Category Archives: Progress

WBZ Update For June 20, 2020WBZ-TV's Anna Meiler and David Epstein have your latest news and weather.

Massachusetts Prepares For More Openings During Phase Two Step TwoWBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports.

WBZ Morning Forecast For June 20David Epstein has your latest weather forecast.

WBZ ForecastJacob Wycoff has an updated weather forecast.

Calls For Change On Juneteenth In BostonHundreds gathered in Boston to celebrate Juneteenth. WBZ-TV's Nick Emmons reports.

Officials Warn Of Child Drowning Risk As Families Spend More Time At HomeOfficials are warning about pool safety after two young children nearly drowned in Middlesex County in one week. WBZ-TV's Kristina Rex reports.

Mother, Son Rescued From Sand On Nauset BeachA mother and her son were rescued from a hole that collapsed on Nauset Beach. WBZ-TV's Liam Martin reports.

Restaurants Excited To Resume Indoor DiningSeasonal restaurants on Cape Cod are preparing for indoor dining. WBZ-TV's Jim Smith reports.

Nail Salons, Restaurants Prepare To Welcome Back CustomersStep 2 of Phase 2 in the reopening process means the return of services at nail salons and spas along with indoor dining at restaurants. WBZ-TV's Mike LaCrosse reports.

Walsh Advised Against Boston Police Commissioner Meeting With Attorney General BarrBoston Mayor Marty Walsh told WBZ-TV Friday he advised against the Boston Police Commissioner's meeting with Attorney General William Barr.

WBZ Evening News Update For June 19Part 2 of Phase 2 of coronavirus reopening plan begins Monday; Juneteenth celebrations in Boston; Weymouth Schools rehire all 112 teachers who were laid off; Weekend forecast.

Trio Of Local College Stars Take Another Step Toward Making It To Big LeaguesJoe Suozzi, Sam Jacobsak and Nick Raposa all made a name for themselves on the diamond for Boston colleges, and are now taking another step toward reaching their dream of playing in the Major Leagues. WBZ-TV's Dan Roche reports.

Cape Cod Businesses Hope To Recover From Slow Summer OpeningBusinesses hope the weather this weekend will bring customers to the Cape. WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports.

WBZ Evening Forecast For June 19Jacob Wycoff has an updated weather forecast.

Peabody Man Sues Gov. Baker Over Coronavirus ClosuresThe HVAC contractor said the closures have gone on for too long and the reopening plan is irrational.

Ginkgo Bioworks Working On System For Massive Coronavirus TestingThe Boston-based company is working on a machine that will analyze many samples at once.

Observing Juneteenth Through Expressions of Art and MusicMany groups in Massachusetts are celebrating the Juneteenth holiday with art. WBZ-TV's Anaridis Rodriguez reports.

'Our Version Of July 4th': Juneteenth Celebrations Held In DorchesterWBZ-TV's Liam Martin reports from a Juneteenth celebration in Dorchester.

Boston Celebrates Juneteenth With Peaceful Gathering And RallyHundreds gathered at Town Field in Dorchester to celebrate Juneteenth and a Black Lives Matter Rally through speeches, poetry reading, and exhibits. WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports.

Boston Raises Juneteenth Flag; Crowd Gathers To Celebrate In DorchesterThere are Juneteenth events and rallies planned around the Boston area on Friday.

Walsh Advised Against Police Commissioner Meeting With Attorney General BarrWBZ TV's Paula Ebben reports.

Safe To Babysit Grandkids? Dr. Mallika Marshall Answers Your Coronavirus QuestionsOne WBZ-TV wants to know if it is safe to babysit their grandchildren yet.

Massachusetts Reopening: Indoor Dining, Nail Salons Return Monday, Phase 3 No Earlier Than July 6WBZ TV's Paula Ebben reports.

Gov. Baker Discusses Possibility Of Second Coronavirus Wave In The FallGov. Baker said one way to reduce the size of the second wave is to reduce the heat of the virus before that.

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Sec. Kennealy: Progress Will Continue If People Work Together - CBS Boston

NANPING, China, June 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Happiness Biotech Group Limited (the "Company" or Nasdaq: HAPP), an innovative China-based nutraceutical and dietary supplements producer, announced today that the Company has obtained the CE Certification for the Company's COVID-19 anti-body testing kits on June 5, 2020 and samples of these testing kits have been shipped to countries including Uganda, Malaysia, and Canada since last week.

