Daily Archives: March 31, 2021

Despite dire warnings, some governors lifting statewide masking mandates.

March 31, 2021, 9:02 AM

7 min read

Several Republican governors bucked President Joe Biden's plea to keep masking mandates in place, even as his administration works to increase vaccination rates to stay ahead of what would be a fourth surge of the coronavirus in the U.S.

"I'm reiterating my call for every governor, mayor and local leader to maintain and reinstate the mask mandate. Please," Biden said Monday. "This is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down. And businesses should require masks as well. The failure to take this virus seriously -- precisely what got us in this mess in the first place -- risks more cases and more ... deaths."

Biden's call for the American people to continue using masks to stop COVID from surging is nothing new. He has made the plea in nearly all of his remarks on the virus as president, warning that the country is not yet out the woods even as progress is made on vaccinations.

President Joe Biden gives remarks after touring the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, March 23, 2021.

Also on Monday, he announced at least 90% of Americans would be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by April 19, and 90% of the population would have a vaccination site within 5 miles of their homes.

But the rollback on restrictions at the state level highlights the competing challenge Biden faces on the pandemic: touting positive signs that hope is on the horizon, while also keeping a country fatigued of COVID-19 regulations and restrictions compliant.

White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt also had a warning for states Tuesday.

"Lifting all of these restrictions, telling people not to wear masks, gathering in large crowds, that's the equivalent of playing with fire."

A sign promotes mask-wearing at a bar in Houston as the state of Texas prepares to lift its mask mandate and reopen businesses to full capacity.

Despite the administration's dire warnings, Republican leaders moved forward with plans to do away with statewide mandates on masking.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who last previously extended her state's mask mandate through the end of March, made clear she has no intention of issuing another extension.

"As Gov. Ivey has previously stated, Alabama's mask mandate ends April 9. We have made progress, and we are moving towards personal responsibility and common sense, not endless government mandates," Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has also previously extended his state's masking requirement, announced Tuesday his plans to immediately lift the mandate.

"This does not mean that the use of the mask will cease," Hutchinson argued, adding that "common sense should govern" mask usage and private businesses' decisions on masks should still be respected.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks about the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine distributions during a news conference at the state Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Jan. 12, 2021.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who recently signed a bill repealing the state's mask mandate starting April 10, also has no plans to reverse course, his office confirmed to ABC News.

In her press briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki sidestepped questions about the impact Biden's message was having, arguing that local leaders and businesses could take action even if governors refused to do so.

"It's a tough message, (but) important for people to hear that we're still in war with this virus, and people need to still be vigilant in order to return to normal," Psaki said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now seeing an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases and people hospitalized with the disease, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, caused by increased travel in recent weeks, lifting restrictions and more relaxed behavior.

The seven-day average of cases has seen a 10% increase over the previous period and hospitalizations and deaths also have increased.

"I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom," Walensky said in an emotional plea at a White House briefing Monday. "We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are, and so much reason for hope. But right now, I'm scared."

ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs and Cheyenne Haslett contributed reporting

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Biden faces the challenge of highlighting progress without relaxing restrictions - ABC News

