Category Archives: Progress

It was around the 20-hour mark that I realized I had been playing XCOM 2: War of the Chosen completely wrong.

You see, when youre playing a game for review theres an urge to see everything. Not in a completionist sort of way, mind you. But you want to make sure that you follow the game around all its twists and turns, scooping all of those nutty experiences out of the bottom of the jar. So in reviewing XCOM 2 two years ago I resorted to save-scumming meticulously saving my game before every battle and painstakingly retracing my steps when something went wrong on a mission.

Not only is that the wrong way to play War of the Chosen, but it very nearly spoiled the game for me. Thats because this time around the team at Firaxis is leaning into the pain and the hardship inherent in their game.

Im not saying that waging a guerilla war against a superior foe from the bowels of a beat up old airship was easy the first time around. But War of the Chosen has transformed XCOM 2 into a taught, nearly roguelike experience. Its simply not the same game anymore.

In War of the Chosen, death is not the end. I know that now, and thats why Im starting over from beginning.

[EDITORS NOTE: This is a review-in-progress highlighting Charlies thoughts on his first 20 or so hours with XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. That opinion and this text are not final and do not represent our final review. Well update this page with further thoughts as Charlie plays more of War of the Chosen and will add a score at that time.]

War of the Chosen is effectively a total conversion for XCOM 2, but the core of the original game is still there. This is clear from the opening cinematic, which leads into the games original opening CGI sequence and tutorial battle. What Firaxis has done is grafted a number of key additions onto an already excellent experience. The DLC fully delivers on its promise with new mechanics to learn, new factions to befriend and deadly new enemies to fight against.

There are the Reapers, a friendly group of ranged fighters that are focused on stealth. The starting character, named Elena Dragunova, comes equipped with a scoped carbine. Shes just as deadly as any Sharpshooter and stealthier by half. Shes able to take one or more actions, including shooting at and killing aliens, before she leaves concealment. Out of the box she is instantly the best recon fighter that XCOM has ever had. And thats before you get to level her up and gain new powers over time.

War of the Chosen boasts performances from no fewer than five members of the original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Another new face is Pratal Mox. Hes the first member of the friendly Skirmisher faction that youll meet. The Skirmishers are genetically engineered humans, members of the Advent military that have defected and thrown in their lot with XCOM. Mox has a grapple that he can use to reach high places, or to pull enemies toward him for a vicious melee strike. His bullpup rifle is also able to fire twice in one round, making him a nimble flanker.

Over and above these new factions, where War of the Chosen excels is in bringing characters to the fore. Dragunova is voiced by Marina Sirtis, who played Counsellor Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Performing Mox is Michael Dorn, who played Lieutenant Commander Worf. In fact, War of the Chosen boasts performances from no fewer than five members of the original cast of TNG including Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker), John de Lancie (Q) and Denise Crosby (Security Chief Tasha Yar).

This isnt just a sentimental reunion for reunions sake. All of the actors do an excellent job of pushing the storyline forward.

Oh, by the way ... theres a much meatier story now.

The original XCOM 2 was a sort of race against the clock to prevent the Advent project from getting off the ground. But, truth be told, it never felt like all that much of a threat. Sure, the Avatar projects progress meter would move along every once in awhile, but it didnt feel like anything was really happening when it did.

This time, sitting on your heels is simply not an option. Every mission is important, and every mission has the risk of being especially deadly thanks to The Chosen.

In the Alien Hunters DLC, Firaxis dreamed up a set of powerful boss aliens that would harass players across multiple missions. In War of the Chosen, theyve amped that idea up a notch by borrowing from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordors Nemesis system.

As you do battle against The Chosen their skills improve, making them more and more dangerous over time. The result is that there are now four different timers ticking down, one for the Avatar project and one for each of the Chosen left alive. They are as aggressive as they are cunning, and I have absolutely grown to hate them, and thats something that I love.

War of the Chosen also introduces Bonds. When XCOM operatives go on missions together they grow closer, and formal Bonds allow them to grant each other perks during a mission. Of course, should a bondmate die or get captured (which is also a thing that can happen now, necessitating rescue missions) the survivor will receive an emotional scar that will decrease their combat effectiveness in the future.

As if that werent enough, theres also a new enemy type: The Lost, a zombie-like race of mutated humans that crop up in certain areas around the map. Some missions focus on The Lost, with Left 4 Dead-style last-ditch standoffs and running gun battles through the streets. At other times The Lost just get tossed into the mix randomly. Youll be trying to destroy an objective as quietly as possible to keep them from streaming onto the map, where they cause chaos by attacking Advent and XCOM forces alike.

