Category Archives: Progress

Tuesdays score may not show it, but Macon boys basketball coach Dale Devenport sees plenty of progress with his team.

The Tigers (2-4) fell to Chillicothe (3-2) 68-52 at home but showed plenty of heart against a team that beat them by 24 last year.

Im proud of their effort, Im proud of their fight, their resilience. I thought we really competed hard the entire game, Devenport said. There are some things we have to fix, of course. But I had four freshmen playing a ton of minutes. With two seniors and two juniors, that was my main rotation. So Im really proud of our effort.

Though the Hornets led the bulk of the game, the Tigers made things close at several moments. About halfway through the third, Tanner Lightle, who had a team-high 17 points, knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 34-33. After that, Chillicothe dominated the remaining four minutes and left the quarter with a 51-36 lead.

Devenport credited that to Chillicothes size and experience, two big factors that the Hornets had. Chillicothes length helped them get to the basket and the free-throw line. CJ Paff and Westley Brandsgaard had monster games for the Hornets, scoring 24 and 30 points respectively. They combined for 54 of the teams 68 points scoring every point in the second and third quarters and Macon had no solutions for them.

On the final possession of the third quarter, Paff dribbled around looking for a shot at the buzzer. As the Macon student section chanted overrated he spun around and hit a step-back 3-pointer over a Macon defender to end the quarter. That was the exclamation point on the Hornets run to end the quarter and seal the deal.

Devenport tried to limit that length early on by playing slow, having almost minute-long possessions in the first half. But that only worked for so long before Paff and Brandsgaard hit shots from deep to make that strategy less appealing.

Macons final three games of 2019 and first of 2020 were ones Devenport was anxious about, knowing they were against tough teams. He wants the team to see great competition to make themselves better.

I knew before Christmas would be tough, Devenport said. This four-game stretch where we go Chillicothe, Southern Boone, Boonville, Milan thats as good a stretch as youre going to play. So we have got to buckle down, stay focused, score the ball and get stops.

And he still believes there is a lot of talent on the team waiting to show out.

I tell these guys every day that were only playing for one game. These are all dress rehearsals for the game that matters and thats in districts, he said. Of course we want to find ways to win these games, but if were playing teams that are really good, thats going to make us better. If we can find ways to compete with teams like this, then were going to find ways to compete with everybody down the road.

Read more:

Macon boys show progress but struggle in 68-52 loss to Chillicothe - Kirksville Daily Express and Daily News

This week, national governments, international agencies, civil society organisations, and refugees themselves have arrived in Geneva for the worlds first Global Refugee Forum.

The meeting comes at the end of a tumultuous decade in which the number of refugees has risen to more than 26 million people worldwide.

The forced movement of people seeking protection in the face of conflict and persecution has tested the international refugee system and poses a persistent challenge for the countries that host large refugee populations.

GLOBAL COMPACT PROMISES A NEW APPROACH

In response, the international community agreed the Global Compact on Refugees, which sets out a new approach to refugee movements. Its underpinned by stronger cooperation and solidarity with refugees and the countries that host them.

The Compact promises access to education within three months for refugees who have fled their country in search of protection.

But the reality for the vast majority of refugees is quite different. More than half the worlds refugees are children, and some 3.7 million of them have not only lost their homes but their opportunity to go to school.

Weve has been working to reverse this situation and ensure every refugee child has the opportunity to learn.

REFUGEES PUT A PREMIUM ON EDUCATION

Refugees know that education has the power to transform their childrens lives, paving the way to better work, health and livelihoods and that it will give them the skills they need to rebuild their countries.

Thats why refugees put a premium on education. Education Against the Odds, which we published earlier this year the largest analysis of what children say they need during humanitarian emergencies revealed that children affected by crises are more than twice as likely to rank going to school as their top concern over other needs.

EDUCATION FOR REFUGEES IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Countries that receive and host refugees and include them in their national education systems, often for extended periods, already make a huge contribution. Given that 85% of the worlds refugees live in poor countries, which are often already struggling to meet the basic needs of their citizens, those countries must be better supported in this task.

In Time to Act, which we published earlier this year, we proposed a global plan of action to get every refugee child into school. It shows that we could deliver quality universal pre-primary, primary and secondary education to the worlds refugees, for $21.5 billion over five years or $575 per child per year.