CFDA has changed the approval policy for new testing kits for COVID-19 on March 30, 2020 and required more information for new applications. As a result, our CFDA application has been delayed. On April 25, 2020, Ministry of Commerce issued Announcement on Further Strengthening the Quality Supervision of Export Epidemic Prevention Materials stating that COVID-19 testing kits may be sold to overseas market without CFDA approval so long as the testing kits receives the importing country's appropriate approval. On June 5, the Company successfully obtained the CE certification for COVID-19 anti-body testing kits. CE certification is a mandatory requirement for products to market in Europe. In the meantime, the Company has been reaching out to potential clients in different countries including Uganda, Malaysia and Canada. On June 10, the Company participated in the Guangzhou International Anti-Epidemic Products Exhibition, displaying our COVID-19 anti-body testing kits.

"We know our investors are keen to receive updated information about our COVID-19 anti-body testing kits and we are proud to announce today what we have accomplished in the past two months. The first batch of 10,000 COVID-19 anti-body testing kits is ready for shipment to any clients in the European countries and we will continue to apply for the required approvals in more countries and areas. We hope the orders will start to come soon," said Mr. Xuezhu Wang, CEO of the Company.

About Happiness Biotech Group Limited

Headquartered in Nanping, China, Happiness Biotech Group Limited is an innovative China-based nutraceutical and dietary supplements producer focused on the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of a variety of products made from Chinese herbal extracts and other ingredients. The Company's goal is to provide high-quality products to our consumers. Over the past 14 years, the Company has established a product portfolio consisting of 32 CFDA registered "Blue-Cap" SKUs of nutraceutical and dietary supplements products. For more information, please visit:www.happ.org.cn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as "may, "will, "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China; the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our operations and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov.The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/happiness-biotech-announced-progress-of-covid-19-testing-kits-301079671.html

SOURCE Happiness Biotech Group Limited

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Happiness Biotech Announced Progress of COVID-19 Testing Kits - Yahoo Finance

BULLHEAD CITY Its 7:20 a.m. on a Wednesday and relatively cool outside for Arizona in mid-June.

Rudy Olvera, heading into his fifth year as head coach of Mohave High Schools varsity football team, certainly looked as if he was all business while barking instructions on the gridiron.

Approximately two-dozen players bedecked in tank tops, sweatpants or shorts were stretching and jogging in the midst of their third consecutive week of workouts. Enthusiastic chants of encouragement accompany the physical drills.

Assistant coaches observing included Zachary Morehead and ubiquitous Casey Amann, the latter of whom seems to attend every MHS sporting event.

The team, mindful of safety guidelines due to lingering concerns about COVID-19, followed instructions before each practice: All participants get their temperatures checked, hands are sanitized often and equipment is intermittently wiped down.

Olvera said the T-birds are healthy and making progress.

Were getting back to fundamentals, he said while keeping pace with players as they headed into the House of Thunders weight room for another 45-minute lifting session.

Now in his 19th year working at MHS, where he played football and from which he graduated, Olvera explained the importance of individual sacrifice.

Their practices begin at 7 a.m. not only to beat the desert heat, but to maintain good habits in preparation for attending school next semester.

The head coach has expressed appreciation for how his student-athletes have handled the circumstances during this year of coronavirus.

Ive been impressed, said Olvera. They come in here and bust their tails.

The morning sessions are expected to continue until a week-long break at months end through July 4. Following that holiday weekend, the Thunderbirds will get down to business and shape up for their football camp starting July 20 at Anderson Auto Group Fieldhouse.

Olvera said the four-day, climate-controlled fieldhouse affair which will include breakfasts and lunches should help toward team camaraderie and provide more time to focus on offensive and defensive schemes.

That experience takes place five weeks before MHS regular season kicks off Aug. 28, when Youngker (from Buckeye, Arizona) comes calling.

Link:

T-birds making progress in offseason | Sports | mohavedailynews.com - Mohave Valley News

Two things can be true at once: America has made great progress in race relations, but there is still a ways to go. Racial discrimination exists in America, but our nation is not systemically discriminatory. There are stories of pain, but also stories of racial progress in America. Both need to be acknowledged.

The recent documentary, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words, portrays the personal story of resilience and accomplishment of United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas ascended to the Supreme Court in 1991 and became only the second African American Supreme Court justice in history, replacing Justice Thurgood Marshall (the first). His story is a story of American progress.

