Category Archives: Progress

What started out as a quiet day at Disney Springs quickly turned into an exciting one, with reopenings across property. With perfect early summer Florida weather, we wish we could have been in the parks, but Disney Springs is certainly the next best thing! Lets get started!

The day started as it always does: a power walk to World of Disney to see what the days opening procedure will be. Today, there was no virtual queue here or anywhere else on property. All the doors were shut, and Cast Members were elsewhere preparing to open the store at 10am.

As we walked around, we caught a glimpse of the carousel being tested before it opens for the day at 1pm. Every time we look at this carousel, we spot another interesting piece of Disney Springs art on it. Do you see the Lego Sea Serpent?

One of our favorite things to do while walking the Springs this early in the morning is to watch the talented cake decorators at Erin McKennas Bakery decorate the cupcakes. The icing even matches her shirt and bandana!

Some last minute maintenance was being done to the fountain near the Orange Garage this morning. He finished it up in plenty of time for the majority of guests to arrive.

Over at the food trucks another truck was missing, but this time it wasnt the one we thought it was. The Cookie Dough truck is still there, this time they are rearranged and the Hot Diggity Dogs Truck is missing. We hope it comes back!

We took a moment without anyone around to appreciate the eclectic statues at the House of Blues. While this venue is open for music events usually in the evenings, its closed during the day.

M&Ms future location had more noticeable demolition work done recently, removing even more of the front of the building.

We have been closely watching the construction where the Joffreys Handcrafted Smoothies cart was, and were hoping that it would return when they were done. Today those hopes were dashed as these tables appeared bolted to the cement in place of the cart. The Smoothie cart across from World of Disney is still open.

Back at World of Disney, Cast Members held the crowd outside until exactly 10am before letting everyone in to shop.

While there we spotted some new puzzles to the store. These beautiful Disney Parks Signature Puzzles have been out for some time, but we have enjoyed seeing these beautiful pieces gain a new following here in Disney Springs.

We also found this classic mug with a fun new twist- when filled with a hot beverage, this mug changes color! For more pictures and information, see our full article here.

After leaving World of Disney, we saw that two Disney-owned locations that reopened last week seem to have closed again. Goofys Candy Co and the Art of Disney have remained closed for the second day in a row now. We hope they reopen soon!

It was fun to see Pop Gallery reopen, and all eccentric Disney art.

While photographing the artwork isnt allowed, we did snap a quick photo of the shop itself. Whats your favorite style of art here? Let us know in the comments!

In reopening news, Johnston & Murphy reopened today, with minimal social distancing markers, and no change to the check out area.

As one of the last new locations to open in the Springs, we were surprised by the lack of change inside.

LOccitane also reopened, with plenty of social distancing markers and a plan for handling samples forthcoming.

Their pump style samples are still available, but other samples have been removed until their plan can be approved by Disney.

Coca-Cola Store & Rooftop Beverage Bar reopened today as well, and right away guests were ready to partake of the Beverage Bars drinks and views.

Every other table was taped off to promote social distancing.

In mask supply news, Lucky Brand is still going strong with their packs of five masks for $25.

Chapel Hats got in two new styles of masks. These prints cloth masks have elastic ear loops and retail for $12.99.

These masks are a thin neoprene with a built in filter and come in two sizes, adult and youth. They have two prints in each size, and retail for $10.

Vera Bradley once again broke their own variety record with 10 different prints and solids to choose from (solid black not pictured). Sephora, Anthropologie and American Threads have all sold out of their masks. American Threads expect to be restocked by the end of the week, but Sephora will not be restocked.

We hope you had a great time coming along with us to Disney Springs, we know we enjoyed today! Until next time, have a great day, and a great big beautiful tomorrow.

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PHOTO REPORT: Disney Springs 6/15/20 (Additional Reopenings, Construction Progress, Mask Updates, and More) - wdwnt.com

SALT LAKE CITY Utah athletics director Mark Harlan said he is pleased with the progress announced by the NCAA on Wednesday. Theres more light at the end of the tunnel regarding the return of sports in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The path is now understood for what an on-time start to the football season will look like and some definition around summer access for football and mens and womens basketball, Harlan said. This is an important step and an exciting development for our student-athletes and coaches. We have our first group beginning voluntary workouts this week, with more on track to join them the next two weeks in Phase I.