All of these factors the new factions, the excellent voice acting, the soldier Bonds, The Lost and the new and dynamic mission types combine to create more drama than ever before.

But you wont see that drama if you coddle your soldiers with save-scumming, like I did. This time around, the games Iron Man mode which literally prevents you from saving the game on your own is absolutely necessary. Its the only way to be sure that theres the opportunity to lose the game.

I call it an opportunity because in XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, fighting a losing battle might be just as much fun as fighting and winning. It will hurt and my favorite soldiers will die. But when Im done Ill have a much, much more interesting story to tell.

Originally posted here:

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen review-in-progress - Polygon - Polygon

President Trump unveiled a new strategy for the U.S. war in Afghanistan on Aug. 21. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

President Trump delivered a sharpwarning to Pakistan on Monday,saying he intends to hold itsleaders to account for harboringmilitantgroups responsible for perpetuating instability across the border in Afghanistan.

During a prime-time address to the nation, Trumpsaid the United States would once more accelerate its longest military mission and bring renewed focus to achieving victory in Afghanistan.

It is time for Pakistan, the president declared, to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order and to peace.

He declined, however, to similarly admonish three other regional powers which the United States views ascomplicit inundermining progress there: Russia, Iran and to a lesser extent China, which has a stake in Afghanistan's stability but shows little motivation to take a more active role in providing for its security.

Here's a look ateach country's involvement in Afghanistan:

Russia

Since April,notlong after he declared America's longest war a stalemate, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen.John Nicholson, has voiced concern aboutMoscow's apparent effort to arm the Taliban. Those weapons include medium and heavy machine guns, officials have said,used to cut down Afghan troops in multiple southern provinces, including areaswhereU.S. military advisers and Special Operations forces aredeployed.

U.S. officials have said that any country shipping weapons into Afghanistan would be in violation of international law. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis vowed toengage theRussians through diplomatic channels, hopeful that doing so would encourage them to halt their alleged meddling.

Russia has denied working with the Taliban, saying its interactions with the fundamentalist group thatonce ruled Afghanistan have been focused on encouraging it to make peace. Video published by CNN in July appears to contradict that.

Iran

Like Russia, Iranviews Afghanistan as within its sphere of influence, as The Washington Post'sErin Cunningham characterized it earlier this year.Iranian operatives have been active in the west, where the two countries share a 500-mile border, as well as in the south.

Afghan government officials have indicated Iran and Russia appear to be coordinating, supplying weapons and training to the Taliban in an effort to create loyalty and promote unrest.

In a piece published this month, the New York Times' Carlotta Gallexplored this burgeoning dynamic in considerable detail. Here's an excerpt:

Iran has conducted an intensifying covert intervention, much of which is only now coming to light. It is providing local Taliban insurgents with weapons, money and training. It has offered Taliban commanders sanctuary and fuel for their trucks. It has padded Taliban ranks by recruiting among Afghan Sunni refugees in Iran, according to Afghan and Western officials.

Iran has come to see the Taliban not only as the lesser of its enemies but also as a useful proxy force. The more recent introduction of the Islamic State, which carried out a terrorist attack on Irans parliament this year, into Afghanistan has only added to the Talibans appeal.

China

Trump has been candidin his criticism of China for not doing more to help counter the provocative actions being taken by North Korea, whose leaders have threatened a nuclear attack against the United States. But his administration has said little about Beijing's comparatively minor contributionsin Afghanistan.

China, as one observer notes, has chosen to assume a minimalistic role in the security sector, refusing to get involved in direct military operations but benefiting nonetheless from the U.S. and NATO presence there.

And asMilitary Times' Shawn Snow reported in March, Beijing is seen as something of a freeloader in Afghanistan, but there is growing evidence small numbers of Chinese security forces there's disagreement as to whether they are military personnel or police units have been deployedacross the border to conduct counterterrorism patrols. China is concerned about Uighur militants who remain active in the region and have professed support for the Islamic State.

Since 2015 China hascontributed some funding and combat equipment for the Afghan security forces. Still, its interests are primarilyeconomic, focused on Afghanistan's natural resources and its potential to help connect China with other trade partners.

China was one of four countries, including Russia, Iran and Pakistan, that sentenvoys to an Afghan summit in the spring talks the United States refused to attend. And China was quick to show solidarity with ally Pakistan after Trump's remarks Monday.

A spokeswoman for China's foreign minister, speaking with the Reuters news agency Tuesday, conveyed Beijing's contentment with the U.S. continuing to do the heavy lifting.

We hope, the spokeswoman added, the relevant U.S. policies can help promote the security, stability and development of Afghanistan and the region.

