Category Archives: Progress

NEW YORK and PERTH, Australia, April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --PYC Therapeutics (ASX: PYC), a biotechnology company developing a new generation of precision RNA therapeutics to change the lives of patients with inherited diseases, today announced a first quarter update highlighting the progress of its development pipeline, growth of its U.S. operations and upcoming milestones.

"PYC has had an exciting quarter of progress against our Company objectives. We have achieved continued validation of our PPMO technology in our lead candidate VP-001 for retinitis pigmentosa type 11, further development of our ocular pipeline as well as PYC's first set of preclinical data from our CNS discovery efforts demonstrating superior delivery of RNA therapeutic throughout the brain and spinal cord. The potential of our pioneering PPMO technology is vast and we look forward to advancing this technology to provide solutions for patients with inherited ocular and neurodegenerative diseases for whom treatment options are either limited or unavailable today," said Sahm Nasseri, U.S. Chief Executive Officer of PYC Therapeutics. "This quarter, we also expanded our U.S. operations with key leadership appointments and engagements with the U.S. biotech ecosystem, underscoring the significant steps we are taking towards our transformational goal of becoming a multi-asset clinical stage biotechnology company. PYC is well positioned to maintain this momentum into the second quarter of 2021 with important larger animal studies commencing for VP-001, deeper development of VP-002 and into the balance of 2021 with continued development of our pipeline in both the eye and the CNS."

"This is a transformational time for PYC. For some time, we've had significant excitement in our PPMO technology's potential for impact in treating numerous genetic and acquired diseases and it's truly humbling to see that excitement being translated into results through both our lead program development, and our technology's continued validation," commented Alan Tribe, Chairman of PYC Therapeutics.

Recent Achievements

Inherited Ocular Diseases:

Central Nervous System (CNS) Diseases:

Corporate Initiatives:

"We continue to execute on the strategic goals we laid out to advance our transformation from an Australia-based discovery-focused organization into an Australia and U.S.-based multi-asset clinical stage biotechnology company," continued Mr. Nasseri, U.S. CEO of PYC. "We look forward to sharing continued progress this year, including achieving our preclinical data milestones for all three of our defined programs in ocular diseases and announcing our CNS candidate, as we further validate our PPMO technology platform across indications to develop treatments for patients with a range of significant unmet needs."

About PYC TherapeuticsPYC Therapeutics (ASX: PYC) is a development-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new generation of RNA therapeutics that utilize PYC's proprietary library of naturally derived cell penetrating peptides to overcome the major challenges of current genetic medicines. PYC believes its PPMO (Peptide conjugated Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomer) technology enables a safer and more effective RNA therapeutic to address the underlying drivers of a range of genetic diseases for which no treatment solutions exist today. The Company is leveraging its leading-edge science to develop a pipeline of novel therapies including three preclinical stage programs focused on inherited eye diseases and preclinical discovery efforts focused on neurodegenerative diseases. PYC's discovery and laboratory operations are located in Australia, and the Company recently launched an expansion into the U.S. for its preclinical, clinical, regulatory and corporate operations. For more information, visit pyctx.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward looking statementsAny forward-looking statements in this ASX announcement have been prepared on the basis of a number of assumptions which may prove incorrect and the current intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs about future events are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from assumptions or expectations expressed or implied in this ASX announcement include known and unknown risks. Because actual results could differ materially to assumptions made and the Company's current intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in this ASX announcement with caution. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

1Preclincial models for Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) delivered DNA therapies have not been demonstration in this in preclinical testing, See Brydon EM, Bronstein R, Buskin A, Lako M, Pierce EA, Fernandez-Godino R. AAV-Mediated Gene Augmentation Therapy Restores Critical Functions in Mutant PRPF31+/- iPSC-Derived RPE Cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2019 Nov 11;15:392-402.2Yu-Wai-Man P, et al. The prevalence and natural history of dominant optic atrophy due to OPA1 mutations. Ophthalmology. 2010 Aug;117(8):1538-46, 1546.e1; Lenaers G, Hamel C, Delettre C, et al. Dominant optic atrophy. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2012;7:46. Published 2012 Jul 9. 63GBD 2016 Neurology Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2019 Parkinson included in 'rarer disease' to distinguish from Alzheimer's.