Its a positive step and we will continue to work diligently to provide the safest environment possible for our student-athletes, he added.

The Utes, who were cleared to begin voluntary workouts on Monday, are scheduled to open the football season Thursday, Sept. 3 at Rice-Eccles Stadium against BYU. As such, theyll be allowed to begin up to eight hours of conditioning, film review and weight training from July 11 to July 21.

Beginning July 22 through Aug. 4, Utah can conduct up to 20 hours per week and no more than four hours per day of countable athletically related activities. The list includes a maximum of eight hours for conditioning and weight training, a maximum of six hours for walk-throughs with use of a football and a maximum of six hours for meetings (film review, one-on-one, position and/or team gatherings).

Players are requited to get at least two days off during the 14-day stretch. No adjustments were made to the 29-day preseason practice period that follows.

In other action, the NCAA council also approved a summer plan for mens and womens basketball opting to extend voluntary workouts and up to eight hours of virtual nonphysical activities through July 19. Required summer activities may get started the next day.

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Utah AD Mark Harlan pleased with the progress being made to bring college sports back - Deseret News

Exterior work is progressing steadily at 1059 Third Avenue, a 481-foot-tall mixed-use tower on Manhattans Upper East Side.Designed byManuel Glas Architectsand developed byReal Estate InverladandThird Palm Capital, the slender 30-story superstructure is located between 62nd Street and 63rd Street and will yield a total of 127,000 square feet of newly built space. Inside will be 38 condominiums spread across 103,900 square feet, averaging around 2,740 square feet apiece.

Recent photos from Tectonic show the subtle changes to the curtain wall since YIMBYs lastupdate back in February. Much of the towers dark gray intermittent walls continue to stand exposed between the fenestration, but this temporary surface will eventually be covered with a large structural assembly to which the final exterior panels will be attached. This framework is most readily apparent on the lower portion of the northern elevation.

1059 Third Avenue. Photo by Tectonic

The final stories of 1059 Third Avenue incorporate a darker envelope than the rest of the building, and it will be interesting to see how this visually merges with the rest of the design. The main rendering shows a tight weave of intersecting mullions between the floor-to-ceiling windows, alongside what looks like vertical walls of stone slab and cut-out corner windows. Setbacks at the midpoint and below the roof parapet appear to make way for private landscaped terraces.

1059 Third Avenue. Photo by Tectonic

1059 Third Avenue. Photo by Tectonic

The first few levels above the ground floor are now fully clad in their glass curtain wall, which looks to have a light gray opaque finish.

1059 Third Avenue. Photo by Tectonic

1059 Third Avenue. Photo by Tectonic

1059 Third Avenue. Photo by Tectonic

The project is also set to contain 7,100 square feet of office space on the second floor, a hospital facility measuring around 9,700 square feet on the third and fourth floors, and amenities such as a fitness center, a spa, and a residential lounge.

A formal completion date for 1059 Third Avenue has not been announced, but it looks like sometime in 2021 is plausible.

Subscribeto YIMBYs daily e-mailFollowthe YIMBYgram for real-time photo updatesLikeYIMBY on FacebookFollowYIMBYs Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews

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Exterior Progress Continues on 1059 Third Avenue on the Upper East Side - New York YIMBY

WASHINGTON (KFOR) Gov. Kevin Stitt joined President Donald Trump in the White House on Thursday to discuss Oklahomas reopening progress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stitt shared photos from the meeting on his official Twitter page.

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for having me at the White House today to talk about how small businesses are key to America's recovery.

We will be announcing more grants to Oklahoma small businesses tomorrow!

Official White House Photos by Shealah Craighead pic.twitter.com/ULl6kiTvr9

Stitt met with the president as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports on Thursday that there have been 9,354 cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma. OSDH reported on Wednesday that there were 8,904 cases of coronavirus.

Thats an increase of 450 cases, 5.1 percent.

Stitt said the increase in cases is expected since the state has been reopening for the past two months.

We had an uptick in the number of cases, so the media tries to talk about that, Stitt said. We knew we were going to have an increase a little bit because were 56 days into reopening but whats interesting is that its the 18-35 group that weve seen a slight increase, but theyre the asymptomatic, and were testing so many people right now than we were initially.

OSDH officials recently told KFOR that the rise in coronavirus cases is due to community spread.