Clarence Thomas was born in Pin Point, Georgia, and as a young boy lived in poverty. He was so poor he had never been in a house with a bathtub until he was an older child. Thomass life took a dramatic turn when he and his brother were taken in by his grandparents, who raised the boys in Savannah.

His grandparents believed in hard work from sun to sun. Thomas worked in the fields, helped with chores, drove with his grandfather on his oil delivery route every day after school, and was expected to persevere. Old Man Cant has died, I helped bury him, was the refrain Thomas heard repeatedly from his grandfather, and one he took to heart.

Thomas attended parochial school and then later entered a pre-seminary Catholic boarding school as the only black student on campus. Because of the racism that Thomas experienced there, he eventually left the seminary. Nevertheless, Thomas continued his education, attending The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He excelled academically and was accepted to the Yale Law School. At that time in his life, Thomas leaned left.

His post-law school career transformed his thinking, and by 1991 when President George H.W. Bush nominated him to the Supreme Court, he was a well-known conservative jurist. Clarence Thomas was not your typical black nominee, due to his conservative leanings and those on the left quickly mobilized to discredit him.

His former colleague, Anita Hill, accused him of sexual harassment (after the hearings had concluded) and the partisan battle lines were drawn. Throughout the ordeal, Thomas vehemently denied the sexual harassment allegations and never backed away from his legal philosophy or his deeply held principles.

He chastised the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings (led by then Chairman Joe Biden) when he said, As a black American, as far as I am concerned, it is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you.

With that statement, Justice Thomas called out the identity politics consistently used by the left and won confirmation to the Supreme Court. That moment in history also gave rise to new voices and organizations willing to fight for individual expression of thought.

Organizations like Independent Womens Forum (IWF) grew out of the ordeal standing up for Clarence Thomas and against the notion that some women anointed by the media, speak for all women. Women have divergent views and dont think alike simply due to our gender. Our country needed those different perspectives in 1991, and we need them as much today.

Justice Clarence Thomas has served on the Supreme Court for almost thirty years. His success exemplifies tenacity, resilience, and the importance of education, faith, and an inner strength to believe differently from what is expected. His story is an example of both pain and progress in America.

When George Floyd was killed over Memorial Day weekend, all Americans were reminded of the heartbreaking pain of racial unfairness and disparate treatment. In order to continue a productive discussion, we need to recognize peoples pain and be certain we use it to make real progress.

In the words of Justice Thomas, [t]oday, now, it is time to move forward, a time to look for what is good in others, what is good in our country. It is time to see what we have in common, what we have to share as human beings and citizens.

Andrea G. Bottner is Senior Advisor to Independent Womens Forum, Founder of Bottner Strategies and former Acting Director of the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

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Justice Thomas: Racial Progress and Pain in America - Independent Women's Forum

This series is devoted to examining the leading trends that go towards defining the shape of modern software application development.

As we have initially discussed here, with so many new platform-level changes now playing out across the technology landscape, how should we think about the cloud-native, open-compliant, mobile-first, Agile-enriched, AI-fuelled, bot-filled world of coding and how do these forces now come together to create the new world of modern programming?

This piece is written by Progressssenior manager of developer relations, Sara Faatz the company is known for its work with cloud technologies, software application development and adaptive user experience products for web, cross-platform mobile application deployment and user interfaces.

Faatz writes as follows

Defining what a modern software development practice looks like is like pondering the meaning of life and pretending there is only one answer (although the geek in all of us will say there is only one answer to the latter and it is 42, right?).

That said, its safe to say that at a somewhat abstract level, the best software development has always been a perfect blend of art and science. Even with the varying complexities of modern apps today, that still holds true. But it also begs the obvious question what are the features of art and science that can be identified in modern software development practices?

Before we can begin to answer that, we need to acknowledge whats driving the need for modernisation in the first place.

Some will argue that developers, by nature, are always looking to create something new, something better than what came before. That wouldnt be wrong. Some will say that developers want to be empowered to deliver the impossible also an accurate answer. But at its core, modern development is driven by the demands of the end user.

As the end user becomes ever savvier, they also become less patient, less forgiving and more demanding. They want responsive, accessible, interactive, intuitive apps. They want apps that are beautifully styled and provide feature-rich experiences across all channels. They want performance, speed, security and quality.