CONTACTS:

INVESTORSDeborah Elson/Matthew DeYoungArgot Partnersdeborah@argotpartners.commatthew@argotpartners.com

MEDIALeo VartorellaArgot Partnersleo@argotpartners.com

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PYC Therapeutics Highlights Continued Progress of Ocular and CNS Pipeline Programs and US Expansion in First Quarter Update - BioSpace

VMware updated us on its progress on making Fusion compatible with Apple's M1 chip this week. The company said it's committed to "delivering a Tech Preview of VMware Fusion for macOS on Apple silicon this year," but it's not clear if that version of the tool will support Windows 10 on Arm, because of Microsoft's licensing terms.

This isn't the first time VMware has warned against M1-equipped Mac owners running Windows 10 on Arm. VMWare product line manager Michael Roy said earlier this month that "It's uncharted waters, so everyone is treading lightly... Like, you can't even BUY Windows for ARM, and folks using it who aren't OEMs could be violating EULA... we're not into doing that for the sake of a press release..."

So don't expect VMware to follow Parallels in enabling Windows 10 on Arm support for M1-equipped Macs until Microsoft gives it the go-ahead. Roy said in the official announcement that VMware has "reached out to Microsoft for comment and clarification on the matter," and that the company is "confident that if Microsoft offers Windows on Arm licenses more broadly, well be ready to officially support it."

For its part, Microsoft seems content not to commit to bringing Windows to the latest Macs. Apple said in November 2020 that its silicon is ready for Windows; it's simply up to Microsoft to update the operating system to natively support the M1 chip. Now we have two leading virtualization software makers either moving forward without Microsoft (Parallels) or publicly calling for a verdict on the issue (VMware).

But this week's announcement wasn't all about Windows. The next major update to VMware Fusion is set to support Linux-based operating systems, and that progress appears to be going well. Roy said that he could boot seven Arm-based VMstwo command-line interfaces and five full desktops "configured with 4CPU and 8GB of RAM"on a battery-powered MacBook Air that doesn't even include a fan.

"Of course, just booting a bunch of VMs that are mostly idle isnt quite a real world experience, nor is it the same as doing some of the stress testing that we perform in the leadup to a release," Roy said."Even with that said, and note that Im using debug builds which performslower,in my 12 years at VMware Ive never seen VMs boot and run like this.So were very encouraged by our early results, and seriously cant wait to get it on every Apple silicon equipped Mac out there." (Emphasis his.)

But there are some caveats. VMware Fusion doesn't "currently have things like 3D hardware accelerated graphics," Roy said, "and other features that require Tools which Fusion users on Intel Macs have come to expect." The company also doesn't plan to offer x86 emulation via Fusionwhich means M1-equipped Mac owners won't be able to install Windows or Linux .ISOs meant for the architecture.

Roy said VMware plans to release a preview of an M1-compatible version of Fusion "before the end of this year." The company should offer more information about its progress toward supporting Apple silicon via the VMware Technology Network and Twitter "in the coming months." Maybe that will give Microsoft enough time to publically decide whether or not it wants to make it easier to run Windows on the latest Macs.

Link:

Vmware Puts the Windows-on-M1 Ball in Microsoft's Court With Progress Update - Tom's Hardware

KINGSTON, R.I. University of Rhode Island students took advantage of the nearby mass COVID-19 vaccination site in West Kingston this weekend, while the school has seen positive COVID-19 cases plummet in recent weeks.

The state set aside time Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, for URI students, faculty and staff to get a COVID vaccine shot at the state-run South County Point of Distribution at the Schneider Electric building off Fairgrounds Road. The shots were free of charge.

We appreciated the Rhode Island Department of Healths decision to give our community priority access to the states mass vaccination clinic in West Kingston, URI spokesman Dave Lavallee said. For those students who participated, it was a great experience: convenient, quick and easy.

URI continues to see a significant reduction in positive cases, mirroring the wider community.