Oklahoma began its statewide, three-phase reopening in late April.

Also, large-scale protests have been held in Oklahoma since late May, days after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Dr. Dale Bratzler, the Chief COVID-19 Officer for the University of Oklahoma, said the spike in cases is not related to an increase in COVID-19 testing.

Trump will hold a Make America Great Again rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa on Saturday.

The BOK Center has a seating capacity of 19,199, but officials expect around 100,000 people to show up for the rally.

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Gov. Stitt meets with President Trump to discuss Oklahomas reopening progress - KFOR Oklahoma City

The borough of Gilberton is starting to look somewhat normal again as floodwaters continue to go down.

GILBERTON, Pa. Floodwaters in Gilberton have receded dramatically since Saturday. Main street, which looked like a river last week, is finally starting to clear up.

"I feel bad for everybody in the community that this happened to, because this obviously isn't the first time," said Nick Anthony, Goodwill Hose Company.

Pumps are still running to clean up what's left, but in looking at where the water line was, so much progress has been made. For days, volunteers put in countless hours to try to save the borough. Now, those volunteers are receiving help back after working in tough conditions.

"They're at risk because they're in floodwaters, contaminated floodwaters with bacteria, and it's very important that they get the tetanus vaccine," said Gail Newton, LVH Schuylkill infection prevention coordinator.

Borough officials were concerned that the water grew contaminated, so Lehigh Valley Hospital - Schuylkill set up shop at American Hose Company No. 2 in Gilberton to offer volunteers free tetanus shots.

"We really aren't sure what's in the water. Any kind of runoff from the street. I know we did observe some oil in the water, garbage, debris, anything that could be a biological hazard to our people. So we're stressing that our folks need to wear the proper protection when they're around the water to limit any skin contact with the water," said Kathleen Gavala, West End Fire & Rescue.

"I was in the water pretty much all weekend, and I came in contact with it multiple times, so I was like like, 'well, they're giving them away, so you got to take advantage of it," said Anthony.

The American Red Cross also provided meals for cleanup workers in Gilberton.

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Making progress in Gilberton - wnep.com

In their recent public meeting, members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory (DGA) Committee forecast changes to the prevailing advice on alcohol. Long instructed to limit consumption to no more than two drinks per day, if they choose to consume alcohol, American men will now be told to cut themselves off after just a single serving of beer, wine, or liquor. The new guidelines also have advice for anyone drinking to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease or achieve other health benefits: dont. According to the Committee, at all levels of consumption, drinking less is generally better for health than drinking more.

The committee deserves credit for helping to clear the air on a topic of considerable consumer confusion. For decades, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have helped to fuel the myth that moderate alcohol consumption contributes to a longer life. As recently as 2010, the DGAs said things like Strong evidence from observational studies has shown that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The more recent guidelines dropped that statement, but they also stopped referring to the research linking alcohol and cancer. Undoubtedly, many readers were left wondering whether health benefits associated with light drinking outweigh cancer and other risks.

Our best evidence indicates that they do not. All of that strong evidence demonstrating the cardiovascular benefits of the occasional drink has not aged well. Researchers have documented a number of biases in the old observational alcohol studies.

New Mendelian randomization studies, which compare populations with genetic variants associated with lower alcohol consumption and are not susceptible to these biases tell a different story. Comparing these alcohol allergic subjects to those with more conventional genotypes, alcohol actually appears to increase the risk of some cardiovascular diseases. All of this has led experts like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conclude that its impossible to conclude whether the observed benefits in the studies are due to moderate alcohol consumption or other differences in behaviors or genetics between people who drink moderately and people who dont.

By contrast, the link between cancer and alcohol use whether light, moderate, or heavy is firmy established. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans should reflect this scientific reality.

Unfortunately, the upcoming recommendations, while a significant improvement, may fall short of their potential if, like the 2015 Guidelines, they omit a frank discussion of alcohols contribution to cancer. Popular media has bombarded us with click-able stories on the potential health benefits of alcohol. But alcohols link to cancer, although long-established and significant, has flown under our collective radar. According to recent surveys, less than half of adults identify alcohol as a cancer risk. Indeed, even among cancer survivors, awareness of the risks associated with alcohol is far from universal.

