Category Archives: Progress

Nine-time All-Star James Harden has always been known for his durability. You can count on him to always show up. The Beard has played in 657 regular season games since 2012 while averaging 36.9 MPG in that time period. In his first stint with the Nets coming from Houston, it was the first time Harden suffered from an injury both prior and during the postseason. This has now raised concerns on what to expect going into training camp.

Harden, of course, is still fully recovering from a hamstring strain which reached a grade 2 sprain in the playoffs. You can pinpoint this to some lack of conditioning at the start of the season or maybe age. Now at 32-years-old, all the minutes the Nets star has compiled since 2012 can be catching up.

Nevertheless, one thing is for sure, and that is that we are going to find out in the next couple of months when the season commences. Theres some good news though for Brooklyn. In a recent workout video, Hardens hamstring is making significant progress that isnt hard to notice:

Link:

James Harden is making noticeable progress with his hamstring - Nets Wire

Belief in progress is part of Americas cultural DNA. Each generation will do better than the last, with better understood in terms of rising income, bigger homes and more stuff. Sure, we have problems pollution, racial injustice, a pesky drought, fires on the horizon but Americans just get to work fixing those problems. To live in America is to reside on an ascending material curve.

I look out my window at the smoke that fills our valley. Later today I may go to town. Or not. The traffic discourages me from leaving the house. I need groceries, but when I walk into the store some shelves are empty; tourists have cleared them and there arent enough employees to keep things stocked. Id like to go for a hike in Death Canyon, but between the heat and the smoke and the traffic and the crowds on the trail I think Ill stay inside with my air purifier.

What has happened to our summers? It doesnt feel like things are getting better anymore. Visits to San Francisco or Boulder, Colorado, arent as much fun as they used to be. The New York Times recently described urban growth along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin as being a blur of subdivisions, commercial development and soul-crushing traffic, coalescing into a singular mass of population. Everything seems to be defined by excess: too expensive, too much traffic, too long a wait, too much heat.

Back in Jackson we should first acknowledge that a lot of this is outside our control. We cant stop the smoke or the drought, heat and fire that causes it. And the state of Wyoming wont let us put tollgates on the highways into town to limit access.

On the other hand, we arent resourceless. There are things we can do to improve our situation if we are willing to question our underlying assumptions.

In other words, theres a philosophical aspect to our difficulties. We say that we cant stop people from coming here. Its their right if they can afford the hotel prices. Its how we make our living. And how is Jackson going to progress if it doesnt continue to grow? Then we sit back and watch things spin further out of control.

Celebrate individual freedom and grow the economy: Its been the American definition of progress for a very long time.

Every culture is built upon a set of fundamental beliefs about what constitutes a proper (or acceptable, or meaningful) way of life. America was founded on open space, endless resources and constant technological innovation. There were so many resources that you could get yours without blocking others from doing the same. And if there was a problem wed just call in the scientists and engineers to invent a work-around. Our challenges were technical rather than political or philosophical in nature.

There is no technology, however, that will create more space in our valley. Building more roads to deal with traffic means that we will have to deal with the construction. Then traffic will get a little better for a while, which will encourage more people to come, which then increases the overall traffic. As for nature, we arent going to build new trails up Death Canyon. Even if we did that would mean a bigger parking lot below and even less of the solitude that we and the animals seek. The same is true in Denver and New Orleans: The solutions to our problems now often feed back into and worsen the problems that they were meant to solve.

There are no easy answers to our situation. But we can begin by questioning our dogmas.

We could take seriously the possibility that the way of life that worked for 300 years may need adjustment for the 21st century. We could adapt our ideals of freedom and opportunity to a world where space and resources are limited. We could challenge the assumption that more growth in Jackson equals a higher quality of life, and ask whether 1 million visitors to Yellowstone National Park in a single month is good for us, the visitors or the environment.

Jackson is a microcosm of our general situation: The American way of life will have to change. This might sound unpleasant. The very idea might make you angry. But cultures that do not adapt to changing conditions slide into decay.

For instance, it may seem painful to have to check our cars at the entrance to the parks or to give up our personal automobiles entirely. But such changes could lead to a way of life that is both more beautiful and more sustainable in the long run. Progress can be redefined in ways that are less materialistic, more inclusive, and easier on the environment.