On Wednesday, the universitys COVID-19 tracker showed a 0.39% positive COVID-19 test rate over the past seven days, down from more than 2.5% in early February. URI tested 3,003 people from April 21-27 and found 11 unique positive cases.

Since Jan. 1, the university has administered 88,199 COVID tests and had 1,300 positive cases.

Similar trends are shown in the schools number of quarantine beds in use. URI reports 49 individuals in quarantine or isolation, 15 of which are students. Just 4.6% of the schools 327 quarantine beds were in use as of Saturday, down from 83.5% on March 5.

Activity around testing and vaccination will slow further in the coming weeks as students leave campus for the summer.

As Monday, April 26, was the last day of classes, we expect most of our community on campus to return home during the next week, Lavallee said. Most students will leave our residence halls by May 8.

According to URIs Health Services site, the last day of mandatory testing for students is May 7. Testing will be conducted in the Memorial Union Atrium and will remain open until May 21.

With falling positive cases and more people getting vaccinated each day, some parents of URI graduates have called on the school to change its plans to host in-person commencement for the graduates only.

Those plans, which would have family and friends view the ceremonies online, were made weeks before new Gov. Dan. McKee announced an easing of COVID-19 restrictions that will start on May 7 and continue May 28. The new guidelines lift the attendance cap on outdoor assemblies, provided that three-foot distancing is observed and people wear masks if they gather in close quarters less than 3 feet.

Also, events of more than 2,500 people would need approval at the state and local levels.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday said CDC guidance had changed to allow fully vaccinated people to go mask-less outdoors. But the president said those in large crowds would still need to wear masks.

Based on the latest announcements by the governor about continued reduction of limits on venues of assembly, the university is reviewing the updated guidance provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health and Department of Business Regulation and will communicate any changes to the commencement plans, Lavallee said.

URI is also evaluating whether to join other colleges and universities that have required students returning in the fall to be fully vaccinated.

URI is currently evaluating and reviewing its plans for fall opening, including whether we will require a COVID-19 vaccination for our community members, Lavallee said. We hope to make a decision by early summer and will communicate with our community as soon as the determination is made.

Read more:

URI sees signs of progress in fight against COVID-19 - The Independent

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

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

Vaccine Progress in Bexar County

Across Bexar County, just over 1.26 million vaccine doses have been administered, as of April 29.

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

83,541 vaccines were administered last week in Bexar County, according to DSHS; a total of 1.26 million vaccine doses have been administered in the county since vaccination efforts began 19 weeks ago.

Across Texas, 7.617 million residents are fully vaccinated. In total, the state has administered 17.897 million vaccine doses, as of April 29. Texas is one of 8 states with less than 26% of its population fully vaccinated, as of April 28:

Latest Coronavirus Numbers

Here are the latest numbers reported by Bexar County and state officials:

Bexar County (data as of Friday, April 30):

Metro Health reports new data at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Texas (data as of Friday, April 30):

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

Bexar County COVID-19 Trends

Last week's update of the Warning Signs and Progress Indicators for Bexar County saw Bexar County holding steady at the low-risk level. The positivity rate dropped slightly to 1.9%, as of Monday, April 26.

The county's seven-day moving average of daily COVID-19 is 235 cases per day, marking the eighth straight day where that number has been greater than 200. The seven-day moving average had plummeted to 172 on April 20.

Coronavirus symptoms

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

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

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

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

Human coronaviruses are usually spread...

Help stop the spread of coronavirus

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

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

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Vaccine Progress in Bexar County: One-third of residents are fully vaccinated - KENS5.com

Letters to the editor are submitted from outside The Maneater and do not represent the view of the newspaper, editorial board or staff.

Racism has been present on MUs campus since its establishment in 1839. In the past, Black students have continuously been denied admission, academic resources and rights for too long at this institution. Through marches, movements, resilience and unity, students were able to stand against these acts of discrimination to better serve Black students in their pursuit of academia at MU. These demonstrations helped provide essential resources for our students of color, whether that be more faculty and staff of color, or even social justice programs, spaces and resources.

Though we were told these issues were a part of the past and history, we have seen history repeat itself time and time again. Whether facing blatant racism, microaggressions, lack of resources or threats of consequences, students still continue to stand against oppressive systems in order to make MU a better place than when they found it.