The lack of awareness reflects not just media bias but also public policy. We are warned that all kinds of substances cause cancer. Under Californias Proposition 65, retailers briefly had to include a cancer warning on coffee, not for the coffee itself but for a chemical called acrylamide that forms during the roasting process. However, because of an outdated federal law, which my group Consumer Federation of America and other public interest groups are trying to change, alcoholic beverages do not carry a cancer warning.

That is ironic, and unfortunate because alcohol is not like coffee. It significantly contributes to cancer risk. Researchers estimate that drinking alcohol is the third most important cause of cancer that is within a persons control, behind smoking and obesity; each year alcohol consumption causes more cancer deaths than exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Alcohols cancer risk increases with heavier levels of consumption, but the science shows that even moderate alcohol consumption no more than one drink per day increases the risk of developing several different types of cancers. The evidence linking moderate drinking and breast cancer is particularly longstanding.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans should present this evidence, and include a statement such as: For cancer prevention, the safest level of alcohol consumption is zero. This would help Americans to understand recommendations to drink less, and persuade many not to start a drinking habit in the first place. With accurate information, consumers will take better action to protect their interests, including their health, and public health across the board will improve.

Thomas Gremillion is the director of Food Policy at the Consumer Federation of America.

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There's now progress on alcohol in the dietary guidelines | TheHill - The Hill

Gov. Tim Walz And Comm. Paul Schnell Update On Sunday Evening UnrestThe Associated Press has confirmed that 4,100 have been arrested in the Twin Cities so far in the overall unrest in the wake of George Floyd's death. WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Addresses I-35W Protest, Semi-Truck IncidentAmelia Santaniello and Frank Vascellaro talk with Frey about the events of the day and week (). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Further Details But Questions Remain On Arrested I-35W Truck DriverThe man's identity has been release, along with a mug shot, but it's still yet unclear whether this was an intentional or accidental event (6:05). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Streets Are, By And Large, Quiet For A 2nd Night In A RowKate Raddatz takes stock of the status quo Sunday night in St. Paul (3:42). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

10 P.M. Weather ReportTemperatures are looking significantly warmer in the early part of the week, Lisa Meadows reports. WCCO 4 News At 10 - May 31, 2020

Minneapolis Protesters Bond With Arresting OfficersMike Max, reporting from the site in downtown Minneapolis where 150 peaceful George Floyd protesters were arrested Sunday night, talks about the humanity he witnessed over several hours between demonstrators and law enforcement (8:19).WCCO 4 News - June 1, 2020

Protesters Converge After Curfew At Cup Foods VigilCup Foods is located at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue and is the site of George Floyd's death, David Schuman reports (6:52). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Mug Shot Of Semi-Truck Driver Who Drove Into Crowd On I-35W ReleasedWCCO confirmed with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office that the suspect was Bogdan Vechirko, of Otsego. He is currently being held custody on probable cause assault, Jennifer Mayerle reports (10:42). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

St. Paul Residents Grab Brushes To Clean, Keep Eyes Out For Their NeighborsBill Hudson reports from St. Paul, where neighbors are coming together to help clean up local businesses (1:30). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Religious Community Comes Together For Much-Needed Worship After Week Of ViolenceReg Chapman reports as faithful communities come together to honor the life of George Floyd and pray for peace (1:50). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Communities Receive Overwhelming Amounts Of Food And Supply DonationsMarielle Mohs reports, Sanford Middle School has been organizing grocery and supply donations to assist those whose grocery stores were damaged during the riots (2:51). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

'We're Better Than Killing A Man': Protester Describes Saving Truck Driver's LifeAfter a semi-truck driver plowed into a crowd of peaceful protesters, his life was spared by and he was handed over to the police (2:45). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

1 Group Of Protesters Being Arrested 1-By-1, The Other Marches South On PortlandDavid Schuman and Mike Max presented a tale of two very different situations (9:04). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Mike Max Describes How Protesters Are Getting Cornered By PoliceMike Max was at Bobby and Steve's, where a group of peaceful protesters attempted to disperse (12:59). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

New Video Shows How Truck Progressed Through Crowd On I-35WIt appears the truck stopped at least twice before attempting to continue driving through the crowd, Jeff Wagner and Jennifer Mayerle reports (5:50). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