Its worth considering.

Hoback resident Robert Frodeman writes on technology and the environment. He can be reached at robert.frodeman@gmail.com. Guest Shots are solely the opinion of their authors.

Continued here:

We may need to redefine 'progress' to find sustainability - Jackson Hole News&Guide

Lakewood Ranch's Elly Barr was ready to send her kids back to school for a somewhat normal school year.

Her daughter was entering seventh grade and her son was going into eighth grade at R. Dan Nolan Middle School. They were not planningto wear masks as the district started the year with an optional mask policy.

But then the number of cases among students and employees throughout the School District of Manatee County increased.

The first day of school Aug. 10, nine cases were reported. By the end of the first week, there were 179 cases in the district. Two weeks into school, the district reported 825 cases with 227 of those cases coming from schools in East County.

In the entirety of last year, East County schools reported 347 cases.

Now families are adjusting to the increase in COVID-19 protocols at school that the district hopes will mitigate the number of cases on campuses. With more cases, parents are uncertain of how the year will progress.

"All of a sudden it seemed to explode," Barr said. "It's very mental right now. If you don't wear a mask, it's like you don't care. If you do wear a mask, it's like you're being over protective of your child. It's been very judgmental. I don't actually know what to do for the best anymore. I'm just doing what I feel is right."

After the second day of school, Barr's daughter, Alice, was sent home to quarantine after possibly being exposed at school.

Barr now is sending her children to school wearing masks. With her eldest, who is a student at Lakewood Ranch High School, returning home after having a spinal fusion, she's worried someone will bring COVID-19 home and possibly spreading it among family members.

"I'm a bit nervous about that, so I'm taking care of my family as well," Barr said. "Everything just seems to have gone out of control. I don't know how it's looking for the future to be honest."

River Place's Nicole Hamer described the first two weeks of school as chaotic. She has two third graders at Braden River Elementary, a seventh grader at Braden River Middle and a freshman at Braden River High School.

Hamer said one of her sons already has been sent home to quarantine, and her seventh grader and freshman are having transportation issues due to the district's bus driver shortage.

"For my middle schooler, the bus has not comeand when it has come, it's been very late," Hamer said. "For my high schooler, they didn't even have enough room on his bus. They said the bus is full and we can come back in an hour and a half to get you."

Mike Barber, a spokesman for the district, said the district has 133 bus routes and in the weeks leading up to school, 20 drivers left the district to take other jobs. Then another 20 drivers had been out at different times during the first eight days of school for "health reasons."

Barber said everyone in the transportation department is certified to drive, so everyone in the office staff is driving buses to help with the shortage in drivers.

As for the increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the district, Hamer said she's not concerned because "it seems like almost everyone is going to get this, vaccinated or not."

"I don't really know how to feel," Hamer said. "I know a lot of people that have been vaccinated and have gotten it and have it right now. It's kind of hard to judge how I feel. I'm just kind of going with the flow."

Hamer isn't sending her kids to school with masks because she doesn't believe it's mentally healthy for her children. She's also had friends whose kids go to schools that require masks and their children still are being sent home to quarantine or are testing positive.

"I think everyone is doing the best they can," Hamer said. "I think it's just going to be a virus where people are going to have to build up their immune systems. I mean everybody's got a tough job. I can't comment anything negatively. I think everybody's doing a great job with what we're being dealt with."

Lakewood Ranch's Amy Hammon pulled her daughter from Robert E. Willis Elementary School last year because she wasn't doing well with e-learning, but she didn't want to send her to school because of COVID-19.

Kate Barlaug, the principal of Carlos E. Haile Middle School, helps a student navigate her way around campus. Photo courtesy of the School District of Manatee County.

Now, her children are attending Pinnacle Academy because they have a mandatory mask mandate in place that doesn't have an opt-out option until the positivity rate in the area is lower. She said the mask mandate makes her feel her children will be safe on campus.

"My children will continue to wear masks and take all precautions possible," Hammon said.

Although her children are in private school now, Hammon continues to write to the School Board of Manatee County, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Richard Corcoran, the commissioner of the Florida Department of Education, to advocate for everyone to wear masks in school.

