Daily Archives: March 17, 2022

The outlines of a potential deal to end the war in Ukraine are coming into focus, but sources on the Ukrainian side tell Axios they fear Moscow's newfound enthusiasm for diplomacy is a ruse.

Why it matters: Kyiv has gained unexpected leverage by withstanding the Russian advance for three weeks, though the humanitarian crisis is deepening daily as Russia shells major cities.

Driving the news: After Zelensky said Ukraine wouldnt be invited into NATO, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Ukraine's post-war "neutrality" could be based on the Austrian or Swedish models.

Both are non-NATO members in the EU and firmly anchored in the West.

What they're saying: An adviser to Zelensky told Axios he believes the Russians aren't yet serious about reaching a deal, though one could be reached in the next few weeks if the West and Ukrainian forces continue to pile pressure on Putin.

The U.S. view is similar. While the White House had avoided high-level dialogue with Russia on the grounds that Moscow wasn't genuinely interested in diplomacy, national security adviser Jake Sullivan did speak to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday.

On the Russian side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the text of a potential deal is close to being agreed to.

What to watch: Military analysts have warned that Putin might soon seek a ceasefire to resupply his troops without any intention of ending the war altogether.

See the original post:

Ukrainians fear Russia diplomacy progress is a head fake - Axios

Every year, VA diagnoses and treats about 43,000 Veterans with new cases of cancer; VA currently treats 400,000 Veterans with cancer. Here is VAs progress on treating cancer.

VA launched the National Precision Oncology Program that allows us to target treatments to the right patients at the right time through a molecular understanding of the patients tumor. In 2016, we started with a handful of sites that were able to collect and test samples. Since then, we expanded to 129 sites, providing 24,000 molecular tests to 18,000 Veterans.

The growth of the program was especially important with access for Veterans because, in the general population, these therapies are not usually reimbursed, are expensive, and are not widely available.

VA also started the National TeleOncology Service to provide all Veterans with sub-specialized cancer care, especially those in remote areas where there is not an oncologist. This expansion and ability to provide cancer care virtually has also allowed us to treat Veterans equitably.

In our partnership with the National Cancer Institute and the program NAVIGATE, (National Cancer Institute and VA Interagency Group to Accelerate Trials Enrollment) we were able to increase Veteran access to novel National Cancer Institute cutting-edge clinical trials at 12 sites within VA. There has been an emphasis on enrollment of underrepresented Veterans in clinical trials. The benefit to Veterans is the ability to access more therapeutic options to potentially extend and improve the quality of their lives.

In the expansion on NPOP we were able to provide our Veterans access to germline genetic testing at more than 85 of our medical centers. This testing allows Veterans to guide their own treatment as well as inform the Veterans family members about their inherited genetic mutations, which may predispose family members to certain cancers. This information may be used to steer the Veterans family members to more timely screening, diagnosis and treatment for cancers they may be predisposed to.

We partnered with DoD and NIHs National Cancer Institute in the development of Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes (APOLLO) Program. APOLLO and Proteogenomics address the unique findings and features of service members and Veterans tumors by studying protein-based cancer biomarkers, its alterations and mutations, and applying this knowledge to the precise treatment of our Veterans and service members.

Rare cancers and unique exposures

About 16% of all cancers in VA are rare cancers, and the effect of Veterans unique exposures is not well understood. A few examples include gynecological cancers and B-Cell hematological malignancies.

To address this, we are establishing a new program aimed at targeting Veterans rare cancers and will partner with and expand upon existing DoD and other federal agency partnerships to implement this program. The VA Rare Cancer Program will combat rare cancers through a multi-pronged approach using sub-specialized oncologists, clinical pathways, advanced testing and research. The potential impact for Veterans includes rapid diagnosis, access to advanced precision treatments and clinical trials, and proficient management of disease to reduce inequities in care. Further, this effort provides research opportunities to close the knowledge gap in genetic and molecular understanding of rare cancers that can affect patient care, drug development and disparities in disproportionately affected populations.

