culture.

It was a really great time for us and it bonded us as a group to experience the culture together, Lockhart said. At the end of the month, were watching the Proud Family reboot on Disney+. Its a big show, and it should be a lot of fun.

MSC WBAC hosted the West African Film Festival on Feb. 23, the theme of which was health and awareness.

[The films] deals with the issue of autism and mental health and how we need to move beyond stigmatizing mental illness, understanding mental illness and embracing people who are struggling with various forms of mental illness and embracing them as being integral parts of our society and community, Johnson said.

As disabilities are yet another trait that isolate people, Johnson said it is important to prioritize respect for people with disabilities, both physical and intellectual.

[A] disability is also another thing that is a difference, but we need to recognize that difference and embrace, love and support those people who are struggling with those disabilities, as well as their families and work against the stigmatization that has happened in the past, Johnson said.

Read more:

Black History Month: Celebrating progress, promoting visibility | Life & Arts - Texas A&M The Battalion

By BOB SNELL

The Progress

Despite the wind and rain, VVHS quarterback Aracely Lopez tries to evade Boulder City defender Annalie Porter during the State Championship game played Wednesday night in Mesquite. Photo by Jason Andrus

After four frustrating years of runner-up finishes, the Virgin Valley High School Flag Football program can now call itself state champions.

The Lady Bulldogs survived brutal weather conditions driving rain, whipped by cold gusting winds and a scrappy effort from Boulder City, to defeat the Lady Eagles 13-6 and capture the NIAA State 3A Championship on Tuesday night inside Evan Wilson Stadium.

The victory caps off a perfect 18-0 season for the Lady Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 1 in the nation according to Max Preps.It feels really good to finally win one, VVHS head coach Joey Bowler said. These girls set a goal before the season started to win a state championship and go undefeated. Im proud of them.

After battling the elements and each other to a scoreless first half, the Lady Bulldogs got on the scoreboard on their first possession of the second half.

Virgin Valley went 60 yards in eight plays to score on quarterback Nina Miramontes two-yard touchdown pass to Calla Haviland.Boulder City answered by marching 60 yards in eight plays to pull even at 6-6 with 2:05 to play in the third quarter. Quarterback Salah Coplin converted on a one-yard TD pass to Annalie Porter for the touchdown on fourth down.

After an exchange of possessions, Virgin Valley drove for the go-ahead score midway through the final quarter of play.

Starting at their own 31-yard line, the Lady Bulldogs moved into Boulder City territory thanks to a heads up play by Haviland. Miramontes, who completed 14-of-23 passes for 125 yards, threw a pass over the middle that was deflected into the air by a Boulder City defender. Haviland alertly came back for the ball and made the catch for a 33-yard gain on the Lady Eagles 18-yard line.

VVHS senior Calla Haviland gets her flag pulled while running the ball at the 3A State game played in Mesquite on Wednesday. Photo by Jason Andrus.

Two plays later, Miramontes tossed a 12-yard pass into the right corner of the end zone where Haviland made a finger-tip grab for the touchdown. Miramontes connected with Tyra Ludvigson on the conversion pass putting Virgin Valley up 13-6 with 7:45 remaining.

After forcing a three-and-out on the Lady Eagles next possession, the Lady Bulldogs were able to run out the clock in seven plays with Miramontes taking a knee on the final play.

This is a special group of girls, Bowler said. They work hard, theyre good kids and fun to coach. Its really hard to go undefeated in any sport, but these girls did it.

Aracely Lopez had an outstanding night running the ball for the Lady Bulldogs. The junior rushed for 122 yards on 17 carries. Graicee Draney added 30 yards on five carries while Kelly Denninghoff had 27 yards on eight carries.

Haviland had six receptions for 92 yards with Ludvigson catching four passes for 23 yards.

Defensively, Haviland and Mercades Jordan had five flag pulls each and Cheyann Hafen four. Miriam Ramirez had two quarterback sacks and a pass breakup.