"We have to fight for our children who are defenseless right now," Hammon said. "We are actually going to have to beg the state of Florida to allow our children to have the smallest sense of safety, which is a mask, because we have something that they don't and that is a vaccine. If we have the opportunity and have chosen to, we have been vaccinated. My family has been vaccinated. If my children were older, they would be vaccinated. Essentially, we are sending our children to school unprotected."

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Lakewood Ranch-area parents uncertain of how the school year will progress - YourObserver.com

RANTOUL, Ill. Just as the Half Century of Progress show is an opportunity for the owners of vintage tractors and other farm equipment to strut their stuff, so it is for the village of Rantoul.

We get to put our best foot forward. Champaign County gets to put its best foot forward, said Scott Eisenhauer, the village administrator of Rantoul.

Eisenhauers duties as village administrator include overseeing day-to-day operations, budget and financing and economic development for the village.

So, he recognizes not just the economic benefits that the Half Century of Progress show brings, but also the additional benefits that might not be measured in dollars and cents.

But the economic benefit itself is significant.

There is no question there is a significant economic advantage to it. When you bring that number of people into your community, they are buying gas, they are eating food, they are staying in hotels or at the campground. There is no question there is a revenue generation that benefits the community as a whole when we host this event, Eisenhauer said.

The dollars that participants in the show and visitors to the show spend in the community go back into the community.

Its good not only for the village financially, but also those are dollars that we can spend on other things to make the community better, which thereby benefits the residents, Eisenhauer said.

Dollars and economic activity are just one benefit that the four-day show, which draws participants and visitors from across the United States and even internationally, brings to Rantoul.

The other thing, though, that I think is just as critically important as the financial advantage and that is the ability for Rantoul, Illinois, to be in the national and, in some ways, the international spotlight for that week. Its a great opportunity for us, every two years, to promote our community, Eisenhauer said.

As the countdown to the show goes on, the village is putting the finishing touches on the welcome mat it will roll out for the show.

This is the lull before the storm. We are making sure that our resources are in place, that the things that we have the most involvement in, traffic patterns and parking, that those are all being addressed. We already have our recreation crew on the grounds, doing some work around the airport, getting grass cut and weeds cut and stumps ground and things like that, to make sure we have a nice, clean and visually appealing area, Eisenhauer said.

That recreation crew is deeply involved in preparing for the show and as the show gets ready to start.

The recreation department does a great job in preparing the grounds in advance of the show and then also setting up and providing resources to help with the set up process, Eisenhauer said.

Employees at the Rantoul Airport also have been busy getting ready for the show. The airport is maintained by the village.

The airport has been ramping up in going around and making sure the electric works and the lights work and those types of things are ready to go so when we hit that mark, the weekend before the show takes place, and they start moving onto the grounds, everything that we need to have done in preparation is finished, Eisenhauer said.

The planning process for the show is extensive.

The village is heavily involved in the planning process with the leadership of the Half Century of Progress show and particularly that deals with parking logistics and traffic logistics. Those are really two of the most prevalent areas, getting people into the show and then, once we get them to the show, getting them parked and ultimately getting them back out. That is a large task taken on by our police department, Eisenhauer said.

But the villages involvement in the show doesnt end as the tractors and other equipment roll onto part of the former Chanute Air Force Base.

During the show we also provide police involvement, security. Our fire department is present to provide fire response and we also work with other entities leading up to the show that have ancillary relationships with the show, Eisenhauer said.

An additional benefit comes in the form of the working relationship the village and village officials have with the leadership of the Half Century of Progress.

The incredible men and women that we get to work with, from John to Russell and everybody who serves on a committee for the show, they could take this show anywhere, but weve built that partnership, weve built that relationship. We believe in what they are doing and I think they believe in what we are willing to assist with in order to keep that show here in this community. We are so grateful, as a village and as a community, that the Half Century of Progress located here originally and continues to flourish here in the community. Its always fun to be around people who are passionate and dedicated to pulling together an event and well organized enough to make that happen, Eisenhauer said.

Read more from the original source:

Rantoul rolls out the welcome mat for Half Century of Progress show - Agri News

As the 101st anniversary of American women's right to vote is celebrated on Thursday, it's a good time to reflect on the past, present and future of gender equity.