It is with these demands in mind, that the foundation for modern software development practices are set. While not every practice will look exactly alike, if we break it down to the balance between art and science used to achieve the needs of the end user, we can find enough commonality in all modern software development practices to be able to identify the pattern.

For many years, there has been talk about the need for greater collaboration between design and development.

What a designer sketches, a developer tries to replicate and often with varying degrees of success. When we introduce multiple screen sizes and form factors, the experience can vary greatly if collaboration between design and development is not in synch.

To combat this, many modern software development practices are beginning to employ the use of design systems in order to provide an outstanding experience to the end user and streamline processes internally.

Typically, a modern software design system consists of UI components and visual style guidelines both in the form of reusable code and reusable design artifacts. The system could include UI patterns, foundational elements, and design principles or guidelines. Many go as far as defining what tools should be used for optimal UI and UX. Probably one of the most widely known design systems (and most used due to its open-source nature) is Googles Material Design.

With a design system in place developers and designers are singing from the same sheet of music. This eliminates many delays and inconsistencies and provides prescriptive guidance for both the visual and functional experience of the app. It allows developers to deliver the beautifully styled, feature-rich responsive experiences the end user has come to expect.

The second, and equally important way to identify a modern software development practice is by its DevOps approach.

A truly collaborative function, DevOps brings together multiple disciplines, people, and processes with the common goal of high quality and high efficiency. The speed, performance, security and quality that the end users demand live and die with the DevOps team.

When build automation, CI/CD, security, release automation, QA, plus testing and monitoring are dialed in via a well thought out and executed DevOps strategy, the result is faster times to market, more agility, better productivity and increased security all hallmarks of modern software development.

While you could argue that there are additional examples of art and science in modern software development, you would be hard pressed to find a modern practice without design systems of some kind and a highly functioning DevOps practice.

The beauty of both of these elements is that as the needs of the end user changes, by nature they both have enough agility built into them that they can evolve to meet those needs. Its not the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything but its pretty darn close.

Progresss Sara Faatz: Mostly harmless? Not a chance. Shes a coding queen that enjoys life, the universe and everything. (Image Source: Progress)

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Modern development - Progress: the art (and science) of modern software - ComputerWeekly.com

Speaking with GalaxyCons Rock Around the Ring, Rey Mysterio gave an update on his son Dominicks progress training in the ring and why he doesnt want Dominick to be his last match. Dominick has been training for a little while now and has been appearing on TV as part of Reys feud with Seth Rollins. Speaking with the hosts, Rey explained when he expects to see Dominick ready to compete and who he thought would be a good first opponent or feud for Dominick. Highlights and the full video are below:

On where Dominick is at in his training: At first, right off off the bat I did [see] that he did have something special. Because he was picking up everything as it came along, you know. He wasnt falling behind, you would explain something to him once, twice, and he would jump right on it and continue, and get ready for whatever else he was learning. But overall, I see him, and hes a very special case. I truly believe wrestling is in his DNA. Thats what he was meant to do, even though he started very late at training at the age 19. For the past three years, hes been kicking ass and Im so proud of him.

But overall right now, hes he did a session with Lance [Storm] up in Canada. And then he was with Jay Lethal in Tampa, and right now hes training with people here in San Diego. And the school hes at now is incredible. I actually love going there myself, because I love working with people. Hes so fresh with everything he does and is so creative.

On if Dominick would be interested in training in Japan or Mexico: I think hes open-minded, and hes willing to do whatever it takes for him to get to the next level. And of course, he can only train so much. But in order to really pick up what he needs to know, that is going to happen in his first matches. So that is probably the next phase that were looking at soon, hopefully I truly think that he should be ready by early next year.

On if he would want Dominick to be his retirement opponent: Thats something that I dont I would hate. I would hate to walk out and have my son take over on my last match. I think the torch has already been passed, and will eventually again the day that we get to share a ring together and perform in front of fans. Thats when the torch will be passed onto him.

On who he thinks would be a good first opponent for Dominick: I think without a doubt, just because of the style he brings, Andrade would be awesome. Andrade or [Angel] Garza, I think they would be incredible against my son. But overall, I think Cesaro would do incredible as well, just because of his height. Dominik is 62, 195 pounds. Still to this day I tell my wife Id love to DNA him because I believe hes not my son [laughs].

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Conversations With the Big Guy with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.

