Daily Archives: August 22, 2023

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe

View original post here:

Brown pleased with progress of WVU's special teams - WV News

DES MOINES On August 21 Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

Weather was mostly drier, cooler and comfortable for Iowa State Fairgoers, with the exception of a very hot final weekend, said Secretary Naig. Iowans should take precautions to protect themselves from the excessive heat that will cover much of the state for several more days, though a cold front is expected to bring more pleasant weather toward the end of the week.

The weekly report is also available on the USDAs website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report

Cool and dry weather throughout the state led to 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 20, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included cutting and baling hay as well as harvesting oats. Continued dry weather meant CRP land was opened for emergency haying and grazing.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 15 percent very short, 38 percent short, 46 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 19 percent very short, 44 percent short, 36 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Corn in the dough stage reached 92 percent this week, 8 days ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of the 5-year average. Thirty-nine percent of the corn crop was dented, 4 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of normal. Corn condition rated to 60 percent good to excellent. Soybeans setting pods reached 94 percent, 1 week ahead of both last year and the average. Soybeans starting to turn color was 4 percent this week. Soybean condition rated 59 percent good to excellent. Oats harvested for grain reached 98 percent, 1 week ahead of the average.

The States third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 82 percent complete, 19 days ahead of last year and 16 days ahead of the average. Pasture condition rated 23 percent good to excellent. Livestock producers continued to supplement with hay due to the prolonged dry conditions, but overall livestock conditions were decent with the lower-than-average temperatures for the week.

Weather Summary

According to Justin Glisan, PhD, state climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, as the Iowa State Fair came to a close over the weekend, air and dewpoint temperatures began an upward climb. However, unseasonably cool conditions persisted through the reporting period with an average temperature of 68.5 degrees, 3.6 degrees below normal. Apart from a handful of stations in eastern Iowa, unseasonably dry conditions were reported statewide.

A strong low-pressure center continued to spin showers and thunderstorms across Iowa through Sunday (13th) afternoon and evening, bringing widespread rain totals. Stations in southern and northeastern Iowa collected the highest amounts, generally in the 0.50 to 0.75-inch range; two stations in Bedford (Taylor County) reported 1.05- and 1.64-inch totals with a 0.91-inch measurement in Asbury (Dubuque County). Westerly winds developed overnight with Monday (14th) morning lows in the upper 50s to mid-60s west to east across the state as light showers persisted in eastern Iowa. Moderate showers and some thunderstorms formed on the backside of the low pressure over central Iowa with a pocket of heavy rain and flash flooding along the Iowa-Wisconsin border; nine stations in Dubuque County reported totals from 1.01 inches at Dyersville to 3.20 inches at Dubuque Regional Airport. Daytime temperatures hovered in the upper 60s and low 70s with northwesterly winds building in as the disturbance pushed east. Clear skies and patchy fog were visible at sunrise on Tuesday (15th) with light winds and lows in the 50s. Upper 70s and mostly sunny skies greeted fairgoers with pleasant conditions stretching into Wednesday (16th) with gusty southerly winds, cloudless skies and highs in the low 80s. A weak cold front dropped southeast through Iowa, producing isolated thundershowers in north-central Iowa after midnight on Thursday (17th); light rain was reported at a handful of stations.

A stronger cell fired later in the morning in southeastern Iowa, bringing Columbus Junction (Louisa County) a 0.30-inch measurement. Winds shifted to the northwest as skies cleared and dewpoints dropped in the presence of a drier airmass. Low to mid-70s were observed statewide through the afternoon hours with fair weather cumulus pushing across the state. Calm winds prevailed into Friday (18th) as foggy conditions redeveloped at many stations. Afternoon temperatures rose into the upper 70s and low 80s and winds shifted to the southeast. Saturday (19th) morning temperatures were still unseasonably cool, holding in the low to mid 60s, though these readings quickly rose into the upper 80s and low 90s; the statewide average high was 90 degrees, nine degrees above normal. Very spotty showers formed in eastern Iowa with Strawberry Point (Clayton County) picking up 0.01 inch and a trace at a few other stations. Temperatures rose overnight into Sunday (20th) morning with very muggy conditions across the state; the average low was 67 degrees, seven degrees above normal; Des Moines (Polk County) reported 78 degrees, which is 14 degrees warmer than the 30-year climatological average and the warmest low temperature for the date since 1900.

Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation at several central Iowa stations to 3.43 inches in Dubuque (Dubuque County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.28 inch while the normal is 0.90 inch. Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the weeks high temperature of 98 degrees on the 19th, 16 degrees above normal. Several northern stations reported the weeks low temperature of 45 degrees on the 16th and 18th, on average 13 degrees below normal.

Visit link:

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report | News ... - Cedar Valley Daily Times

BATON ROUGE - School was closed Monday to allow bus drivers to talk with school leaders, and it appears those talks went well as the majority of drivers returned to work Tuesday morning.

"Today was a pretty good day. We had about 324 bus operators that came in today most of all of our routes were covered. We had about eight routes that we had challenges with," said Superintendent Sito Narcisse, who spoke to the Volunteers In Public Schools at a luncheon Tuesday.

"We've been working diligently for the last couple days--morning and night--coming up with some formula around logistics to be able to cover and pick up all the kids. We feel like we are getting much, much closer now, so on Thursday we are going to present that to the board and public and then go through that process"

Narcisse and board members will meet with bus drivers and other school system staff Thursday to further discuss logistics. Currently, high school and middle schools are dismissing early.

"We're making some modifications because of the amount of bus drivers. We still have 161 vacancies so we're going to have to make some shifts in school start times."

He says that will involve changing or condensing some routes as well as adjusting school start times. There was no word on if drivers will be paid more on top of their stipend from last week.

The meeting will be Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Professional Development Center.

Go here to see the original:

School district and bus drivers making progress in talks - WBRZ

We just officially challenged the Youngkin administrations effort to withdraw Virginia from a program proven to tackle the root cause of climate change the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, better known as RGGI.

The petition states the state Air Pollution Control Board, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and its director Michael Rolband, do not have the authority to end the states participation in the successful carbon trading program.

It is critical that we continue our participation in RGGI, a proven climate solution, says SELC Senior Attorney Nate Benforado. Virginians know that we need this program and that we have no time to waste. We will be doing everything we can as quickly as we can to enforce the law and maintain this successful program.

Virginia joined RGGI in 2021 after the General Assembly passed a 2020 law requiring Virginias participation in the successful regional program, becoming the first Southern state to participate. In just over two years Virginia has already made substantial gains in reducing and controlling air pollution from power plants, while bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars to help low-income households save on energy bills and support localities planning for and protecting against recurrent flooding.

We filed the petition today in Fairfax Circuit Court on behalf of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, Appalachian Voices, and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions.

Given the intense warning signs weve received this summer, from record-setting heat to the horrifying wildfires affecting more and more Americans, it makes no sense to pull out

Two of the participants in todays action were also part of an amicus brief that SELC filed in 2021 in defense of the states participation in RGGI.

Rev. Dr. Faith Harris, executive director at Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, reiterates that RGGI is working and should continue to be part of the states plan to combat climate change.

The weatherization and flood preparedness funds created due to our participation in RGGI were sound and practical solutions to stabilize Virginias economy in the face of rising energy costs, sea levels, temperatures, and severe weather conditions, she said. RGGI is working for Virginia, and Virginians know it.

More and more are calling for solutions to the worsening impacts of climate change.

Given the intense warning signs weve received this summer, from record-setting heat to the horrifying wildfires affecting more and more Americans, it makes no sense to pull out, said Andrea McGimsey, executive director of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. With this lawsuit, we are standing up for climate justice and all life on our beautiful planet our one and only home.

Read more:

We're suing to hold the line on Virginia's climate progress - Southern Environmental Law Center

CROP PROGRESS ... Hot and dry weather enveloped the area last week

PUBLISHED ON August 22, 2023

In Yakima County, Washington, temperatures started high in the triple digits but gradually dropped to the 80s by the weekend. (Kseniia Zaitseva/Unsplash)

OLYMPIA, Wash. USDA NASS released its Northwest Region Crop Progress and Condition Report for the week ending August 20, 2023.