Congress designated Aug. 26 as Women's Equality Day in 1973 to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment. Even though it wasn't until years later that women of color were effectively included, the day has become a marker to honor women's suffrage and remember the barriers females still face.

It's a time to think about the countless contributions women have made over the decades to turn the dream of equality into reality; about women who were not necessarily well known but who helped advance the cause. Many of those women's stories are told in the current Minnesota Historical Society exhibit "Extraordinary Women.'' It includes information about:

Katie McWatt, the educator and civil rights activist whose 1964 campaign for St. Paul City Council broke through race and gender barriers for city campaigns.

Sarah Burger Stearns, who petitioned to have the word "male'' struck from the Minnesota Constitution's definition of eligible voters in 1860s.

Marie Bottineau Baldwin, of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, who helped handle legal cases for Ojibwe people in Minnesota and North Dakota. In the 1890s she moved to Washington, D.C., earned her law degree and joined the fight for treaty rights and tribal sovereignty.

Though we can celebrate the achievements of these women and others who paved the way for the progress enjoyed in the 21st century, we must also remember that more remains to be done. The goal of full gender equity has yet to be realized, either in the U.S. or globally. And, of course, women around the world lack many of the rights American women enjoy.

Today, the earnings difference between males and females still affects women's economic power, and gender-based discrimination still occurs in workplaces and business transactions. In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned in the U.S., according to a Pew Research Center analysis, a figure that has remained the same for the last 15 years.

And though the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced in 1923, but not heard in Congress until the 1970s, it took until 2020 for the required 38 states to vote for ratification. It still awaits official adoption because the U.S. House voted to eliminate the deadline for passage in the original legislation, but similar language is pending in the Senate.

Then there are the current attacks on voting rights that would ban drive-through voting, limit voting hours, make absentee voting more difficult and empower partisan poll watchers. Those changes could have a disproportionately negative impact on elderly and low-income women and on women of color.

While it's important to remember the advances of the past century, it's also essential to understand that women's equal rights are a work in progress. One of the best ways to celebrate and honor those who brought us thus far is to continue the struggle for gender equity and fairness throughout every sector of society.

See more here:

Equality is a work in progress - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Thanks to a stretch of highly welcomed cooler and moister weather in recent weeks, crews have made significant progress on wildfires in Northwest Montana, allowing authorities to lift evacuation orders and further establish containment lines from Thompson Falls to Polebridge to Troy.

Even with the moderate conditions, fire and land managers remind the public that Stage 2 fire restrictions are still in place throughout the region. Those restrictions include a prohibition on campfires. For more information, visit http://www.mtfireinfo.org.

Evacuation warnings issued in late July for the lightning-caused Hay Creek Fire near Polebridge were lifted on Aug. 18 amid cooler temperatures and higher humidity. The Type 3 incident management team overseeing attack operations transitioned to a local Type 4 incident command from the Flathead National Forest on Aug. 21.

The fire was 2,894 acres and at 60% containment late last week, according to an incident report update.

The lightning-caused Thorne Creek Fire near Thompson Falls, the states fourth largest at 39,053 acres, was at 80% containment following an infrared flight over the weekend that resulted in a significant increase in containment, according to an incident report.

Saturdays rain kept fire activity to a minimum which allowed firefighters to secure most of the fireline, bringing containment to 80 percent, the report states.

The Thorne Creek Fire initially forced evacuation orders for more than 200 residents in late July, but the Aug. 23 update noted that the Thompson River Zone is now in pre-evacuation status and open to residents only. No structures have been lost.

The Southern Area Gold Team planned to transfer command of the Thorne Creek Fire back to the Lolo National Forest on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.

Over the weekend, crews finished a direct line on the northwestern corner of the 12,522-acre South Yaak Fire, located near Troy, increasing total containment to more than 60%, according to an Aug. 23 update. The nearby Burnt Creek Fire was burning at 4,066 acres and 29% containment on Monday.

No updated incident reports for the Boulder 2700 Fire on the east shore of Flathead Lake have been posted since Aug. 16, although crews were making ample progress and evacuation orders had been lifted. The fire leveled more than 20 structures when it grew abruptly under warm winds on the night of July 31.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fire has shifted its regular updates from the Boulder 2700 Fire to the Crooks Fire burning 10 miles east of Arlee.