MMA Weekly

Stipe Miocic was the baddest man on the planet heading into Saturday night's event at The Apex in Las Vegas. Now that the UFC 260 results are in, there is a new baddest man on the planet. UFC 260 results: Francis Ngannou lands brutal KO Francis Ngannou showed massive improvement in his skill and his approach in taking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. It was evident from the opening bell that Ngannou wasn't going to let himself lose by running out of gas. Ngannou, fighting more patiently than ever, landed a huge punch in the first couple minutes of the fight, but Miocic ate it. Miocic then went for a takedown, but Ngannou stuffed it and pummeled Miocic with some heavy punches before they returned to the center of the Octagon. Ngannou cracked Miocic with a kick to the head. Having landed several big shots early, but not putting Miocic away, Ngannou fought smartly for the remainder of the round, measuring his effort and not jettisoning all of his fuel in the early moments of the fight. Miocic appeared off kilter, being cautious to avoid Ngannou's power. Ngannou's patience in the first round paid off in the second. He again started with a measured approach, but quickly caught Miocic with a stiff left cross that sent him reeling. Ngannou chased him, unloading with numerous punches, but didn't burn himself out. Miocic tried to fire back, but Ngannou caught him with a short left hook that sent Miocic falling backwards over folded legs. And just like, Francis Ngannou, who literally fought his way through the wilds to make it from his home country of Cameroon to Europe, is the new UFC heavyweight champion of the world. "It feels so amazing. I'm working to the greatness," Ngannou said in recounting coming from a background of challenges, of people doubting him, and a promise he made to himself to become something great. "There is a huge feeling of satisfaction." UFC 260 results: Francis Ngannou knocks out Stipe Miocic to become heavyweight champion UFC 260 results: Vicente Luque upsets Tyron Woodley, calls out Nate Diaz Coming off of successive losses to Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington, former UFC champion Tyron Woodley needed a win against Vicente Luque at UFC 260. He didn't get it. Woodley started fast, rushing across the cage, but Luque defended well. Woodley then switched to his old approach of ripping right hands, trying to rip Luque's head off. He connected, staggering Luque, and kept after him. But just when it seemed that Woodley might score the huge knockout that he'd been looking for, Luque cracked him with a right hand, sending Woodley to the canvas. Returning to his feet, Woodley tried to throw bombs, but his legs were made of rubber. Luque kept after him, connecting with numerous shots, sending Woodley down again. This time Luque shifted gears and went for a submission, eventually forcing Woodley to tap out to a D'arce choke. It was a huge win for Luque, who not only defeated a former UFC welterweight champion, but also propelled himself into the upper echelon of the division. "He took a little of my balance away with the overhand right, but man, I have a hard chin," said Luque before zeroing in on his next opponent. "I want to take this time to call out Nate Diaz. I called him out in the past and he didn't respond. I think Nate is the perfect fight, let's go." UFC 260 results: Vicente Luque cracks Tyron Woodley and submits him UFC 260 results: Sean OMalley finishes with a sugar-sweet knockout "Suger" Sean O'Malley got some of his sweetness back with an important victory over Thomas Almeida on Saturday night. Coming off of the first loss of his career, O'Malley wanted to get back on track and erase memories of his loss to Marlon "Chito" Vera. O'Malley started catching fire in the first couple minutes of the fight, landing a spinning back kick to the midsection and following with a straight punch to the chin. A short time later, O'Malley kicked Almeida and dropped him to the canvas with a right hand. He started to walk off, but the referee didn't stop the fight. Almeida got up. O'Malley caught him with another kick, but the Brazilian marched through it. He fought back, eating another head kick toward the end of the round, but his chin held. O'Malley lit him up with punches as round two go underway. Almeida had a difficult time bridging O'Malley's range, but found some success with low kicks. All the while, O'Malley continued to attack with front kicks to the body and stinging jabs. O'Malley opened the final frame with a brutal low kick that nearly took Almeida's legs out from under him, but he almost made the same mistake in the final round as he did in the first. As the round wore on, O'Malley landed a short left hand that sent Almeida to the canvas. O'Malley started to walk off again, but Almeida rolled to his back, the referee again maintaining his distance. This time, O'Malley quickly realized the fight wasn't being stopped, stepped over Almeida, and dropped a bomb of a right hand to close the fight with a knockout. "That dude is legit. He's a tough dude," O'Malley said when questioned about missing out on the finish in the first round. "I only get 15 minutes to perform, maybe a couple times a year. When I get in there, I gotta do something sweet." UFC 260 results: Sean O'Malley knocks out Thomas Almeida UFC 260 results: Miranda Maverick outworks Gillian Robertson Miranda Maverick scored her fifth consecutive victory, her second in the Octagon, by routing Gillian Robertson. The fight started slowly, but Maverick began to hit her stride, scoring a huge takedown toward the end of the first round. Maverick seemed to continue the momentum as the second frame got underway, but Robertson took the fight to the canvas, dominating on the ground for the majority of the round. Maverick escaped to her feet in the final minute of the frame and landed several heavy shots trying to nullify Robertson's ground work. In the final round, Maverick stormed Robertson, dominating on the feet and taking her to the canvas. Maverick ground and pounded Robertson while on the canvas, never allowing her a chance to mount any offense as the fight went to the final horn. When the scorecards were read, Maverick took a unanimous decision with two of the three judges awarding her all three rounds. One judge scored the bout in her favor 29-28. UFC 260 results: Miranda Maverick dominates Gillian Robertson UFC 260 results: Jamie Mullarkey drops Khama Worthy The UFC 260 pay-per-view opened with a bang thanks to Australia's Jamie Mullarkey. Just as the bout was getting underway, Mullarkey stepped in and feinted with a right hand. Worthy bit on the fake and Mullarkey cracked him with a left hook that sent him face first onto the canvas. Mullarkey immediately dropped down to land a few more blows, but the referee was already waving it off as a knockout at the 46-second mark of the first round. UFC 260 results: Jamie Mullarkey defeats Khama Worthy RELATED > UFC 260 Live Results: Miocic vs. Ngannou UFC 260 Live Results UFC 260 Main Card Heavyweight Bout: Francis Ngannou def Stipe Miocic by KO (punch) at 0:52, R2Welterweight Bout: Vicente Luque def Tyron Woodley by submission (D'arce choke) 3:56, R1Bantamweight Bout: Sean OMalley def Thomas Almeida by KO (punch) at 3:52, R3Womens Flyweight Bout: Miranda Maverick def Gillian Robertson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)Lightweight Bout: Jamie Mullarkey def Khama Worthy by KO (punches) 0:46, R1 UFC 260 Prelims Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield def Fabio Cherant by submission (Von Flue choke) at 1:11, R1Welterweight Bout: Abubakar Nurmagomedov def Jared Gooden by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)Light Heavyweight Bout: Michal Oleksiejczuk def Modestas Bukauskas by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)Featherweight Bout: Omar Morales def Shane Young by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) UFC 260 Early Prelim Middleweight Bout: Marc-Andre Barriault def Abu Azaitar by TKO (punches) at 4:56, R3 > Check out MMAWeekly.com's full UFC 260 video coverage on YouTube!