Some in Afghanistan and India praised President Trump's Aug. 21 speech, but his rhetoric set off alarm bells in Pakistan. (The Washington Post)

Here are six costly failures from Americas longest war. No. 1: cashmere goats.

Trumps muscular but vague Afghanistan speech, annotated

Trump faces the grim reality of Afghanistan: No quick path to victory and no clear way out

Read more:

Three countries undermining Afghanistan progress that President Trump didn't call out - Washington Post

Three Charlottesville residents are facing misdemeanor charges after Monday evenings raucous City Council meeting that was taken over by those demanding answers for the citys handling of the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally.

Donna Gasapo Gray, 43, was charged with disorderly conduct. Two others, Mark Heisey, 30, and Sara Michel Tansey, 29, were chared with obstruction of justice.

The council agreed to continue the meeting following the arrests, but cancelled the planned agenda. The meeting then turned into a town-hall style meeting that ended after 1 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The Charlottesville City Council voted unanimously early Tuesday morning to cover the citys statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson in black fabric, which will represent the city's mourning of Heather Heyer.

Heyer was killed earlier this month in what many have described as white nationalist terrorism. At least 30 others were injured in the attack.

Some time after the Aug. 12 white nationalist Unite the Right rally was shut down by authorities due to violence between ralliers and counter-protesters, a 20-year-old man from Ohio who came to attend the rally allegedly drove his car into a crowd of Downtown Mall pedestrians on Fourth Street.

The council voted on other resolutions after a tumultuous council meeting Monday evening. Activists and residents took over the meeting to express their anger and frustration about how the city and police officials handled the rally.

In addition to seeking the removal of the citys Lee statue, councilors voted to direct the Board of Architectural Review to make a decision on removing the nearby Jackson statue.

People in the crowd said three were arrested. They called for Mayor Mike Signers removal. His eyes welled as people told the City Council how they experienced the vicious car attack that slammed into a crowd of counter-protesters crossing the Downtown Mall.

A woman said her daughter was supposed to start her fourth year at the University of Virginia this week. She wont be attending the first day of class because of her injuries, the mother said.

Another man said hes suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He said he can still see the bodies that went flying after the car struck the crowd several hours after the Unite the Right rally was shut down because of rampant street-fighting outside Emancipation Park, the location where white nationalists and white supremacists gathered on Aug. 12 for their Unite the Right rally.

Within 30 minutes of starting its meeting, the entire City Council, the city attorney, the city manager and council clerk all retreated into a backroom. Two women stood on top of the dais with a banner: Blood on your hands.

City Council candidate and community activist Nikuyah Walker asked: Why did you think you can walk in here and do a business-as-usual meeting after what happened on the 12th?

Mayor Mike Signer and Councilor Kathy Galvin are now supporting the removal of Charlottesvilles statue of Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park, but the change did not spare them from criticism Monday.

Last week, Signer asked for the state General Assembly to hold an emergency session to consider amending the states law regarding statues. A lawsuit citing that law is preventing the city from removing the statue as planned because of a court injunction.

A spokesperson for Gov. Terry McAuliffe intimated last week that a special session was unlikely.

Photos and video of the attack on Deandre Harris, an instructional assistant with the city schools, remain viral on social media.

Galvin held a news conference Monday to announce her change of mind, and she called for the removal of the statue of Thomas Stonewall Jackson, too.

It is time for the Jackson and Lee statues to be relocated to a battlefield park or a museum where they will neither be reviled or revered, she said, adding that shed prefer the statues there so they can be preserved and explained more fully.

She said the state legislature would need to play a role in their removal.

Weve been told that if we take them down tonight, were going to be personally sued, Councilor Wes Bellamy said Monday night. We will personally be held liable and charged with a class-six felony.

Councilor Kristin Szakos encouraged the protesters to challenge the states legislators.

You cant just show up to City Council meetings, Szakos told the protesters. You have to go to the state legislature. Virginia has laws that restrict what we can do.

Signer and Galvins change of heart, however, failed to placate those who accosted their local elected officials almost immediately at the start of the meeting.

Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Nina-Alice Antony said there was not enough evidence to convict Jason Kessler of disorderly conduct stemming from the May 14 vigil.

It then became an urban-populist coup.

Someone needs to be held accountable, said Don Gathers, the former chairman of the blue ribbon commission that recommended relocating the Lee statue.

Something is going to happen by any means necessary, he added. People are tired and theyre fed up its going down, for real.

Social justice activist Emily Gorcenski said many protesters had tried to warn the city that violence would come to the city if the rally was permitted.

Aside from the well-documented clashes that took place on Market Street and in Emancipation Park, protesters Monday said the Unite the Right ralliers went to majority African-American communities south of the downtown area to harass residents there.