According to an Aug. 22 update, the Crooks Fire was 3,258 acres at 0% containment, with 147 personnel attacking the blaze. No structures were threatened at that time, and no evacuation orders were in place.

Read more:

Crews Continue Making Progress on Wildfires Across Northwest Montana - Flathead Beacon

This summer Meredith College has continued work on construction projects to further enhance the spaces in which students learn and live. Donor support has enabled the College to move forward with these projects.

New Academic Building

The team working on the new academic building, which will house instructional space for the growing communication and exercise and sports science programs and Meredith athletic offices, has made significant progress after the groundbreaking ceremony on April 30. Underground utility work and grading began immediately. The concrete pour for the base of the building followed by steel I-beam installation allowed the building to begin to take shape in mid-July. Construction is expected to be complete during the 2021-22 academic year.

The building, adjacent to Weatherspoon Gymnasium and the Lowery Fitness Center, will be 13,636 square feet and will include a state-of-the-art recording studio, a podcast room, three editing rooms, two spacious exercise and sports science working classrooms, a collaboration room, and additional classrooms.

With both programs in the same building, there will be opportunities for interdisciplinary work including sports communication coursework and student-based projects that span both areas of study.

We are eager to have students learning in a high-quality environment replete with the kind of equipment they will need on the job. Equally important is that these fields and activities are keenly connected to the ways our world is changing and preparing our students for that world, said President Jo Allen.

The building will be fully accessible and will have energy-saving features such as LED lighting and a special roof that will reduce building cooling needs. To add to the beauty of the building, a lobby will have a water feature and fireplace. There will also be patios on the front and side of the building and 18 offices for department heads in communication and exercise and sports science, and athletic staff.

Watch a virtual walk through of the planned building.

Currently, Institutional Advancement is offering opportunities for individuals and organizations to name spaces within the building, allowing donors to support students and further enhance their education at Meredith.

Design Development Architects designed the new building and Inland Construction headquartered in Garner, N.C., is the general contractor.

Meredith Lake

The Meredith Lake is an integral part of the experience for students at Meredith. It is the site of classes, productions, small gatherings, and a valuable on-campus resource for students conducting undergraduate research.

In March 2017, the lake drained because of erosion of pipes and plumbing. At that time, alumnae stepped up during the annual Meredith Mayhem competition and raised funds for the lake. After unforeseen obstacles that delayed the start of the project, the lake and the small island are being completely restored to a beautiful spot on campus for all to enjoy.

Much progress has been made this year and the lake and surrounding area are set to be complete in September 2021. Work began in January on the bulkhead surrounding the small island. Construction crews battled Mother Nature and unusually high amounts of rain as they excavated around the island to get a solid foundation for the new retaining wall. In some areas, they excavated more than 12 feet down and added over 1,500 tons of stone to ensure the footing was solid.

The new wall is made up of concrete blocks, most weighing more than a Corvette, that interlock like legos to createa visually pleasing andsuper strong structure that will stand the test of time. All trees were cleared from the dam and the dam was reconstructed to be stronger than ever, said Todd Lechner, assistant facility manager and project manager.

The dam was also increased in height and width to meet the 100 year storm calculations provided by the State Board.

In mid-August, the bridge was installed connecting the small island so people can walk over and enjoy a quiet spot on campus. A gift from Kellie Falk, 85, and her classmates made this renovation possible.

Once complete, a celebration for all who donated to the Lake will take place.

Nutrition Lab

The Nutrition Lab located in Martin Hall has undergone major renovations this summer. It is set to be complete and ready for students in the fall 2021 semester. The new lab will provide students with hands-on learning experiences that will simulate the environment they will work in outside of Meredith in areas such as nutrition education, sales, food service management, public policy or health fields, and the local and sustainable food industry.

The renovation was made possible by Roy Nifong, father of Marianne Nifong Raker, 72, who was a home economics major at Meredith. The gift is in memory of his wife and Rakers mother, Grace.

The entire space was demolished and the area expanded into the adjacent hallway beginning in May. The bigger space will provide an open feeling between the classroom space and the actual kitchen.

The space has all new gas lines, electrical, water, and drain systems. A full-size hood system was installed with a dedicated air conditioning unit, complete with new ductwork for the HVAC and the exhaust hood system.