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Blackhawks showing progress in protecting third-period leads - Yahoo Sports

As we move into a crucial decade of action on achieving serious progress on sustainability, many are hoping the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic recession will serve to reset our priorities toward a greener future in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

However, many experts are not optimistic about the possibility of a green recovery.

Over half of sustainability professionals believe that COVID-19 instead will slow the rate of progress toward achieving the SDGs, according to a new report,Evaluating Progress on the SDGs, by GlobeScan and The SustainAbility Institute by ERM. Findings from the research also show that sustainability practitioners continue to report poor progress toward each of the 17 goals, as well as on sustainable development overall.

Nearly 500 experienced sustainability professionals in 75 countries were asked to evaluate the progress that has been made, on sustainable development overall and on each SDG; to rank the relative urgency of each goal; and to share insights into the priorities within their own organizations. Experts also were asked how the pandemic will affect progress on the SDGs. The survey also tracked expert opinions polled in 2017 and 2019.

Sustainability practitioners report poor progress toward each of the 17 goals, as well as on sustainable development overall.

When asked to rate the progress to date on the overall transition to sustainable development, more than half of sustainability experts (54 percent) say progress has been poor, with most remaining respondents giving neutral ratings (41 percent). Only 4 percent are satisfied with societys achievements so far. Those who have the most negative views on progress tend to work in the academic and research sector, with European experts being the most negative.

Negative expert perceptions of our collective sustainability efforts so far are also apparent in their assessments of progress on individual SDGs, with majorities rating achievements as poor on 10 of the 17 Goals.

Life Below Water (Goal No. 14), Reduced Inequalities (No. 10), Life on Land No. 15)and No Poverty (No. 1) are seen by experts as the SDGs where societys level of achievement has lagged the most. Proportions of seven in 10 or higher see progress in these areas as being poor particularly on Reduced Inequalities.

In contrast, only around one-third of experts believe that there has been poor progress on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (No. 9) and Partnership for the Goals (No. 17).

Sustainability experts tend to believe that several goals where progress has been the most unsatisfactory are also the most urgent, which is a cause for some concern.

When asked to assess which goals require the most urgent action, experts overwhelmingly choose Climate Action (No. 13) a goal that fewer than one in 10 experts say we have made good progress on achieving. Reduced Inequalities, the goal with the lowest overall score in terms of our collective progress, also ranked as one of the most important areas for action along with Life on Land and Responsible Consumption and Production (No. 12).

The perceived urgency of Reduced Inequalities has increased compared to 2019 in the wake of the pandemic, highlighting the unequal impact experienced by poorer countries as well as more vulnerable populations within countries.

Within their own work and organizations, sustainability professionals are most likely to be addressing Climate Action; almost half of experts surveyed (44 percent) and more than half of corporate sustainability professionals (52 percent) say this is one of the SDGs receiving the most attention within their own organizations or work.

