Category Archives: Progress

Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovinas three-person presidency, poses the most serious secessionist threat to the country since the end of the Bosnian War twenty-six years ago. The current crisis threatens to unravel thepainstakingly accomplished progress towards creating a functioning country that started when the terms of theDayton Peace Agreement (DPA) were finalized on November 21, 1995.

The DPA ended the Bosnian War, which killed 100,000 people, displaced some 2.2 million from their homes, and divided the country into two entities: the majority Serb Republika Srpska that occupies 49 percent of the territory and the majority Bosniak and Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While postwar progress was slow due to domestic and regional forces that tried to further divide the country, it nevertheless came through the gradual strengthening of the common state-level institutions that were needed to preserve the countrys territorial integrity. The unification of the three disparate armies that fought each other during the Bosnian War into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2005 marked a high point of this process.

But Dodik, once hailed by Madeleine Albright as a breath of fresh air in the Balkans and the Serb who positioned himself as a moderate alternative to the hardline nationalist Serb Democratic Party (SDS) in the aftermath of the Bosnian War, now mounts the most credible threat to the dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He recently threatened to annul all decisions relating to the transfer of authority from Republika Srpska to the highest level of government because of the July enactment of a law banning the denial of the Srebrenica genocide of Bosniaks by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1995.

This threat demonstrates Dodiks radical transformation from a moderate politician who recognized the Srebrenica genocide to a hardline nationalist who opened a student housing center named after Radovan Karadi, the founder of SDS who the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes for his role in the Bosnian War.

Following through on this threat would effectively dissolve Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik intends to annul 140 laws tied to decisions made by the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (OHR), the international peace envoy with the authority to single-handedly adopt laws when local parties are unwilling to act. The goal of Dodiks proposed annulment is to hand control from state-level institutions back down to Republika Srpska at the entity level, essentially resetting the country to its makeup in 1995 when the DPA was signed.

Among the proposed changes is the annulment of laws establishing the state-level judiciary, intelligence agency, tax administration, armed forces, and other institutions. While all of these proposed changes are worrisome because they would cripple the ability of the country to function, breaking up the armed forces is the most dangerous. The threat of this action is particularly harrowing in a country whose population has suffered some of the worst war crimes on European soil since World War II. Not only would the armys dissolution increase anxieties and the potential for future conflict, but it would also deal a devastating blow to Bosnia and Herzegovinas postwar progress by stripping it of its biggest success story.

Who Backs Dodik?

Dodik knows that Bosnias future is subject to regional and international power arrangements, and those arrangements seem more favorable to his goals than ever before. Russia, his most powerful backer, does not have many outright allies remaining in the Western Balkans. The accession of Montenegro and North Macedonia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) elevated the importance of Russias relationships with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the only two countries in the Western Balkans not part of NATO.

While the Kremlins relationship with the current Serbian regime is not as ideal as it first appears, Russias veto in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is crucial for Serbia in the Kosovo dispute, enabling Russia to exert influence on Serbias foreign policy vis--vis NATO and the European Union (EU).

Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia is aware that complex decision-making procedures allow representatives from each of its three constituent peoples, the Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs, to block any decision they find unfavorable. Therefore, by keeping a close relationship with authorities in Republika Srpska and fomenting ethnic tensions, Russia knows it is impossible for the country to adopt foreign policies that oppose Russian interests.

The existence of the OHR is the greatest impediment to this Russian strategy because the institutions main purpose is to counteract threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is why Russia and China tried to strip the office of its powers and shut it down. While they failed in this effort, Russia and China only accepted the extension of a small EU peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the condition that the resolution before the UN Security Council (UNSC)remove any mention of the OHR. Both Russia and Dodik maintain that the OHR is illegitimate without the explicit approval of the UNSC. On the other hand, Serbian president Aleksandar Vui met with the high representative in September of this year amid Russia and Dodiks claims of his illegitimacy. This meeting illustrates Vuis two-faced effort to maintain the illusion of Serbias EU path while preserving a good relationship with Russia.

With regards to Republika Srpska, it is no secret that Dodik would like its status to be inextricably tied to the Kosovo issuewhatever Serbia would lose in Kosovo, it would gain in Republika Srpska. While this outcome could conveniently repair the image of Vuis regime as it faces potential losses in a Kosovo situation that is far from optimal, it could also mean that it would replace one problem with another: serious conflict arising in Bosnia. Vui only wants the Bosnian crisis to escalate to the degree it would benefit his regime, but there is reason to believe that Dodik, emboldened by Russia, could escalate it further than that. In that case, failure to supportethnic Serbs in Bosnia would not be good for Vuis domestic political image.

Ironically, Vuis political journey was the reverse of Dodiks. Vui started his political career in the far-right Serbian Radical Party with the professed goal of creating Greater Serbia, a state incorporating all regions of traditional significance to the Serbs. During the Bosnian War, he was filmed visiting the Serb forces that kept Sarajevo under siege for 1,425 days. He also infamously served as the minister of information from 1998 to 2000 in Slobodan Miloevis Serbian nationalist regime. Yet, since returning to government in 2012, he has positioned himself as a moderate politician standing in the way of more radical domestic political forces.

However, democratic standards, particularly media freedoms, have suffered during Vuis rule. Despite his negative track record vis--vis normative values, the EU is eager to promote itself in the Western Balkans and has been very tolerant of Vui. Populist authoritarian leaders heading EU countries like Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia have certainly contributed to the EUs tolerance of Vui but should not be mistaken as the sole reason.