Movable shelving units are being installed that allow ease of flexibility when teaching and learning. A large pantry, walk-in freezer and refrigerators, three restaurant-grade ranges, convection oven, induction range with oven, multiple sinks, dishwasher, and many more amenities are included in the new industrial kitchen.

The Wake County Health Department was consulted on the design so the entire project has been built to health department standards and will give students real-world experience in a commercial environment.

To see construction photos of the new spaces, visit meredith.edu/campus-growth.

See the original post here:

Facility Projects Make Great Progress this Summer - Meredith College News

With the recent passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the Senate and the confirmation of eight federal judgesthe most through Aug. 1 of a presidents first year going back to Richard Nixonthe Biden administration appears to be off to an auspicious beginning. However, in spite of these headlines, the pace of confirmations for leadership positions across the executive branch has been extremely slow. While staffing the government at the highest level is a key priority at the start of any administration, the paucity of confirmed officials at this point in time pales in comparison to President Bidens three predecessors. There is no single reason that explains the slow pace of confirmations at this level, largely because two institutionsthe presidency and the Senateplay pivotal roles and contribute to the delay. Apart from pace, it is also important to note that the Biden administration is setting records in terms of diversity. More women and nonwhites have been confirmed to these top executive positions in comparison to his three predecessors.

When I reported on progress at the 100-day mark, President Biden had racked up 30 confirmations, but his pace lagged behind Presidents Bush and Obama. In addition, the administration demonstrated an undeniable commitment to diversity during the first 100 days. This report marks a second opportunity to track the progress, the second 100 days of the Biden administration (from May 1 through Aug. 9, 2021). Note that the data are drawn from Congress.gov and include comparative information going back to President George W. Bush while focusing only on confirmations to the 15 major executive departments (excluding U.S. attorneys at the Department of Justice). In order to track diversity (gender and race/ethnicity), I adopted the U.S. Census race/ethnicity categorization and consulted a variety of online resources for verification. Set out below are the findings from this analysis.

The chart below tracks the frequency of Senate-confirmed appointees at the 100-, 200-, and 300-day marks within the first year of a presidency. After 200 days, W. Bush had accumulated a total of 240 confirmations, Obama had 238, and Trump had 89; Biden stands at 88. Its clear that the Biden administration is behind on confirming appointees, especially compared to the W. Bush and Obama presidencies.

Stepping back from the cumulative totals in which Biden lags, the data from the second 100-day time period reveal that the pace has slowed even more. Within days 101-200 of their presidencies, George W. Bush added 208 confirmations, Obama added 175, Trump added 70, and Biden added just 58. During the period in which there is typically a major uptick in confirmations, the Biden confirmation rate increased by only 28 confirmations compared to the first 100 days (where he had 30 confirmations), a 93% improvement. Compare that to his three predecessors:

No matter how you slice the datalooking cumulatively or just looking at the second 100-day periodthe pace of confirmations is unusually slow.

Shifting the focus to the gender and race/ethnicity of those confirmed, the Biden administration has demonstrated a strong and steady commitment to appointing women and nonwhites to the highest positions in government. In the second 100-day period, more women than men were confirmed, with women representing 62% of confirmed individuals.

Looking at the rate of women in Senate-confirmed positions over the course of the first 300 days shows once again the Biden administrations commitment to placing women in key positions. In fact, the Biden administration has already appointed more women to Senate-confirmed positions in the executive branch than President Trump had after a full 300 days in office.

When examining race/ethnicity, nonwhites represented 47% of the confirmed individuals from days 101-200, a trend that far outpaces his predecessors going back to George W. Bush. The commitment to the appointment of women and nonwhites is at an all-time high and reflects the fulfillment of a key campaign promise.

Though the Biden administration is bringing much-needed diversity to senior leadership, the pace of confirmation is not entirely in their hands. The Senate plays a key role in moving nominees through the process to a floor vote, but the snails pace is clearly not due to a lack of nominees. According to research conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, President Biden had nominated a total of 238 individuals to the 15 major departments (as of Aug. 4, 2021). Of those 238 nominations, only 88 (or 37%) have been confirmed. Put differently, just over one-third of the existing nominees to the 15 major departments have made their way through the confirmation gauntlet. Now 200 days into a new administration, such a small number of confirmed appointees is a historic low.