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Rey Mysterio On Dominick's Training Progress, When He'll Be Ready, Doesn't Want Dominick to Be His Last Match - 411mania.com

I dont feel particularly privileged. And honestly, the phrase white privilege makes my skin crawl. I asked a friend what he thought. I get up and go to work, day-in and day-out. I know what it means to be on time, work hard and be accountable. Ive earned my success. I could relate. Like a lot of white folks, I want to be a part of the change. But what does that mean? A different friend noted, The rules change so rapidly, I cant keep up.

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. shared a dream of racial equality. King was figuratively holding up the Declaration of Independence and asking the nation fulfill Thomas Jeffersons vision from 187 years earlier. It remains a dream unfulfilled.

Census analysis by the Empowerment Network finds progress for African Americans is being made. Today about half of blacks define themselves as middle class roughly the same proportion as whites. Many live in suburbs with little crime, better schools and services like well-stocked grocery stores. However, recent polling finds that blacks living in the suburbs report higher levels of racism than those in inner cities.

Political scientist Ernest McGowans study of suburban blacks came out with two interesting findings. Blacks living in predominately white neighborhoods are acutely aware of race, so, in order to fit into social networks, they often define themselves by their education, job or income rather than race. He also found that their white neighbors were oblivious to race especially their own. For suburban whites, their social networks were founded on other characteristics such as religion, job prestige or materialism.

Once I attended a Table Talk on race. One participant was a mixed race gay man. He asked if I ever thought about the person standing near me when I shopped. No. Why would I? I asked. Thats the point, you dont have to. Ouch.

As I think about moments when I had to be aware of my race, I remember walking from downtown Memphis to the Lorraine Motel, where M.L. King was killed, which is now the home of the Civil Rights Museum. The farther south I walked, the more my whiteness stood out. I walked a bit faster.

I recently walked across the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Drug users were passed out on sidewalks. Young men on corners acted as spotters for drug dealers in the mid-block. I walked a bit faster.

A favorite experience was going to a soul food restaurant in Houstons Fifth Ward. B.B. King sat at a corner table. Although I was the only white guy, Heaven Sent was the place to be. I didnt bother Mr. King that day, but in all these situations, I was acutely aware that I was alone and felt the need to be aware of those around me.

In Letter from a Birmingham Jail, King writes about explaining to his 6-year-old daughter why she couldnt go to the local amusement park. He described seeing tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and [then] see[ing] ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky

Studies in medical journals increasingly link the stress of long-term racism with adverse physical and mental health conditions. Perhaps white privilege is the fact that I am not forced to think about my race. Or that I do not fear going into public places because a seemingly innocuous encounter could quickly become violent or potentially deadly because of my race.

In time, our nation will emerge from this period of isolation caused by the coronavirus. We could go back to things as normal. Or we could use the moment and choose, as free people, to give a bit of ourselves so that others can enjoy the luxury of moving through life without having to worry about how someone will react to the color of their skin.

Fifty-seven years ago King shared his dream. In the 70s we drove in our cars and sang with the radio, Dream on, dream until your dream comes true. Today, we have a chance to help put racial divisions behind us. All around, I see people eager for change. This time, lets be human rather than Republican or Democrat. This time, lets choose the change our kids and grandkids will live with. This time, lets make that dream reality.

Rick Galusha teaches political science at Bellevue University. Hes hosted a blues radio show for 30 years and was the president of Homers Music Stores. Galusha was active in the creation of the Old Market Business Association and served as the groups first president for two terms.

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Rick Galusha: Let's make the dream of racial progress and fellowship a reality - Omaha World-Herald

Today is Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the long-delayed emancipation of enslaved Black people in Texas on June 19, 1865. In the New Yorker, historian and Columbia University journalism professor Jelani Cobb writes that, "Emancipation is a marker of progress for white Americans, not black ones." From the New Yorker:

[...] Juneteenth exists as a counterpoint to the Fourth of July; the latter heralds the arrival of American ideals, the former stresses just how hard it has been to live up to them. This failure was not exclusive to the South. Northern states generally abolished slavery in the decades after the American Revolution, but many slaveholders there, rather than free the people they held in bondage, sold them to traders in the South, or moved to states where the institution was still legal. The black men, women, and children who heard [Major General Gordon] Grangers pronouncement [of emancipation] a hundred and fifty-five years ago in Galveston were not slaves; they were a barometer of American democracy.