Gorcenski said activists and counter-protesters took it upon themselves to defend the community.

Charlottesville isnt the capital of the resistance, Gorcenski said, excoriating Signers declaration of resistance against President Donald Trump earlier this year.

Charlottesville now, she said, is the capital of the [anti-fascists].

Signer read a resolution at the start of the meeting to commemorate the three lives lost, but not before someone in the crowd accused him of being responsible for the loss of life.

The protesters criticized the council for allegedly allowing the rally happen. Signer defended himself and the council, explaining that the council attempted previously to move the rally to McIntire Park.

The crowd also took aim at police officers for not intervening more in the melees that took place on Aug. 12.

We tried really hard. A federal judge forced us to have the rally downtown, Signer said.

Responding to the allegations that he ordered police to not protect people counter-protesting in the street, Signer said the mayor has no real police power.

Signers attempts to calm the crowd repeatedly failed. He tried to cut the meeting short, but that didnt work either.

Bellamy attempted to regain control and coordinate a town-hall style meeting, giving the floor to everyone gathered. The councilors appeared visibly rattled as they came out to the crowd at 8 p.m. It continued past 11 p.m., and dozens of people made their frustration and anger known.

The reason my two daughters and I were out there protesting and putting our bodies in our lines is because we knew that so many others could not, said the woman who told the crowd that her daughter wouldnt be able to attend classes at UVa later this week.

Its not about the statues, she said. We were out there because our community is hurting. what I want to see is meaningful changes in our community.

After the violent street-fighting compelled local and state officials to end the rally prematurely before noon Aug. 12, James A. Fields Jr. allegedly drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters with intent to kill about two hours later.

James Alex Fields Jr. is accused of killing Heather Heyer and injuring 30 others when he rammed his car into a crowd of protesters on Aug. 12.

Local paralegal Heather Heyer was killed. At least 30 were hospitalized because of their injuries.

Two state police officers, H. Jay Cullen and Berke Bates, died several hours later when a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed in Albemarle County.

Fields is facing second-degree murder and other charges.

Previously, 19 injuries resulting from the attack that followed the white nationalist Unite the Right rally had been reported by the University of Virginia Medical Center.

The protesters Monday said they expect there are many more injuries and criminal assaults that have not been reported.

There were hundreds of people that were hurt, said housing activist Joy Johnson. Way more than 19 people got hurt, she added, citing the number that city officials previously reported were injured in the car attack.

On Monday, a spokesperson for the Sentara Martha Jefferson hospital said they treated 11 people who were injured in the car attack. A spokesperson for the UVa Medical Center said they treated 19.

Im still pissed, Johnson said. Im still angry.

Read the rest here:

Three arrested as councilors vote to shroud Confederate statues at meeting overwhelmed by anger - The Daily Progress

A look at how the Giants rookies performed in the team's Preseason matchup vs. the Browns:

Preseason in the NFL means different things to different players.

For the young guys, its about getting an opportunity to prove the stage is not too big and that your teams assessment of you was justified. And the New York Giants got another good look at their youth on Monday night in Cleveland.

>> WATCH GIANTS VS. BROWNS HIGHLIGHTS

TE Evan Engram

Depth chart: TE2 Preseason Week 1: 2 TGTS, 1 REC, 11 YDS Preseason Week 2: 4 TGTS, 3 REC, 32 YDS

You never know where the first-round pick is going to line up on any given play, and thats just how the Giants like it. Engram tied for a team-high with three catches for 32 yards, including a 21-yard catch-and-run when he came out of the backfield. It was the longest offensive play of the game from either sideline, run or pass.

Depth chart: RDT2 Preseason Week 1: 4 TCKLS (2 SOLO) Preseason Week 2: 3 TCKLS (2 SOLO)

While Jay Bromley has been a steady Eddie on the top line next to All-Pro Damon Harrison, Steve Spagnuolo thought Tomlinson took a major step between the first and second weeks of the preseason. Hes playing more violent, the defensive coordinator said, as the second-round pick gets more comfortable with the players around him. Those three will make up the bulk of the interior rotation while veteran Corbin Bryant was placed on injured reserve last week with an elbow injury.

>> READ TOMLINSON'S ROOKIE BLOG

QB Davis Webb

Depth chart: QB4 Preseason Week 1: 8/16, 67 YDS, 61.2 RTG Preseason Week 2: DNP

Ideally, McAdoo would have liked to play all four quarterbacks in Cleveland, but with the way the game unfolded, that didnt turn out to be the case. Eli Manning, after sitting the opener, started the game before Geno Smith came in just before halftime. Josh Johnson, who started the first game vs. Pittsburgh, was third and played only the final two minutes of the game after Smith threw an interception deep in Browns territory. The assumption was Webb would take a developmental role this year behind Manning the backup, whoever that may be, but McAdoo opened the door for the rookie even if its just a crack.