To help us understand the contribution of the exposure to a cancer diagnosis, VA, CDC, DoD, NCI, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), EPA and HHS will develop a cohort of Veteran tumor samples from various registries to conduct sequencing of tumor samples and identify genomic signatures that may be associated with carcinogens from military and environmental exposures. This approach has been attempted in the past, but because of privacy constraints, there was a lack of progress. The collaboration would be beneficial in the interpretation of the data for cancers specific to military service members.

We will develop a centralized and accessible data compilation to better understand Veterans unique exposures and to ensure two-way data exchange. Currently, the VA Cancer Registry System expends substantial effort to identify and track incident cancer cases throughout VA, and we are limited in functionality to automate integration of all relevant cancer-related data. With this data made accessible in this way, VA, other agencies and institutions would have the ability to learn from more patients and reduce the cost and time of data curation.

Cancer screening efforts

As a result of the pandemic, many Veterans and civilians have deferred cancer screenings. Additionally, a quarter of all Veterans live in rural locations, making access to screening more difficult. Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer for our Veterans, where nearly 8,000 are diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer is also the deadliest form of cancer among Veterans, where 5,000 Veterans die annually. Deferred cancer screening prevents diagnosis and timely treatment. VA has been focusing on promoting cancer screening for breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and prostate cancers to encourage Veterans to address pandemic-deferred care.

As noted by the recent Presidents Cancer Panel, colorectal cancer screening can effectively take place in the convenience of ones own home with stool-based screening tests, such as the Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT). VA is implementing a program to deliver FIT screening to Veterans across the nation. This program will ensure Veterans have access to evidence-based screening in a timely manner, and this intervention has been shown to both reduce cancer mortality and improve health equity. National program guidance is being developed and pilot programs are underway with the goal of deployment in early 2023. It is estimated that 1.2 million Veterans are eligible for FIT screening.

We will be encouraging lung cancer screenings to the estimated 900,000 Veterans who are at risk for developing lung cancer. Lung cancer screening using annual computed tomography (CT) scans substantially reduces the number of people who die from lung cancer. Unfortunately, of the 1- to 2-million eligible Veterans, less than 10% currently have received even one CT scan for lung cancer screening.

In 2021, VA established the National Center for Lung Cancer Screening to address this problem. Its mission is to increase systematic and equitable access to high-quality lung cancer screening processes. The Center will leverage VAs learning health care system to sustainably increase access to evidence-based lung cancer screening processes that are effective, equitable, safe and efficient. With the help of the Center, VA is poised for rapid growth in enabling Veterans to access lung cancer screening and subsequently dramatically reduce the number who die from lung cancer.

The Center supports and advocates for Veterans by implementing patient-centered care processes for shared decision-making, smoking cessation interventions, and connecting patients at very high risk of having lung cancer to additional levels of care. It partners with VA facilities to provide data and policy advice to central leadership regarding lung cancer screening-related issues.

Read the original post:

VA's progress on treating cancer since 2016 - VAntage Point - VAntage Point Blog

New regional UN report sounds alarm on widening disparities and increased vulnerabilities amid the pandemic

News Number: G/04/2022

The need to reach those who are furthest behind has never been greater, reveals the 2022 Asia and the Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report issued today by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The report finds that average progress in the region disproportionately excludes some groups with distinct demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Those furthest behind, including women, persons with disabilities, rural populations and poorer households, are also facing increased vulnerabilities. For many vulnerable populations, food security, education and livelihoods have also deteriorated during the pandemic.

A better understanding of development outcomes for distinct population groups and intersecting vulnerabilities is key to a fairer recovery. The Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without protecting the most vulnerable, many of whom have been particularly affected by the pandemic, said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

The challenges of achieving the SDGs in the region have been magnified in recent years by an increase in the frequency and intensity of human made crises and natural disasters, as well as the challenges of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Progress on the 17 SDGs have tremendously slowed down and with each passing year, the Goals are moving further out of reach for the region. At its current pace, Asia and the Pacific is now only expected to achieve the SDGs by 2065 more than three and a half decades behind the original goalpost.

Although the climate crisis has become more acute, alarmingly, the region has regressed on responsible consumption and production (Goal 12) and climate action (Goal 13). While headway has been made on some of the targets dealing with industry, innovation, and infrastructure (Goal 9) and affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), they still fall short of the pace required to meet the 2030 Agenda. Across the region, progress has been very slow or even stagnant on quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11), and life below water (Goal 14).