Through the years, weve seen changes in the culture of our university. We have witnessed many progressive advancements that have shaped our campus into what it is today. Oftentimes, these progressive changes have been implemented or started by students and staff at MU, rather than the institution itself. Even though progress has been made, its essential that we keep the momentum of these movements alive. We want to ensure that advocacy will continue to happen in order to meet the needs of our marginalized communities.

Many voices face the risk of being silenced in this work, and it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity as a community to amplify the voices of those in need. Weve seen how working together collectively has made an impact on our campus, time and time again. We have witnessed the tireless effort students, faculty and staff have put forth to make systemic change at MU.

Through the various movements that were held on campus, social media and throughout the Columbia community, students have taken the burden of fighting issues that continue to persist on our campus. Even though there are people and systems in place to acknowledge student issues and worries, students often take on the responsibility of resolving these problems themselves due to the administration's priority of the actual institution rather than the community.

We ask the administration: why is it so difficult to understand the worries of students? You speak on the importance of inclusion, diversity and equity, yet students of color take classes in buildings like Middlebush Hall, named after the University president who fought tooth and nail to keep MU segregated. You state that you listen, yet Black students must walk past the Thomas Jefferson Statue and Grave Monument. This is a continuous reminder that Black students are not welcomed or valued, as Thomas Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves in his lifetime.

When hearing the cries for change, you instead allocated thousands of dollars to protect the very monument that brought us anger. You say that you stand with us, yet you are threatening a restructure of the Social Justice Centers where students find their home. The very idea of having our beloved coordinators and staff not having solidified jobs puts fear in our student body.

With no clear plan distributed to students, we fear what this restructure may bring and how it will impact those in need. Students continuously protest and state the problems they face here at this institution, and they are met with consequences, being blocked on social media and constantly looked over.

Administrations value for inclusion, diversity and equity must be felt by all students. We need to see the actions of support for our marginalized communities. What we need from administration is clear transparency on changes and issues that regard the greater community at MU. We need to see value and care being instilled into the spaces and people that support us on campus. We need the administration to know that haphazard decisions cannot be made at the expense of marginalized students. We need accountability, and we need them to listen.

Students are tired of the constant empty statements and lip service. We must see transformative work from students as well as the individuals who actually hold the power to make change at our university. One of the most powerful things we can use is our voice. In order to continue striving for change, we encourage you to keep working toward change and to keep moving toward progress.

As Secret Societies, we value leadership and service and feel that everyone can play a part in the movement toward long standing progression and change. It is our responsibility as student leaders to continue fighting against systems of oppression on our campus. We understand the responsibility to extend a helping hand to serve the community were in. We encourage other members of the community to always do the same. We must continue advocating for those who are overlooked and silenced in our communities, while continuing to fight for faculty and staff who constantly support us.

Although we have progressed, we must continue to disrupt the systems that have been formed against us. To increase our effort in making structural change, we must continue to hold the administration accountable to shape our university into an institution that serves the students first.

Signed,Mystical 7, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, QEBH, LSV and Rollins Society

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, email your submission to letters@themaneater.com

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Letter to the Editor: MU administration must progress and change in order to evoke inclusion, diversity and equity. - The Maneater

President Biden entered the White House with an ambitious immigration agenda, promising not only to undo the harmful policies imposed by his predecessor but to completely reform the U.S. immigration system into one that is more efficient, welcoming and humane.

One hundred days later, immigration experts generally agree that Biden has made some notable strides in the right direction but has a lot more work to do in order to deliver on those lofty promises.

Only focusing on the reversal of some of the harm that Trump inflicted upon immigrants, refugees and border communities is crucial, but its not progress, said Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer at RAICES, a nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrant and refugee families, in a statement. Progress and justice for the immigrant community means completely undoing every hurtful policy and going beyond the status quo of the Obama administration and his predecessors.

Migrants and asylum seekers demonstrate at the San Ysidro crossing between Tijuana, Mexico, and California on March 23. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images)

As a candidate, Biden was particularly critical of the Trump administrations policies that sought to limit access to protections in the U.S. for asylum seekers and refugees. Upon entering office, he quickly issued a number of executive orders to roll back some of those harshest policies, such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, which forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases were adjudicated in U.S. immigration court.

But Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that while Biden has taken some steps to improve asylum procedures, he has not executed on promises that he made to welcome asylum seekers to the United States, as well as refugees.

On a call with reporters Thursday, Chen outlined some of the key findings from the associations newly published review of Bidens immigration actions during his first 100 days in office. Humanitarian protections, he said, are one of the areas in which the administration has made the least progress, and has even backed away from some of [Bidens] pledges.

Story continues

Asylum-seeking migrant families ride on an inflatable raft to cross the Rio Grande into the United States on April 22. (Go Nakamura/Getty Images)

Perhaps the most blatant example came earlier this month, when the White House announced that Biden would keep the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2021 at 15,000 the historically low number set by Donald Trump instead of raising it to 62,500, as hed previously promised. The White House walked back the announcement after it drew significant backlash from prominent congressional Democrats. In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted that Bidens decision had been the subject of some confusion and that the president was expected to set a final, increased refugee cap for the remainder of this fiscal year by May 15.

For the past few weeks, he has been consulting with his advisers to determine what number of refugees could realistically be admitted to the United States between now and Oct. 1, read Psakis statement. Given the decimated refugee admissions program we inherited, and burdens on the Office of Refugee Resettlement, his initial goal of 62,500 seems unlikely.

Psaki also noted that while Trumps 15,000 cap would remain in place, at least for now, Biden had ordered flights to resume for refugees from key regions that had previously been banned under Trump.

Reporting from the Washington Post and New York Times later revealed that Bidens reversal on refugees was motivated by concerns over political pressure stemming from the recent surge of migrants, largely from Central America, arriving at the southern border.

We recognize that there is substantial controversy about an influx of migrants coming in at the southern border, said Chen. He argued that the controversy is being used by those resistant to [Bidens] vision of a more welcoming America ... to impede any kind of reform.

Whether Biden will commit to carrying out that vision in the face of future political challenges is going to be a real test of the president's leadership, said Chen.

Migrants attempt to cross the Rio Bravo from Ciudad Jurez, Mexico, to Texas on March 9. (David Peinado/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Chen also pointed to Bidens continued use of a controversial public health order, known as Title 42, which was first implemented under the Trump administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to effectively seal off the southern border to migrants. Unlike Trump, Biden has made unaccompanied migrant children exempt from being expelled at the border under Title 42. But the order is still being used to quickly remove the majority of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without documentation, including asylum-seeking families with young children.

According to a recent Los Angeles Times analysis of government data, U.S. officials have conducted more than 630,000 expulsions along the U.S.-Mexico border since Title 42 was implemented in March 2020, with roughly 240,000 since Biden was inaugurated in January. Of the expulsions carried out under the current administration, nearly 32,000 were of migrant children and their parents. The Los Angeles Times found that by forcibly sending thousands of vulnerable Central American migrants to some of the most dangerous cities south of the Mexican border, Title 42 is fueling the kidnappings of migrants and the extortion of their relatives in the United States.

The policy has been widely condemned by public health experts as well as immigrant and human rights advocates. Human Rights Watch, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and several Democratic senators, including then-Sen. Kamala Harris, have argued that it violates both U.S. and international asylum laws.

Migrants from Central America disembark from an inflatable boat after crossing the Rio Grande before turning themselves over to Border Patrol agents on March 29. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

"Significantly fewer families are being allowed to access asylum" under the Biden administration than under Trump, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy counsel for the American Immigration Council, told members of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation & Operations during a hearing on unaccompanied children at the border this week.

Nonetheless, Biden hasnt backed away from Title 42, but rather he has pointed to the continued expulsion of most families and single adults amid a surge of migration from Central America to the U.S. as proof that the border is not open, contrary to the claims of both smugglers and Bidens Republican critics. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Yahoo News on Title 42, but administration officials have previously defended its use of the Trump-era policy. On a call with reporters earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the order is a public health imperative not only to protect the American public but also to importantly protect the migrants themselves, and would remain in place until it is no longer needed.