Climate Action is prioritized by respondents across most sectors and regions except the academic and research sector and among those based in Africa and the Middle East, both of which focus more on Quality Education (No. 4).

Far fewer (6 percent) say they focus their work on Reduced Inequalities, despite the relative parallel urgency of this secondary issue. Other goals that are mainly overlooked include No Poverty, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (No. 16), and Zero Hunger (No 2).

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have further dampened experts views on our collective progress on the SDGs.

Around one-third of those surveyed say that the pandemic will serve to accelerate headway on achieving the goals, perhaps placing their hope in the potential of Green New Deals or renewed faith in our potential to collectively solve great challenges such as developing vaccines to save humanity. But over half instead believe that the pandemic and its economic impacts will further slow our already dismal progress.

Experts in the service and media sector are more optimistic about the potential impact of the pandemic, whereas respondents in the academic and research and NGO sectors, along with those based in Latin America and in Africa and the Middle East, are most prone to pessimism possibly reflecting the limited resources available in many markets that maybe directed away from long-term sustainability priorities to cover more immediate needs.

This diversion from the SDGs toward other more immediate issues resulting from the pandemic and its economic impacts should be of great concern to all. At this crucial point in time, we need to ensure that our collective efforts on sustainable development are not only maintained but accelerated.

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Is COVID-19 slowing progress toward the SDGs? Yes, say experts. | Greenbiz - GreenBiz

Facts, not fear: We're tracking the latest coronavirus numbers and vaccination efforts across the San Antonio area.

SAN ANTONIO We're tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic as well as the vaccine efforts in San Antonio and across Texas.

Latest Coronavirus Numbers

Here are the latest numbers reported by Bexar County and state health officials, as of Tuesday, March 30:

More county case information is available through theTexas Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.

Vaccine Progress in Bexar County

Across Bexar County, more than 716,000 vaccine doses have been administered, as of March 30.

DSHS defines "population" as residents who are 16 years of age or older; in Bexar County, this represents more than 1.55 million people. The CDC states that "when a high percentage of the community is immune to a disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness)," that community will have reached herd immunity, "making the spread of this disease from person to person unlikely."

81,284 vaccines were administered last week in Bexar County; a total of 738,290doses have been administered in the county since vaccination efforts began 15 weeks ago.

Across Texas, 3.863 million residents are fully vaccinated. In total, the state has administered 10.880 million vaccine doses. Texas is one of seven states with less than 14% of its population fully vaccinated, as of March 28:

Bexar County COVID-19 Trends

This week's update of the Warning Signs and Progress Indicators for Bexar County saw Bexar County holding steady at the low-risk level. The positivity rate dropped to 2.1%, a decrease of 0.2% over the last week.

The county's seven-day moving average rose slightly from 182 on Monday to 185 on Tuesday.

The number of COVID-19 patients receiving treatments at area hospitals rose by one in the last 24 hours to 193. 73 patients are in intensive care, and 34 are on ventilators.

Latest Coronavirus Headlines

Coronavirus symptoms

The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.

But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.

Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:

Human coronaviruses are usually spread...

Help stop the spread of coronavirus

Find a Testing Location

City officials recommend getting a COVID-19 test if you experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.

Here's a Testing Sites Locatorto help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio.

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Bexar County's Vaccine Progress: More than 30% of residents have received at least one dose - KENS5.com

ALEXANDRIA, Va. & CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ChargePoint, Inc. (NYSE:CHPT) a leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network, and NATSO, representing travel plazas and truckstops, today announced significant progress in the first year of the National Highway Charging Collaborative, an initiative that will leverage $1 billion in public and private capital to deploy charging at more than 4,000 travel plazas and fuel stops serving highway travelers and rural communities nationwide by 2030. In its first year, the public-private Collaborative successfully funded more than 150 DC fast charging spots with additional access to more than 1,500 publicly available DC fast charging spots for consumers on ChargePoints existing network.

The Collaborative continues to aggressively scale its efforts, expecting to reach $1 billion in investments by 2030. This is in line with the expected arrival rate of dozens of new EV models. The National Highway Charging Collaborative is increasing access to EV charging along highways and in rural North America by filling infrastructure gaps along the National Highway System, including along the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) designated alternative fuel corridors. The FHWA also highlights the National Highway Charging Collaborative as part of its Alternative Fuel Corridors Best Practices.