Idaho Remained Warm with Areas of Heavy Rains There were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork in Idaho, an increase from 6.0 days the previous week. Temperatures were warmer than average throughout Idaho. Southern Idaho received isolated thunderstorms that produced heavy precipitation in some areas. Jerome and Twin Falls Counties experienced warm, dry weather for the week. More acres of potatoes were vine killed and rolled. Some dry bean fields began to turn color. Eastern Idaho reported heavy rains at the end of the week. Bannock, Bingham, and Butte Counties received moisture from two weather events over the past week. Potato yields looked promising across the area.

Hot, Dry, and Hazy in Oregon There were 7.0 days suitable for fieldwork in Oregon, unchanged from the previous week. Temperatures were moderate with mild to dry conditions. The northwest region of Oregon reported that irrigation had been essential for maintaining horticulture crops. Heat put stress on berry crops. Corn was in the tassel stage and growing well in western Oregon. Morrow County suffered from a lack of rainfall with hot and dry conditions. There was an on-going haze over the region generated by regional wildfires. In Baker County, parts of the region received rainstorms. The rain slowed wheat and hay harvests. In Malheur County, mint and hay harvest continued, early onion harvest began, and potato harvest ramped up.

Hot and Dry Weather in Washington There were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork in Washington, down from 6.6 days reported the previous week. Western Washington saw drought conditions spread. Producers reported dustbowl-like conditions, with farmers avoiding working in fields due to the dust. Some wells began drying out in Whatcom County. Central Washington experienced more hot and dry weather. In Yakima County, temperatures started high in the triple digits but gradually dropped to the 80s by the weekend. A few wildfires were reported, air quality dropped to unhealthy over the weekend, and visibility was compromised. Tree fruit harvest picked up with peaches, nectarines, early maturing apples, and Bartlett pears. Vegetable harvest included summer and winter squashes, melons, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers. Northeast Washington saw continued dry conditions. Bluegrass did not fare well this year. Wheat producers reported an average crop. Livestock grazing looked okay, but producers began requesting drought assistance from FSA. In east central Washington, producers stopped harvesting and switched to seeding. Southeast Washington also saw hot and dry weather.

USDA NASS

Read more:

Northwest Region Crop Progress and Condition for August 20, 2023 - Morning Ag Clips -

Now the work begins on electrifying all beverage transportation between Carlsberg Sveriges brewery in Falkenberg, the water factory in Ramlsa, and the transshipment terminals in Gothenburg, Malm and Helsingborg. The sustainable transport solution for southern and western Sweden has been developed together with the freight mobility company Einride, to make joint progress towards a ZERO Carbon Footprint.

Carlsberg Sverige works continuously to reduce the carbon footprint in all parts of the business, driving local actions and results towards Carlsberg Groups ambition for a ZERO Carbon Footprint. Now the next step is taken, with electrified transportation being deployed between the brewery in Falkenberg and the transshipment terminals in Gothenburg, Malm, and Helsingborg. In addition, transportation from the packaging company Ball in Malm, with aluminium cans to Falkenberg and Ramlsa, as well as transportation from Ramlsa to Falkenberg and some direct distribution from Falkenberg to wholesale customers in Halmstad, is being electrified.

Peter Hammarstedt, CEO of Carlsberg Sverige, says:

We started our collaboration with Einride in the fall of 2022, when we electrified the heavy warehouse transportation in Halland. In the spring of 2023, we expanded the collaboration by adding another electric truck that runs daily between Falkenberg and Ramlsa. Now we are taking the next step by making a big investment in a sustainable transport solution for the southern and western parts of Sweden, which will significantly contribute to a reduction of our carbon footprint and push our progress towards a net ZERO value chain."

A total of eight crews, consisting of electric trucks with trailers (51 pallet spaces per crew), will drive the routes. Charging infrastructure will be installed by Einride at strategic locations, including the brewery in Falkenberg and at the water factory in Ramlsa, allowing the trucks to charge while being loaded and unloaded. The first electric trucks will hit the roads in the autumn of 2024.