However, amid the disturbing trends, the report also highlights some good news for the region. The number of SDG indicators with data available have doubled since 2017. Collaboration between national and international custodian agencies has significantly contributed to enhancing the availability of data. The report encourages countries to continue this cooperation to close the remaining gaps, as 57 of the 169 SDG targets still cannot be measured.

A flagship annual publication produced by ESCAP, in partnership with ten other UN agencies, the *Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2022: Widening Disparities Amid COVID-19 *uses the latest data for global SDG indicators to determine where additional effort is needed in the region and where momentum for future progress is building.

Access the full report: https://www.unescap.org/kp/2022/asia-and-pacific-sdg-progress-report-2022

Read more here:

Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2022: Widening disparities amid COVID-19 [EN/RU] - World - ReliefWeb

A retinal stem cell patch developed through a collaboration of researchers at UC Santa Barbara, University of Southern California and California Institute of Technology continues to make progress in its bid to secure approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The latest milestone? Results finding that after two years, not only can the implant survive, but also it does not elicit clinically detectable inflammation or signs of immune rejection, even without long-term immunosuppression.

What really makes us excited is that there is some strong evidence to show that the cells are still there two years after implantation and theyre still functional, said Mohamed Faynus, a graduate student researcher in the lab of stem cell biologist Dennis O. Clegg, and a co-author on a paper published in the journal Stem Cell Reports. This is pretty important, because if the goal is to treat blindness, we want to make sure that the retinal pigment epithelium cells that we put in there are still doing the job theyre supposed to.

A treatment in development since 2013, the California Project to Cure Blindness Retinal Pigment Epithelium 1 (CPCB-RPE1) patch consists of a monolayer of human stem cell-derived RPE cells cultured on an ultrathin membrane of biologically inert parylene. The goal for this patch is to replace deteriorating cells in the retinas of those who have age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide for people over 50. The condition affects the macula the part of the retina responsible for central vision. People with AMD experience distortions and loss of vision when looking straight ahead.

The researchers have made strides with the patch since its inception, guiding it through clinical trials for use with the dry form of AMD. If the implant works, the new cells should take up the functions of the old ones, and slow down or prevent further deterioration. In the best-case scenario, they could restore some lost vision.

The first sets of trials concentrated on establishing the safety of the patch and collecting any data on its effectiveness. The group, in a one-year follow-up published last year in the journal Translational Vision Science & Technology, concluded the outpatient procedure they were developing to implant the patch could be performed routinely and that the patch was well-tolerated in individuals with advanced dry AMD. Early results were promising: Of the 15 patients in the initial cohort, four demonstrated improved vision in the treated eye, while five experienced a stabilization of their vision. Visual acuity continued to decline in the remaining six, and the researchers are working to understand why.

Having implanted the patches in live volunteers, however, the researchers no longer had a direct means for assessing the patches function and any changes in the longer term.

Its a lot more difficult and complicated to do that a clinical trial setting, Faynus said. But we can figure things out by proxy if something is working. So for example, if a patients vision was getting worse and is now getting better, thats worth noting.

But the team had other questions that couldnt necessarily be answered by proxy. Had the cells maintained their identity and thus, their function? Was the patch still in place and were the donor cells surviving? Were there any signs of immune rejection, a common and serious concern for any patient receiving an implant? If they could answer these questions, they would not only be able to take next steps with the patch, they would gain significant knowledge in general for the field of regenerative medicine.

Thanks to the generosity of one patient in the trials, the group would get their chance to find out. Named Subject 125, she passed away at the age of 84 from pneumonia two years after receiving the implant, leaving her eyes and a rare opportunity for the team to check the progress of their patch.

We are very grateful to the brave patients who volunteered in our clinical trial, said Clegg, who holds the Wilcox Family Chair in Biomedicine. Without them, we could not advance the science into what could be an effective therapy for millions of people.

A Key TestTo address their questions, the team had to first identify the cells in the general area of the patch.

Now that we had these sections of tissue, how do we demonstrate that the cells on the membrane were RPE cells? Faynus said. That was one of our key questions. Beyond that, they had to identify whether the cells were from the donor or the recipient, and whether they were functional.