$11.9 billion would be needed in international assistance, or $4.3 billion per year. To put this into perspective, the 2018 World Cup cost $11 billion to stage, so although the figures look large, they represent a relatively modest investment which could reap massive benefits.

The international community is not leaving Geneva with a commitment to find that money and we need to keep the overall goal in focus but a series of promising commitments were made.

GOOD NEWS WE MUST BUILD ON

At the last round of International Development Association (IDA) funding one of the largest sources of concessional financing for the worlds poorest countries the World Bank created a new grant window for refugee-hosting countries.

The next round, which has just been confirmed, will grow to $2.2 billion. And at a high-level event on financing at the Global Refugee Forum, which Save the Children convened, the World Bank committed to grow the proportion spent on education for refugees.

At the same event the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) announced the expansion of its accelerated funding mechanism. The decision will unlock up to $250 million in rapid funding for education in countries experiencing humanitarian emergencies in the coming year.

Previously, GPE partner countries experiencing a humanitarian crisis could apply for accelerated funding and request an advance of up to 20% of their maximum country allocation. Under the new decision, these countries can receive that funding as additional money which allow them to keep their existing maximum country allocation.

This has been a long-standing recommendation of Save the Children, which we set out in detail in Time to Act. We were delighted with the Global Partnership for Educations announcement, which is a clear example of meaningful responsibility sharing.

The European Union and the government of Germany also announced additional funding for Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies, which will finance multi-year resilience programmes in at least 19 refugee-hosting countries between now and 2021.

All three of these organisations recognised that there are opportunities for each of them to work better together and to provide more effective, efficient and aligned support. At the same event they announced their joint pledge to improve the coordination and financing of their efforts.

GROWING SUPPORT FOR ACTION ON EDUCATION FOR REFUGEES

In addition to these promising financing developments, it has been gratifying to see the extent to which education has been profiled at the Forum.

Education has the largest number of official co-sponsors, including 13 national governments.

The preparatory process for the Forum also resulted in the publication of the Global Framework on Refugee Education, which has helped translate the Refugee Education 2030 Strategy into concrete pledges.

At the time of writing, 102 education specific pledges have been made. They include Save the Childrens pledge.

Im confident that its possible to provide a good-quality education to every last refugee child. As the worlds first ever Global Refugee Forum winds up, I[m more aware than ever of how much there is to do. But I also leave Geneva pleased by what has been achieved, buoyed by the promise of additional support for refugee-hosting states, and inspired by the resilience and commitment of the refugees who have shared their stories here this week.

They have asked us to help make sure that becoming a refugee doesnt mean losing out on an education. I live in hope that the world is finally listening to them.

Read the original post:

Progress is possible: Education at the global refugee forum - World - ReliefWeb

J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told employees that he's "disgusted by racism and hate in any form" after a New York Times report detailed instances of discrimination at the bank's branches.

"We must make sure that the culture we aspire to reaches every corner of our company," Dimon said in a memo sent late Friday to employees and obtained by CNBC. "We have done some great work on diversity and inclusion, but it's not enough. We must be absolutely relentless on doing more."

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that a black J.P. Morgan employee and customer experienced racial discrimination by managers at branches in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and had made audio recordings as evidence. In one case, the customer had difficulty attaining private client status despite moving a hundred thousand dollars to the bank.

Dimon said that he's instructed his managers to look deeper into the bank's policies and culture to reach higher standards of fairness.

"Racism has existed for too long in our country, in our communities and unfortunately, at times, even at our company," Dimon said. "But this is not who we are. We want all of you to be active in making needed progress."

Read the entire memo:

Message from Jamie Dimon

Dear colleagues,

I am disgusted by racism and hate in any form. Any such behavior explicit or veiled, deliberate or unconscious is unacceptable and does not reflect who we are as a company and how we serve our clients and communities every day.

We must make sure that the culture we aspire to reaches every corner of our company. We have done some great work on diversity and inclusion, but it's not enough. We must be absolutely relentless on doing more. I've instructed my management team to continually look into our policies, procedures, management practices and culture to set and achieve the highest possible standards. There is always more we can do.

Racism has existed for too long in our country, in our communities and unfortunately, at times, even at our company. But this is not who we are. We want all of you to be active in making needed progress.

We will use this moment as an opportunity to do better as leaders, as employees and as human beings.