Theres a paradox inherent in the fact that emancipation is celebrated primarily among African-Americans, and that the celebration is rooted in a perception of slavery as something that happened to black people, rather than something that the country committed. The paradox rests on the presumption that the arrival of freedom should be greeted with gratitude, instead of with self-reflection about what allowed it to be deprived in the first place.

Juneteenth and the Meaning of Freedom by Jelani Cobb (The New Yorker)

image: "An early celebration of Emancipation Day (Juneteenth) in 1900Mrs. Charles Stephenson (Grace Murray) - The Portal to Texas History Austin History Center, Austin Public Library" (public domain)

Irene Tripletts father fought in the civil war as a young man and remarried as an elderly senior. Triplett, born 1930, inherited his veterans benefits due to her own disabilities. With her death at 90, the U.S. government closes the books on the last outstanding civil war pension. MSN: Pvt. Triplett married Elida Hall in []

For much of the first half of the 20th century, another mysterious virus was freaking people the hell out, and no one understood what it was or how it spread. Children got hit the worst. It touched the wealthy and the poor. It paralyzed and even killed. Nothing seemed to stop it, and Polio season []

Tony Hawk first learned to ride a skateboard in 1979 when he was 11 years old. The board was the 1975 Bahne pictured above. Now, that board is in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (Below, video of Hawks last ride on the Bahne.) From Cole Louisons new interview with Hawk []

If you and your business arent keeping up with the times, your customers know it. Google found digitally advanced small businesses made twice the revenue per employee as their counterparts and saw four times the revenue growth. Of course, its usually not that most small businesses dont want to reach out digitally. Most just dont []

If youre looking to launch a new career, youll often see us present education course packages that will help you become a web developer or a project manager or a graphic designer. While theyre all very respectable career options, those professions dont present the same hands-on satisfaction or visceral sense of accomplishment that comes from []

When you hear the brand name Marshall, any music fan instantly conjures a single image: a classic Marshall stack. The amp has been synonymous with live performance since the 60s, with music artists of every stripe lining their stage sets with these thunderous cabinets. Even when you close your eyes, you can see them. The []

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Juneteenth: "Emancipation is a marker of progress for white Americans, not black ones." - Boing Boing

Progress made in the representation and inclusion of disabled artists and audiences is in danger of unravelling because of the pandemic, campaigners have warned.

A new alliance of disabled people and groups working in the UKs cultural industries, #WeShallNotBeRemoved, has been established to make sure disabled voices are heard as the nations devastated arts sector attempts to rebuild after the lockdown.

Jenny Sealey, the artistic director of Graeae theatre in east London, said the pandemic had exposed real inequalities in theatre by the million and one Zooms set up within our industry and the noticeable lack of deaf and disabled voices and black, Asian and ethnically diverse people in the mix.

She added: As our community will be the last to come out of lockdown, the fear is by then we will be forgotten as artists and audience.

Campaigners say the lockdown has magnified inequalities for disabled people in the creative industries, with many disabled artists facing long-term shielding, loss of income and invisibility in wider society.

The lockdown came when many were beginning to feel real change had finally arrived.

Andrew Miller, the governments first disability champion for arts and culture, pointed to the casting of Amy Trigg, who uses a wheelchair, in RSC productions and the then imminent opening at the National Theatre of Francesca Martinezs play All of Us, which explores being disabled during a time of austerity.

There was a real sense of hey, were going somewhere were finally being included. There was a real sense of progress. It wasnt perfect. There was a a lot still to do. But there was a sense disabled people were becoming part of the fabric of arts and culture.

Sealey said the progress had been frustrating and unnecessarily slow It has taken the best part of 40 years for deaf and disabled people to be seen as a force to be reckoned with.

Then lockdown happened and prompted genuine concern that progress might unravel.

Sealey said the drive to reopen theatres was extremely ableist and non-diverse in its approach.

She added: I am seriously concerned that we will be deemed too expensive, with companies no longer being able to cover the cost of access and that our work is too risqu and the theatre world wants post-pandemic nice, safe theatre.

Campaigners on Wednesday staged a social media action day, flooding Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with disabled voices. It included artists sharing their work online.

The musician and campaigner John Kelly said: We want to demonstrate solidarity and support for disabled people who are facing a very challenging future because of the pandemic by sharing the rich tapestry of our artworks to raise our voice, of our talent and our resilience.

Miller hopes arts leaders will seize on the opportunities offered by having to rebuild an entire industry. It is a real opportunity to reset the longstanding discriminatory access issues in arts and culture, he said.

