Monthly Archives: May 2022

President Biden on Friday said he expects the administration will make progress on increasing the supply of baby formula soon, amid the ongoing national shortage.

This is a process. Were working on it very, very hard. Theres nothing more urgent were working on than that right now and I think were going to be making some significant progress very shortly, he said at the White House.

When asked if the administration should have taken steps sooner, the president responded, If weve been better mind readers, I guess we could have.

But, we moved as quickly as the problem became apparent to us. And, we have to move with caution as well as speed because we gotta make sure what were getting is in fact first-rate product. Thats why the FDA has to go through the process, he said.

Earlier on Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki would not offer a ballpark window for how many weeks or months the White House expects until baby formula is well-stocked at big box retail stores.

The president pointed to steps his administration is taking to address the shortage, including expanded flexibility in a key program for the poor the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). He also mentioned that the U.S. is increasing imports of formula from abroad, and he pointed to the newly launched website for resources about the shortage.

Biden had remarked about the baby formula shortage: All of a sudden its on the front page of every newspaper.

The White House hasbeen on the defenseover its reaction to the shortage of baby formula, emphasizing that it quickly took action on the issue. Psaki said on Friday the administration has not waited to take action.

When asked if there was more they could have done sooner, Psaki said, Well look, hindsight is always 20-20.

Abbott Nutrition recalled products in February, but the baby formula shortage has been ongoing and formula supply has been spotty for months because of supply chain pressures and labor shortages.

Biden penned a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan on Thursday, asking the independent agency to consider using all of its available tools and authorities to actively monitor the infant formula market and address any illegal conduct that may be contributing to scarcity and hoarding as well as study whether rural or smaller retailers are being put at a disadvantage.

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Biden: Progress on baby formula supply coming very shortly - The Hill

"The homeowner was approached by a masked individual with a firearm who forced the homeowner to the ground," Cochrane RCMP stated.

A homeowner interrupted a break-and-enter at their Springbank residence on May 9 and was then threatened with a firearm, according to a press release from Cochrane RCMP.

The detachment statedthe call came in during the early hours of May 9 from a residence in Upland Ridge,and the officers' investigation revealed the homeowner came home to find their household being burgled.

"The homeowner was approached by a masked individual with a firearm who forced the homeowner to the ground," Cochrane RCMP stated. "The suspect left the residence in what is described as an older model grey blue SUV or van, possibly a Honda Odyssey."

The suspect has been described as Caucasian, standing 5'9" weighing 160 pounds. He had a raspy voice and was wearing large work boots, a dark hoodie and jack, black pants with cargo pockets, gloves, and a balaclava.

If you have information on this crime, please contact the Cochrane RCMP at 403-932-2211. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online atwww.P3Tips.comor by using the P3 Tips app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.

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Springbank homeowner comes across break-and-enter in progress: RCMP - Airdrie Today

Greenville Public Works Director Press Tompkins told the city council Tuesday that hes confident the $50 million improvement program for city streets will be accomplished in two years.

We are on target, were right around $24 million in the first year. Our goal is to spend the $50 million in two years. I feel very good, very comfortable with where were at and the progress were making on it, said Tompkins.

In May 2021, voters in Greenville overwhelmingly supported a $50 million bond proposal to improve the citys streets. With the low interest rates at the time, voters were told the bond could be repaid without an increase to the tax rate.

It was the second road improvement bond to be approved by voters in seven months.

Some of the road projects the city has completed include a mill and overlay of Gabe Estates; a resurfacing of the Cedars Addition, a complete rebuild of Carol Drive, including sewer, water and drainage; a four-lane, concrete total rebuild of Roy Warren Parkway from Jacksons Run to Traders Road; curb and gutter replacement along LaFontaine Lane; and rebuilds of 16 Wesley Street intersections. The city also has numerous other streets under construction.

Tompkins urged the city to have a regular road maintenance program in which roads are rehabilitated before the fall into complete disrepair. Rehabbing surfaces can be done at less expense than completely rebuilding a road, he said. A maintenance program can extend the life of roads by 15 to 20 years or longer, he said.

In other news about streets, City Manager Summer Spurlock reported that city crews have roughly $258,000 remaining from a $500,000 budget for the repair of potholes.

Spurlock also provided an update on a $10.19 million rebuild of Sayle Street, which, she said, is roughly 85% completed.

