Daily Archives: February 11, 2022

For the first time in a long time, Dr. Stacy L. Smith is feeling optimistic. The director of the University of Southern Californias Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has been studying the gender and race breakdown of Hollywoods top-grossing directors since 2007, and finally has some good news to report. For the first time since her work began, Smith has seen sustained progress for women and people of color working behind the camera.

Over the 15 years of the study, which analyzed 1,542 directors, only 5.4 percent were women. In 2020, that percentage rose to 15 percent and in 2021, it stood at 12.7 percent. Despite that recent drop, and despite the fact that the proportion is nowhere close to reflecting the American population, which is 51 percent female, Smith is encouraged that the numbers have stayed in the double digits for a sustained period of time.

I think that the people that are running these large companies that are largely responsible for about 90 percent of the market share are finally starting to diversify, Smith said in a phone interview. And were not only seeing this with gender, were also seeing big gains with race/ethnicity in the second year of the pandemic. Despite the uncertainty around the box office, there seems to be a concerted effort to correct the biases of the past.

The news comes the day after The Power of the Dog director Jane Campion made history, becoming the first woman to be nominated twice in the best director category for the Academy Awards. (She was previously nominated in 1994 for The Piano.)

When it comes to underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, which includes Black and Latino filmmakers, the percentage of directors reached a 15-year high: 27.3 percent. The group with the least amount of traction directing features are women of color, who still make up only 2 percent of the total.

When Hollywood thinks of a woman director, theyre thinking of a Caucasian woman, and when they think of a person of color directing, theyre thinking about a male, Smith said, pointing to the fact that female directors of color earn the highest reviews according to Metacritic yet most often are given lower production budgets and fewer marketing dollars from their studio beneficiaries.

To address this disparity head on, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative is starting a $25,000 scholarship program for a woman of color during her senior year at an American film school. In addition to the financial aid, the winning student will be advised by a group of Hollywood executives and talent, including Donna Langley, the chairman of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, and Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, among others.

The study also examined original films being created at the streaming companies and found the percentages to be much closer to parity. Amazon, in particular, had a strong showing in 2020 and 2021, with women accounting for 15 of its 40 directors (37.5 percent), and 13 of its 40 directors (32.5 percent) coming from underrepresented groups. Disney+ landed second with 29 percent female directors and 29 percent directors of color. HBO Maxs numbers topped out at 19.5 percent for female directors and 31.7 percent for underrepresented groups, while Netflix was in fourth place with female filmmakers making up 18.1 percent its slate and directors from underrepresented groups, 26.3 percent.

These are data-driven companies, Smith said. Streaming gives them access to data and decision-making with viewers in mind in a way that the box office has been more elusive.

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Study Finds Sustained Progress for Female Directors and Filmmakers of Color - The New York Times

DETROIT A rare win in Philadelphia Wednesday put the Detroit Red Wings in a positive frame of mind Thursday during a spirited practice.

We had fun, we played with the puck, we didnt (make many) mistakes, Filip Zadina said of the 6-3 victory at Wells Fargo Center. We just got to keep playing like that. If youre thinking positive and everybody is playing the right way, everything is way easier. If we keep doing like that, well be fine and well be winning those games we need.

Just got to keep going and having fun, because if youre having fun, were playing good hockey as a team.

The Red Wings and Flyers meet again Saturday at Little Caesars Arena (noon, Bally Sports Detroit), after Detroit won for only the second time in 16 games at Philadelphia since the 1997 Stanley Cup Final.

The Red Wings are far out of a playoff position, but they feel good about their progress. They havent gained traction, winning back-to-back games only once in the past two months. But they are .500 in points percentage (21-21-6), and after 48 games they are nine points ahead of last seasons pace, 20 points better than they were at this stage two years ago.

I think weve done a decent job here over some really tough years of fighting through frustration and trying to keep our heads focused on moving towards a better tomorrow, when theres not much light at the end of the tunnel, which two years ago there wasnt, coach Jeff Blashill said. Last year I thought there was a little bit more. Its hard. This year, I think our guys are recognizing an avenue of us being a better team.