On Thursday, BuzzFeed News reported that the Biden administration is considering a plan to offer certain particularly vulnerable migrants a chance to enter the U.S. with a humanitarian exception to the Title 42 policy. The BuzzFeed report notes that under the potential new process, which is still being finalized, Department of Homeland Security officials are expected to still turn around the vast majority of immigrants at the border.

President Biden speaks to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. (Melina Mara/Washington Post via Bloomberg)

Biden briefly touched on immigration during his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. He referenced the effort, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, to get at the root of the problem of why people are fleeing to our southern border from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and called on members of Congress to pass immigration reform legislation.

But even some of his allies in Congress, such as Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., were disappointed that the presidents speech did not include a specific plan to address the current influx of migrants at the southern border. In an interview with Politico on Thursday, Kelly, who is already facing Republican criticism over the border situation ahead of his reelection bid next year, called for more federal resources for what I would say is a crisis on the border in Arizona and Texas and promised to "continue holding this administration accountable.

Reichlin-Melnick and Jorge Loweree, policy director of the American Immigration Council, released their own report Thursday on the Biden administrations progress so far on eliminating the Trump-era restrictions to legal immigration, and the significant barriers that remain.

President Biden's first 100 days were a success in signaling a very different and new way forward on immigration, Loweree told reporters Thursday. His next hundred days must be characterized by meaningful action to address the ongoing hardship experienced by immigrants and their families created by Trump's invisible wall."

____

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100 days in, Biden has made little progress on helping refugees and asylum seekers - Yahoo News

Published: 4/30/2021 8:00:39 AM

During the 2020 election cycle, Granite State election officials were committed to the idea that no one should have to choose between their health and their right to vote. And because of this commitment to American democracy, it became easier to vote here in New Hampshire with expanded absentee eligibility. This was executed smoothly and led to record turnout all over the state.

If this past year has taught us anything, its that democracy is at its best when all eligible voters have access to the ballot. HR 1, also known as the For the People Act, will help make the ballot more accessible.

The For the People Act would implement measures that would make voting easier. These are measures that New Hampshire and many other states have already executed successfully.

For example, in 2020 here in the Granite State we had broad absentee voting. Voters turned out in record numbers because they were able to use the absentee option. Granite State voters were also equipped with the correct information they needed to register and vote safely. This information was easily accessible online.

The For the People Act would build on New Hampshires voter outreach efforts by making it easier for eligible voters to register online. In fact, this bill is committed to modernizing voter registration by automatically registering voters for federal elections and allowing for same-day registration nationwide. The more eligible voters who are able to participate in our elections, the stronger our democracy becomes.

Central features of the For The People Act include expanding voter access and ending the influence of special interests, millionaires and billionaires, and corporations who spend an absurd amount of money to influence our elections. It will strengthen the FECs power to investigate campaign finance violations and crack down on foreign election interference.

This is a groundbreaking, once-in-a-generation piece of legislation aimed at curbing corruption, and Congress needs to pass this common-sense bill and send it to the president for his signature as soon as possible.

The For the People Act would combat corruption and dark money in politics by preventing unscrupulous politicians from using their offices to benefit their friends and family. This bill would also ban lawmakers from sitting on corporate boards, thereby closing the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists.

The For the People Act would also close loopholes that allow foreign corporations and foreign nationals to spend in American elections. And it will require presidents and vice presidents to release their tax returns. This restores transparency and public trust in our institutions, public trust that was often broken by the Trump Administration. These are widely popular and logical steps that will ensure integrity in our elections as well as a higher ethical standard for our elected officials.

Despite all of the good the For the People Act does to make voting easier and stop corruption, we continue to see opponents of this common-sense legislation weaponizing easily debunked pieces of disinformation to sow distrust in our democratic process. It also seems that, more often than not, those who oppose the For the People Act are benefitting from the presence of dark money in politics. Corruption, dark money and misinformation have no place in American elections.

If we want the progress that weve seen in the first 100 days of the Biden administration to continue, we need to pass the For the People Act. Our country is strongest when every voter is able to participate in our democratic elections and when dark money is out of the picture.