Link:

Jamie Dimon says he's 'disgusted by racism' and progress is needed at JP Morgan after report - CNBC

Abby McEnany plays a version of herself in Work in Progress, a dark comedy series based on her own life. Showtime hide caption

Abby McEnany plays a version of herself in Work in Progress, a dark comedy series based on her own life.

In the new Showtime comedy series Work in Progress, Abby McEnany joins a long tradition of comedians playing a version of themselves on TV.

She's playing a "45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke" who is depressed, anxious and self-conscious.

McEnany has spent decades in Chicago's improv comedy scene. She says she dealt with a long string of rejections and failed auditions. Then her pilot got picked up and greenlit for a full series.

She still can't quite believe it.

"We got the note from Showtime, like, 'Hey, they want to do something with you!'" McEnany says in an interview. "I'm like, 'Meh, I'll believe it when I see it.' And then they're like, 'You're straight to series.' I'm like, "We don't have a signed contract yet." And then once they sent out the trailer that was probably four weeks ago I'm like, 'Well, that looks like a TV show.' ... Still doubting."

On coping with feeling unsafe in public women's bathrooms (because other women don't think she belongs there)

One is: I often walk in and I go [cheery, higher-pitched voice] "Hi!" I think people are like: Why is this person talking to me in the bathroom? And I'm just it is a safety thing, you know. I do hate conflict, and I get yelled at, and looked at, and it's very stressful. I get nervous using a bathroom. I'm 51, and that takes a lot of energy, when you're like: I just want to go get a coffee and then am I going to be OK and not get screamed at; I've been screamed at before. But I do have these mechanisms. One is, I'm like, "Hi! Hi! Hi!"

And then, if I'm in the stall, and there's nobody else, and somebody comes in, I kind of clear my throat femininely [demonstrates] ... What was funny is that: I was in Boston with my sister, and we were at a movie theater. I was like, "OK, I'm going to run into the bathroom before we go home." And I heard somebody come in, and I'm going [polite clearing-throat]. She's like, "Abby, it's me!" because she knew I did that. But it is this constant, I'm kind of boxing out under the ooh, this sounds like a real butch reference but in basketball, I'm boxing out under the net, you know? ... It's constantly putting defenses out for myself to avoid conflict. ...

I found it kind of cool that we got to show my real experience [in the show]. And then, also I have to say: Wow, compared to trans folks, I have it really easy, you know? I just think things are hard, and I think there's a lot of society that has no idea. And we just wanted to show that there's a struggle for safe space. And other times I get really angry about it, and other times I just want to cry about it.

On depicting uncomfortable conversations about gender and identity like when her character misidentifies a transgender man as a woman

Work in Progress also stars Theo Germaine as Chris, a young trans man. Adrian S. Burrows/Showtime hide caption

Work in Progress also stars Theo Germaine as Chris, a young trans man.

McEnany: If people are learning, or saying things, and there's no hatred or judgment behind it, and there's no vitriol, and you're setting up a conversation or a relationship where people can share how they feel about things: There's beauty in that.

And I think that actually was based on my real-life relationship with my ex-boyfriend, Alex. And I was doing a gig in D.C. in 2009 for a month, and I met, I thought, the hottest baby dyke on the face of the planet who was waiting on our table. ... So I emailed Alex, and I was like, "So, I assume you're a dyke. Can you tell me if there are any dyke bars out here?" And he wrote me back, he goes, "Haha, well actually I'm a trans man." And I was like, "OK, do you know of any lesbian bars?"

And then we ended up going out. And it was just sort of like, "Oh, OK." It didn't change my attraction to him. And I have to say, they now use they/them pronouns ... We wanted to show the real thing. It's just like, "Huh, trans man."

Shapiro: And in the show, a friend says, "Wait, does the fact that you're dating a trans man mean you're not lesbian anymore?" Which, you know, doesn't seem like that far out a question, but I think people might be afraid to ask it, because it seems rude or offensive.

McEnany: Well, the thing is in the show, it kind of turns into this joke. But I have to say, a friendly acquaintance asked me that back in 2009 when I told them I was dating this young trans man, and it was sort of accusatory: "So I guess you're not a lesbian anymore." And in my mind, I was like, "Do you have a whiteboard at home with all the lesbians? Are you gonna take me off?" Like, who cares! So that made me laugh. So we definitely softened it in the show, but I was just sort of like: all right, I don't know.