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Lady Bulldogs win State! - The Progress - mvprogress

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In 2021, I wrote bearish SA articles on more than 30 OTC companies that seemed to have attracted significant retail investor interest and one of them was NaturalShrimp (OTCQB:OTCQB:SHMP). The article came out in October, and I think its a good time to revisit this company considering that a lot has happened since then.

NaturalShrimp closed 2021 with a loss of over $45 million, mainly due to $29.4 million in legal settlement expenses. The company expected to book revenues of between $0.3 million and $0.5 million in Q4 2021, yet sales came in at only $16,640. Also, NaturalShrimp still hasnt uplisted to NASDAQ.

Overall, I continue to think the business of NaturalShrimp isnt worth much in its current state and Im still bearish despite the share price coming down by over 40% since my first article on the company came out. Lets review.

NaturalShrimp says that it has developed the first-ever shrimp-focused, commercially operational recirculating aquaculture system. The idea is to produce a naturally-grown shrimp crop weekly without the use of antibiotics or toxic chemicals. NaturalShrimp has facilities in Texas and Iowa, and in October it announced a deal for a three-month trial and delivery of 25,000 pounds of live shrimp. The first deliveries started in November and the company projected to book sales of between $0.3 million and $0.5 million in Q4 2021. However, revenues for the quarter came in at only $16,640. Operating expenses, in turn, quintupled to $2.53 million.

NaturalShrimp

NaturalShrimp also booked $29.4 million in legal settlement expenses during the quarter. The settlement includes the issue of 93 million shares and to understand how we got here we need to go back several years. Back in 2015, NaturalShrimp bought the assets of a company named NaturalShrimp Holdings and the latter got an 88.62% stake in the company. In 2020, one of the shareholders of NaturalShrimp Holdings filed a lawsuit against NaturalShrimp alleging breach of contract for the latter's failure to exchange his shares in NaturalShrimp Holdings for shares in the company. In December 2021, the case was closed, and each shareholder of NaturalShrimp Holdings is set to receive shares of NaturalShrimp.

Turning our attention to the balance sheet, the situation doesnt look well even after NaturalShrimp raised $15 million through the sale of a 12% secured promissory note. As of December, NaturalShrimp had $7.67 million in cash while its working capital deficit stood at around $16.3 million which creates doubts about how it will be able to finance the expansion of its production facilities without significant stock dilution. Plans for the remainder of the year are ambitious with the construction of a 480,000 square foot shrimp production facility in Las Vegas expected to start in Q3. Also, NaturalShrimp wants to build a 240,000 square foot shrimp production facility in Florida. So how does the company plan to finance these facilities? Well, its currently searching for $25 million in grants for the Florida plant but the plans for the Las Vegas facility are still unclear, and I doubt things will go smoothly considering NaturalShrimp has been missing projections. Besides the missed Q4 2021 sales estimates, the company still hasnt uplisted to NASDAQ despite saying in October that it was hoping this would happen within 90 days.

Looking to the financial performance in the near future, NaturalShrimp now expects to produce 25,000 pounds of shrimp in Q1 2022. Considering the October 2021 supply contract was inked at $10.50 per pound, were looking at revenues of only $0.26 million.

Looking at the market valuation of NaturalShrimp, the company is valued at $190.7 million as of the time of writing although its share price has decreased significantly since my first article came out.

Seeking Alpha

I think the main reason for the high valuation before was retail investor interest as there were a large number of posts about the company on websites like Twitter, StockTwits, and Reddit. It even has its own subreddit at r/SHMP with 434 members as of the time of writing. Note that NaturalShrimp isn't doing the promotion of its business or shares itself, but this is being done by a significant number of private investors and traders.

In my view, the share price is likely decreasing due to fading retail investor interest as a result of the underwhelming financial performance of the business. I think that the share price will continue to decline in the near future as retail investor interest is unlikely to return.