I think we all have to be careful making assumptions, he said last week before the second preseason game. Josh and Geno are competing right now for the number two spot, and if that doesnt look the way we want it to look, Davis will get a crack.

RB Wayne Gallman

Depth chart: RB5 Preseason Week 1: 5 CAR, 11 YDS; 1 REC, 4 YDS Preseason Week 2: 5 CAR, 22 YDS, LOST FUM; 2 REC, 20 YDS

Gallman, who finished his college career third in Clemson history in rushing touchdowns and fifth in rushing yards, provided a spark when he came in at the beginning of the fourth quarter. His first run was an 11-yard gain, followed by a pair of 10-yard receptions. However, the bad came with the good for the rookie. Gallman dropped a pass and lost a fumble at the Browns 10-yard line. It was one of three turnovers for the Giants on the night.

DE Avery Moss

Depth chart: RDE4 Preseason Week 1: 2 TCKL (1 SOLO) Preseason Week 2: 1 SOLO TCKL

Ahead of him, Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon played for the first time together since Dec. 4 of last season and absolutely dominated when they were in. Thats a lot to aspire to for the rest of the unit, including the rookie Moss. Hes trying to make the most of every rep as the Giants look to find a healthy rotation of defensive ends. Theres a crowd behind JPP and OV, though. Romeo Okwara and Kerry Wynn lead the next wave.

OT Adam Bisnowaty

Depth chart: RT2 Preseason Weeks 1 & 2: Relieved starter Bobby Hart

Like he has since he arrived at the facility, Bisnowaty has been on the second team at right tackle. Hes playing behind Bobby Hart, who is part of the five returning starters from a year ago on the offensive line. As a whole, the Giants managed 65 yards on 20 carries against the Browns in addition to 147 passing yards.

Link:

Rookie Progress Report: Engram makes presence felt - Giants.com (blog)

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- This has been a pleasantly quiet summer for the Minnesota Vikings, though it's worth remembering there was no drama at this time a year ago, either.

Before Teddy Bridgewater blew out his knee days before the preseason finale, and then Adrian Peterson got hurt, and injuries decimated the offensive line, and head coach Mike Zimmer underwent the first of many eye surgeries, and offensive coordinator Norv Turner quit, and a 5-0 start crumbled into an 8-8 finish, the Vikings felt much as they do now: optimistic about one of the NFL's most stacked defenses and an offense that can do enough to make them a tough out come January.

"Defensively, I kind of know who we are and what we are. It's similar to what we've been," Zimmer told me after a recent practice. "Offensively, I think we're still a little bit trying to find exactly the right balance of what we're doing -- but I like a lot of things we're doing offensively.

"I don't think the identity of the team is going to change too much. I don't think we're going to go to The Greatest Show on Turf, and I don't think we're going to be the '85 Bears, either. But this team has some talent, and we've got a chance."

The Vikes have really felt that way since they had the mighty Seattle Seahawks beat in a divisional playoff game 19 months ago -- until Blair Walsh yanked a 27-yard game-winning field-goal attempt.Seemingly every bit of their luck since followed that thing wide left.

To be sure, the Vikings have their work cut out to get out of the NFC North, which they've wrested away from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers just once in the past six seasons. Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions are coming off their own playoff campaign, taking the spotlight in the division away from Minnesota -- and that may not be a bad thing here.

Just as the 5-0 start last season covered up some of the flaws that eventually got exposed, the way things fell apart might be obscuring some of the reasons the Vikings are excited about their chances for bouncing back. That list includes:

Sam Bradford has settled in: The former No. 1 pick put together his most efficient season in 2016 (71.6 percent passing, 20 TDs, five interceptions, 99.3 rating) despite not joining the Vikings until a cutdown-day trade from Philadelphia and having to learn Turner's offense on the fly, with little run threat to help him. Now Bradford, 29, has had an offseason to work with his teammates and a coordinator, Pat Shurmur, who has a lot of history to draw on in sculpting the offense around Bradford's skill set.

"I think [Bradford] feels so much more comfortable, obviously," Zimmer said. "He's throwing the ball well. He's got a good feeling for Pat, checking and all the different things that he does."

Dalvin Cook might be special: Ask anyone at Vikings HQ about the upside of this team, and they'll bring up Cook, who slid into the second round of April's draft for reasons that had little to do with his unquestioned explosiveness as a runner. He can make an offensive line look better. The one-time NFL MVP Peterson is gone, but with Cook, ex-Oakland Raider Latavius Murray and third-down back Jerick McKinnon, the NFL's least productive running team a year ago (1,205 yards, 3.2 per carry) has some juice.