On her first experience working in TV

I have to say: Every day was a steep learning curve. But our crew I have to say, our crew was so amazing. I was so well taken-care-of. And I'd be like, "You guys, it's my first time!" And any time they would say something, I'd be like, "Is that an industry term?" And they'd be like, "No, I'm asking to get a sandwich." I was like, "OK, OK." ... Everybody was just so great.

On being interviewed by NPR

Seriously, this is giving me so much cred with my father. You have no idea.

Dave Blanchard and Jolie Myers produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Patrick Jarenwattananon adapted it for the Web.

Original post:

Abby McEnany On 'Work In Progress,' Her Showtime Black Comedy - NPR

Parents sounded off tonight about a new special education program designed to help their children, instead of suspending them.

The school board approved bringing Chancelight Education into schools for three years with a $17 million contract. From there, Chancelight team members say they went straight to work by hiring and training teachers.

On the first day of school they opened 29 classes at 13 different behavior support sites. Throughout the semester, they continued to train teachers and also held meetings with parents to learn more about their childs educational program.

Parents at the school board meeting thanked the board for the program that they say fits all of their childs needs.

They give him special attention so he can do the work, and if he has a bad day or if hes having some challenges that day they can help walk him through that. He can work that issue out and return to the classroom which is what we want rather than having him suspended, Sharon Bevely said.

Because of the wrap around services that Chancelight provides, theres just so many people that are there that are therapeutically trained and they understand how to de-escalate a child. It gives my son specifically an opportunity to learn more and that gives him a better chance to actually graduate, James Crocker said.

ChanceLight officials say they were able to move 22.3 percent of Muscogee County School District students to a less restrictive environment.

Read the original post:

Parents thank the school district for their childrens progress in the Chancelight Education program - WRBL

Progress is relative and it can be fluid, sometimes difficult to quantify but unmistakable when it pierces the gloom of a dismal rebuilding process.

The Kings are a long ways from turning the corner, but theyre inching forward. Thats not based on them scoring a lot of goals or winning a lot of games, because thats not happening. The scoring part wont happen until they upgrade their finishing skills, whether this season or next.

Two goals a game in this league anymore, I know we did it in the past but it was a 2-1, 3-2 league back then. Now it seems more like a 4-3 league, so we need to score more goals, defenseman Drew Doughty said of the Kings solid defensive play and low-scoring wins during their 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup seasons.

Where theyve moved forward recently is in playing with a cohesiveness they lacked in the early weeks this season and a competitiveness that was far from consistent during their first 20 games. They trust their structure and their coaching, and with good reason.

For the Kings, who followed an abysmal season with a 4-9-0 start under new coach Todd McLellan and gave up at least five goals in seven of those games, close losses have become the equivalent of moral victories and close wins are precious gems. Their 2-1 victory over the Ducks on Thursday at Honda Center was a satisfying result for a team that is confident, after some unfortunate detours, that its finally headed in the right direction.

Doughty, always blunt, believes players are buying in to McLellans system. The Kings arent getting run out of the rink anymore, for one thing. We havent had one of those in a while. As much as weve lost a lot of games we havent had any full lopsided games at all, Doughty said. So I guess in a way we are happy with that. Even though we have too many losses were improving all the time. Everyones getting better individually and as a team and yeah, its exciting, but we have a lot of work to do.

Highlights from the Kings 2-1 victory over the Ducks on Thursday.

They also have a credible and organized coach in charge. Just having this new coaching staff, implementing these new things that we always have to be thinking about and demanding us to do these things, Doughty said of the advancement he has seen. We finally got that, I feel like, and now its just individually getting our games better. I definitely feel that were on the right track and guys are getting better every day and I think we do have some more talent coming up soon, so its looking bright for us.

How bright?

I would like to still, hopefully, somehow get in the playoffs this year, he said. I know were in last and its a long way away but I still want to try.

Bless him for being ambitious, but thats unlikely. And making the playoffs would take them out of the draft lottery, where theyd have a chance to find high-level talent to accelerate their rebuild. Putting a solid foundation in place and staying together through those close losses should be their main concern, and that seems to be their thinking.