Through a careful process of staining and immunoreactivity testing, the team determined that the cells were in fact RPE donor cells, confirming that the cells on the patch hadnt migrated and that the cells were oriented in the optimal, polarized position a sign that they had maintained a healthy, functional form, according to Faynus.

The whole point of us implanting the cells was for them to perform the many functions that RPE cells do, Faynus said. One of those functions in particular is the breakdown of debris and the recycling of vital cellular material.

Every day you open your eyes, and light gets inside the eye, which triggers a whole cascade of events, Faynus explained. One of these being the shedding of photoreceptor outer segments. Without the constant recycling of this material conducted by the RPE cells, he continued, it is thought that proteins and lipids accumulate, forming deposits called drusen, a hallmark of AMD.

In addition, the team found that after two years, the presence of the patch hadnt triggered other conditions associated with implantation, such as the aggressive formation of new blood vessels or scar tissue that could cause a detachment of the retina. Importantly, they also found no clinical sign of the inflammation that can indicate an immune response to the foreign cells even after the patient was taken off immunosuppressants two months post-implantation.

This is the first study of its kind and it indicates that the implanted RPE cells can survive and function, even in what could be a toxic environment of a diseased eye, Clegg said.

Having passed the initial phase of trials, the team is now gearing up to begin Phase 2, which more specifically assesses the effectiveness of the patch. They have also made improvements to the shelf life of the patch, a technological advance they document in the journal Nature. In it, they describe a cryopreservation process that simplifies storage and transport of the cultured cells.

Cryopreservation of the therapy significantly extends the products shelf-life and allows us to ship the implant on demand all over the world, thus making it more accessible to patients across the globe, said Britney Pennington, a research scientist in the Clegg Lab, and lead author of the Nature paper.

Looking to the future, the Clegg Lab and colleagues are exploring combining multiple cell types on the patch.

AMD progresses through several stages, Faynus explained. When the RPE cells degenerate, he continued, the photoreceptors and varying other retinal cells that are supported by the RPE quickly follow suit. To treat patients at varying stages of the disease, we need to consider the remaining cell types. If we can create composite implants that support many of the impacted cells, we can hopefully rescue a patients vision despite the severity of the disease.

Follow this link:

Visionary Progress | The UCSB Current - The UCSB Current

BRETHREN The Brethren Bobcats ended the 2021-22 season 11-10 overall, fourth in the West Michigan 'D' League, and one game away from the regional semifinals.

Most of their accomplishments came after losing senior point guard Kenny King to a season-ending shoulder injury.

In turn, Brethren needed numerous freshmen and sophomores, including Jack Meszaros, Kaylon Tighe, Connor Wojciechowski, and Garret Mobley, to step up.

"It was an up and down year, but I definitely saw the progression of the team at the end of the year," Bobcats boys coach JJ Randall said. "Unfortunately, we didn't play our best in the district final game against Frankfort as the season went on, it was really cool to see the potential coming with these kids.

"Our varsity was younger than our JV team, which doesn't happen very often it was good to have the kids watch Frankfort win the district medal. A lot of them were upset, and hopefully, that motivates them going into this summer and the fall."

For Wojciechowski, the responsibility on both ends of the court significantly increased, but Randall was impressed with how he embraced his new role.

"He put some fear into some ball handlers' eyes as the season went on," said Randall. "He got into foul trouble here and there, but he picked it up, especially as an underclassman."

Randall continued, saying he's excited for the future, considering a large portion of the returning talent has significant room to grow.

"That's the best part at the end of the year, I felt we were the second or third best team in the conference. I wish we could go back and play Mesick a third time just because we got adjusted to the speed. You look at Mobley, he's a 6-foot-7 big who is getting his feet underneath him, and he almost had a triple-double in the semifinal.

"Jack took over at point guard and did a great job while Tighe came off the bench at the end of the year, and he was always a spark. We're going to be scary, hopefully in a couple of years."

However, Brethren is graduating six seniors featuring Nico Postigo, Logan Gossett, Logan Baldwin, Nick Wilson, Ethan Dean, and King.

Randall says he will miss their presence around the program.