Looking at the risks for the bear case, I can think of two major ones. First, I could be wrong about NaturalShrimps ability to secure funding for its new facilities and the company expands its business in 2022. Second, meme stocks and retail investor interest are difficult to forecast, which means that the market capitalization of NaturalShrimp could become detached from the fundamentals once again.

NaturalShrimp booked sales of $16,640 In Q4 2021 and revenues in Q1 2022 should come in at around $0.26 million. I find these figures underwhelming and I think they are leading to a decrease in retail investor interest. Also, it doesnt help investor sentiment that the company still hasnt uplisted to NASDAQ.

NaturalShrimp has significant production expansion plans for 2022, with new facilities in Nevada and Florida. However, the company had a $16.3 million working capital deficit as of December and I doubt it can fund the construction of these facilities without significant stock dilution.

Overall, I continue to think that NaturalShrimp is overvalued. However, the short borrow fee rate stands at 40.85% as of the time of writing, according to data from Fintel. Unless you have a very high-risk tolerance, it may be best to keep an eye on the company and wait for the short borrow fee rate to drop to single-digit levels.

Original post:

Revisiting NaturalShrimp: Progress Is Slow And I Remain Bearish - Seeking Alpha

Starting today, public health officials and scores of volunteers will scan Orange Countys north, central, coastal, and southern areas to count the number of homeless people currently staying in shelters or those they come across on the streets.

It will be the first time the countys conducted such an effort known as the Point-in-Time count since 2019, before a COVID-19 pandemic postponed the 2021 count, restricted emergency shelters operations, and brought economic hardship to people already on the verge of homelessness in Orange County.

Yet, seeing slow progress on the homelessness crisis, some are increasingly questioning the point behind the Point-in-Time count, which is required by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and on paper factors into federal funding received by the county.

On one hand, the data helps us figure out what we need, said Brooke Weitzman, an attorney for the Elder Law and Disability Rights Center who sued the county in 2018 on behalf of homeless people over that years Santa Ana Riverbed camp removal.

But the data has not resulted in an accelerated permanent housing boost to meet the needs of Orange Countys homeless population thus far, Weitzman said.

Until we are actually developing housing to meet any part of that need, Im not sure how much more accurate data will make a difference it will show us how were still failing, Weitzman said.

I think the real challenge is that data without action is useless.

A desperate campaign has kicked off to house 630 people and/or families in Orange County before their housing vouchers expire by June this year, according to Orange County United Way. The campaign is raising money for security deposits, unit holding costs, and furnishings, and has put out a call for housing program referrals. Learn more about the campaign here.

And one of the countys own top homelessness officials, speaking to Voice of OC on Thursday, acknowledged the difficulty of trying to match homeless people in their case files with the few housing units that are available in the region.

We do know, in Orange County, were having a challenge finding affordable apartment units. Were not completely blind to that, said Douglas Becht, the new director for the County of Oranges Office of Care Coordination, who will help oversee the Point-in-Time count.

Becht made those remarks during a separate phone interview, discussing the countys current effort to increase its housing supply through the conversion of two Stanton motels the Tahiti Inn and Stanton Inn and Suites to permanent housing facilities, as part of the countys participation in the states Project Homekey program.

That conversion effort, however, means the homeless people currently staying in the motels for COVID-19 isolation, under the states separate Project Roomkey program, will be moved out to make way for construction.

By the end of August, homeless people isolated in the motels will have had to find their next housing situation elsewhere.

In the Thursday phone interview, Becht said his office believes that through the natural progression of current efforts to connect people at the motels with housing services and the fact that the motels have stopped Roomkey intake that most people will be accounted for by the time the deadline rolls around.

Whoevers left by Aug. 31, were fully committed to making sure that they will transition to somewhere that is suitable and appropriate for them as they continue to work towards permanent housing, Becht said.

Becht said at the moment, a large amount of the folks that are at these two sites are connected to vouchers for housing.