Bloomberg NEF estimates EVs will make up 10 percent of all vehicles sold by 2025 and increase to more than 29 percent by 2030. With more than $11 million of public and private funding leveraged to date as part of the Collaborative, new fast charge sites are connecting rural communities and enabling long distance electric travel across more than eight states including California, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, and Washington. The Collaborative has attracted support from some of the nations most prominent travel plaza, convenience store and truckstop brands, including Kum & Go, Donnas Travel Plaza, Loves Travel Stops and Trillium, its alternative and renewable fuel provider; the Iowa 80 Group, and others.

ChargePoints ongoing effort to significantly expand access to charging across cities, rural communities, and along highways is core to our mission and the collaboration with NATSO is already making significant progress toward that goal, said Colleen Jansen, Chief Marketing Officer, ChargePoint. The National Highway Collaborative is poised to be one of the nations foremost examples of how partnerships can be designed to scale vital charging infrastructure. The progress to date has created the foundation for the scaling of fast charging to support long distance electric travel and enable fast charging in urban and rural communities as a complement to the buildout of level 2 charging nationwide. The buildout of charging is expected to increase in the coming years in line with dozens of new EV models anticipated to hit North American roads as the shift to electrification takes hold.

Together with ChargePoint, we are harnessing the nations vast fuel retailing network to ensure that drivers of electric vehicles have a reliable place to fuel, said NATSO President and CEO Lisa Mullings. In order for consumers to move to EVs, they need to be confident that they will be able to refuel as reliably as they do today. With thousands of established locations crisscrossing the nation, the private sector will ensure that drivers of electric-powered cars will not suffer from range anxiety. We are well suited to efficiently meet customer demand for electricity while providing the amenities and safe experience that they have come to expect as they refuel.

Kum & Go is looking to the future with electric vehicle charging, said Ken Kleemeier, Vice President, Fuels at Kum & Go. The marketplace is moving in this direction, and Kum & Go is putting the infrastructure in place to ensure that we are ahead of the curve.

"We believe that EV charging will be an important service that our customers will demand in the years ahead, said Brian Couch, Owner of Donnas Travel Plaza in Tulalip, Washington. We are happy to be working with NATSO and ChargePoint to help us begin offering these services to our customers."

As part of an MOU announced in February 2020, the two organizations agreed that the National Highway Charging Collaborative will, by 2030:

The Collaborative also advocates for public policies that are designed to create a business case for off-highway fuel retailers to invest in EV charging infrastructure. In those jurisdictions, the initiative continues to identify an increasing number of public and private funding sources available to support the expansion of EV charging at strategically determined locations.

For more information about the National Highway Collaborative, visit nationalhighwaychargingcollaborative.com.

About ChargePoint

ChargePoint is creating the new fueling network to move all people and goods on electricity. Since 2007, ChargePoint has been committed to making it easy for businesses and drivers to go electric with one of the largest EV charging networks and most complete portfolio of charging solutions available today. ChargePoints cloud subscription platform and software-defined charging hardware are designed to include options for every charging scenario from home and multifamily to workplace, parking, hospitality, retail and transport fleets of all types. Today, one ChargePoint account provides access to hundreds-of-thousands of places to charge in North America and Europe. To date, more than 90 million charging sessions have been delivered, with drivers plugging into the ChargePoint network approximately every two seconds. For more information, visit the ChargePoint pressroom, the ChargePoint Investor Relations site, or contact ChargePoints North American or European press offices or the Investor Relations team.

About NATSO

NATSO has been representing travel plaza and truckstop owners and operators for nearly 60 years and pursues a clear mission: to advance the success of truckstop and travel plaza members by delivering solutions to members challenges and achieving the public policy goals of the truckstop and travel plaza industry. Headquartered just outside Washington, D.C., NATSO is the only national trade association representing the travel plaza and truckstop industry. NATSO advances the industrys interests on highway issues such as commercialization, tolling and truck parking and represents the industry on environmental and energy issues. Contact: Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, Vice President, Public Affairs.

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ChargePoint and NATSO Progress Toward 2030 Fast Charging Commitment Across the United States - Business Wire

Last October, we held a ceremony to mark the beginning of work on sewer improvements and recreational renovations at Francis G. Fitzpatrick Park. The park, which is located on Avenue C between 26th and 27th Streets, was constructed in the 1970s on the site of our former Police and Fire Headquarters. It is named after Mayor Fitzpatrick, who served from 1962 to 1974. The park has needed renovations for some time.