AG Keith Ellison To Lead Prosecution Of George Floyd's Death"It with a large degree of humility and a great seriousness, I accept for my office the responsibility for leadership on this critical case involving the killing of George Floyd. We are going to bring to bear all the resources necessary to achieve justice in this case," he tweeted (6:07). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

Gov. Tim Walz Expresses Deep Sadness Over Semi-Truck Incident On I-35WAs an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people were on the bridge peacefully protesting when a truck driver plowed through them, though no injuries have been reported (2:10). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

Eyewitness Describes Pandemonium On I-35W Bridge As Truck Drives Thru CrowdMike Max got the full story (6:35). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

Social Media Provides Views Of Horror, Chaos As Truck Drives Into CrowdSusan-Elizabeth Littlefield shares video that's been posted on social media after a truck driver drove into a crowd of peaceful protesters on I-35W Sunday afternoon (2:23). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

RAW VIDEO: Truck Drives Through Protesters On I-35W In MinneapolisA viewer sent us this video of the moment a tanker truck drove through peaceful protesters on the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis marching in honor of George Floyd on Sunday ().WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

Protesters Describe What Happened When A Semi-Truck Drove Into Crowd On I-35 BridgeNorman Seawright III was among the protesters on the other end of the bridge when the truck came through (4:54). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

BREAKING: Semi-Truck Appears To Drive Through Protest Marchers On I-35W BridgeWCCO's chopper appears to have gotten images of a semi-truck attempting to drive through crowds on the Interstate 35W Bridge across the Mississippi River (). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

Protesters March Onto I-35W Bridge Over Mississippi River, Spanning Its WidthThere were marchers as far as the eye could see in Minneapolis (5:38). WCCO 4 News - May 30, 2020

Minnesota National Guard: FBI Warns Of Credible Threat Against Soldiers And AirmenMaj. Gen. Jon Jensen, adjutant general of the Guard, said that he has advised Gov. Tim Walz to allow soldiers and airmen to be armed, Jennifer Mayerle reports (1:40). WCCO 4 News - May 31, 2020

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Progress Made After Another Night Of Unrest In Minneapolis - WCCO | CBS Minnesota

The Social Butterfly recalls a trip to the Clarke County Fair last year, before the pandemic hit

Moments before I bellied-up to my laptop to write this weeks column, something coincidental happened.

A friends post popped up on my Facebook feed with a similar subject matter to what I was just about to start writing about. On May 21, Brenda White shared a heartfelt lengthy explanation of why the Chesterfield County Fair is canceled this year.

I could sit here all day and never get this message 100% right enough to satisfy everyone; but, I'll try my best. As the General Manager for the Chesterfield County Fair, I take pride in all that's done in making this one of the premiere fairs in this area, wrote Brenda. That being said - the sadness that comes with having to make the decision to cancel for 2020 is overwhelming.

The 107th annual Chesterfield County Fair was to take place August 28 through September 5, 2020. Per Brenda, the fair has only been canceled two times previously...once in 1918 due to the Spanish flu pandemic and in an unknown year during World War I.

We had to think about the health and safety of everyone - my family and YOUR family. Think about trying to social distance at a fair......standing in the ticket line, each person 6' apart. Standing in line to get food, ride rides, etc. And, only allowing x number of people inside the grounds at one time, wrote Brenda. Trying to keep things disinfected - rides, golf carts, bathrooms, food areas, grandstand seating, etc. - would only mean we'd have to hire a tremendous amount of people. That would mean prices would rise and with so many people out of work - that's just not fair to them.

Brenda also pointed out to the community that the opening phases of Virginia had not been set in stone yet, so she and the fair committee could not depend on having large groups able to congregate.

Brenda and I met when she invited me over for a question and answer get-together to go over the 200-page ChesterFest Guidebook I wrote after chairing the event for the first three years. She and her co-chair were grateful for the tool that I took upon myself to create for future coordinators. As of now, the 19th annual ChesterFest will be hosted this September by the Chester Community Association on Saturday the 26th in the Village Green near the library.

I know what its like to chair a huge event, and I also know how hard it is to make the difficult decision to cancel one. It feels absolutely terrible! Sometimes...as much as we want the show to go on...it just cant!

I had no earthly idea that my butterfly topic previously submitted to my editor would be this timely.