Asked whether theres enough housing in the county for those vouchers, Becht acknowledged the housing unit availability issue.

Still, Becht said, Its not like, by August, well say, Eh, it was a good run, but things didnt work out, good luck somewhere else. No, we are fully committed to working with folks until they get permanent housing.

Becht also said that the Point-in-Time count is very valuable.

It illustrates not just the number of homeless people in the county but also their profile.

For example, thelast 2019 count found2,899 people in Orange County were in an emergency or transitional shelter and 3,961 were unsheltered. More than 300 were veterans. Nearly 300 were young people.

More than 600 were seniors.

The count also found 466 families living on the streets.

Becht points to the County of Oranges goal of building 2,700 affordable housing units and units with wraparound services for employment and mental health needs by June 30, 2025 a goal set by the county four years ago, in 2018.

That 2,700 number is one that wasnt picked out of the sky randomly but was one that was developed, in part, due to the previous Point-in-Time counts, Becht said.

Four years since setting that goal, and three years to go, the county is just a quarter of the way to its objective of building 2,700 total affordable and permanent supportive housing units by June 30, 2025, according to official data.

County officials have three more years to finish the current construction of 992 total units and are still in the process of financing the construction of 961 units, as of January, according to the data.

More than 680 units of housing have been built so far, as of January. The data also shows that 395 units of permanent supportive housing have been built, and those units will provide people with wraparound services for their employment and mental health needs.

Adam Eliason, manager for the Orange County Housing Finance Trust a panel set up to help the county toward the 2,700 goal said an affordable housing development is a longer process than a market-rate housing development.

Market-rate developers can get to the point of breaking ground so much faster than affordable housingbecause they usually have one lender, Eliason said. So when this goal was established, it was established knowing affordable housing projects have a lag timeof yearsto getmultiple affordablecapital sources and thesubsidyfunding needed to break ground and start construction.

Months prior to the closing of an affordable housing construction loan, dozens of people are coordinating the loan documents from a variety of state, county, local and other financing sources to ensure they are all in agreement, Eliason said.

He comparesthe process of achieving the 2,700 permanent supportive housing goalsby 2025 to a train leaving the station, one whichstarts out slowly because the complex financingneeds to build momentum we left the station a long time ago.

Weitzman says little progress has been made, pointing to the fact that January marked a new monthly record for homelessness deaths on the streets of Orange County.

Everyones also coming for the providers, Weitzman said, pointing to the City of Oranges effort to kick out a longstanding homeless soup kitchen known as Marys Kitchen by May 1.

She also points to the City of Santa Ana revoking a permit for a drug addiction clinic that helps homeless people struggling with substance abuse, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times.

When its so obvious were not taking the steps we need to with the data we have it (the count) might not change anything, Weitzman said.

With COVID-19, county officials as of Friday were also searching for more volunteers.

There are more than 570 people currently signed up to volunteer for the Point in Time Count occurring next week, Becht said in an emailed response to follow-up questions Friday.Ideally, more than 600 individuals will volunteer over the course of the 3-day event.

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Seeing Slow Homelessness Progress, Some Ask: Whats the Point to OCs Point-in-Time Count? - Voice of OC

Colombia Coca Farmers (430)

With the many troubling crises in the world, it's easy to forget about places that have dropped out of the headlines a little. Colombia for example. In 2016, the peace deal between the government and FARC rebels was supposed to bring decades of conflict to an end. It also included pledges to eradicate coca leaf cultivation and the trade in illicit drugs. But while the FARC fighters have been demobilized, the war on drugs is far from over.