You may have noticed the deep excavations in the park property. These holes prepared the ground for the installation of stormwater management upgrades, which will reduce the rate of run-off for storm events in both the park and along Avenue C. The existing sanitary sewer system in Bayonne is a combined system that accepts both sanitary sewer discharge and stormwater run-off. This combination places a strain on the sanitary sewer system. We will help address that problem by installing a new stormwater piping system, separate from the sanitary piping from 26th Street to 28th Street. There will be new drainage structures at each of the Avenue C intersections with 26th, 27th, and 28th Streets.

The park will be renovated thoroughly, along with improvements to the neighborhoods stormwater system. The improvement program is funded partially by a Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund Grant in the amount of $661,000, and by the New Jersey Water Bank in the amount of $1,478,547.50. The Water Bank is a program of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The contractor for the project is Picerno-Giordano Construction.

The contractor removed the aging playground equipment, swing sets, a small spray park, a bathroom structure, and seating areas. Everything will be replaced with modern park improvements. The new version of the park will include separate playgrounds for 2-5 year-olds and 5-12 year-olds. There will be new swing sets and a splash park area. A roller hockey rink will be installed. It will double as a pickleball court. A new porous paver patio area will include game tables and picnic tables that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A new drinking fountain will include a pet drinking feature. Pet waste stations will be added. Twelve shade trees will be installed along with 272 shrubs and other plantings.

We expect completion of construction for both the new storm sewer system and the park later in 2021. We would like to thank the state and county for their support of this important project.

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Making Progress with Storm Sewer Work and Park Renovation - The Hudson Reporter

Earlier this month, a United Nations (UN) working group open to all member states took the historic and much-needed step of agreeing on expectations for responsible nation-state behavior online. This comes at a critical time, on the backs of two major nation-state attacks Nobelium and Hafnium and a wave of attacks targeting health care organizations during the Covid-19 pandemic. While more needs to be done, we should all be encouraged by the UNs progress and the solidarity taking shape against indiscriminate nation-state attacks that cause widespread harm.

This new consensus was reached via the UNs Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on cybersecurity, which issued its final report after nearly two years of deliberations. This is the first time such a document has been negotiated and agreed upon in a working group open to all 193 UN Member States. Previous UN agreements on cyber-rules were negotiated in comparatively smaller settings and it has been over five years since these processes had come to an agreement on expectations for responsible behavior online. In the meantime, sophisticated attacks and nation-state conflicts have continued to escalate.

The OEWG also set new precedent for the UN by being more open to input and participation from organizations outside government, including companies like Microsoft. Cyberspace is largely developed and maintained by private organizations, and battlefields online are by no means constrained by physical borders, so private-sector engagement is critical to protecting cyberspace. Building on this legacy of multistakeholder participation will be essential to future progress.

While the entire report is a major step forward, three aspects are particularly noteworthy.

First, it elevates and affirms the authority of international law in cyberspace and the set of norms for responsible behavior that were adopted as voluntary standards in 2015. These norms set apart things like critical infrastructure and computer emergency response teams (CERTs) as being off limits to cyberattacks by governments. To this end, the report also encourages states to be transparent and concrete about how they understand these rules apply and what they are doing to implement them.

Second, it recognizes a need to protect healthcare from cyberattacks, including medical services and facilities. Amid the ongoing global pandemic, such attacks have targetedhospitals and health care organizationsacross the United States and organizations around the world, including Brno University Hospitalin the Czech Republic,Pariss hospital system, the computer systems ofSpains hospitals, hospitals inThailandand even international bodies such as theWorld Health Organization.

Third, it calls on states to protect the information communications technology, or ICT, supply chain. The Nobelium attack against SolarWinds was just the latest example of a supply chain attack with far-reaching consequences that should not be tolerated. By corrupting the software update process, Nobelium put thousands of individuals and organizations at undue risk, and such attacks threaten to undermine public trust and confidence in the update process all vendors use to maintain the security of the digital ecosystem. Similar statements have been made by the UN before, however, so we hope to see further action in the days ahead to uphold this commitment.