Between an influx of talent and just kind of growing as a group in terms of what it takes to win, thats part of the learning process and I think were learning it. Weve taken very few steps backwards. Weve just got to try to keep taking as many steps forward as we can.

The immediate impact high-end draft picks Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have made has boosted the rebuild, accelerated the optimism.

I think when you add really good pieces, whether it be young or veteran players, youre excited as a player because you know your teams better, Blashill said. We added (Nick Leddy) in the trade, we signed (Pius Suter), our guys felt that our team would be better. But certainly, when you add into your lineup rookies that have the impact that Seids and Lucas have had, youre excited about that.

With a young player, that means theyve got an opportunity to be part of a core, not just right now but moving forward. I would say theres a level of excitement within our players, certainly within our staff and with the fan base. Right now, we sit at .500.We dont want to be a .500 team ultimately. We want to be a really good team, so all of us have to work to continue to get better, including those young players. We have to grow. If you just stay status quo, the future isnt brighter. If you keep growing and getting better, the future can be brighter.

Hronek in COVID protocol

Defenseman Filip Hronek will be out a minimum of five days in COVID protocol, Blashill said. He will miss at least two games.

Troy Stecher has practiced a couple of times in a contact jersey while Leddy skated again Thursday in a non-contact jersey. Blashill said their status for Saturday will be determined after Fridays practice. If neither is ready, a defenseman will be recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Coming out of the All-Star break we knew that there was potential for different people to potentially get COVID, Blashill said. For multiple reasons, one because we were going to test. That didnt happen in Fils case. He tested and was negative and then he didnt feel great last night and ended up testing today again and was positive.

It is what it is. I think were all getting back closer to normal but understanding that this is still part of it.

More: Moritz Seider displays flashes of dominance vs. Flyers

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Red Wings pleased with progress: Got to keep going and having fun - MLive.com

Los Angeles County firefighters battled a brush fire near Whittier on Thursday that burned three homes, destroying two of them.

The Sycamore fire near the 4800 block of Cinco View Drive burned 7 acres, said Craig Little, a spokesman for the L.A. County Fire Department.

One person was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening burns, Little said.

The blaze destroyed two homes and damaged a third, according to the Fire Department.

An L.A. County Fire helicopter makes a drop of water on a brush fire in Whittier on Thursday.

(Raul Roa / Times Community News)

Inspector Sean Ferguson, a Fire Department spokesman, said that the fire was 20% contained and that crews had halted its forward progress. More than 200 firefighters were on scene.

Firefighters faced hot and dry conditions as they battled the blaze.

The temperature was 82 degrees Thursday afternoon with 5-mph winds from the west, 10-mph gusts and 18% humidity, according to the National Weather Service.

Crews were expected to remain at the scene overnight mopping up the fire with hose lines around the nearby homes, Little said.

Earlier in the day, unseasonable heat wave and gusty Santa Ana winds fueled a brush fire that forced thousands of people to flee an affluent Orange County coastal community, stoking fears that dangerous blazes could become more common in dry winter months.

The Emerald fire broke out around 4 a.m. in the wilderness area between Laguna Beach and the community of Emerald Bay near Coast Highway. Thick clouds of smoke blanketed the entire beachside town as residents from Irvine Cove and Emerald Bay, two exclusive gated communities with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, packed up their cars and fled in the dark.

We no longer have a fire season. We have a fire year, Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said. This is supposed to be the middle of winter, and were anticipating 80- to 90-degree weather. Even though the hillsides are green, it doesnt take but low humidity and wind to cause fires to occur.

If this is any sign of whats to come throughout the rest of the winter and spring, were in for a long year, he added.

February is traditionally the wettest month in California, but has not brought any rain to the region so far, said Samantha Connolly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

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2 homes destroyed as firefighters halt Whittier-area brush fire - Los Angeles Times

In November 2014, California voters approved Proposition 1: The Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act. The $7.5 billion bond dedicated $2.7 billion for the public benefits of new water-storage projects. Some ask, Why have no new reservoirs been built in the seven years since? Rest assured, there are projects in the works. All recently passed a key milestone and are moving forward.