"He (King) was one of my naturally intense kids at practice; I didn't have to come in and ramp it up. He was already doing that he is probably one of the best defenders I've ever coached," he said. "Nick and Ethan put in a lot of time with us, and it was very hard to see them come off the floor on Friday night.

"Nico was such a great personality to have around our practices and games. Both Logans, not once did they complain throughout the year about not getting a ton of playing time. They showed up to practice every day, ready to work. I was very grateful to have their experience this season."

View post:

Brethren boys hoops shows progress through 'up and down year' - Manistee News Advocate

Mar 14, 2022

Rob DawsonCorrespondent

"We are implementing a strategy to win and we will foster a culture of excellence through a world class football environment," boasted Richard Arnold, Manchester United's new CEO, when the club announced their financial results earlier this month. It was the latest edition of what's long become a familiar theme during conference calls with their investors. Best in class, world beating, excellence, record-breaking... but for a decade now, it's rung hollow.

When United kick off against Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, they will attempt to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League -- the world's top club competition -- for just the third time since 2011. Excellence? Not even close. They are not shy about branding themselves as the biggest football club in the world -- a banner on the website set up specifically for investors even spells this out, saying "Manchester United is the No.1 club in the No.1 sport" -- but on the pitch, there has been little to back it up.

2 Related

In the 10 seasons since reaching the Champions League final in 2011, United have won just two knockout ties in the competition; against Olympiakos in 2014 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2019. (For context, over the same period Chelsea have won 10 Champions League knockout ties, with Manchester City and Liverpool on nine. And that's just their Premier League rivals.)

- O'Hanlon, Ogden: We pick Man United's next manager (E+)- Dawson: Ronaldo makes everything possible for United- Fernandes recovers from COVID-19, is able to play in UCL

"Of course it's a surprise," said Brazilian defender Alex Telles on Monday when asked about their recent record. "United always need to think about winning every competition they enter. We're not very happy with the past few years, but we've worked really hard to better that and I think this year we have an opportunity to change things.

"To change this we need to train well and win games and tomorrow we have an opportunity to change this."

The beautiful game lives here. Stream top leagues, tournaments and teams.Sign up now to stream soccer on ESPN+

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 Bochum vs. Gladbach (3:30 p.m. ET) Athletic Club vs. Getafe (4 p.m. ET)

Man United remain convinced they belong in a group of super-clubs (many of whom also bought into the European Super League effort of 2021) alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus, yet Real Madrid have won 24 knockout ties in the Champions League since 2011. Bayern Munich aren't far behind on 22. In the latest Deloitte Money League, which ranks clubs by revenue, United were fourth on the list behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern, but in a purely sporting sense, they are nowhere near.

Atletico Madrid are ranked 13th, but in the past 10 years, they've won two domestic titles and reached the Champions League final twice. It's the kind of success that, at the moment, United can only dream of. Though it's not for a lack of trying.

United's gross transfer spend over the past 10 years is 1.4 billion, just behind Chelsea (1.6bn) and Manchester City (1.5bn), but ahead of Liverpool (1bn) and Arsenal (1bn). The wage bill for 2021 alone was 323 million, again behind Manchester City (355m) and Chelsea (333m), but also more than Liverpool (314m).

There are legitimate questions to be asked of the owners, the Glazer family, who plunged the club into debt to buy it in a leveraged takeover in 2005. They regularly take out dividend payments running into the tens of millions without injecting any of their any money, and they've been largely anonymous throughout their reign at Old Trafford, but for years now United have punched significantly below their substantial financial might.

It has reached the point that midfielder Paul Pogba is prepared to turn down one of the most lucrative contracts the club has ever offered to leave on a free transfer in the summer and go in search of trophies elsewhere. The five full seasons since his return as the most expensive player in the world, in 2016, have yielded winners' medals in the League Cup and the Europa League -- two secondary competitions, by anyone's standards.

Regardless of the result against Atletico in Manchester on Tuesday night, United find themselves at another crossroads.