Beyond these specific areas, the group also recognized the importance of cybersecurity capacity building as a linchpin for all these commitments. Nations around the world have vastly different capacities and implementing international expectations in cyberspace will require new investments, especially in emerging economies. All this diplomatic work will be for naught if states are unable to follow through on their own commitments and recommendations. Cybersecurity is not zero-sum, and when any one nation is more secure, we all reap the benefits.

While we are encouraged by the OEWG report, there is one place where we urge all UN member states to take more action: human rights. The report regrettably contains only cursory references to human rights and omits any reference to international humanitarian law, both of which should be upheld in cyberspace as they are in the physical domain.

Achieving consensus on this report is indeed an important win for inclusive multilateralism and diplomacy, as well as for cybersecurity, but more work is required in the near-term. We urge states to continue to build on this positive outcome to turn the tide against escalating conflict online by continuing to engage in robust and inclusive dialogues. The French governments proposed Programme of Action (PoA) is one possible path forward that could consolidate UN cyber deliberations into a single standing process while helping to facilitate and streamline necessary multistakeholder inclusion. We are grateful to the governments that have wrestled with these issues for years, and we at Microsoft will support the next steps required to protect our shared cyberspace.

Tags: COVID-19, cyberattacks, cybersecurity, healthcare, United Nations

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UN makes critical progress on cybersecurity - Microsoft On the Issues - Microsoft

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology plays a huge role in Americans' daily lives -- and important questions loom about how to best ensure that all Americans will benefit from high-tech advancements, and whether the tech industry operates fairly and responsibly.

Today, a veteran Democratic tech policy executive launched a new center-left tech policy industry coalition -- called the Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) -- to tackle these big questions, help usher in a progressive high-tech future, and ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps.

In its first action, the Chamber of Progress today called on Congress to pass historic voting rights legislation and encouraged state legislatures to reject pending bills that would curtail Americans' right to vote.

The new organization is founded and led by Adam Kovacevich, a veteran of Democratic politics and the tech industry. Kovacevich served as an aide to Democratic officials including Rep. Cal Dooley (CA), Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT), and State Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum (SC), and was among the founding staff members of the House New Democrat Coalition. He was Google's seventh DC hire, led Google's U.S. public policy team, and has held policy leadership roles at the urban mobility company Lime and at the Information Technology Industry Council.

"Technology has brought information to our fingertips, delivered affordable goods to our doorsteps, and kept us connected during a pandemic," Kovacevich said. "Our organization will be focused on making America's high-tech future bright, fair, and inclusive for all Americans."

The Chamber of Progress will advocate for public policies in three areas:

Kovacevich said the Chamber of Progress aims to play a role in defining the next era of technology regulation.

"The tech industry's political honeymoon is over, and everyone wants to make sure that tech operates fairly towards communities," said Kovacevich, who has been involved in tech policy for twenty years. "We'll support sensible rules that nurture the things that people love about technology, while curbing tech's downsides."

"New Democrats are excited to work with the Chamber of Progress in defining the next chapter of tech policy," said Rep. Ami Bera(CA-07), Vice Chair for Outreach of the House New Democrat Coalition. "As the largest caucus of pro-growth Members in Congress, our members support innovation and common-sense regulation."

The Chamber of Progress is supported by its initial partner companies including Amazon, Automattic, Facebook, Doordash, Getaround, Google, Grubhub,Instacart, Lime, Twitter, Uber, Waymo, Wing, and Zillow. No partner companies sit on the organization's board of directors or have a vote on its policies, and the organization will remain true to its stated principles even when its partners disagree.

Kovacevich also announced the organization's volunteer Advisory Board, a diverse cross-section of leaders from government, Democratic politics, public interest, and industry who will provide input on the organization's work. The full Advisory Board can be found at progresschamber.org.

New Jersey State Senator Troy Singleton (D), an Advisory Board member and national leader in promoting portable benefit programs for gig workers, said, "Our economy is changing, the nature of work is changing, and public policy needs to evolve to ensure that all people can benefit from technological advances. The Chamber of Progress can help make sure that America's growth story includes everyone."

Colorado State Senator Jeff Bridges (D), an Advisory Board member who has led autonomous vehicle policy in his state, said, "We need a high-tech future that creates good-paying jobs and greater opportunity for everyone. I'm excited for the Chamber of Progress to promote inclusive, tech-driven economic growth."