Any large-scale water storage project is complex and requires a high degree of planning, engineering, coordination and significant financing. The California Water Commission has actively overseen the proposed projects over the past six years to help ensure they meet statutory requirements, progress at the rate dictated by the bond legislation and meet the public benefits promised to voters.

Proposition 1, Chapter 8 designated the commission as the agency to administer the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP). Investing in defined public benefits is a new approach to state financing of water storage projects. Under Proposition 1, public benefits fall into five categories: water quality improvement, flood control, emergency response, recreation and ecosystem improvement. To qualify for the program, applicants must show that their project would advance the long-term objectives of restoring ecological health and improving water management for beneficial uses of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the crossroads of major water project operations and important habitat for endangered fish species.

In the two years after voters passed Proposition 1, the Commission drafted, adopted and approved regulations through a transparent public process. In 2017, local water districts submitted 12 applications for the Proposition 1 funding. Commission staff and state agency experts reviewed each submission. In July 2018, the commission decided the maximum eligible amount of bond funding that would be made available to fund the public benefits of eight proposed projects. They include a proposed reservoir in Glenn and Colusa counties that would hold water piped to it from the Sacramento River and several groundwater banks in Southern California.

Proposition 1 set a single deadline for the water storage program: By Jan. 1, 2022, all project proponents must havecompleted feasibility studies, released a draft version of their environmental documents for public review, provided documentation of commitments for at least75% of the non-public benefit funding, and have the commission find that their project is feasible. Seven of the projects came before the commission in 2021. All were found feasible and remain eligible to continue in the program.

In November 2020, one applicant withdrew from the program. The commission redistributed a portion of the funding that project would have been eligible for among the remaining seven projects in the form of a 2.5% inflation adjustment. With an additional $64 million still available with the withdrawal of an original applicant, the commission reviewed potential new projects, two of which completed the screening process in 2021. In addition, the commission has awarded early funding totaling $116 million to help project proponents complete environmental documents and permits.

At this point, there are a total of seven projects moving forward with Proposition 1 funding that would provide 2.77 million acre-feet of water storage and significant public benefits. Under Proposition 1, before any project can receive its final award of funding, proponents must submit to the commission completed environmental documents, permits, non-public benefit cost-share contracts, and contracts with state agencies for the administration of public benefits.The commission remains ready to award final funding as soon as these requirements are met.

Each of the seven projects is different and is proceeding at different speeds. Some projects may be finished and operating within two years. Others will take longer. Most likely to finish first is a south Sacramento County groundwater storage project called Harvest Water. Managed by the Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District, the project would use highly-treated wastewater to replace groundwater as a source of water to irrigate farmland and habitat, thus preserving groundwater. The Harvest Water Program hopes to come before the commission for final funding later this year.

Things are getting done. Progress is being made. The commission is carrying out the voters intent. We are anxious to fund the projects once the statutory requirements have been met, and we look forward to seeing these projects deliver the public benefits associated with new water-storage capacity so vitally needed in our state.

Teresa Alvarado is chair and Matthew Swanson is vice-chair of the California Water Commission.

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Opinion: Voter-approved California water projects are making progress - The Mercury News

ORANGE The towns community development director provided the Selectboard with an update Wednesday on plans for the South Main Street Job Creation Corridor, saying tremendous strides have been made in the promotion of economic and commercial development since the project was envisioned eight years ago.

Alec Wade delivered a PowerPoint presentation at the virtual meeting to illustrate the progress of the endeavor aimed at growing business, developing housing, generating jobs and maximizing residents quality of life.

Since 2020 alone, the Planning Boards permit process has actually been able to approve 371,000 feet of commercial development, he explained. This is really pivotal in that it shifts the tax base beyond its original residential structure and introduces new commercial structure.