- GOAT recognises GOAT: Ronaldo, Brady meet at Old Trafford- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

Speaking on the same investor call as Arnold two weeks ago, football director John Murtough said it was vital the next permanent manager, who will take over in the summer, got the club "back to challenging for domestic and European titles," but it's easier said than done. A glance at the Premier League table shows United in fifth and in a battle to just qualify for the Champions League next season. Manchester City and Liverpool are 19 and 16 points clear, respectively, and recent history suggests the gap will only have increased by the end of the campaign. Since winning their last title under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, United have finished an average 22 points behind the champions.

It should be little wonder that some of the candidates Murtough has in mind for the top job are nervous about agreeing to stake their reputations on making the club's lofty expectations a reality.

There is no quick fix for a decade of decline, even if a revamped Champions League format ends up offering them a surer path. For now, interim boss Ralf Rangnick says that when they walk out to face Atletico, he just wants United "to show we can compete with the best teams" after so long in the Champions League wilderness. It's a far cry from Arnold's ambitious promises about a golden future, but a place in the quarterfinals would, at least, represent a small step closer to regaining their seat at Europe's top table.

Follow this link:

Man United need Champions League progress to justify super-club standing off the pitch - ESPN

A day after the state filed a motion to end federal oversight of the state Department of Children and Families, Gov. Ned Lamont heard about the departments progress in addressing some of the major issues they were facing several decades ago.

Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes, who started out at DCF as a case worker in 1992, told Lamont of improvements theyve made in the past 30 years, including hiring more case workers, reducing those workers case loads, lowering foster care rates and increasing kinship placements.

Lamont visited the agencys main office in Hartford Tuesday morning to thank the staff for all the changes theyve made, as well as the changes they plan for the future.

People forget about all the lives youre saving, Lamont told DCF officials. We desperately need these kids ... We need everybody lifted up in order to keep this state growing.

DCF is getting it right, he added.

The Office of the Attorney General and others filed a joint motion Monday to end the federal oversight over DCF, which started after a federal civil rights class action lawsuit alleged structural failures in Connecticuts child welfare system that put children and families at risk of harm in December 1989.

The filing came after the most recent status report from the federal court monitor confirmed that DCF has both met and consistently sustained the expectations from the court. The Court Monitor is confident that the DCF has the necessary infrastructure to continually improve performance," the report states.

The agency is now offering more proactive, preventative and supportive services, said Jodi Hill-Lilly, the deputy commissioner, who started with the department in 1988.

Whats really interesting is to hear families talk about wanting to be involved in the department, she said. Certainly we have our share of folks who are continuing to be angry because of our involvement, but theres some that knock at the door for us to be involved.

Were not the same agency we were in the 80s, she added.

The state agency has made a lot of strides to improve since the early 2000s.

In 2004, social workers visited 33 percent of in-home family cases at least twice a month. Now that number is up to 90 percent. Additionally, the percentage of children experiencing repeated, substantiated maltreatement has been cut in half, from 9.3 percent in 2004 to 4.7 percent in 2021, according to the motion.

Also, case workers arent as overwhelmed as they used to be. The 1,300 to 1,400 case workers in the agency each have, on average, about 12 to 15 cases, according to data from the agency.

The state agency has aimed to keep families together as long as theyre safe. Since 2019, there has been a 19 percent reduction in foster care cases, according to Dorantes.

This hasnt resulted in a spike in abuse, either, Dorantes told Lamont Tuesday. Repeat in-home maltreatment went from 9.4 percent in 2004 to 4.7 percent in March 2022, according to the states motion.

You dont want to send kids home for the sake of sending them home, we want to make sure that theyre safe, she said.

For children who do need to be removed from the home, DCF tries to put them with relatives or someone they know, which is known as a kinship placement. In January 2010, the kinship rate was at 21 percent. By January 2022, this was at 42.3 percent a 21.3 percent increase, according to the motion.

The rate of children being placed in out-of-state congregate care has also plummeted. On March 31, 2011, the number was at 352. As of March 15, 2022, there are only six children in these out-of-state facilities.

When children need clinical intervention, I think that needs to be close to their families and it needs to be in a way that works toward getting them back home, Dorantes said.

In December 1989, the federal lawsuit said DCF failed to make reasonable efforts to keep families together, failed to adequately investigate child abuse and neglect complaints, and failed to provide adequate safety, oversight and health care services to the children in the care, custody or supervision of DCF and children who the departments knows were or would be neglected, abandoned or at serious risk for maltreatment.