"Many of us are both progressive and pro-tech," said Advisory Board member Julie Samuels, Founder and Executive Director of Tech:NYC. "The Chamber of Progress will fill an important void in the policy debate, by focusing on the ways the tech industry can -- and already does -- support progressive social and economic ideals."

Contact: [emailprotected], 202-470-3046

SOURCE Chamber of Progress

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Introducing the Chamber of Progress: A New Industry Coalition Promoting Technology's Progressive Future - PRNewswire

CAMBRIDGE, England & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bicycle Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: BCYC), a biotechnology company pioneering a new and differentiated class of therapeutics based on its proprietary bicyclic peptide (Bicycle) technology, today announced progress updates for its Bicycle-based partnered programs outside of oncology.

Over the last five years, Bicycles strategy has been to use our novel technology to discover and develop a pipeline of innovative assets in oncology while additionally using non-dilutive funding and collaborations to explore the therapeutic potential of Bicycles in disease areas outside of oncology. Today, for the first time, we are providing an overview on our progress in demonstrating the broad utility of this platform to create molecules with the potential to treat some of the most serious diseases and address future healthcare challenges, said Kevin Lee, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics. Its incredibly exciting to see how the Company has worked innovatively and highly collaboratively with many diverse institutions to address these challenges and, at the same time, generated significant revenues to offset the costs of developing and progressing our internal oncology pipeline. I would like to thank all of our collaborators for their enthusiasm in this endeavor and look forward to continuing our work to advance these important molecules.

Bicycle has achieved the first milestone in its collaboration with Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) and the University of Oxfords ARUK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute (ODDI)

Bicycle advances platform in multiple anti-infective areas, including antimicrobials and antivirals

Bicycle has made significant progress through partnerships with biopharmaceutical therapeutic area leaders in indications outside of oncology

Kevin Lee commented, With four Bicycle molecules now in clinical trials for both oncology and non-oncology indications, the technology has shown initial evidence of clinical tolerability and suitability for pharmaceutical development, and I look forward to seeing how Bicycles may bring important new treatment opportunities to poorly served patients in additional therapeutic areas.

About Bicycle Therapeutics

Bicycle Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BCYC) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of medicines, referred to as Bicycles, for diseases that are underserved by existing therapeutics. Bicycles are fully synthetic short peptides constrained with small molecule scaffolds to form two loops that stabilize their structural geometry. This constraint facilitates target binding with high affinity and selectivity, making Bicycles attractive candidates for drug development. Bicycles lead product candidate, BT1718, a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate (BTC) that targets MT1-MMP, is being investigated in an ongoing Phase I/IIa clinical trial in collaboration with the Centre for Drug Development of Cancer Research UK. Bicycle is also evaluating BT5528, a second-generation BTC targeting EphA2, in a company-sponsored Phase I/II trial. BT8009 is a BTC targeting Nectin-4, a well-validated tumor antigen, and is also currently being evaluated in a Company-sponsored Phase I/II trial. Bicycle is headquartered in Cambridge, UK with many key functions and members of its leadership team located in Lexington, MA. For more information, visit bicycletherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as aims, anticipates, believes, could, estimates, expects, forecasts, goal, intends, may, plans, possible, potential, seeks, will and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding anticipated advancement of preclinical development efforts and initiation of clinical trials; the availability of data from preclinical studies and clinical trials; Bicycles ability to generate shareholder value; the therapeutic potential of Bicycles and its collaborators pre-clinical targets and product candidates; Bicycles and its collaborators ability to achieve planned milestones; and the availability of future funding. Bicycle may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including: risks to Bicycles and its collaboration partners abilities to meet anticipated deadlines and milestones presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials and clinical development of Bicycles product candidates by Bicycle or its collaboration partners; the risk that Bicycle or its collaboration partners may not realize the intended benefits of Bicycles technology; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials; whether the outcomes of preclinical studies will be predictive of clinical trial results; whether initial or interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial or the results of future trials; the risk that studies and trials may be delayed and may not have satisfactory outcomes; potential adverse effects arising from the testing or use of Bicycles product candidates; risks related to Bicycles ability to maintain existing collaborations and realize the benefits thereof; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; and other important factors, any of which could cause our actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail in the section entitled Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 11, 2021, as well as in other filings Bicycle may make with the SEC in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Bicycle expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

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Bicycle Therapeutics Announces Significant Progress Across Multiple Therapeutic Programs Beyond Oncology - Business Wire