Colombia remains the largest cocaine producer in the world, a fact that succeeding governments have been eager to change. And many farmers say that the government's promises remain unfulfilled -- and the violence around the cocaine industry is just as prevalent as it ever was. Report: Anne Herrberg/ Presenter: Elliot Douglas

On the eastern coast of India, in the state of Odisha, endangered Olive Ridley Turtles come every year to lay eggs. In an effort to conserve and boost their critically low survival rate, a law in India prohibits local fishermen from fishing in the sea during the turtles' breeding time.The ban lasts for seven months, until the little turtles hatch by the end of May.But the restrictions put a huge strain on small scale fishermen and their families as their livelihoods are at stake.They have been protesting the fishing ban and are demanding better compensation.Report: Furkan Latif Khan

In a Lebanese feature film that recently hit the online platform Netflix, traditional norms are turned upside down. The topics are controversial in many Arab countries. In the film, one man comes out as gay, a father discovers his daughter has condoms and allows her to stay with her boyfriend plus numerous other affairs and erotic secrets are discussed. All the characters in the film are played by popular actors from the Arab world.Egyptian MPs want to ban the film or preferably Netflix altogether.But others are standing up for the filmmakers in solidarity and defending artistic freedom, including the Professional Association of Actors of Egypt. Jrgen Stryjak has this report, which is presented by Ineke Mules.

Report: Jrgen Stryjak /Presenter: Ineke Mules

How much can or should art be allowed to do - and what about artistic freedom of expression? That's also the topic of our last report today that takes us to Turkey. There, many artists struggle with the boundaries society sets them.Many argue that art is an expression of how the artist sees the world - and that works of art need neither to be easily accessible nor crowd-pleasing. On the contrary: art often criticizes, exaggerates, and deals with social and political issues. But the level of freedom for painters, sculptors, photographers and writers to express themselves or think they can varies from country to country, and is in a constant state of flux.In Turkey, for example, the climate for artists has changed dramatically in recent years. A decade ago, the country was vibrating with artistic expession. But now the pressure is growing on artists to conform. There is no direct state censorship but many practice self-censorship in their work.

Report: Uwe Lueb/ Presenter: Neil King

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World in Progress: Curbing Colombia's Coca Cultivation and Saving Turtles in Odisha - Deutsche Welle

Bethesda has announced it is closing its PC storefront, the Bethesda.net Launcher, later this year. In a blog post, the company thanked fans for their support and assured them they won't lose their games.

Anyone who owns games through the Bethesda.net Launcher can migrate them, along with any funds in their wallet, to Steam beginning in April. Most games will have their saves automatically transferred, too, though some will require manual transfers, and one title is not supported at all, Bethesda said. Additionally, the company clarified that all Bethesda.net accounts will remain accessible.

All games will remain playable through the Bethesda.net Launcher until May, but Bethesda advised players to begin the migration process to Steam in April when it becomes available to do so.

Regarding game progression and save transfers, Bethesda said in most cases this should be very simple and it applies to most games. However, Wolfenstein: Youngblood progression and saves will not carry over to Steam.

"Some saves will automatically transfer, however some will require you to manually copy them to your Steam folder. We will have more information on manually transferring saves soon. At this time, we expect almost all save progress to be transferable automatically or manually with the exception of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which currently is unable to transfer," Bethesda said.

For Fallout 76 specifically, Bethesda said fans don't need to worry about losing anything. "We're taking every precaution to ensure your Fallout 76 characters, progression, Atoms, Season progress, cosmetics, rewards, your friends list, and even the Perfectly Preserved Pies you've been hoarding, make that journey with you," it said. "In addition, your Bethesda.net account will remain accessible on our website, and you will still use it to log into and play Fallout 76."

Bethesda also mentioned that Fallout 1st memberships will remain active after the Steam migration. However, memberships will not automatically renew after the shift to Steam, so players will need to resubscribe, if they want to, via Steam.

You can check out a Fallout 76-specific FAQ on the changes here.

Bethesda further clarified that save and progression transfers only apply to Steam and not other PC stores and that transfers to console platforms are not available.

Bethesda provided no reason for why it is closing the Bethesda.net Launcher.

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The Bethesda.net Launcher Is Closing, But Most Saves And Progress Will Be Migrated To Steam - GameSpot