It is the international camaraderie between populist right forces that distinguishes Dodiks position from that of Bosnian Serb secessionists in the early 1990s. His appearance at the fourth Budapest Demographic Summit alongside Vui and the populist leaders of Czechia, Hungary, and Slovenia is an unmistakable sign that he is a part of a club. Despite Dodiks secessionist threats and the EUs effort to make him walk them back, Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Dodik and then Dodik visited Slovenia where he spoke with Prime Minister Janez Jana. Neither leader hid their sympathies for Dodik; Orbans visit was especially telling as he did not visit Bosnia and Herzegovinas capital of Sarajevo but instead met with Dodik in Banja Luka, the de facto capital of Republika Srpska. Because Dodik has allies in some EU countries, he has successfully managed to evade EU sanctions, if not entirely thenat least in significant part.

What Is Next?

The EU should be the principal actor resolving issues in the Western Balkans, including the threat of secession in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At least on paper, each of the regions countries aspires to become EU members. Yet the bloc has not acted decisively to show Dodik that there is no room for secessionism in Bosnia. Unlike the EU, the United States has acted with resolve in the past. It imposed travel and financial sanctions against Dodik in 2017, citing his obstruction of DPA implementation amid calls to withdraw Republika Srpska from the armed forces and his defiance of the constitutional court. If the EU had followed suit and enacted similar sanctions, one might question whether Dodik would be entertaining a similar threat now.

Dodiks renewed push for secession does not indicate that sanctions have no effect; rather, it indicates the need for a coordinated response from the United States and EU. Both should levy further sanctions that would target companies close to Dodik and his government. Considering that it is unlikely the EU will pass unanimous bloc-wide sanctions, the member countries willing to impose sanctions should do so. Even if such sanctions ultimately fail to make Dodik backtrack his secessionist threat, they are worth implementing. For the United States, sanctions are currently preferable to putting NATO boots on the ground as the physical guarantor of peace. Moreover, sanctions are certainly worth trying in order to push the country away from the edge of renewed conflict and preserve the postwar progress that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made since 1995.

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Secessionism Threatens to Upend Bosnia and Herzegovina's Democratic Progress - The National Interest Online

The Dallas Mavericks are a little over a month into the 2021-22 season, and things appear to be looking upward.

Over the offseason, owner Mark Cuban hired Jason Kidd as his new head coach and Nico Harrison as his new general manager. And so far, the Mavs are hovering near the top four in the always-tough Western Conference standings.

But Cuban isnt putting too much stock in the standings as of yet.

Its too early on in the standings, because other than Golden State and Phoenix, everybody else is kind of battling it out, he said. But again, its still early a lot of things can change.

I really, really, really like the fact that each game is part of the development process. Between Nico and J-Kidd, they really set standards and goals for each of the players and put together a program that I think gets us there.Thats how I access what were doing.

The Mavs enter Mondays game against Cleveland with a 10-8 record.

Cuban said: Are we making progress for the end goal as opposed to, OK, why did we do this in one game, but why did we do that in another game?

Its, OK, how does how we use this guy or why we did this or that? How does that make us better? Thats really been our focus.

Cuban recently sat down with reporters and answered a wide-range of probing questions about the Mavs, social justice, Dirk Nowitzki, TikTok, the new basketball, etc.

Question: What do you like about your team and the way they have looked so far?

Cuban: Were OK. We havent played our best basketball yet. Weve got a long ways to go, but were getting better. I like that J-Kidd is working to develop us into the best team that we can be, which sometimes means youre not always fighting for the short term, which is what we agreed on and what he wants to do, because at the end of the day the goal is moving forward in the playoffs. There are things that on the surface seem like, Why did we do this in this game at this point? And theres a longer term meaning for it. Hes invested in the team to make it as good as we can be, and to that end we havent played our best basketball. And we will at some point. To be (10-8) and not having played our best basketball, thats a win.

Question: We havent seen much of Moses Brown on the court this season. Whats your impression of Moses?

Cuban: Moses is a beast. Moses has got all the skill sets. Hes just got to get a little bit more fluid and comfortable in different circumstances. He just hasnt seen a lot of the things that we do yet, and so as he gets more comfortable hell be in a position to get more playing time.

Question: You mentioned the player-first approach. Its been very positive the way Jason talks about the team. In the context of what you can control, what makes that the right time to moving a player up in the rotation and getting them more playing time.

Cuban: Players are different today. You go back five years, its a different beast. My oldest daughter is 18 and going on 45, and young kids the Josh (Green), Frank (Ntilikina) are more like her than they were like Dirk (Nowitzki, or even Boban (Marjanovic) at (age) 33. You guys see it. Its different. When you talk about what Jasons doing with player counsel and all that, thats really trying to be proactive to recognize things. You dont communicate and teach and push the players today the younger players like you did five years ago. Youve got to be adaptive. Just like in my companies, we have to be adaptive to how we deal with Gen Z. Its just different. And so that difference is, I think, why youre seeing what youre seeing.

Question: Its early in the season, but whats been your impression to the start of the season by Kristaps Porzingis?