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Tompkins confident in progress of $50 million street program - Herald-Banner

The second cohort of Projects for Progress has been awarded, continuing the mission of faculty, staff, and students coming together around outreach projects directly in the neighborhood and larger Philadelphia community. Established by former Penn presidentAmy Gutmannin 2020, Projects for Progress are overseen by Penns Office of Social Equity & Community. Penn students, faculty, and staff are already coming together, bringing their valuable perspectives and ideas to the table, to build real world initiatives that address major societal issues. This award is one way to honor efforts that focus specifically on Philadelphia, says Nicole Maloy, director of the Office of Social Equity & Community.

The teams proposed initiatives that would make an impact in Philadelphia, focusing on one of three goals: eradicating or reducing systemic racism; achieving educational equity; and reducing health disparities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and/or social determinants of health. The winning teams receive up to $100,000 to implement their initiatives over the coming year.

A total of nine teams applied this year, including 16 students, 10 faculty, and nine staff. Overseen by the Office of Social Equity & Community,a Selection Committee representing Civic House, Graduate School of Education, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, Penn Medicine, Penn Nursing, School of Social Policy & Practice, and University Life appointed the award recipients, and were approved by Interim President Wendell Pritchett.

Penns second cohort of Projects for Progress recipients are truly magnificent, says Pritchett. They are undergraduate and graduate students, and professors and administrators, all working together to boostalongside the Philadelphia communitysocial justice, educational equity, and health care reform. I have no doubt each team will use this award creatively as a launchpad for many years of success.

The Economic Justice Partnership is an effort launched at Penn to train marginalized young people (first generation college students, students of color, high school students) to be paid racially-conscious economic justice coaches for other young people and community members.

The initiative will partner with community organizations to reduce racial disparities in colorectal cancer in West Philadelphia by disseminating and implementing a novel initiativeDrive-through Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)which decentralizes screening from the clinic to the community. The initiative will also design and evaluate a Drive-through FIT implementation toolbox to help further disseminate this program throughout West Philadelphia.

The Public Schools as Equity Infrastructure Studio+ is an opportunity for West Philadelphia teens in public school, teachers, Penn graduate students, and faculty to partner with education activists and community-based organizations on the design and implementation of public school campus upgrades that embody a new system-wide vision for schools as equity infrastructure.

Visit theProjects for Progress websitefor more information,or emailprojectsforprogress@sec.upenn.edu.

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2022 Projects for Progress awardees continue working with community | Penn Today - Penn Today

Still many people in our surrounding area are without power. As you drive through Castlewood all you hear is the beeping of trucks/machinery backing up, excavators and payloaders, and the hum of generators running all over town.

The community has continued to rally, lots of the debris and damage has been picked up. The crews and volunteers have done a great job. Hats off to everyone involved.

We have even seen a photo of a utility truck from Utah. Lots of crews from out of our area came and helped pitch in. This gives Otter Tail Power the ability to give some great news.

Below is their most recent release:

[Saturday, May 14, 4:30 p.m.] Our crews made significant progress throughout the day, restoring power to several areas while continuing to address isolated issues in the region.

Below are communities still without power, as well as current estimated restoration times.

Minnesota

South Dakota

If youre still experiencing an outage not listed, and havent yet reported it to us, please call or send us a direct message viaFacebook, said Area Manager Scott Wiese. And if you see damage to power lines or poles, stay safe and stay away.Report damage to us right away.

We'll provide an update on restoration efforts around 9:30 a.m. Sunday atotpco.com/outages.

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Otter Tail Power Company Making Great Progress Many in Castlewood Will Have Power Soon - mykxlg.com

In 2004, when Sheikh Khalifa became President after the death of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Emirates had already made progress towards becoming an advanced nation.

There was well-developed infrastructure connecting all corners of the country, top-class healthcare, universities aplenty, some of the most spectacular modern architecture and a thriving tourism sector.

Under Sheikh Khalifas guidance, the country has continued to grow, attracting investment and people from across the world, expanding its education and healthcare sectors, and producing myriad developments that are recognised worldwide.

Here we look at some of the main ways in which the UAE has progressed during Sheikh Khalifas presidency.

Crowds gather at Expo 2020 Dubai.Antonie Robertson / The National

The UAE continued its rapid growth in population under Sheikh Khalifa, with the total more than doubling, according to World Bank data, from 4.07 million in 2004 to 9.89 million in 2020, the most recent year for which figures are available.

In 2020, the population grew by 1.2 per cent, according to World Bank figures.

The UN forecasts the population of the Emirates will reach about 11.1 million by 2030, by 2050 around 13.2 million and by 2100 about 14.8 million.