(Rep. David Cote serves on the NH House Election Law Committee.)

Continued here:

My Turn: For the People Act builds on progress - Concord Monitor

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Getting into shape before beach season is a noble goal. But if youre not keeping track of your progress, it can all be for nothing. You need to know exactly how things are going. And you can get all the numbers you need to figure out how things are going with this Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker.

Having the Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker is going to be a pretty big game-changer. Because having the numbers delivered to you immediately is hard to pass up. That way you can see where you are succeeding and where you need to improve. All in this sleek and waterproof package.

Thats right. This Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker is waterproof. So instead of just tracking your fitness on land, you can now track what youre doing in the water. With the warm weather here, you can more easily swim in a pool or at the beach. And then youll see how you fare in such situations.Amazon

When you put this tracker, you will get some quick and immediate results. For one, it tracks your heart rate. That way you can see how well you do during a workout and how long you last before it gets to be too much. It can also track your calories burned to help you see how hard you went during a workout.

But that isnt all. You can also have this little number track your sleep habits. Lack of sleep can do a real number on your physical well-being, not to mention affect how well you do during a workout. And it comes with a GPS in it to help you know where you are at all times.

This Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker is a wonderful piece of tech. And it is pretty vital to the lives of anyone who is looking to get into shape. And right now you can get it for a great discount. So head on over to Amazon right now so you can pick it up while supplies still last.

Get It: Pick up the Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker ($99; was $150) at Amazon

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Track Your Progress With The Help Of This Fitness Tracker Men's Journal - Men's Journal

While corn and soybean prices continue to march higher, farmers are making progress getting the 2021 crop in the ground. The latest estimates from USDA show soybean planting progress jumped from 3% to 8% in the past week, which is trending 3% ahead of the five-year average. Around 3% of the soybean crop has emerged, which is 1% ahead of last week. Louisiana trails in planting progress, but the other key soybean production states are tracking with the five-year average or even a bit ahead.

USDA estimate 17% of the corn crop is now planted, which is up 9% from last week but still 3% behind the five-year average. Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Pennsylvania are behind the five-year planting pace while most other states are 1% to 2% ahead of schedule.

Cotton planting is also picking up with 12% in the ground. Thats 1% ahead of average.

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Planting Progress: Soybeans Ahead of Five-Year Average While Corn Lags Behind - Agweb Powered by Farm Journal

Bobby FranklinContributor

Lets be clear: The venture capital industry has lacked diversity. The good news is the industry is working to improve itself.

To begin with, as an industry, venture capital can only improve what we measure. In 2016, we set out to develop a rigorous methodology for tracking progress on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in venture capital, and to measure and benchmark those data through our biennial VC Human Capital Survey.

The goals of the survey powered by the National Venture Capital Association, Venture Forward and Deloitte are to collect demographic data on the VC workforce across all firm types, sizes, stages, sectors and geographies, as well as trends on firm talent management and recruitment practices. Weve learned that progress can be slow and seem discouraging, but weve also captured evidence that diversity (and firm practices to advance diversity) is increasing in some areas, even as other areas have unfortunately not seen the same pace of change.

We fielded the survey in 2016, 2018 and 2020, and released the outcomes of the third edition last month, featuring data (as of June 30, 2020) collected from 378 firms, a marked increase from 203 participating firms in 2018. Furthermore, more than 145 firms signed the #VCHumanCapital pledge to publicly commit to submitting their DEI data.

At a high level, the data showed that improvements in diversity among investment partners have largely been driven by the hiring and advancement of female investors, while there has been little progress in the equitable representation of Black or Hispanic investment partners.

However, the demographic composition of junior investment professionals reflects greater diversity and wider adoption of diversity-focused talent management and recruitment practices suggest some cause for optimism. The industry still has a long way to go, but here are some of the key insights and changes we identified from the latest survey.

More firms are explicitly assigning responsibility for promoting diversity and inclusion internally 50% of firms have a staff person or team tasked with this responsibility (compared with 34% in 2018 and 16% in 2016). Simultaneously, diversity and inclusion strategies have become more widespread; 43% of firms have implemented a diversity strategy (against 32% in 2018 and 24% in 2016), while 41% have an inclusion strategy (versus 31% in 2018 and 17% in 2016).