In light of whats happened, I dedicate this Social Butterfly to Brenda, the board and members of the Chesterfield County Fair Association, volunteers, vendors, and everyone who helps pull it all together to create memories for the community to cherish year-after-year.

On August 14 last year, I attended the 65th annual Clarke County Fair [CCF] in Berryville, VA.

Located 150 miles away from my place, it takes around two-and-a-half hours to get to the fairgrounds. I remember the drive being more scenic the closer we arrived to our destination.

As far as fairs go, the CCF was a bit on the tiny side compared to our grand Chesterfield County Fair. In all fairness, I visited on a Wednesday; however, even on a weekday, it provided me with plenty of activities to keep me entertained.

At this time, the CCF website has the 66th annual fair scheduled for August 9 through August 15, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 State of Emergency, two truck & tractor pulls they host on the fairgrounds have already been canceled this year.

The Clarke County fair has been around for 65 years and doesnt plan on slowing down any time soon, boasts fair management. Filled with community, family legacies, animal shows, and some great barbecue chicken, you wont want to miss being a part of the great things our fair has to offer.

For their communitys sake, I surely hope this beastly pandemic has crawled up in a corner and croaked, but if youre interested in checking it out this August, watch for updates on their website.

I cant take you to the fair to explore everything with your five senses, but I can provide you with two of them: sight and hearing.

Visit http://www.progress-index.com to view more photos and watch the video montage of various animals I captured doing their thing including a baby chick that had just been hatched. And, if you tap into your imagination, you just may be able to touch, feel, and taste for yourself.

On second thought, tasting feathers and fur may not be your cup of tea. Enjoy experiencing the fair through my eyes!

Kristi K. Higgins, aka The Social Butterfly, can be reached at khiggins@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @KHigginsPI.

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Throwback to the County Fair - Progress Index

BRISTOL, Tenn. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. could not have had a bumpier return to racing after NASCARs 10-week shutdown.

How bad was it? Stenhouse crashed on the first lap of the first race back and finished last.

He followed it with a 25th-place finish at the second Cup race at Darlington Raceway, then was 24th in the Coca-Cola 600. In three races, Stenhouse plummeted seven spots in the standings to 24th.

Stenhouse finally snapped out of it Thursday night in the second race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a fourth-place finish for his new JTG-Daugherty Racing team.

It was just really good to just have a smooth race with really no issues, Stenhouse said. It was just huge to get a good run in and pass a lot of really good cars.

Next up is Sundays stop at Bristol Motor Speedway the fifth Cup race since NASCAR resumed May 17 and a decent track for Stenhouse. His six top-10 finishes at Bristol are more than at any track other than Talladega Superspeedway.

This is Stenhouses first season at JTG, but he surrounded himself with familiar faces from his Roush Fenway Racing tenure that include longtime crew chief Brian Pattie. The duo is making the transition from racing in a Ford to a Chevrolet, and preparing for events that dont include practice or qualifying.

As NASCAR tries to make up eight postponed points races, the schedule has been condensed into one-day shows, and teams dont have two or more practice sessions to dial-in a setup. Stenhouse and Chris Buescher essentially swapped rides at the end of 2019, and Bueschers old notes from Bristol are the disposal of Stenhouse and his team.

Our setups, looking at what we normally run versus what they ran here, are pretty similar, so I feel good about that, Stenhouse said, adding that hes quickly getting comfortable in the Camaro, and with NAS-CARs current aerodynamic package.

The feel that I have in this race car is better than any of the feel that I had in my Cup cars over my career so far, he said. Im looking forward to getting to Bristol knowing that weve had good runs there. Weve had chances to win there. It would be nice to be able to get up and go lead some laps, and contend for a win there as well.

DIBENEDETTOS RETURN

Matt DiBendetto was told he was out at Leavine Family Racing days before last Augusts race at Bristol. He worked through his disappointment to lead 93 laps and finish a career-best second.

It was a life-changing week for DiBenedetto, who impressed the NASCAR community with his resolve. Paul Menard took it one step further by telling his Wood Brothers Racing team he was retiring at the end of the year and they should hire DiBenedetto.

DiBenedetto got the ride that puts him under the Team Penske umbrella and has been decent this year. He finished second at Las Vegas in the second race of the season and led 10 laps Thursday night at Charlotte.

Hes ranked 11th in the standings.