In January 1991, the state reached an agreement, or a consent decree, with the plaintiff and a judge adopted a 120-page plan to improve DCF operations. This included focusing on investigations and pre-placement services, foster care and out-of-home placement services, mental health and medical care, staffing and other factors. This was then overseen by a court monitor.

DCF made strides to improve, but not enough at the time. The motion states the agency struggled to comply with case loads and staffing, among other factors, throughout various exit plans.

The agency turned a corner in 2011 when Joette Katz was appointed as the DCF commissioner, according to the state. Kats immediately sought to overhaul DCFs organization structure by moving staff to regional offices and spearheaded fundamental policy changes that emphasized a family-centered approach, according to the motion.

Dorantes, who was hired in 1992 as one of the early hires of the initial decree, was appointed as commissioner in 2019 and was immediately committed to continuing and expanding the progress of her predecessor, the motion states.

Dorantes focused on meeting measures that had not been met. This resulted in sustained, reduced case loads, improved quality of in-home visits and additional time for household members and observation.

Under Commissioner Dorantes leadership, improvements under the governing 2017 Revised Exit Plan accelerated and full, sustained complaince has now been reached, the motion says.

Connecticuts Child Advocate Sarah Eagan said DCF has made enormous progress. Eagan has worked around the child welfare system for almost 20 years and has been the child advocate since 2013. Her agency monitors and evaluates public and private agencies that are supposed to protect children.

In particular, she has noticed DCFs drastic reduction in relying on institutional care and a large increase in placing children with relatives.

We dont put babies in group homes anymore. Things like that, its great progress, she said. And we dont ship all of our foster care children who have autism to out-of-state facilities.

This doesnt mean everythings perfect, though, Eagan said.

There remain unmet needs, she said. I dont think its a milestone that says why all our work is done ... Its a milestone that says a lot of things have been accomplished and theres no longer a need for forced oversight from the federal court.

The state will have to rely on itself to sustain and continue to build on the progress that has been made, she added.

Eagan hopes that policymakers, child welfare stakeholders and DCF itself can come together, make goals for the future and determine what state-based oversight will look like.

The DCF of today benefits from three decades work of child welfare evolutions and positions Connecticut to lead best practice areas and improved outcomes in support of the children and families we serve, Dorantes said in a statement. We await further direction from the court as to the outcome of this motion.

Families who think they may need help with child care, support or other resources should call 211 or visit 211CT.org.

Families can also find behavioral health services and support by going to ConnectingToCareCT.org.

To report instances of child abuse or neglect, call the DCF Careline at 800-842-2288.

View post:

Connecticut DCF touts enormous progress after 30 years of federal oversight - CT Insider

Advocacy groups measure progress since Atlanta spa shooting

The coalition tracks reports of discrimination or violence against the Asian American Pacific Islander community. It received nearly 11,000 reports between March 2020 and end of 2021.

ATLANTA - A year after the Atlanta-area spa shootings, advocacy groups are reflecting on what progress that has been made towards increasing awareness and preventing anti-Asian violence.

Eight people were gunned down in three spas in Atlanta and Cherokee County. Six of the victims were Asian women.

"The Atlanta shootings were sort of our worst fears realized," said Dr. Russell Jeung, a professor at San Francisco State University and the co-founder of an organization called Stop AAPI Hate.

VICTIMS' FAMILIES CONTINUE TO HEAL, WAIT FOR JUSTICE 1 YEAR LATER

The coalition tracks reports of discrimination or violence against the Asian American Pacific Islander community. It received nearly 11,000 reports between March 2020 and end of 2021.

The murders of Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Paul Andre Michels sent shockwaves through the AAPI community.

"For Asian Americans, I think it's a period of collective racial trauma because we could see ourselves and our family members in those women. We could feel them," Dr. Jeung said.

Dr. Jeung said shedding light on the violence through data and speaking out has pushed people into action.

"There has been a major movement within the community to stand up against racism," he said.

WIFE OF VICTIM PAUL MICHELS SAYS SHE LOST HER BEST FRIEND

There have been rallies across the country to call attention to the crimes, a federal COVID-19 hate crime law was put in place, and there has been more involvement in AAPI organizations, Asian Americans Advancing Justice. This organization helped at least 120,000 people receive bystander training in the last two years.