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Disability campaigners warn of UK's progress unravelling in the arts - The Guardian

Rasheed Jeffries, who participated in several recent police brutality demonstrations in Michigan, saw firsthand the confrontations between protesters and officers equipped with riot gear.

Coming with tanks and things does not deescalate, but escalates emotions, Jeffries said. "They are triggering things.

While there were no reports of actual tanks being used by police, The Detroit-area man says the sight of armored vehicles and the heavily armed police lines may have instigated the vandalism seen in some cities, rather than preventing it.

In the wake of George Floyds death at the hands of police in Minneapolis, there have been calls to defund police departments across the nation and rebuild public safety services from the ground up.

Related: What defund the police means to advocates in Michigan

As advocates rally in large numbers to protest police brutality and demand change, they are often met by lines of police officers and, in some cases, Michigan National Guard troops, dressed in riot gear and armed with large batons, pepper spray and tear gas.

While many police officials view the equipment as essential tools needed to keep the peace, others are arguing just the opposite -- that militarized police may escalate confrontations between protesters and police.

Parris McMurray, of Grand Rapids, believes wholesale defunding of police departments is not the best move. However, he is confident that demilitarizing would help reduce tensions between community members and police.

Why are we using those funds to militarize it? McMurray asked. We need them to be able to understand how to serve black people. Funding should go toward training, mentality and psychology for their jobs and to put different regulations in place to hold them accountable.

McMurray, 33, participated in recent protests in Grand Rapids, and said when police confront protesters with the military-style gear and weapons, it halts an important conversation that protesters are trying to start.

Like many other protesters that have marched and demonstrated in Michigan and across the nation, McMurray is advocating for more closely monitored police departments with better policies in place.

The militarys whole function is to protect this country by shooting and killing the enemy, he said. They are not for domestic.

Jeffries, 48, serves as a minister at Embassy Covenant Church in Walled Lake, near Detroit, and was part of several recent protests, including demonstrations held in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Southfield, Novi and elsewhere in Michigan. Though Jeffries also voiced opposition to totally defunding the police, he questions the seemingly blurred line between military tactics and equipment and those of police.

Each protest Jeffries attended was peaceful. Though he commends police for protecting protesters despite being the target of their ire, the minister still questions the impact of the equipment and tactics being employed during demonstrations in places like Detroit.

At a protest, not a riot, the end goal of the protesters is that their voices be heard, Jeffries said. There should be a sense of open ears and providing a platform for listening."

Though he commends police for protecting protesters despite being the target of their ire, Jeffries still questions the impact of the equipment and tactics being employed during demonstrations in places like Detroit.

Related: Detroit George Floyd police brutality protest turns violent as police fire tear gas, rubber bullets

Though police agencies have long operated under a paramilitary structure, the acquisition of surplus military equipment by departments in Michigan and nationwide is a relatively newer development.

Since about 1990, police have been able to acquire surplus items from the federal government through the 1033 Program at no cost to the local departments. But it was not until late 2014 that the Pentagon began releasing detailed information about the surplus items going to police agencies across the nation.

Between 1997 to 2014, the Department of Defense transferred $4.3 billion in military equipment to local law agencies, according to a report from PBS News Hour. A study on the topic, published in 2018 in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, also found that the image alone of militarized units being used by local police can affect public confidence in departments and raise concerns about their funding.

The American Civil Liberties Union and others have also raised concerns in the past about police using surplus military-style and SWAT vehicles for seemingly routine operations.

Saginaw Police Chief Bob Ruth said demilitarization is not as easy as it sounds, since police departments are paramilitary structures by design.

We are not military, but the officers take orders, said Ruth, who also questioned potential consequences of calls to defund police.

You got to have police, he said. "You got to have someone there when someone is getting shot at or robbed. When somebody kills someone, you got to have someone there to find the murderer.

The city chiefs view that demilitarizing police is easier said than done is shared by Buena Vista Township Police Chief Reginald Williams II. Williams previously served as a police officer under Ruth in Saginaw, and has worked for more than 21 years in law enforcement.

I can understand why people feel the way they do, but they have to understand that we are a paramilitary entity, Williams said. We are going to have similar equipment. But that doesnt mean that we operate like them.