Our game has improved incrementally and slowly but not dramatically over two or three weeks, McLellan said after the Kings opened a stretch of six straight road games and eight of nine away from Staples Center. Weve been playing the same gamewe just havent been getting the wins or a bounce here or there. Maybe now theyll start to go our way but I think the group has improved immensely from Day One at training camp through the first four or five games in a lot of different areas and were making progress. Finding some rewards every now and then with wins is always reassuring.

The Ducks, who have won only three of their last 10 games, are two points ahead of the Kings near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Both teams missed the playoffs last season but the Ducks had stockpiled enough young forwards to think theyd be far ahead of the Kings this season. But their kids havent produced, and thats becoming an issue. I would have expected a little bit more production out of them, coach Dallas Eakins said before Thursdays game. The good thing is theyve still got lots of time left.

True, but Troy Terry (three goals in 31 games), Sam Steel (two goals in 27 games) and Max Comtois (who had an assist on Thursday but has two goals and six points in 16 games) must start contributing because theres little scoring depth. The Ducks are 4-6-4 in one-goal games this season.

Eakins wants to see more net-front play. We do at times get caught off the side, he said. The game is different now. If it was 10 years ago youd maybe lose a leg or part of an arm going to the front of the net and you can just certainly go there now, and weve just got to keep pounding that home.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick and teammates Trevor Lewis (22) and Kyle Clifford (13) try to stop Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler from scoring during the second period Thursday.

(Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Without a lot of pure skill, they have to grind and get in the mix for rebounds, tips and screens. We know were going to score by committee, defenseman Cam Fowler said. We need to be a team that has all four lines contributing. We know we have to play stingy defensively, which weve been doing.

Were in these games. We need to find a way to tip the scales and get on the right side of them. You can talk so much about being so close and being right there, but eventually you need to get results.

Defenseman Josh Manson had a lot of time to observe his teammates while he recovered from a knee injury and missed 19 games. Manson, who returned to the lineup at Minnesota on Tuesday, took no consolation from the narrow losses he saw. We were close in a lot of games and that can be a real bad thing because you become satisfied with it almost, like, These games will turn. Sometimes they dont turn, he said.

The Ducks have to make those games turn in their favor. Exactly, Manson said.

Until they can do that, theyll continue to move sideways. The Kings might slip again but their overall direction is forward. Remember, progress is relative and at this point, even the smallest gain is a major victory.

Continue reading here:

Kings showing progress as they buy into Todd McLellan's system - Los Angeles Times

The latest edition of Pig Progress is now available online. Between the covers of this edition we look at ways to curb tail biting, a feed additive for happier pigs, and amino acids for gut health.

With the rapid development of pig herd performance over recent decades, it is not uncommon that upwards of 30 piglets are weaned per sow per year. Dr Klausing looks at feeding strategies and feed composition in light of this level of production on pages 6-8.

Only sows that have been specifically fed for their condition are able to produce enough nutritious milk from the very beginning. Photo: Ronald Hissink

Ideally, conventional pig producers must identify a tail-biting problem as early on as possible. In this article on pages 14-16 we understand what to look out for, and what to do about it.

Providing a distraction to a group of pigs is key. It is important to change the type of distraction regularly to keep the pigs interest. Photo: J-Y. Chou

Continuing the subject of tail biting on pages 20-22, in Finland, where tail cutting was banned in 2003, pig producers have shown excellent results of reduced tail biting through optimal feeding conditions.

Straw is given as an additional safeguard against tail biting. Photo: Henk Riswick

According to Russian scientists, the incidence of depression amongst pigs has seen an increase over recent decades. We look at a new feed additive on pages 12-13 that aims to help pigs to combat stress.

Russian scientists have tested a feed additive designed to make pigs happier. Photo: Vladislav Vorotnikov

Piglet gut health takes the limelight as producers are required to reduce the use of antibiotics and zinc oxide whilst maintaining performance. Reducing dietary protein content is an important factor in reducing gut disorders, but we also need to reconsider the way that amino acid nutrition in diet formulation is addressed. Pages 10-11.

A lower supply of dietary protein reduces protein microbial fermentation thereby preventing the development of pathogenic bacteria. Photo: Ajinomoto

Feed intake is dramatically affected by the space given to pigs. It is essential that pigs eat immediately after weaning, and so the need to ensure that pigs have the space to mimic the feeding and drinking behaviour of pen-mates should not be underestimated. Pages 24-25.