Cuban: His confidence is growing, and how hes fitting into the team, how hes being used, the leeway that he has. But like I said, kids today are different and youve got to interact with them differently. Theyre going to make some mistakes, but theyll learn and theyre going to grow just like all of our guys do. But KP has really been able to use and take his approach to really build his confidence, and you see it. When guys have confidence and when they feel like theyre able to be themselves, they play harder. When KP admitted his legs were gone the other night, thats a big step for any player, let along KP. Hes saying, You know what, Im taking full responsibility. Again, I think J-Kidd deserves a lot of that credit, and you just see it. This is the Unicorn and hes doing more and more Unicorn things. We got hurt a little bit when our preseason was kind of weird. We were blowing teams out and we didnt quite get the conditioning, and J-Kidd has been focusing on that recently for all our guys, so were starting to see better performances in the fourth quarter than we saw before and I think were getting better and better in the fourth quarter. Going back to the KP question, I think hes comfortable and I think with that comfort its got him playing at an All-Star level.

Question: With the different injuries Porzingis has had, how tough was it for him to navigate through that?

Cuban: Its hard for anybody. Theres nobody who gets hurt that doesnt have it in the back of their mind. I dont care what you do. If youve gotten sick and you feel something hurting a little bit, youre wondering are you sick again. When youre playing in the NBA where its so fast and so athletic and so physical especially this year so physical that you just have to work through it, and I think KP has proven, game-by-game, and has worked through it. I think KP can be even better.

Question: Whats your opinion of what KP and Luka have been able to do as a tandem this year?

Cuban: Its chemistry. I think the whole team chemistry is great. The dynamics are different than last year. Like I said earlier, communicating with players is different now, and I think Nico and J-Kidd, they get in there and theyre fortunate. They get a fresh start. They get to define their relationship based off of how it starts as opposed to how things have changed over the decades.

Question: Your practice facility is currently undergoing a transformation. When will it be completed?

Cuban: When the brewery company moved out, that added 60,000 square feet or something. We should have most of it done by the All-Star break.

Question: Since you bought the Mavs on Jan. 4, 2000, what have you learned about organizational structure?

Cuban: Theres business organizational structure and theres players. Its a player-driven league. On the basketball side its a player-driven league and you will have to adapt your structure to the players.

Question: What does that adaptation look like now as opposed to five years ago?

Cuban: Nico and J-Kidd. Like I said, they get to come in with a fresh start. Having Josh Green, who just turned 21. Luka, Frank is 21 or 22. This has been different. When I first came here there was a playbook. Del Harris would hand you a playbook. There are no kids today reading anything. I dont care what it is. But you put it in a video? Were talking about doing plays in an app where you just scroll through like a TikTok video. Its no different than my 12-year old, my 15-year old and my 18-year-old. If I want to know what news is happening in the world, I ask them what happened on TikTok because thats how they get everything. Why are the kids coming to play in the NBA any different than our kids? Its the exact same thing. One of the beauties of the NBA is that we are a player-driven league. The NFLs about the shield, Major League Baseball is 25 guys. Here (in the NBA), because 2K is so popular and were so popular on social media, we are a player-driven league, and the players know it. The kids now, when someone comes into the league, they have a social media following. Theyre already a brand. When you see the game ends and guys go to the locker room, the likes and the posts start immediately. An interesting stat would be the delta in time between the completion of the game between the 15-17 guys and the time that they make a post or a like or anything. Its shocking how short a time period, and three years ago that never would be a consideration. Looking at your phone at halftime five years ago would have been a hell no. But nobody even has their phone out while the coaches are talking Thats what matters.

Question: How would you describe Nico?

Cuban: Its intense, but he knows its not about Nico. Hes been through it he knows how to communicate. Hes managed hundreds of people. It worked with Nike in a results- and people-driven organization for 20 years. So this isnt new for him to do these things. And hes a learner. To me thats always the most important part. Can he deal with the people, can you get results, and are you a learner? Hes a learner. Hes a sponge and is always open to things, so Im happy with whats been going on.

Question: How is Kristi Toliver doing as one of your assistant coaches, and what does it mean to have a WNBA player on your staff?

Cuban: I love Kristi. It just means shes great at basketball. Gender doesnt matter. Shes just really good at her job, and the guys love her. She knows how to play. She can get out there and give advice. She knows how to convey advice from J-Kidd and shes got a rapport. Whether you played in the WNBA or the NBA, people respect your game. With her success, they not only respect her game, they respect the impact she had on the game. Shes great at basketball and shes a good coach, so were thrilled to have her.

Question: Do you feel like since George Floyd death, when players wanted the NBA owners to help them forward the message, do you feel like other owners are doing enough in regards to social justice?

Cuban: I havent paid attention to what other owners do, but its important to me. But everybody has to make their own choices. Honestly, the NBA as an organization, its important to us. Anything that happens in this country is important to us. So, we try to pay attention to it.

Question: Do you feel enough has been done?

Cuban: Its never enough. If you have to ask the question, its never enough. Youve seen the programs the Mavs have put together. Its continuous its not something we think is over. I always tell (Mavericks CEO) Cynt (Marshall) when an issue is front and center in the media and everybody does something, its what you do when the media dies down that matters. So weve really tried to stay consistent and been impactful.

Question: The Mavs are retiring Dirk Nowitzkis jersey No. 41 on Jan. 5. What do you think that night will be like?

Cuban: I love Dirk to death. Im thrilled for him. Every award he gets is awesome. Were not going to have a statue unveiling or anything like that. We might tease what it looks like, but its pretty obvious what its going to look like. Were going to have some special NFTs made.

Question: How did you decide that Jan. 5 would be the date to retire Dirks jersey?