The O-line shouldn't be horrible: That's a low bar, but the Vikings set it there last season. Is Riley Reiff an ideal left tackle? Probably not. (There are reasons the Lions moved him to right.) But he should be an upgrade over the T.J. Clemmings-Jake Long combo the Vikings played with most of last season. Ditto Mike Remmers at right tackle. Left guard Alex Boone feels better after being beat up last season. Third-round pick Pat Elflein is a likely Week 1 starter at center. Depth seems better, too -- even with Reiff and Boone sitting out last week's exhibition against Seattle, the line played much better than in its opener. Accountability and attitude will be key. As Boone told me: "We've got to smash people and have fun doing it, embrace it."

Defense remains loaded: Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, Linval Joseph, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith ... that's an excellent core on defense, and all those guys are under age 30. They know Zimmer's scheme inside and out. One guy to keep an eye on is Barr, whose effort and productivity last season weren't acceptable. People who have watched him recently say Barr is a different guy right now.

"I think Barr has had an unbelievable spring, unbelievable training camp," Zimmer said.

Rookies might make an impact: Unlike last year, when they ranked dead last in offensive and defensive snaps from rookies, the Vikings could have as many as four first-year starters from their draft class -- Cook, Elflein, linebacker Ben Gedeon and guard Danny Isidora. They also spent more on undrafted rookies than in years past and have a few who could contribute, led by defensive end Tashawn Bower.

Zim is Zim again: He went through a lot last year, yet at age 61, none of it seems to have softened him.

"There's nothing different," said veteran cornerback Terence Newman, who has spent much of his 15-year career with Zimmer. "Obviously, he wants this team to win and be better than we were last year. So, he's going to be tough and stringent. But that's always him."

Said Boone: "I think he's probably tougher now."

That approach doesn't fit everyone, especially when things start going south. But Zimmer has shown under the right circumstances he can make it work.

There's plenty the Vikings still have to figure out: nickel cornerback, both kicking jobs, how to best utilize a receiver group with a bunch of solid No. 2/3 type guys (Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Michael Floyd) but no true No. 1 mismatch threat, the right combination on an O-line that still figures as the team's biggest weakness until it shows otherwise. Entering his eighth season, Bradford has to shake the stigma of never reaching the playoffs. An uncertain future at quarterback -- Bradford's in a contract year, while Bridgewater continues to rehab in hopes of returning sometime in 2017 -- contributes to the feeling the Vikings are at something of a fork in the road. Repeat last season, and changes are inevitable.

The Vikings aren't thinking that way now, though.

"Last year was last year and some [expletive]-up things happened. But nine years in this league, I've seen a lot of messed-up things like that," Boone said. "Going forward, this is our team. This is the group of guys we're going to go out and fight with and I'm excited about that."

Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero.

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Vikings' D, Sam Bradford's progress have Mike Zimmer optimistic - NFL.com

Barron's

Too Short: Dow Gains 196 Points as Tax Progress Lifts Stocks Barron's Stocks rallied today on reports that the Trump administration has been making progress on its tax plan. But is more than just an oversold bounce? Illustration: Getty Images. The S&P 500 gained 1% to 2452.51 today while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ... and more »

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Too Short: Dow Gains 196 Points as Tax Progress Lifts Stocks - Barron's

DES MOINES | Gov. Kim Reynolds kicked off a tour Tuesday to mark the beginning of K-12 classes for the 2017-18 school year by touting gains in reading scores among students in kindergarten through third grade.

Reynolds and Ryan Wise, director of the state Department of Education, said 70 percent of students met or surpassed statewide benchmarks during the 2016-17 school year increasing 3 percent from fall 2016 to spring 2017. That builds on a 4 percent increase during the 2015-16 school year, they said, calling the progress significant.

"We're seeing growth, we're seeing progress and so we need to continue to look at that and figure out how we can continue to scale that success with school districts across the state," Reynolds told her weekly news conference which was held at the Edmunds Fine Arts Academy in Des Moines the first stop on her Start of School tour that coincides with Wednesday's official opening of K-12 schools under a new state law. The governor and Wise also visited the Emmetsburg Community School District on Tuesday, and plan stops in the Forest City, Central Springs and Garner-Hayfield-Ventura community school districts on Wednesday.

State leaders are looking at long-term ways to strengthen Iowa's workforce talent pipeline, and Wise said one important early step is ensuring all students read proficiently by the end of third grade. In 2012, Iowa adopted a major initiative to identify struggling readers and provide intensive intervention, he said, and now school districts screen students' reading skills on an assessment three times a year which helps teachers identify and intervene for students not reading at grade level.