Wade said 219,000 square feet, or roughly 59%, of this approved new growth is new construction. The remaining 41%, he said, is often the reuse or revitalization of otherwise vacant spaces. His office anticipates this activity to create 210 new jobs in the next three years and as many as 400 in the next five.

It shows the growth and progress that Orange is going through, Wade said.

He explained that since 2014, the Planning Board and Community Development Office has rezoned 194 acres surrounding Exit 15 on Route 2 as industrial and commercial, allowing for greater commercial growth. In 2020, 185 acres near Exit 14 were placed into general commercial zoning. This, Wade said, primes the pump for future growth. The 2014 rezoning specifically paved the way for industrial and commercial growth and utility extension.

Wade mentioned his office has worked with the Isenberg Real Estate Advisors from the University of Massachusetts Amhersts Isenberg School of Management to conduct a feasibility study.

In our case, theyve been evaluating the availability of utilities, the capacity of water and sewer and in evaluating our building and construction requirements to consider what type of development could occur, he said.

Wade explained the area has access to the towns water system and power lines that already exist there. It is also close to Route 2 and downtown Orange which is located along the primary corridor and zoning code allows for industrial and mixed-use development.

Wade worked with the Economic Development Industrial Corporation in 2021 and developed a concept for sewer access to the site. He referred to electric, water and sewer as the true trifecta. He told Selectboard members his office has met with a private property owner, who has been receptive to allowing for access in exchange for a conservation easement, though no formal negotiations have begun.

Wade noted the U.S. Economic Development Administration is offering COVID-19 relief grants funded, in part, by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. He said his office intends to apply for design and construction money by March 1, because the grant program opportunity closes at the end of that month. He mentioned the town would likely hear back about the grant in the late fall or early winter. To obtain this grant, he said, his office requires partnership with the Orange Municipal Airport, the EDIC, federal and state agencies, and the Orange citizenry.

To the citizens of Orange, we hear you. You say to us that you need reduced tax rates, that you need commercial growth to alleviate the burden on you as a residential property owner. This project is our proposal to make that happen. We at the Office of Community Development strongly feel this brings the opportunity for growth that will alleviate your burden as a taxpayer, Wade said. Industrial land is at an all-time premium and very much needed. I think its very eloquent and almost poetic that a town like Orange, (which) has such a rich industrial and manufacturing heritage, now has the opportunity to capitalize on its existing land use and provide future growth into industry and manufacturing.

Once Wades presentation was finished, Selectboard Chair Jane Peirce thanked the community development director and said the project is so exciting.

Wade mentioned predecessor Kevin Kennedy envisioned the South Main Street Job Creation Corridor in 2014 and started a rezoning project with the Planning Board in 2016.

Denise Andrews, a former state representative from Orange, was listening in on the virtual meeting and chimed in to state her support for the project and send good energy for good progress.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.

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South Main Street Job Creation Corridor making progress in Orange - The Recorder

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO),Buti Manamela, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of South Africa,Dr Joe Phaahla, Minister of Health of South Africa and Meryame Kitir, Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy of Belgium today visit a number of public and private sector partners that are collaborating to develop and build WHOs global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa.

For most of 2021, limited global vaccine supply led to huge disparities in COVID-19 vaccine access, leaving billions of people especially in low- and middle-income countries unprotected against serious disease and death from COVID-19. Low levels of vaccine coverage also provided the ideal conditions for new variants to develop. While supply has now increased, access to any new formulations of COVID-19 vaccines tailored specifically to new variants will likely also be inequitable because manufacturing capacity remains limited to only a small handful of companies and countries.

Covid-19 has demonstrated the importance of investments in science, technology and innovation. Therefore preparing for future pandemics is key and so the WHO mRNA global hub is a critical building block to ensure that South Africa and the whole continent has the production capacity that is essential for equitable vaccine rollout, said Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of South Africa. The mRNA technology is not only for COVID-19, we hope it can be adapted to help us in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, which is why were investing heavily, alongside international partners, in this initiative.