Cuban: I didnt. They checked to see when Dirk could make it and all the people he wanted to show up could make it, and it was Jan. 5.

Question: How exciting are you for that day?

Cuban: Im probably excited to get it over with, because (Nowitzki) bothers the (bleep) out of me about it. (Laughter).

Question: Do you think Dirk is enjoying his retirement?

Cuban: I think hes getting a little bit antsy. But I can tell you this Ill break you one piece of news. Dirk has an office in the new practice facility.

Question: Hows he going to use that office?

Cuban: We havent built it yet. Its going to be built. But its up to him like it always is.

Question: What do you think of businesses that require you to show if youve been vaccination?

Cuban: Im fine with it, obviously. For me, it doesnt take a lot to get vaccinated. Its just the path to least resistance with peoples health. I understand why people have made it an issue about other things. But I dont have any problem with having it. I got it. Its with my phone. Its really, really easy. Its not intrusive to me at all.

Question: What do you think of the new Wilson basketball thats being used this season?

Cuban: Heres my attitude on the new ball. I think there is a difference. I think if you look at the Spalding ball (previously used in the NBA) and this (Wilson) ball, the grooves are different. The grooves affect the rotation, and affects the aerodynamics of it, and its not that its right or wrong. Its just that its going to impact different shooters differently. The higher the arc, the more likely you are to benefit, and the lower the arc, the less likely you are to benefit. It might work against you. There are some guys that grew up and have been in the league long enough that when you get that Spalding ball you feel for the grooves, and the depth of the grooves (on the Wilson basketball are) not there. And so guys are still trying to adjust to that. Its not right or wrong. Its just that when people talk about the ball being different, its not an excuse. Its a reality. Guys are going to have to adjust. But theyre pros, so they will adjust.

Question: So, why did the NBA change basketballs? Was it a money deal?

Cuban: Im sure it was a money deal. I dont know the exact deal. Its all good. The players get 51 percent. Its not bad (for the players). So why didnt (Wilson) do it the same (as Spalding)? I have no idea.

Twitter: @DwainPrice

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Cuban happy with progress from Kidd, Harrison - The Official Home of the Dallas Mavericks - Mavs.com

ORLANDO Two of the Orlando Magics foundational pieces continue to make strides as they hit milestones in their rehab.

Fans eager for updates to the conditions of Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac were provided additional insight on Friday morning as both Fultz and Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman spoke to the media after shootaround.

As they have their occasional checkups with doctors, and they have imaging, I can just tell you theyre both moving forward and theyre doing great, Weltman explained. I can tell you that Markelle, we just sent him down this week to start practicing with Lakeland because theyll have more live-action situations than well have in the middle of an NBA season. So, hes starting to ramp up to that phase where hes actually starting to get involved in some live action. Jonathan isnt at that point yet, but he continues to make great, steady progress and theyre both doing really well.

As the Magics President of Basketball Operations indicated, in addition to going through on-court work in Orlando, Fultz has also been practicing in Lakeland with the teams G League squad when the Magic are on the road. Prior to stepping over to speak with the media, the physical point guard engaged in two-on-two drills that also included teammates Moe Wagner and Ignas Brazdeikis, who spent time after shootaround working with Orlandos floor general.

Im very excited with where I am at and where I am going, Fultz explained. Its the next step in the process. When I first got injured, it was all about steps. Knowing its going to be a long journey but taking it one step at a time. Right now, Im in the process of getting back into things, bumping, and getting up and down. Getting my conditioning right. Like I said, I feel really good.

Fultzs injury on Jan. 6, 2021 disrupted a breakout season for the 6-foot-4 guard. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft was averaging career bests in points (14.3) and assists (6.1) in the seven games prior to suffering a devastating ACL injury in his left knee in the eighth contest of Orlandos 2020-21 campaign.

The Magic jumped out to a 6-2 start to that season, but then lost six straight games after Fultz suffered his knee injury.

I felt like I was just getting started into a real good groove with a full summer under my belt after coming back for a full season, Fultz said. Just building mentally. Where I took the big step in the summer was watching a lot of film and understanding the game and slowing it down even more.

Isaac, meanwhile, continues to look to build strength in his knee after an ACL injury disrupted an amazing comeback story.

After suffering a knee injury on New Years Day of 2020, it appeared that Isaacs season was over. However, with the season being interrupted due to COVID-19 and not resuming until late in the summer, the 6-foot-10 forward was able to make a stunning return in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World.

Isaac scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in just seven minutes of playing time during his first game back in a scrimmage against the Denver Nuggets. He tallied 16 points in 16 minutes during Orlandos win over the Brooklyn Nets in the Magics first seeding game, and then had four points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals against the Kings on Aug. 2, 2020 before the injury.

Now, despite his eagerness to get back on the court, the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft remains focused on strengthening his knee and staying patient as he relentlessly continues to ramp up his rehab and prepare for in-game action.

Its everything. Theres a right way to do this and the most important thing for Jonathan is not just that we address the injury, but his whole body, Weltman said. Hes missed essentially two years of action and theres a lot that comes with that. So, making sure that his body is balanced, that its strengthened everywhere, that his core is tight. In the meantime, hes using the time very productively. His body is filling out, his shot looks way improved from the last time he was on the court, and hes in a really good place.

While some fans may desire exact timelines for the Magics two young standouts, the team remained steadfast in its policy of instead focusing on conducting the rehab process the right way rather than stamping unnecessary deadlines on returns.