Admittedly, the Senate has had a full agenda since Jan. 20th with impeachment proceedings, the passage of a COVID-19 relief package, a budget resolution to set up reconciliation, and the infrastructure bill, to name some highlights. In addition, a dash of Republican obstruction has likely hindered the pace of confirmations: In early July, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) placed a hold over all State Department nominees due to a disagreement with the Biden administration over a Russian pipeline. After 200 days in office, only 10 Biden nominees have been confirmed to the State Department. Compare this showing to 78 for President W. Bush, 85 for President Obama, and 23 for President Trump. Senate holds are not unusual and both parties are guilty of holding up nominees, but a halt of this magnitude to State Department appointees, particularly ambassadors, is likely affecting diplomatic relations across the world.

It may also be the case that the White House push for judicial appointmentswhich have a lifetime termhas taken priority over other executive branch nominees. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is performing the ultimate balancing act of determining which nominations to prioritize while maintaining a vigorous legislative agenda. No doubt the White House is likely consulting with the Senate majority leader, but the chambers priorities appear to be weighing heavily in favor of judicial appointments and legislative victories. In addition, the 50-50 split in the Senate may be influencing efforts to have committees report nominees rather than engaging in the several steps to discharge a nominee when there is a tie in committee, resulting in a lengthier process.

It is also worth noting that the Biden transition made a deliberate effort to fill the political positions across the government that did not require Senate confirmation. Presidential transition scholar Martha Joynt Kumar contends, Instead of focusing on Cabinet secretaries, Kaufman [Head of Biden Transition, 2020] advocated prioritizing the political appointments that did not need to go through the Senate. This strategy, implemented well before Election Day, demonstrates how an experienced transition team can anticipate and work around future roadblocks. So, while there are sparse numbers of confirmed leaders, there are several Biden political appointees working in key positions across the federal government.

Perhaps the next 100 days will prove more productive in the realm of Senate confirmations to the executive branch, but historically this has not been the case. Given the personnel upheaval that characterized the Trump administration, filling the leadership vacuum should be priority number one. Federal departments with thousands of employees and millions of dollars in their budget need leadership, and the Senate should prioritize the confirmation process at this important moment in American history.

View the full Senate confirmations tracker here.

Read the rest here:

Bidens confirmations progress at the 200-day mark - Brookings Institution

Any time you hear the Miami Dolphins defensive coaches or players talk about the keys to their performance, communication is one of the first words that comes into play. The Dolphins do not run a simple defense and they ask a lot of their players from a recognition and recall perspective to make complex adjustments pre-snap to keep tight coverage on opposing offenses. 2020 was a great start in Year 2 under Brian Flores, but it was also last year; meaning the carryover for this upcoming season is limited at best. With a new starter at free safety and some new pieces of the puzzle elsewhere, the Dolphins dont have the luxury of simply running it back.

And thats exactly what makes this week against Chicago and the rest of the preseason so valuable. The kinks need to be ironed out now so that when the team comes into focus against the New England Patriots in Week 1, the coverage is locked and loaded.

Veteran safety Eric Rowe is encouraged by what two days against the Bears has provided.

Defensive-wise from yesterday to today, we made progress. Especially in the back end, our communication. Yesterday we missed a couple checks. Thats why we have these practices against someone than our own color. Its good for us to see what we need to work on. So from yesterday to today, I even saw progress even within myself, said Rowe after Thursdays practice.

Getting into simulated situations, missing adjustments, reviewing the film and then making adjustments is a necessary part of the process for all teams in all avenues. But for this Dolphins secondary, it can be formative. Remember early on in 2020, without a preseason, when Miamis defense struggled in the first month of the season? The Dolphins sorely missed getting exposures to other teams besides themselves (along with Byron Jones) and by the time Miami settled in defensively, it was Week 5 versus San Francisco and the team entered at 1-3.

Avoiding that slow start will be critical for the Dolphins aspirations and now is the time to make mistakes. Rowe sees plenty of that process in the weeks to come.

Its still a long way to go. No ones in obviously midseason form. That takes time. Things I know that weve got to do just to tighten up is just our communication and really just getting lined up, because weve seen it when we play our assignments and we execute that were stopping the run, were stopping the pass; but right now its just little things that Im sure every team has that work through training camp with just some alignment issues or we missed a check on a call or we blow a coverage. Once we just get those things tightened up, we can back to where we were.