The electric truck fleet will be operated, planned, optimized, and monitored by the mobility platform Einride Saga. The expanded partnership is expected to electrify approximately 7,650,000 transport kilometers in five years, representing a saving of almost 12,300 tonnes CO2, compared to diesel trucks. Which is equivalent of taking 428 diesel cars, driving 200 kilometers a day for a year, off the road.*

Carl Ceder, VP Nordics at Einride, says:

At Einride, we strive for collaborations with forward-thinking companies to actively reduce global carbon emissions. It is a pleasure to work with customers like Carlsberg Sverige and assist them on their journey towards sustainable freight, proving together that the time has come for a large-scale transformation of heavy transportation, even over longer distances. Carlsberg dares to challenge old truths and break new ground through digitization and electrification, to create real change."

Since the transition to electric transportation with Einride, Carlsberg Sverige has succeeded in reducing transport emissions by up to 95% compared to routes previously ran on diesel.*

*Calculations from Einride

Continue reading here:

Carlsberg Sverige drives progress towards a ZERO Carbon ... - Carlsberg Group

ABU DHABI, UAE, Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The COP28 UAE Presidency has announced an ambitious and inclusive two-week thematic program for the conference to deliver on four key goals alongside the negotiations process and as part of the critical Global Stocktake response.

Taking place at Expo City Dubai from 30 November to 12 December, COP28 UAE will focus on fast-tracking a just, orderly and equitable energy transition; fixing climate finance; putting nature, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and mobilizing for the most inclusive COP.

Designed to drive action and implement policy, finance, and technology solutions across these priorities, the innovative two-week thematic program was developed in consultation with stakeholders including civil society, NGOs, youth, and Indigenous Peoples. A six-week open consultation on the thematic areas and sequencing was held in which stakeholders were invited to submit feedback the first such approach taken by a COP Presidency.

Kicking off with a two-day World Climate Action Summit, during which the first-ever Global Stocktake response will be presented to world leaders with the COP Presidency seeking commitments and accountability, the program also features new individual thematic days that respond to global challenges.

For the first time at a COP forum, COP28 will dedicate a day to Health, Relief, Recovery, and Peace, with a high level climate health ministerial, among other thematic activities. COP28 will also be the first to focus on the role of trade in tandem with finance and it will be the COP that brings leaders together from across all levels of government and society from the local mayors to global leaders to work towards cleaner, greener, safer cities for current and future generations.

All thematic days throughout the two weeks will be underpinned with an inclusive approach that prioritizes frontline communities and focuses on how finance, technology and innovation can drive solutions.

More detailed information about each thematic day will be released in the weeks and months ahead, as the COP28 Presidency continues to ramp up preparations for this year's meeting at Expo City Dubai.

Below are the key themes and events for each day:

For more information on the thematic program, please visit COP28.com here.

Notes to Editors COP28 UAE:

COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.

As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.

The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind" approach to inclusive climate action."

SOURCE COP28

Read more here:

COP28 announces innovative thematic program to progress action ... - PR Newswire

PHOENIX It's been two months since Governor Katie Hobbs signed legislation aimed at restoring water to the Rio Verde Foothills.

"We have water, it's just expensive to get. So, we conserve as much as we can," said Rio Verde Foothills resident Kent Thomas.

The City of Scottsdale after many warnings, shut off access in January and Rio Verde Foothills has not had a reliable source of water.

On Tuesday, Thomas joined some of his neighbors as guests of the Governor to witness her ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 1432.

"Arizona has long been a steward for smart and responsible water management and this bill is a continuation of that legacy," Governor Hobbs said.

Senate Bill 1432 created a citizen-led district that is now working to secure contracts with Scottsdale, utility company EPCOR and water haulers to set up short-term and ultimately long-term solutions.

"So as far as costs, we don't have any costs yet. So, everybody knows there is a lot of costs that go into this," said Meredith DeAngeliss, a Rio Verde Foothills resident who also serves as the chair for the Rio Verde Foothills Standpipe District Board.

DeAngeliss believes the agreements with Scottsdale, EPCOR and the water haulers will be signed within 30 days. Once that happens, she believes residents will pay much less than what they are paying now to get water hauled to their homes. But securing the water for Rio Verde Foothills is not the end, it's only the beginning.