I know our fans can get frustrated with some of this, but we always want to put our fans first and be as transparent as possible, Weltman said. That said, the way that we manage our injuries has to be done with the benefit of our players which is theyre showing up every day, theyre doing their work, and they have to know that the timetables are going to be in accordance with the results of their work. So, no injuries are the same, no two bodies are the same.

Its a process thats appreciated by Fultz, who came to the team in a trade deadline deal in Feb. 2019 in the midst of rehabbing his shoulder. Its something he noticed and valued from day one of his arrival.

Its amazing, ever since I first came over here, dealing with the shoulder injury, Fultz said. Thats the one thing, I always felt like they had open arms, there was no rush (and) I didnt feel any pressure. But at the same time, were all about getting work done. Theyve done a great job of just comforting me and making sure that Im okay, but also doing the things I need to do to make sure Im ready. I love the game, so I dont want to be out any longer than I have to be. Its all about being smart. They do a great job of making sure that we understand that theyre not putting any (unnecessary) pressure on us.

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Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac Continue to Make Progress in Their Rehab - OrlandoMagic.com

Societys current anger is a cancer on our democracy and progress in our country. Stephen Websters book American Rage describes anger as the central emotion governing U.S. politics, lowering trust in government and weakening democratic values while forging partisan loyalty.

The Age Of Rage in The Guardian on May 11, 2019, states that we have built a world that is extremely good at generating causes for anger but extremely bad at offering constructive solutions. A Gallup poll found 22% of respondents around the world felt angry, a record.

Americans Are Living In A Big Anger Incubator,a Washington Post headline from June 29, 2020, confirms that systematic forces threaten our well-being, led by automation, globalization, climate change, immigration, racism, a pandemic and conspiracies, while using social and news media as a catalyst.

Duke University School of Medicine professor Damon Tweedybelieves anger is inevitable and becomes a sustaining problem without the use of off-setting, coping tools.

Here are some anger management suggestions to counteract ones anger, thus contributing to a kinder, gentler world, from Psychology Today: Look at things from a third-person perspective. Refuse to react to aggressive acts. Understand where anger is coming from. Listen; take other persons point of view. Count to 10; take deep breaths.

Above all, particularly in the Lowcountry, smile and forgive; life is too short!

Earle Everett, Moss Creek

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Letter to the editor: Anger is a cancer on democracy, progress - Bluffton Today

Nearly 20 months after pandemic lockdowns first began, governments across Europe are beginning to tighten restrictions again amid the latest wave of new coronavirus cases, threatening the gains that the region has made against the pandemic.

France is racing to offer booster shots to all adults and will not renew health passes for those who refuse. Deaths are rising in Germany, with its 68 percent vaccination rate, a worrying trend for a highly inoculated country. Austria has been in a nationwide lockdown since Monday, and made vaccinations mandatory.

In Eastern Europe, where far-right and populist groups have fueled vaccine skepticism, vaccination rates are lower than the rest of the continent. Bulgaria, where a quarter of the population is fully vaccinated, is turning back to shutdowns or other restrictive measures.

The quickly deteriorating situation in Europe is worrisome for the United States, where the seven-day average of new cases has risen 24 percent in the past two weeks. (The number of new deaths reported in the United States is down 6 percent.) Trends in new cases in the United States have tended to follow Europe by a few weeks.

Time and again, weve seen how the infection dynamics in Europe are mirrored here several weeks later, Carissa F. Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, told reporters on Wednesday. The future is unfolding before us, and it must be a wake-up call for our region because we are even more vulnerable.

The White House insists that while new infections are on the rise, the United States can avoid European-style lockdowns.

We are not headed in that direction, Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said this week. We have the tools to accelerate the path out of this pandemic: widely available vaccinations, booster shots, kids shots, therapeutics.

But the chief of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that some countries had lapsed into a false sense of security.

He issued a warning during a news briefing on Wednesday: While Europe is again the epicenter of the pandemic, no country or region is out of the woods.

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Europe is Tested by Waves of Cases that Threaten its Progress Against Pandemic - The New York Times

When Americans areasked what they are thankful for on Thanksgiving, family is the most common response. They also tend to be grateful for their friends and health.

This Thanksgiving, we encourage Americans to also be thankful for human progress. Past progress is not only something we should be grateful for but understanding it may also play a crucial role in cultivating the type of mindset needed to promote future progress. Unfortunately, many of the young Americans who will become the political, business and cultural leaders of tomorrow do not appear to be learning about the progress our world has achieved in recent decades.

When it comes to human progress, there is much to celebrate.

Extreme poverty dropped from 43 percent of the worlds population in 1981 to around nine percent today. Global life expectancy increased from 57.9 years in 1972 to about 72 years today. The percentage of undernourished people in developing countries declined from 23 percent in 1990 to about 13 percent today. The percentage of 15 to 24-year-olds who areunable to read worldwide dropped from 24 percent to less than 10 percent over a 50-year period.

In the United States, over thelast five decades, life expectancy has increased 11 percent, infant survival has increased 70 percent, income per person has increased 130 percent and the average number of years of schooling has increased 26 percent. And there are many, many more examples.

In order to be grateful for human progress, people need to know about it. What better place to spread the word about human progress than our colleges and universities? These are the institutions tasked with training tomorrows leaders, helping them to figure out their mission in life and the best ways for them to apply their talents and interests.