Researcher Dr Lindvall has shown that moderate overstocking depresses growth rate and feed intake in the learning phase immediately post weaning. Photo: Henk Riswick.

When an order of pig feed arrives at the farm, producers can access key ingredient data and make calculations quickly and easily with NutriOpt. This goes a long way in helping producers to maximise profits. Pages 26-27.

A smart feed simulation programme eliminates guesswork. Photo: Bart Nijs

A 3-pronged approach in the fight against post-weaning diarrhoea includes the use of undigestible fibre and inflammation biomarkers, as well as adhering to a total health plan. Pages 28-29.

Nutrition should be integrated into an overall health strategy. Photo: Gwenael Saliou

It is becoming clear that zinc cannot be replaced by a single product and that a combination of strategies is needed. Page 31-32.

Not only is zinc involved in protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism, but it is also important for skin and wound healing. Photo: Framelco

In the first of a 2-part series, columnist John Gadd discusses mastitis, metritis and agalactia as well as farrowing stress in pigs on page 17.

To view these articles and other editions of Pig Progress online, simply click on the digital magazine section and then on Pig Progress 2019-10 to view this edition. Registration is free.

See the original post:

Curly tails, happy pigs and gut health in Pig Progress 10 - Pig Progress

What more could have gone wrong for the regions farmers in 2019?

But now comes a bit of good news with forward movement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal expected to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexico ratified the USMCA this past summer, and now as both U.S. political parties come into agreement the deal is likely to be formalized.

Unfortunately, politics may come into play. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week said he will delay a vote on the USMCA until the conclusion of a Senate impeachment trial of the president. As reported in The Hill a newspaper that covers the U.S. Capitol McConnell said from my perspective, (the USMCA) is not as good as I had hoped.

Come on, Mitch. Judging by comments made from the regions congressional delegates, USMCA deserves quick passage.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said it will provide important certainty regarding our two biggest trading partners and significant benefits for U.S. agriculture.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., called the recent agreement on USMCA long overdue and said that advancing it will be a win for North Dakota.

Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., also called it a huge win for North Dakota.

Its been a long time coming, and especially for aggies. Meteorological crises notwithstanding, they have dealt with all sorts of body blows, the most recent being a shortage of propane the key fuel used for drying corn. Trade wars have added to their anxiety.

After all, Canada and Mexico are North Dakotas top trading nations according to state data, North Dakota exports roughly $5 billion annually to those countries. USMCA will lock in an agreement between the United States and these important and nearby partners for years to come. It also could help move forward a trade agreement with China, since that country may have lost leverage over the U.S. now that Canada and Mexico will be back in the trading mix.

And it seems to be a political win for many, especially President Trump, whose declared goal has been to update trade agreements to better position the U.S. in the future. Even Democrats should see this as a win, since it shows they are able to push forward GOP-backed legislation amid the impeachment controversy.

Some are saying the benefits of USMCA arent as great as advertised. A gloomy report by The Washington Post notes that passing the USMCA will provide a minimal macroeconomic boost and that its broad effects will be negligible. But it also cites economists who say the USMCA will prevent a breakdown in cross-border trading between the United States chief trading partners.

We prefer a brighter outlook. The USMCA is a win for Trump, a good concession by Democrats and applauded by regional lawmakers, farm organizations and chambers of commerce.

Now, the goal should be to quickly ratify the USMCA avoiding the politics of impeachment proceedings and giving farmers some peace of mind during the holiday season.

Here is the original post:

Our view: USMCA is progress, so ratify it - Grand Forks Herald

For the past couple of months, when Adam Thielen has been out and about in the Twin Cities, there has been one thing foremost on the minds of Vikings fans.

I get a lot of hamstring questions, Thielen said.

The star wide receiver injured his right hamstring Oct. 20 at Detroit and has been on the field for part of just one quarter since then. He has missed four straight games and five of the past six.

But Thielen said Thursday he is more optimistic now than in past weeks about returning. He practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday, and could be back for Sundays road game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Right now, Im just taking it one day at a time, just focusing on the day, Thielen said. (Thursdays practice) was a win for me and getting back out there. Everything has gone well so far and (I am) very happy with the progression. Well see how (Friday) goes.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection acknowledged two weeks ago he returned too soon for the Nov. 3 game at Kansas City after sitting out just one game. He aggravated the injury in the first quarter against the Chiefs and hasnt played since.