Based on the vision of the Governments of South Africa and France for diversifying vaccine manufacturing and specifically accelerating vaccine production in Africa, a consortium including the Medicines Patent Pool, Biovac, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, South Africas Department of Science and Innovation, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), a network of universities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are driving forward the initiative.

The central aim is to develop a training facility where mRNA technology is developed to the scale required for mass production of vaccines and then for that full package of technology to be transferrable to multiple recipients in low- and middle-income countries.

Were not out of the woods yet and we are likely to be hit by new COVID-19 variants and a fifth wave that coincides with our winter season, which would compound our flu and cold season.However, we can reduce the impact by ensuring most people are vaccinated,especially the most vulnerable groups," said the South African Health Minister, Dr JoePhaahla.The new hub is not just for South Africa, it provides a one stop shop for low- and middle-income countries across the world to benefit from the technology transferred, along with the know how, so they can also produce mRNA vaccines, which is critical if we are to end vaccine inequity.

Last week, Afrigen, which is part of WHOs mRNA consortium, gained international plaudits as it announced it had developed its own version of an mRNA shot, based on the publicly available data on the composition of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which will be tested in the coming months.

This virus shows how interconnected we all are and I am proud that Belgium and other EU countries are now collaborating to build vaccine capacity everywhere, said Meryame Kitir, Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy of Belgium. Going forward we need more sharing of licenses, technology transfer and know-how so that in this pandemic and future ones as we can roll vaccines out quickly and equitably to the whole global population.

The mRNA global hub is designed to serve low- and middle-income countries and will empower countries to not only be able to make their own mRNA vaccines but ultimately to have the choice of which vaccines they want to make. Manufacturers from low- and middle-income countries are therefore encouraged to express their own interest so they can receive training, technology transfer and any necessary licenses. WHO and partners will bring in the production know-how, quality control and necessary licenses to a single entity to facilitate a broad and rapid technology transfer to multiple recipients.

"The pandemic has highlighted the need for increased local production of vaccines globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. "The WHO mRNA global hub is a major step in that direction, by sharing technology and building on the capacity and scientific expertise that already exists in South Africa.

The global hubs will act as training facilities where technology is established at industrial scale and clinical development performed. WHO will compliment this activity and assist other countries in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries to strengthen biomanufacturing capacity as well as regulatory capacity.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director of World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, said: The mRNA hubs provide an unprecedented opportunity for capacity development, putting Africa on the path to self-reliance. This initiative will enable the continent to better protect against outbreaks, control the COVID-19 pandemic and develop new vaccines, accelerating the elimination of deadly diseases such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. We are opening the door to better health and wellbeing for our people.

At Medicines Patent Pool, we are thrilled to be able to offer the mRNA hub our expertise on intellectual property management andvoluntarylicensing. It is impressive howworkingin partnership and in a very short time, we have established the firm base from which thisnew technology can be shared across low- and middle-income countries,"saidCharles Gore, Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool. "The South African government and partners have shown extraordinary commitment, and of course this has only been made possible thanks to our funders,who through rapidly mobilizing resources havedemonstratedsuch strong supportfor theproject.

The visit will also include the Centre for Epidemic Response & Innovation, which is at the heart of South Africas world-class viral genomics surveillance programme, meetings with civil society groups and visits to vaccination centres in Cape Town.

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Media opportunities

Press conference: On 11 February at 4pm (South Africa time), a press conference will be held at the Biomedical Research Institute based at Stellenbosch University's Tygerburg Medical Campus. Members of the media can join onsite and participate remotely by using at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqf-CrqTgsGtcV6d5KRUY-2PntmDaIclEJ

Pool pics/video sharing link:https://who.canto.global/v/mRNAhub

For media attendance at the press conference, please RSVP with Veronica Mohapeloa at +27 (0) 83 400 5750 and [emailprotected], or Thabang Setlhare at +27 (0) 72 659 9690 and [emailprotected]

The press conference can also be watched online athttps://youtu.be/EFfuzDQwQzQ

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South Africa's mRNA hub progress is foundation for self-reliance - World Health Organization