Some experts have forecast faster growth, with Prof Philippe Fargues, director of the migration policy centre at the European University Institute, telling The National he thought Dubais population could double over the next decade.

UAE's GDP has more than doubled in the past two decades, Silvia Razgova / The National

Like other nations, the UAE has experienced significant fluctuations in gross domestic product as a result of the global economic slump of the late 2000s and the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Emirates also proved itself capable of bouncing back from such challenges and, under Sheikh Khalifa, the countrys growth outpaced that of the world as a whole.

In 2004, the UAEs GDP was $147.82 billion, a figure that by 2020 had increased to $358.87bn, an increase of nearly 143 per cent.

Global GDP during the same 18-year period grew from $44.11 trillion to $84.75tn, a more modest increase of a little more than 92 per cent.

This means, overall, that while Sheikh Khalifa was President, economic activity in the UAE grew more than one-and-a-half times as fast as it did in the world as a whole.

Years of major investment in public and private hospitals and attracting top doctors made the UAE well equipped to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National

When Sheikh Khalifa became President, the UAE was, thanks to its advanced healthcare system, well ahead of the global average in life expectancy.

Rapid development had taken the nations average life expectancy from 52 years (one year less than the global average) in 1960 to 75 (six years more than the global average) in 2004.

With healthcare provision continuing to develop, the UAEs average life expectancy has further improved, reaching 78 in 2020, which is five years more than the average for the world.

While challenges such as poor diet and lifestyle remain, progress has been made in many areas of healthcare.

For example, in 2005 the UAE recorded about five maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, but by 2017 the figure had fallen to three for every 100,000 live births, according to data published by the World Health Organisation. Improvements in maternal care, technology and medical education are credited with the improvements.

The UAE has a well-developed public sector schooling system and a myriad of high-performing private schools that teach in every major curriculum.Antonie Robertson / The National

Under Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE significantly expanded its education sector, with globally renowned higher education institutions such as New York University and the Sorbonne opening campuses in the Emirates, and home-grown institutions progressing in international rankings.

Khalifa University was ranked 446th in the world in the QS World University Rankings in 2015, when the university was first listed, but in the 2022 table it had progressed to 183rd.

Other UAE institutions have also moved up, including UAE University, which went from 372nd in 2010 to 288th this year. The American University of Sharjah has moved up from 426th in 2012 to 383rd this year.

In 2009, for the first time, the UAE took part in the rankings of the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which measures the attainment of 15-year-old pupils in reading, mathematics and science.

In the 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 assessments (the 2021 edition has been postponed until later this year), the UAE achieved results that were below the OECD average, as is the case for most non-OECD nations, but were largely stable, the OECD said.

Abu Dhabi Global Market on Al Maryah Island. Victor Besa / The National

With its central location and business-friendly regulations aimed at promoting economic diversification, the UAE has long been an attractive location for foreign direct investment.

During Sheikh Khalifas presidency, the annual totals fluctuated in line with global economic patterns, but the overall trend was upwards.

In 2004, foreign direct investment into the UAE was valued at $10bn, according to data published by the World Bank. It peaked in 2007 at $14.2bn before the economic crash hit hard, with the total two years later just $1.13bn.

Since then, with much smaller peaks and troughs, the country has achieved steady increases, with FDI growing 11.2 per cent in 2020 to reach $19.9bn.

This growth was achieved despite the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in the global FDI total plunging by 42 per cent in 2020.

Overall, the UAE achieved almost a doubling of FDI between 2004 and 2020, while globally over the same period the total increased only 40.4 per cent, from $612bn to $859bn.

Engineers and technicians at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant outside Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: FANR

During Sheikh Khalifas presidency, the UAE made significant progress when it came to womens representation in the workforce, decision-making bodies, government and education, among other areas.

Figures from the International Labour Organisation published by the World Bank indicate that in 2004, 37 per cent of females aged 15 and over were economically active.

There has been a strong upwards trend for most of the subsequent period, and last year the figure was 47 per cent.

This increase in female participation in the UAE came despite a fall in female labour force participation globally, from 64 per cent of females aged 15 and over being economically active in 2004, to 59 per cent in 2021.

Women make up half the members of the Federal National Council, and the UAE embassy to the US notes that the UAE ranked first in the female parliamentary representation index in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2020.

According to the UAE gender balance council, 95 per cent of females who graduate from high school in the UAE go on to tertiary education, compared to 80 per cent of males.

Updated: May 15, 2022, 11:08 AM

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UAE saw surge in progress in these six areas during Sheikh Khalifa's years in office - The National