Thielen practiced on a limited basis Nov. 29 and 30 and was listed as questionable for a Dec. 2 game at Seattle. But he was downgraded to out the day before the game.

I just wasnt ready to go, he said. I couldnt do my job at the way I needed to do it to be successful or to even help this team. So, if I cant go 100 percent, I cant do my job, I cant play.

Thielen, 29, didnt practice last week and sat out last Sundays 20-7 home victory over the Lions. He returned to practice Wednesday.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph said Thielen looked good in Thursdays workout, and is hopeful he can play against the Chargers.

Its awesome any time you get a Pro Bowl-caliber player back offensively, Rudolph said. Weve been playing some good football, and if you can add a guy with Adams skill set and his ability, its only going to make us better.

Including the 26-23 loss to the Chiefs, the Vikings have gone 4-2 since Thielen was initially hurt. During his absence, wide receiver Stefon Diggs has had some big games, but quarterback Kirk Cousins also has spread the ball around a lot more. He completed passes to 11 different receivers against the Lions.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will have a plan against the Chargers for if Thielen plays and if he doesnt.

Theres certain things that a specific player like Adam does really well and youre going to do it with Adam, and I could say the same with some of our tight ends and our running backs, Stefanski said. There are some things in mind as you put a plan together that you really have him in mind for. If hes not up, you move on to the next guy.

Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2017-18, Thielen has 27 catches this season for 391 yards. Before his injury, he had played in all 87 games in his six-year pro career.

Thielen has been frustrated at times while sitting out. However, he said he has learned a lot, just about myself during the process.

Ive learned how to be patient and learned how to be smart and things like that in practice and progression and things like that, so, yeah, just trying to get better every day, he said.

Read the original here:

Vikings Adam Thielen very happy with progress from hamstring injury - St. Paul Pioneer Press

Another line of inquiry into Trumps business deals unearthed a flow of Russian money into his projects, what Fritsch once called a tour de sleaze. Needing a clearer sense of what was happening inside Russia itself, where public records were hard to come by, Fusion reached out to Steele.

The authors chronicle how Steele became so alarmed by what his sources were telling him that he asked Fusions permission to share his raw intelligence notes with the F.B.I. and, later, an adviser to Sen. John McCain.

Steele, Simpson and Fritsch started talking on deep background to journalists, too, though the authors say they took care not to share the dossier with the media before the election, and were furious when BuzzFeed posted the document in January 2017, 10 days before President Trumps inauguration. (They show little love for The Times and its 2016 election coverage, either.) This timeline, they repeatedly argue, is key: Republicans have tried to portray the dossier as a hoax or a dirty trick designed to prejudice the electorate, but how could it have swayed voters if it was kept hidden before the vote?

Simpson and Fritsch are able guides to a byzantine world; their presentation is methodical, almost lawyerly, which isnt as bad as it sounds. When reading a story full of weird financial transactions, narratives and counternarratives, its helpful to have everything laid out as plainly as possible even if the layers of chicanery are sometimes so densely packed that their syntax gets squeezed into ugly shapes. The story described how a former senator from Putins political party who had gone on to run the Central Bank of the Russian Federation was the subject of an investigation in Spain into money laundering by a Russian organized crime syndicate called the Taganskaya Gang, they write, describing a news article; its a sentence only the most grimly determined reader could love.

Simpson and Fritsch try to address conservative conspiracy theorists head on, devoting an entire chapter to their work with a Russian real-estate company named Prevezon and its lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya who, unbeknownst to Fusion at the time, arranged a notorious meeting with the Trump campaign. For a couple of guys who spent their careers investigating how money can shape incentives, or at least appear to, they seemed for a while either defensive or nave when it came to the murkier aspects of their own business model.

Fusions conservative critics doubtless wont be placated by this book, even though the authors say that those critics were ultimately what made the book possible. Only when Republican members of Congress forced Fusion to provide documents and testimony in an attempt to ferret out a vast left-wing conspiracy were Simpson and Fritsch freed to write about interactions they would have otherwise been contractually obligated to keep confidential.

Its a nice bit of irony in a book that reads like a morality tale about unintended consequences. As Simpson told congressional investigators back in 2017: We threw a line in the water and Moby Dick came back.

Go here to see the original:

Crime in Progress Tells the Story Behind the Steele Dossier - The New York Times