Phi Nguyen, the executive director of the Atlanta chapter of the organization said the work is far from over.

"I don't think enough has changed beyond creating that awareness," she said.

According to the Center of Study of Hate and Extremism at CSU San Bernardino, there was a nearly 340 percent increase in crimes against AAPI members in major cities from 2020 to 2021.

Just in the past couple of months, a man in New York was charged with hate crimes after police said he attacked seven Asian women in two hours.

ELECTED OFFICIALS PAY TRIBUTE TO SPA SHOOTING VICTIMS, DEMAND ACTION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

Last week, police in New York said an Asian woman was punched 125 times, stomped on, and spit on by a man. According to officials, the man was charged with attempted murder and assault, both as hate crimes.

In January, Michelle Go was pushed in front of the subway in New York City and killed.

Last month, Christina Yuna Lee was found brutally stabbed to death in her New York City apartment. Police said she was followed home.

Reports of unprovoked attacks like these continue to cause uneasiness within communities.

"I do think that how we move on and move forward and navigate this moment is critical," Nguyen said.

She said long term solutions will only come by addressing root causes of the violence.

"I think because the root causes of interpersonal violence are long-standing systemic issues, it's very hard to actually come up with solutions that are going to address those things immediately," Nguyen said.

WATCH: FOX 5NEWS LIVE COVERAGE

_____

Continue reading here:

Atlanta spa shootings: Advocacy groups reflect on progress made in the last year - FOX 5 Atlanta

A fifteen-point draft deal between Russia and Ukraine, reported by the Financial Times on Wednesday (16 March), would involve Kyiv renouncing NATO membership ambitions and accepting territorial changes, in return for security guarantees.

According to the FT, who based their report on three people involved in the talks, Ukraine and Russia have made significant progress on a tentative 15-point peace plan including a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal if Kyiv declares neutrality and accepts limits on its armed forces.

The proposed deal, which Ukrainian and Russian negotiators reportedly discussed in full for the first time on Monday (14 March), would involve Kyiv renouncing its ambitions to join NATO and promising not to host foreign military bases or weaponry in exchange for protection from allies such as the US, UK, and Turkey, the sources said.

The nature of Western guarantees for Ukrainian security and their acceptability to Moscow could yet prove to be a big obstacle to any deal.

But the biggest sticking point reportedly remains Russias demand that Ukraine recognise Moscows sovereignty over Crimea, which Russia invaded and annexed in 2014, and the independence of the two Russia-controlled so-called republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that peace negotiations must lead to a fair deal for Ukraine that would include reliable security guarantees protecting it from future threats.

We can and must fight today, now. We can and must defend our state, our life, our Ukrainian life. We can and must negotiate a just but fair peace for Ukraine, real security guarantees that will work, he said in a video address.

Ukraine has had a troublesome experience with security guarantees in recent history.

The so-called Budapest memorandum of 1991 prohibited the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States from threatening or using military force or economic coercion against Ukraine, in exchange for Kyiv giving up the Soviet nuclear arsenal based on its soil.

That memorandum, however, did not prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine in 2014 and in 2022, nor did it ensure meaningful support from the UK and the US.

The Kremlin said for its part on Wednesday that a neutral Ukraine, with its own army along the lines of Austria or Sweden, was being looked at as a possible compromise in talks with Kyiv.

This is a variant that is currently being discussed and which could really be seen as a compromise, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA news agency on day 21 of what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine, which has so far killed thousands and turned three million Ukrainians into refugees.

Peskov was commenting on remarks from Vladimir Medinsky, Russias chief negotiator, who earlier told state TV: Ukraine is offering an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarized state, but at the same time a state with its own army and navy.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that absolutely specific wordings were close to being agreed in the negotiations.

Ending the war is as much in the interest of Ukraine, whose population has suffered shocking atrocities, as it is for Russia, which has struggled with its military campaign and has become an international pariah, under crippling sanctions and close to defaulting on its international debt.

It is unclear if the lifting of Western sanctions is part of the peace plan.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

View original post here:

Ukraine and Russia make progress on plan to end war - EURACTIV