There are communities across the state which have been able to circumvent Arizona's 100-year guarantee of water law because of their size, allowing residents to build homes without an assured water supply.

"What everyone's done now to get this bill is start asking those questions on how many people are on hauled water. What does that look like? How much water is that? Is it going to the right places," said DeAngeliss.

These are questions the Governor and members of the legislature hope to have by January when lawmakers are back in session. "We need to remember what is not political," State Senator Justine Wadsack, the author SB 1432 said. "When it comes to access to water in our state, we need to think of the people."

The bill will keep water flowing to the Rio Verde Foothills subdivision for at least three years under terms of an agreement and a new government entity called a standpipe district that can enter into deals to help Rio Verde Foothills get water.

Read this article:

Progress in the efforts to restore water in Rio Verde Foothills - ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix

Security experts agree that zero trust architecture (ZTA) is critical to securing communications networks. While many companies argue that they have made progress adding the technology into their 5G operations, a new report from ATIS says more needs to be done.

"5G is the most secure generation of standardized mobile technology available commercially today," the trade association wrote in a 48-page report. "5G is specified with many features of a ZTA but it does not embody a full implementation of a ZTA."

ATIS is a North American partner to 3GPP, the global standards body for 5G. ATIS argued that 3GPP needs to look at ways to insert ZTA into 5G devices and radio access networks (RANs), rather than just the 5G core.

That's one of the many action items outlined in its report, which is noteworthy considering the group has previously addressed issues including secure supply chains, robocalls and hearing aid compatibility for cellphones. It launched its Next G Alliance effort targeting 6G in 2020.

Implementing zero trust

A zero-trust network architecture is based on the notion that each network element needs to be individually protected from attack.

"By starting from the assumption that the attacker is already inside the network, the zero trust model enhances security by both blocking unauthorized access to network resources and preventing internal lateral movement by an attacker," 5G equipment vendor Ericsson wrote two years ago.

(Source: NicoElNino/Alamy Stock Photo)

As ATIS notes in its report, zero trust is also the security framework recommended by most US government agencies. For example, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) both support the ZTA implementation from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for 5G.

But ATIS notes that this is no small task. "Creating a ZTA for 5G requires careful consideration of the 5G architecture's unique aspects," the association wrote. It explained that security must be addressed from a variety of angles across different traffic planes (user, control and management) and domains including core network, RAN and user equipment like smartphones.

According to ATIS, 3GPP has been working to implement zero trust broadly, but only in the Service Based Interface (SBI) and not in other aspects of the 5G network like the RAN.

The O-RAN Alliance also has been working to implement ZTA in its open RAN specifications. Security has been a hot topic in the early discussions around open RAN.

ZTA across the ecosystem

The interest in ZTA doesn't come as a surprise to 5G equipment vendors and network operators.

"Nokia's products and services support a zero-trust approach to network security the premise that trust cannot be assumed and must continually be validated," the company told the NTIA earlier this year.

Indeed, Nokia said its focus on security extends to its new ASTaR (Advanced Security Testing and Research) lab in Dallas, Texas. The company and the lab will serve as a lead technology provider and collaborator for NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) 5G Cybersecurity Project.

Mavenir told the NTIA earlier this year that it has "already qualified its open RAN product offerings through the NESAS qualification process, which includes development and supply of products on a zero-trust basis."

The Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) is a program from the global GSMA trade association to provide "one universal and global security assurance framework."

Finally, operators ranging from Verizon to Dish Network have discussed the technology.

"Verizon's Zero Trust Dynamic Access provides a zero trust cloud security solution for secure access to the open Internet, cloud applications, private applications and data and public cloud services," the company wrote on its Verizon Business website. "That helps you defend your business."

And Dish has made ZTA a core part of its early 5G sales story. Indeed, the company touted its zero trust approach to 5G deployment as part of Hughes Network Systems' work with the US military.

Related posts:

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano

Read more here:

5G players tout progress toward ZTA, but more work ahead - Light Reading

Its the IRAs First Birthday. Here Are Five Areas Where Progress Is Piling Up. The Inflation Reduction Act promised an unprecedented wave of clean energy investment. One year in, heres where were seeing progress.