Im excited about how good of a team we have and resources and teammates and you name it, he said. Weve shown if we hit it or were close, we can be up front at any of these races. Were not in our rhythm yet, but we will be. I have no doubt about that.

KESELOWSKI AGAIN ON THE POLE

The field was set by a random draw and Brad Keselowski again got the lucky pull for the pole. He will start first for the second time in five races.

It was a strong lottery for Team Penske, which got all three of its drivers in the first two rows. Joey Logano will start second and Ryan Blaney third.

Blaney cruises into Bristol after back-to-back third-place finishes at Charlotte.

These past two races, Ive been really proud of everyones effort, Blaney said. I think we were close, weve just got to find a little bit of speed here and there to go out and really dominate races.

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Stenhouse making progress with new team - Press Herald

Images place us in time, gluing unremarkable and historically urgent moments in a fixed setting or context, but mostly they thrill our senses in other varied ways. They challenge us with questions and ferry nostalgia. Images set our faces electric at the sight of something truly wonderful. The primary function of a photograph is not measurement, but there are those that suggest it all the same. Those images, thornier in intent and unwedded to a single place, become a kind of cloverleafof circumstances, of timelines and beliefs, of people.

Photographer Stephen Maturens snapshot of a young black protesteron his knees and shirtless, hands raised like a goal postis an image of staggering breadth. It was taken outside the 3rd Police Precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where thousands gathered this week in response to the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd, who died in police custody Monday. The details of Floyds death are not so much an uncanny occurrence as they are an American one. Absent all exaggeration, he died, quite literally, with a knee drilled into his neck, pinned to the pavement for some seven minutes as he fought for air. Please, please, please, he told officer Derek Chauvin, I cant breathe. The state chose not to listen.

None of this is unexpectedthe illogical death of Floyd, Chauvins malevolent disregard for black life. An investigation by the Marshall Project made clear that recent police reform efforts in Minnesota have failed spectacularly, detailing that even as officials have made some changes, law enforcement agencies have lacked either the authority or the will to discipline and remove bad officers from patrol. Chauvin was one such officer.

The initial police report, which has since been disputed, said Floyd appeared to be suffering medical distress, but a video uploaded to Facebook revealed the actual terror at hand, the means with which black people are stalked, apprehended, and made lifeless. Im about to die, Floyd yells in the video, his face slapped against the ground. Only when the ambulance arrives does Chauvin release pressure, but it is too late; Floyds body is inanimate by that point. (Chauvin, along with the three other officers involved in the incident, have since been fired by the department. On Friday, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.)

For so long, the assurance of black death has been a loud and unbroken current in US democracy. I am writing this the week that Tony McDade, a black trans man, was fatally shot by police in Tallahassee. I am writing this weeks after Breonna Taylor, a black EMT, was shot at least eight times by Louisville law enforcement in her apartment. I am writing this months after Ahmaud Arbery was hunted and killed by the McMichaels, a white father and son, in Georgia. (The pair now face murder and aggrevated assault charges.) Six years ago during the peak of July, Eric Garner shouted the same haunting arrangement of words that George Floyd chose, which again rattle the mind, our now unholy inauguration to summer.

What draws the viewer's eye into Maturens photograph are all of these tragedies. In the days following its original capture, protests intensifiedby Thursday evening, the same police station the young man kneeled before was burned to the ground, and the president promised retaliation over Twitter, threatening: When the looting starts, the shooting starts. What the image suggests is a difficult intersection of truth.

I see a friend, possibly a brother, not looking for self-validation but fighting for the very thing he was never promised: justice. In this way, the context of the photo is not solely of this moment; it moves alongside time. The slipperiness of the images background helps lend it a transportive quality. Even as we see him kneeling, the young man is not fixed in placethere's a shakiness to his positioning. His surroundings are a shadow of what has already come. He could be anywhere: a Sunday in 1965 in Selma, Los Angeles in 1992, the streets of Baltimore during the spring of 2015. For me, the main function of Maturens photograph is not measurement but naked documentation. In this photo I witness outrage, grace, and courage. It is the look of someone tired of having a knee on his neck. And yet, what the photograph does measure is its most telling, horrifying attribute. It exploits progress as fallacy. It scrubs the illusion of racial betterment clean. The image is an education in distance: We have not come very far. We have so far to go.

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George Floyd and the Illusion of Progress - WIRED