"Early literacy is critical because success in school starts with the ability to read," Wise said. "Students who struggle to read early on are more likely to drop out of school, are less likely to pursue post-secondary education and training and less likely to earn a living wage."

State lawmakers last session decided to abandon a previous approach to force students to repeat third grade if they were not reading at grade level by the end of the year. The state-mandated summer reading program for struggling third-graders had already been delayed and moved back to 2018 before lawmakers decided a pilot program which provided extra money so struggling third graders could attend summer school would not be continued, but Reynolds said Tuesday there may be other ways to accomplish the goal of boosting reading skills among elementary students.

Deborah Reed of the Iowa Reading Research Center said a number of Iowa's 333 school districts are continuing summer reading programs but they've gone from a required approach to an option for helping students address their literacy needs. "It's part of an array of interventions that might be provided by a school districts" and they work collaboratively to find ways to refine and redeliver instruction based on quality reading performance data.

Reynolds said she is focusing on reading, Iowa's Teacher Leadership and Compensation System and Iowa's STEM initiative during her school visits.

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Iowa politics: Gov. Reynolds touts progress among early readers - Mason City Globe Gazette

Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP

In this Nov. 15, 2016, file photo, Wilmer Valderrama attends the Peoples Choice Awards 2017 nominations news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif. In a statement Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, the National Latino Media Coalition said it was heartened by CBS doubling the number of Latino writers and series cast members since 2016. One example of a Latino newcomer to CBS: Wilmer Valderrama, who joined the cast of NCIS last season as agent NickTorres.

Associated Press

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017 | 6:26 p.m.

LOS ANGELES Latino leaders meeting with top CBS executives last week were braced for a confrontation over a protracted scarcity of Latino actors and stories on the network's prime-time shows.

"We said, 'That's it, no more'" in preparing for the encounter, said Alex Nogales of the National Latino Media Coalition.

Instead, the coalition said in a statement Tuesday it found CBS has made "record commitments" to improved representation of Latinos, which Nogales said has galvanized the group to demand more from other networks.

"We're going to be very militant from here on out. ... The next target is Fox," he said, with a meeting to be requested next week. Letter-writing campaigns and boycotts could be among the tools employed to push broadcasters to act, he said.

Fox didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nogales said that what he and fellow coalition member Thomas A. Saenz learned from CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves and other CBS executives proves change is possible.

Without releasing specific numbers per its agreement with CBS, the coalition said the network has doubled the number of Latino writers and cast members since 2016; agreed to order scripts from Latinos or with Latino themes, and will hear additional pitches from 10 Latino writers or producers.

One example of a Latino newcomer to CBS: Wilmer Valderrama, who joined the cast of "NCIS" last season as agent Nick Torres.

When he and Saenz left the meeting after seeing more recent, encouraging data, Nogales said, they shared the same thought: "'Man, if we had known we were going to get all these good things, we would have asked for more.'"

Saenz is the president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, while Nogales heads the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

In a statement, CBS called the meeting "very positive" and said it looked forward to continued progress and collaboration.

At a Television Critics Association meeting earlier this month, CBS executives were questioned about other diversity issues: Its new fall shows that are largely topped by male stars, as well as the departure of Asian actors Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park from "Hawaii Five-O" over their reported demands for pay equal to the show's white stars.

The push for ethnic diversity came after the four major networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, fielded a fall 1999 slate of new shows with only white stars. The Latino coalition joined with black, Asian-American and American Indian civil rights groups to demand small-screen ethnic diversity.

Change has come in fits in starts, with African-American actors and producers making greater strides than other minorities. But in 2015, an Associated Press analysis of regular cast members on prime-time comedies and dramas found casts at three of the four networks were still whiter than the nation as a whole.

Networks must realize they can no longer relegate Latinos, a group that represents 18 percent of the U.S. population and has economic clout, to relative invisibility, Nogales said.

"People get their information from TV and film. If Latinos are absent or depicted as lesser than others, that's the way we're going to be treated," he said.

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Latino coalition: CBS diversity progress is part of new push - Las Vegas Sun

SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 17: Jhoulys Chacin

San Diego Padres look to play spoiler in St. Louis by Jonathan Goehring

Four starting pitchers have separated themselves from the rest and have become staples in the San Diego rotation in 2017. This doesnt mean theyre starters of the future necessarily, but merely that they are what fans are used to seeing take the mound since they have started consistently throughout the campaign.