Protests have taken place in communities across the nation in recent weeks, in reaction to George Floyds death in Minneapolis. Some community activists are calling for more control of police protocols, and even the wholesale defunding of departments. Many see the military-style equipment as an issue as well.

Daja Johnson, 24, who lives in Kalamazoo, said she could not believe what she witnessed during a recent protest in her hometown.

Crowds of people were laying flat in front of officers and they (officers) just doused them with tear gas, Johnson said. They didnt pose no threat. It was wild.

Johnson took up the microphone to share some of her thoughts as a spoken word performance during a Black Lives Mater vigil in Battle Creek.

Some who witnessed the June 1 protests in Kalamazoo have suggested that when police arrested a protester on unrelated felony drug warrants during that evenings demonstration it may have instigated the chaotic and destructive night that followed.

Related: Arrest of protester ignited unrest Monday night in Kalamazoo, some say

There, the city recently announced plans to hire an outsider investigator to scrutinize the police response to protests, including officers use of tear gas.

Elsewhere, cities are discussing police policies and other changes. In Grand Rapids, city officials plan to add an explicit ban on chokeholds to an existing use of force policy and, in Ann Arbor, city officials are considering a comprehensive review of the current system as well as instituting better citizen oversight.

Johnson said that she is not in favor of defunding police departments. Rather, she is in favor of them being held more accountable when interacting with the public.

I believe we should have police departments, Johnson said, But I feel like they are here to serve and protect us. Its like they are not serving us. They are doing more harm. I feel like some of the choices that are being made are not some of the best choices. They should be here for us and not against us.

Paramilitary organizations like police agencies follow a chain of command similar to the military. Like many other departments across the state, both Saginaw and Buena Vista have military-style vehicles, like bullet-proof Humvees, and say they are used for a variety of special situations.

We use the armored vehicles in those situations, Ruth said, referring to hostage situations and standoffs, but said it can serve other purposes as well.

It is a rescue vehicle, he said. "We utilized it several times in shooting situations.

The Oakland County Sheriffs department has been one of the biggest recipients of gear through the 1033 program in Michigan, getting an armored personnel carrier, 250 pairs of night-vision goggles, six sets of body armor and six utility trucks. Between 1999 and 2015, it had received more than 7,000 items with an original value totaling nearly $4.8 million, according to a quarterly report from the Defense Logistics Agency program.

The Michigan State Police got a $3.1 million airplane in 2013. The Allegan County Sheriffs Department picked up a mine-resistant vehicle from a Detroit military office in late 2013, then deputies drove it to Allegan. In 2014, the Tuscola County Sheriffs Department obtained a Humvee through the program.

Related: Michigan police bulk up with military surplus - armored trucks, grenade launchers

In West Michigan, the most expensive and noticeable items snagged by police agencies are Humvees and the more hulking mine-resistant ambush protected, or MRAP, vehicles.

Muskegon Countys sheriff said in 2014 that MRAP vehicles are considered just another tool for the sheriffs office to use during incidents of barricaded gunmen or dangerous, volatile situations where it isnt safe for officers to approach. Elsewhere on the Lake Michigan shoreline, Holland rolled out a military surplus Desert Storm Humvee as the latest addition to its fleet in 2013.

Saginaws Chief Ruth said the vehicles are just one example of much-needed gear that help police do their jobs.

Three weeks ago, we used our vehicle in the flood, and we rescued 50 people in Saginaw County, Ruth said, referencing recent catastrophic flooding in Midland County that affected nearby counties as well.

For Saginaw, looming in the background of discussions of police brutality is the 2012 fatal shooting of Milton Hall by police.

Hall was a mentally ill man with a knife who was shot 11 times by officers and killed on July 1, 2012. Police officers surrounded Hall while wearing tactical gear and using military-style weapons. The shooting sparked outcry from the community.

The department has seen an overhaul of its policies and culture in the eight years since, said Ruth, who has been an officer in Saginaw for 26 years and the citys police chief for six years.

We did a total policy review, and we changed just about every policy within the department to make it more user-friendly within the community, Ruth said. Training is the most important thing that we can do in a police department. We conducted cultural diversity training, cultural competency training; we even trained on Bridges Out of Poverty.

More on MLive:

Armored surplus military vehicle now part of Muskegon County Sheriffs Office arsenal

Humvee adds brawn to Holland police tactical teams training

Military vehicle has new home at Tuscola County Sheriffs Department

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Heavily armed police add to tensions and inhibit progress, advocates say - MLive.com