This intentionality translates to improved diversity outcomes. Firms with dedicated DEI staff, strategies and programs achieve greater gender and racial diversity on investment teams and among investment partners. The increased emphasis on DEI is also a broader ecosystem trend. More firms report that limited partners and portfolio companies have requested their DEI details over the past 12 months.

Venture firms are relatively small and turnover is generally low, but 21% of firms in 2020 reported their number of senior-level investment positions had increased, while 43% said their number of junior-level positions had expanded. Meanwhile, the demographic composition of junior investment professionals reflects higher gender and racial diversity, a positive leading indicator for the diversity of future investment partners.

As overall DEI strategies have become increasingly widespread, more firms have also developed DEI-focused recruitment and hiring programs 33% of firms have formal programs, while 74% have informal programs, both reflecting steady increases from 2016. Firms were also more likely to report that they typically seek external candidates for open positions than they did in 2018.

However, firms continue to largely rely on internal networks for recruitment, which often encourages homogeneous hiring outcomes. Between the 2018 and 2020 surveys, there was little change shown in the use of narrow recruitment methods to find external candidates; notifying peers in the VC industry (78%) and notifying the firm internally (59%) were the strategies cited most often. The exception was posting on third-party websites like LinkedIn or in newsletters, a strategy reported by 54% of firms in 2020 (a substantial increase from 37% in 2018), which presents one avenue to reach a broader audience of candidates outside of existing networks.

Once talent has come on board, inclusive culture and retention become key metrics of DEI progress. More firms are implementing programs dedicated to leadership development, mentorship and retention, with about two-thirds reporting informal versions of such programs (20 percentage points higher than in 2016) and 20% of firms reporting formal programs.

Assessing inclusion through the VC Human Capital Survey is challenging because we survey one representative per firm, and one person cannot speak to the degree of inclusion felt by others. However, we added a new question to the 2020 survey to gauge how firms themselves are assessing inclusion. While 41% of firms reported having an inclusion strategy, only 26% said they conduct surveys of their employees to assess inclusion.

Well-structured, consistently applied policies for career advancement are critical to ensuring that diverse talent reaches the most senior decision-making levels of the industry. About 20% of firms reported having formal DEI programs focused on promotion (up from 5% in 2016), while 65% of firms have informal programs (compared with 39% in 2016).

Although DEI programs focused on the promotion of employees are more widespread, subjective factors remain a key consideration for promotion decisions, which can lead to unequal and biased outcomes.

Almost all firms reported that contributions to the performance of the fund (90%) and deal origination (82%) were very important or important factors in considering promotions. However, the factor most often rated highly was soft skills, with 94% of firms saying it was very important or important. These types of subjective factors present significant opportunity for unconscious bias to creep in and can detract from the weight given to objective measures more demonstrably relevant to performance.

The results of the third edition of our survey are timely, coming on the heels of a year in which social justice and racial equity have been the subjects of sharp national focus, policymakers have sought to increase access to capital for underserved communities, and the VC industry has shown a renewed focus on DEI. The survey shows where the VC industrys efforts should be focused and also serves as an important reminder of the intersectional needs of DEI-focused initiatives.

The data show that progress within one demographic element can be more nuanced when considering people who represent multiple marginalized communities (e.g., the percentage of investment partners who are women has steadily increased, but the percentage of investment partners who are women of color has not).

The pace of DEI progress has been slow and uneven in some areas, but there are reasons for optimism. On April 6, NVCA, Venture Forward and Deloitte hosted a discussion with industry leaders to further examine the latest survey results and to address DEI challenges, opportunities and strategies for the industry. More firms are prioritizing these constructive conversations, both within their firms and publicly with industry peers. More firms are acting in a collaborative spirit, adopting thoughtful and concrete DEI strategies and acting with intentionality and urgency.

If the industry can continue to build upon this momentum and commitment around DEI efforts, we can reach a tipping point that will translate to meaningful progress reflected in future editions of the survey.

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Taking stock of the VC industrys progress on diversity, equity and inclusion - TechCrunch