However, that knowledge is absent in many corners. In asurvey conducted by the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth at North Dakota State University, in collaboration with College Pulse, we asked 1,000 students at 71 four-year American colleges and universities a range of questions about the state of human progress and their attitudes about the future, based on what they have learned in college. Only half of current college and university students indicated that, based on what they have learned in college, the world has improved over the last 50 years, in terms of extreme poverty, life expectancy, hunger and literacy.

Why does this matter? In order to solve big problems and make societal advancements, people benefit from maintaining an optimistic outlook about the future of the world and their own lives. Indeed, a large body of research indicates that optimism promotes persistence in pursuing goals, goal-achievement, creativity, innovation, social trust and civic engagement.

Yet our survey finds that only a quarter of college students are optimistic about the future of the world and the United States, only half are optimistic about their own futures, and only 44 percent are optimistic about their ability to make a difference in the world, based on what they have learned in college. Moreover, using statistical analyses that allow us to account for a number of variables that may influence optimism, such as socioeconomic status and psychological wellbeing, we find that knowledge of human progress is a unique and strong predictor of optimism. The students who report that their college experience suggests the world has been getting better over the last 50 years are the students who are most likely to also report that their college experience has made them optimistic about the future of the world, the United States, their own future and their ability to make a difference in the world.

These results are correlational, so we are not able to say with certainty that learning about progress causes students to become more optimistic, but there is reason to believe that the more a college education helps students appreciate human progress, the more it will help them approach the future with optimism and agency. Indeed, other research shows that teaching young people to be grateful inspiresoptimism and the motivation to contribute positively to society.

Despite the major challenges facing society, we have much to be grateful for this holiday season. Lets not forget human progress. By appreciating it and spreading the message to future generations, we can help inspire the mindset needed to build a better tomorrow.

Clay Routledge is the Arden & Donna Hetland Distinguished Professor of Business at North Dakota State University, a faculty scholar at the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, and a senior research fellow at the Archbridge Institute. John Bitzan is the Menard Family Director of the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth.

Originally posted here:

This Thanksgiving, let's be grateful for human progress | TheHill - The Hill

HOUSTON Robert Saleh didnt exactly end up in the easiest landing spot for a first- time head coach when he took the New York Jets job back in January.

OK, thats like saying Mark Sanchez probably wishes that one play against the Patriots back in 2012 had worked out a little differently. Saleh could have scoured the earth for a more challenging entry into the top level of his profession and he might have never found it.

He joined a franchise that over the past decade has been defined by its spectacular failures above all else. (Its unfortunate and unfair to Sanchez, who just happened to have the most spectacular of the many that have come before and since.)

Saleh inherited a roster that is in the middle of such a deep rebuild that it was devoid of proven talent and depth at many key positions and that was before a devastating run of injuries.

And he was tasked with navigating all of that in the biggest media market on the planet, while trying to please a passionate fan base that also happens to be extremely angry and impatient for obvious reasons.

Saleh, of course, didnt get to where he is by believing a massive challenge cant be overcome. From the very beginning, Saleh has been waging a quiet war against that riptide of negativity with his relentless optimism and consistent message of hope for his players and fans.

Back in April, when asked how he felt about free agents saying they wanted to sign with the Jets because of him, Saleh even said three words that previously were treated like Voldemorts name at 1 Jets Drive.

You can always beat the narrative of same old Jets, Saleh said. But its not.

Salehs point was unmistakable and valid: What happened in the past has nothing with what happens right now and every day moving forward, unless you let it.

And then the regular season started.

To his credit, Saleh remains as optimistic as ever. Earlier this month, immediately after the Jets gave up 175 points in a four-game stretch only one NFL team has allowed more since 1970 Saleh made a promise to Jets fans.

Im frustrated, Saleh said. But I am not lost in the big picture in that this thing is going to turn, and when it does, its going to be freakin awesome.

But Saleh has not been able to hide that frustration, especially in the immediate aftermath of the losses. We saw some anger and heard a few bad words after the 41- point point loss to the Patriots, understandably.

Saleh looked downtrodden after the lopsided losses to the Colts and Bills. And he was clearly annoyed after his team threw away a winnable game last week against the Dolphins.

No one should fault him for that because of his previous positivity. Its exactly how a coach should look and talk after losses like those. But its a jarring contrast from what we saw for all these months, so its fair to wonder if maybe this challenge is a little harder than he expected?

No, Saleh said when asked that directly this week. Its the same thing, like knock on wood, Ive been very fortunate in my NFL career. This is the fifth team that weve attempted to rebuild.

The Texans went 2-14 in 2005, when Saleh started his pro coaching career as a defensive intern. He left in 2010 and Houston won the division the next two years and made the playoffs in four of the next six.

The Jaguars lost 37 of 48 games with Saleh as their linebackers coach from 2014-16. They went to the AFC Championship game the next year.

And the 49ers went 6-10 and 4-12 in Salehs first two years as defensive coordinator before they finished 13-3 and went to the Super Bowl in year three.

But the most meaningful turnaround came in Seattle. In 2011 he joined the Seahawks as a defensive quality control coach and they went 7-9, finishing under .500 for the fourth straight season. Saleh won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks two years later. Of course, Russell Wilson had a lot to do with that. Further hammering home the point player is more important to the Jets future than rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.

So when Saleh says that none of this is a surprise and that this is what it should feel like, even though its not easy, its actually believable.