Unprecedented. A landmark. The Super Bowl of clean energy.

Those are just a few of the superlatives that hit the airwaves when the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law on August 16, 2022.

The acts passage came as a surprise both politically emphasizing lower energy costs helped the bill clear years of oppositional brinksmanship and for its unprecedented scale. Toward the goal of shifting the US grid to 80 percent clean electricity and cutting climate pollution by 40 percent by 2030, the act mobilized an estimated $370 billion in federal incentives.

A year in, the early fanfare has resolved into unprecedented progress. Twelve months after passage, the IRAs impact in industrial investment, new jobs, and other economic activity already exceeds early estimates. To date, we have seen:

And while politics could yet alter its trajectory, the impact to date has been weighted towards traditionally Republican-leaning regions, a bias which may ensure its longevity in years to come. Given the rapid uptake, Goldman Sachs earlier this year upped their estimate of public IRA investment over the next decade to more than $1 trillion, with private sector spending potentially a multiple of that.

By design, incentives are drawing this investment widely across the United States, with a focus on disadvantaged, low-income, and energy communities. RMI estimates that, if they take full advantage of the IRA and adopt clean energy at the pace and scale needed to meet national climate targets, by 2030, each state could see:

On the ground, IRA incentives have already translated into a rush of announcements and projects spanning regions and industries, including both legacy and cleantech sectors. On the advent of the IRAs first birthday, heres a rundown highlighting the breadth of this progress.

Nourished by the IRA, manufacturing announcements have mushroomed across the country. While heavy on electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries, the greenfield factories and upgrades also include wind and solar sites, along with semiconductors, electronics, and others. The new capacity promises to boost US energy security and independence by reshoring key supply chains and strengthening US competitiveness as global leader in clean energy technologies. To date, 272 new clean energy projects have been announced, including:

Globally, sales of internal combustion vehicles peaked in 2017, and are now in long-term decline, according to Bloomberg NEF. As older cars and trucks are retired, the worlds combustion vehicle fleet will start to shrink after 2025. In the United States, the IRA is supercharging this shift, with incentives that span from electric school buses to battery factories and new charging infrastructure:

Buildings account for around a third of US emissions, making it one of our largest, most complex sectors to decarbonize given the age, diversity, and costs to retrofit Americas stock of millions of buildings. The IRA is tackling this challenge on multiple fronts:

Clean electricity is essential to decarbonize the wider US economy, whether to charge EVs and power greening buildings (see above), or to decarbonize industry (below). The shift is advancing steadily. In the first five months of 2023, wind and solar produced more power than coal, a first for the US. The IRA is continuing this shift:

Steel, cement, petrochemicals, and other hard-to-abate heavy industries pose a special challenge to decarbonize. For now, many rely on raw materials and/or high temperatures that only fossil fuels can affordably deliver at scale. The IRA aims to scale up affordable alternatives such as hydrogen which, if implemented cleanly, offers a clean alternative along with greener raw materials and recycling options:

The act has also unlocked financing via the reform of tax credits and innovative financing that prioritizes climate-friendly investment in historically disadvantaged communities:

The IRA is not only the most ambitious climate bill in US history. It is one of the most ambitious and complex efforts at economic and industrial reinvestment ever. By these standards, the progress the act has already made is enormous, but years of work and meaningful obstacles remain to fully deploy the IRA at the pace and scale needed to reach climate targets.

Chief among these obstacles is permitting. As project timelines stretch into the years whether to connect renewables projects onto the grid, or site new critical mining and industrial facilities streamlining the thicket of overlapping regulatory and administrative approvals is emerging as a make-or-break challenge for the US energy transition.

Despite challenges in implementation, the hundreds of announced projects and hundreds of billions of dollars in investment show the energy transition is out of the starting gate and gaining speed.

The challenge is increasingly shifting to subnational players such as states and cities as well as businesses and non-profits to mobilize the funding the IRA has unlocked. Ultimately, the IRAs full potential will be limited only by our own ambition to realize a clean energy future.

Photo courtesy of The White House via Flickr.

Read the original here:

Its the IRAs First Birthday. Here Are Five Areas Where Progress Is ... - Rocky Mountain Institute