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Eric Rowe and Dolphins secondary focused on progress in communications - Dolphins Wire

WESTERLY The new director of development services comes to the town from Illinois and brings experience as a lawyer, an appointed municipal government official and a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Jeffrey N. Monteleone started his new position on July 26. His experience as a lawyer, according to his resume, includes work representing and advising municipalities on land use, town and city governance, and cases involving allegations of police misconduct.

Monteleone also worked with Town Manager J. Mark Rooney in Carpentersville, Ill., as an analyst, human resources director, and assistant to the village manager. Rooney was village manager in Carpentersville from2010 to early 2018 and started his work in Westerly in the summer of 2018.

The director of the department, according to the Town Charter, oversees the offices of planning, zoning, building and code enforcement and directs the town planner and the zoning, building, and property maintenance code officials. The director is also responsible for enforcing relevant municipal ordinances that are within the purview of the department.

The charter also specifies that the director administers grants and performs additional duties as directed by the town manager.

His initial time in Westerly has been focused on studying the town zoning ordinance and state zoning laws and getting to know his co-workers and members of the boards he will be working with.

"I'm getting my comfort and familiarity with our zoning ordinance because almost anything that comes through this office, either on the building side or the planning and zoning side, somehow is hitting on that ordinance," Monteleone said.

He said he was drawn to the job for several reasons including a chance to live by the water, which he came to like after spending time on military bases that were close to beaches. He also has relatives who live in the Northeast.

"It'sa new place, it's a challenge, and I love the opportunity to be in a coastal community,"Monteleone said.

Shortly after high school, Monteleone enlisted with the Marines. He worked in an intelligence role and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. "It was a real calling for me," Monteleone said of his time in the military.

As he was transitioning to civilian life, Monteleone said, he realized he had a continuing interest in public service and decided work on the municipal level would be best.

"I wanted the experience of having a stakeholder right at the counter and being able to help them with their problem and see the impact of that public service in real time," Monteleone said.

While he said he works well with Rooney, Monteleone stressed, "I have a very strong interest in being here independent of my past relationship with the town manager."

Monteleone is filling a vacancy left by the resignation of Lisa Pellegrini, who served as director of development services from 2017 until earlier this year. Pellegrini has been hired to continue working for the town in a new capacity as a grant writer and administrator. She will perform most of her work by telecommuting from her new home in St. Augustine, Fla. Her new salary, which is lower than her job as department director, is about $70,000 per year, Rooney said.

Town officials have discussed establishing a full-time grant writer and administrator position for years, saying the job would bring in far more money through grants than is paid out in salary. The Town Council approved the new position during its deliberations on the current municipal budget. A part-time grant writer position had previously been eliminated.

Rooney said he is optimistic Pellegrini will have success obtaining new grants made available through federal COVID-19 relief efforts as well as grants that might become available if President Joseph Biden's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure bill passes. She will also continue to administer ongoing grant projects, including the upcoming eelgrass and dredge project at Winnapaug Pond.

Pellegrini will also work with the municipal Economic Development Commission and with the South County Tourism District and continue efforts to obtain funding for climate change resiliency projects, Rooney said.

Rooney said he is confident Pellegrini will be effective in her job while living in Florida, saying the early weeks and months of the COVID-19 pandemic showed officials that employees functioned well while working remotely.

"During the first throes of COVID we saw about a third of the non-public works and police employees working from home ... we found ways to make it work," Rooney said.

It is a time of many personnel changes in Town Hall. Nathan Reichert, who has served as zoning official since May 2017, is leaving for a new position as director of planning and zoning in Colchester, Vt. His last day in the office is Monday.

Tim Ryan, who served as human resources director for just 10 months, is leaving to return to California. Rooney said Ryan found the transition to life on the East Coast was more difficult than anticipated. Haley Hamilton, the town's human resources generalist, recently informed town officials of her intent to resign, Rooney said.

Monteleone will handle some of the human resources functions on an interim basis and a consultant will likely be used until new staff members are hired, Rooney said.

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Carousel of progress at Westerly Town Hall with hirings, departures - The Westerly Sun