In all those cases, the key part of the plan was the same: the teams were loaded with young players who had to learn some really tough lessons before becoming key contributors to the turnaround.

He sees the same thing happening on the Jets roster.

This is exactly what it looks like and were not the only ones, Saleh said. You look at Arizona, theyre in year three and doing a heck of a job.

But he also seemed to hint that going through those kinds of struggles in this particular situation is more of a challenge.

I started joking around with somebody that one year in New York is like [aging in] dog years, Saleh said. It is euphoria or disaster, there is no in between. We embrace the expectation. We want to win. Even now, were trying to win football games and were trying to teach this young group and these young men how to win these games.

Salehs main message to Jets fans is that this rebuild is different than the ones before, because general manager Joe Douglas didnt hit the panic button this offseason. So instead of having overpaid veterans on the field which might have helped the Jets look more respectable, theyre developing young players and evaluating which ones can be a part of their future.

I respect the heck out of the urgency from the fans and the wanting to flip this thing, Saleh said. But in fairness, this is the first time this fan base is actually experiencing something like this. Usually its been a quick fix, followed by a scramble. This is an actual plan.

Saleh is right on that point. But that wont make the next seven weeks any easier if the Jets dont show some progress.

Andy Vasquezis the Jetsbeat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Jets analysis, news, trades and more, pleasesubscribe todayanddownload our app.

Email:vasqueza@northjersey.com

Twitter:@andy_vasquez

Originally posted here:

NY Jets Robert Saleh has complete faith in the team's plan, but must show progress - NorthJersey.com

Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, the crisis has accelerated technology adoption, pushing companies to adopt technology-driven strategies to survive and thrive. Since the beginning of 2021, strong growth in several RFID businesses has been observed. As we near the end of 2021, the growing trend continues throughout the RFID industry. Nonetheless, the pandemic has created additional obstacles, including supply chain disruptions and chip shortages, which are constraining growth.

In this webinar, Dr. Yu-Han Chang will present IDTechEx's latest data and prospects for the RFID industry, which will include research from IDTechEx's latest RFID market research study "RFID Forecasts, Players, and Opportunities 2022-2032". IDTechEx has been studying RFID for over 20 years and our leading RFID market research report is built on our expertise, covering the latest RFID development trend, key player analysis, and market outlook.

This webinar will provide an overview of the current state of the RFID industry and the content include:

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RFID: Progress, Trends and Prospect - IDTechEx.com

The Biden administrations effort to staff the federal government is proceeding at a snails pace compared to previous administrations. Such a leadership vacuum inhibits the administrations ability to implement their agenda, and while the Senate plays a key role in the process and pace, it is the president who suffers most from this incredibly slow pace.

At day 300, the Biden administration has much to be proud ofpassage of the infrastructure bill, the declining unemployment rate, and the record number of federal judges that have been confirmed, among earlier legislative achievements like the American Rescue Plan. According to my Brookings colleague, Russell Wheeler, as of November 17, (Bidens 300th day in office), the Senate has confirmed 28 federal judges (nine on the court of appeals and 19 on the district courts), surpassing his most recent Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, who had six judges confirmed by this point and President Trump, who had 13. But while the administration can hail its record-setting appointments to the bench, it is worth noting that confirmed appointees to the executive branch are trickling in at an alarmingly slow pace.

This report marks this projects third and final opportunity to track the pace of executive branch confirmations and the gender and ethnic diversity of these appointees during President Bidens first year in office. When I reported on the progress at the 100 and 200-day marks, the Biden confirmation pace lagged behind his three predecessors, while the commitment to nominating large numbers of women and nonwhites represented a historic breakthrough. This studys data on executive branch confirmations, drawn from Congress.gov, includes comparisons to Bidens three predecessors and focuses on the fifteen major departments (excluding U.S. Attorneys at the Department of Justice). In addition, there is data on gender and race/ethnicity for each confirmed individual; the categories for the latter are the same as the U.S. Census.

After 300 days, the Senate has confirmed 140 of President Bidens nominees to the 15 major executive departments. The chart below demonstrates that while the Biden administration outpaced President Trump at the start and surpassed the Obama administration in days 200-300, overall President Biden lags behind his predecessorsa troubling, but perhaps not unexpected trendline. Terry Sullivan, a political scientist with the White House Transition Project, shows that the pace of confirmations has been declining for every president since Ronald Reagan, suggesting that even Bidens successor will have fewer confirmations after 300 days.

Since we began tracking President Bidens Cabinet and appointees, we have broken them down by department. This enables one to move beyond the aggregate figures and examine confirmations within each of the 15 departments. Such an examination reveals that the Biden administration has the fewest number of confirmed appointees in seven of the 15 departments including Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, State, Transportation, and Treasury. Of these, the performance in the State Department is weakest; an unsurprising predicament given the emergence of a Republican blockade by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and more recently, Marco Rubio (R-Fla). Working together, they have stalled the confirmations of many senior State Department officials. To provide a clearer sense of just how many appointees are being held up, the Partnership for Public Service indicated that as of November 22, there were 85 pending State Department nominees, 47 of which were awaiting a full vote. This GOP blockade has clearly succeeded as demonstrated by the confirmation records of President Biden compared to his three predecessors on day 300: Biden 27, Trump 55, Obama 92, and Bush 133.

Why does this slow pace matter? Apart from a leadership vacuum that hampers long-term planning and adversely affects morale, the slow pace of confirmation affects government performance. More than 17 years ago, the bipartisan 9-11 Commission released a report that addressed the dangers of delayed confirmations. One of their key recommendations was expeditious confirmation of those appointees working in the national security realm. According to a study by the Partnership for Public Service: The commission found that George W. Bush lacked key deputy Cabinet and subcabinet officials until the spring and summer of 2001, noting that the new administrationlike others before itdid not have its team on the job until at least six months after it took office, or less than two months before 9/11. We are now 10 months into a new administration and are well behind the confirmation rate of the Bush administration. In short, the situation is far more dire than when the 9-11 Commission issued its report. I suspect the commission would be most disappointed by the Biden administrations lag in filling top positions at Defense, Homeland Security, and State given the national security implications.

Aside from the slow pace of confirmations, it is important to point out the historic levels of gender and racial/ethnic diversity among the Biden confirmed appointees. From the start, the administration has demonstrated a high level of commitment to the appointment of women and nonwhites. At the 300-day mark, women represent half of the 140 confirmed appointees, exceeding his three predecessors by a sizeable amount (President Obama was closest with 29% of his appointments going to women).

Similarly, the Biden administration demonstrated a major commitment to appointing nonwhites. After 300 days, 39% of the Biden administration confirmed nominees are nonwhite; representing a stark change from the Trump administration that reached 14% in the first 300 days.

As of November 22, the Partnership for Public Service indicated that there are 175 nominees (to the 15 major departments) languishing somewhere in the Senate confirmation process. This large number suggests that the Biden administration has fulfilled its obligation. Given no choice but to work within the limitations of a slow-moving and sometimes recalcitrant Senate, the Biden administration has made its mark where it canby appointing the most diverse set of presidential nominees.

Twenty years ago, political scientist Burdett Loomis wrote an article for the Brookings Institution noting the lengthening Senate confirmation process indicates that a problem does exist If only the Senate operated at the same pace as it did back in 2001, President Biden might have about 326 confirmed nominees instead of well less than half of that number (140). While the slow confirmation pace is not a new phenomenon, it has reached a new low. In prior publications, I tried to account for the slow pace: the 50-50 split in the Senate, the heavy legislative agenda, the frequency and length of Senate recesses, the apparent prioritization of judicial appointments, and the frequency of Republican holds. In the end, the source of the delay is irrelevant. The Senate has a responsibility to vote on the presidents nominees in a timely fashion and I contend that this role is most important at the start of a new administration.

The Biden administration has made history on two fronts and in two starkly different waysthe most diverse set of confirmed appointees and the fewest nominees in place at the 300-day mark. Frustrated by this pace, Majority Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently threatened to keep the chamber in session longer than anticipated so that they could confirm more nominees. If cutting recess or working on weekends motivates Senators to vote on the nominees languishing in the Senate, I am all for it. Leadership matters, particularly at the start of an administration, and giving a president the tools (in this case personnel) he or she needs to govern is good for everyoneRepublicans and Democrats alike.

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Bidens confirmations progress at the 300-day mark - Brookings Institution

AUSTIN (Nexstar) Warnings from infectious disease experts about an anticipated spike in COVID-19 cases after the holidays might feel like dj vu from last year. Thats because it is.

However, significant strides have been made since Thanksgiving 2020. A game changing vaccine has been approved for everyone five and older in the United States. Eligibility for booster shots has been expanded to all adults 18 and older.

With those strides also came serious tribulations a deadlier, more contagious delta variant that pushed hospitals and ICU beds in Texas to their limits this summer, paired with the rampant spread of misinformation about the vaccines safety and efficacy.

About 54.5% of Texans are fully vaccinated, not too far behind the nations percentage of Americans who are fully vaccinated, about 59%.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise nationwide, and while Texas is doing better than many other states for now, the rolling seven-day average of new infections is slowly climbing again, according to state data.

Whether the case surges will continue on a seasonal basis is still uncertain.

Ithink its too early to tell what the endemic phases will look like, said Dr. Gerry Parker, director of pandemic and biosecurity policy at Texas A&M University. I dont think its going to be quite like the flu, I mean the flu is very seasonal.

It raises concern for infectious disease experts, including the states chief epidemiologist, Dr. Jennifer Shuford of Texas DSHS.

We could still have a lot of transmission of COVID-19 through the holiday season and into 2022, she said. So its something that were worried about because we think there are vulnerable Texans out there that really could get a bad infection over the next few months.

Parker said the one thing that is better this year versus last (aside from vaccines) is the increasing treatment options.

The monoclonal antibodies and the antiviral specifically are important tools because if you do test positive and youre high risk of contracting severe disease, the monoclonal antibodies can be very important if you have not been immunized, Parker said. The antivirals also are would be much easier to administer compared to the monoclonal antibody. So these are all important tools in our toolkit, but vaccines are the number one tool to prevent.

Doctors like Parker and Shuford emphasize that those treatment options are an additional tool, and should not be seen as a substitute for getting vaccinated.

The vaccines are fantastic vaccines and way exceeded our expectations in their effectiveness, Shuford said. Now there are two oral therapies that are under consideration by the FDA for emergency use authorization. And so its giving us a little more hope that maybe well have more therapeutics, or more medicines available to us for COVID-19 in the near future. Vaccines are still our best option though, for really controlling COVID-19 Across Texas.

The FDA is expected to approve Merck and Pfizers COVID-19 antiviral pill soon.

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Pandemic progress: How far have we come and where are we going? - KXAN.com