The rotation has faced its struggles, but has also experienced some pleasant surprises. The following are letter grades which we have assigned to the four staples of the rotation: Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard, Luis Perdomo, and Dinelson Lamet. The grades are based on performance compared to expectations, so strong stats do not necessarily convert to high grades and vice versa.

11-8, 3.98 ERA

There is a lot to be said for consistency, which is exactly what Chacin brings. Even though the right-hander began the season as the opening day starter, expectations werent that high. The Padres didnt invest much in him, just a one-year, $1.75 million contract. Chacin was only supposed to be a contributor to the rotation, not the ace. And since he has acted like an ace at times and leads the club in virtually every pitching statistic, he earns himself a nice grade for his efforts in 2017.

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6-12, 4.77 ERA

Yikes is about all we can say when it comes to Richard. Yes, the 33-year-old has had some flashes, like his first start at Dodger Stadium, or his most recent complete game victory over the Phillies. But Richard has been inconsistent, and that may be a generous way of putting it. Signed to the same one-year, $1.75 million contract, expectations were a bit higher for Richard than any other starter coming in to the year. He was a returning player, and the spring training favorite to be named the ace. Theres no reason to give up on Richard, but his miserable record and inflated ERA make his 2017 campaign a less than successful one.

6-8, 4.93 ERA

Perdomo was the one member of the rotation who brought uncertainty coming into 2017. Now, hes one of the only ones the staff can rely on. It hasnt been smooth sailing for Perdomo by any means, but the right-hander has earned the trust of his team. Starting 22 games, he has been reliable and relatively consistent. Every month, Perdomos ERA has been above 4, but he has also started no fewer than three games a month and hasnt pitched less than 16 innings. While Perdomo isnt ace material, he is also no longer the major unknown of the rotation. And inning eater and a starter with potential is how to describe the 24-year-old.

7-5, 4.84 ERA

It is exciting to see Lamet beginning to figure it out. He isnt a household name, maybe not even for San Diego fans just yet. But the 25-year-old native of the Dominican Republic has turned his opportunity quite possibly into a career. When first inserted into the rotation in May, Lamet was not used to the majors. His stats were below average, but not all that surprising given his low expectations. Following the all-star break, Lamet has a 3.69 ERA in seven starts 39 innings. Hes going deeper into games and staying composed in difficult moments. And, most importantly, Lamet has a winning record, something that only one other member of the rotation shares.

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San Diego Padres: Grading rotation staples on 2017 progress - Friars on Base

For an accomplished offense, it was an embarrassingly simple request: Just score against the backups. The Washington Redskins may have been one of only three NFL teams to average more than 400yards per game last season, but if you needed a reminder of how little that matters now, just watch them learning to crawl again this preseason.

On Saturday, for a second straight exhibition game, quarterback Kirk Cousins and the first-team offense floundered about, causing some level of concern over how long it will take this reconstructed unit to mesh. After the 21-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers, it may be premature to develop too many grand opinions about the offense, especially with tight end Jordan Reed out and several wide receivers recovering from injury or working to gain better chemistry with Cousins. But its safe to assume that this small sample size speaks to a transition going on within Washingtons best unit. There is considerable change, from Coach Jay Gruden taking over play-calling to Terrelle Pryor Sr. getting acclimated, and the team has just three weeks to develop cohesion before the regular season begins.

It raises the question: What if the offense struggles early?

Were a work in progress, Gruden admitted late Saturday night. No question about that.

In two seasons with Cousins as the starter, the trend has been that the offense starts a little slow and then takes off in the second half. But with Washington undergoing another defensive makeover, it would be helpful if the offense has a strong start to the season. If that doesnt happen, what will Washington rely on at the start?

After a poor showing in limited action against Baltimore, the first-team offense looked bad for a longer stretch against Green Bay at FedEx Field. In its first five possessions, Cousins and Co. managed just 76 yards and three points, which came after Niles Paul recovered a fumbled punt. On that scoring drive, the offense didnt gain a yard. It ran three frustrating plays and then watched Dustin Hopkins kick a 34-yard field goal.

[Starting offense again spins its wheels in 21-17 loss to the Packers]

Even after the Packers substituted most of their starters, Washington had little success. Finally, during the starting offenses sixth drive, against Green Bays backups, our curiosity was satisfied: What would it take for Washington to reach the end zone?

It took a 43-yard pass from Cousins to tight end Vernon Davis. And later, with 17 seconds left in an exasperating first half, Cousins hit Jamison Crowder for a four-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to stop the ridiculousness.

At least the first-team offense left the game with the memory of doing something positive.

Then again, it was against a bunch of special teams players.

In that final drive, the offense gained 78 yards on 10 plays. In Washingtons first 24 plays, it managed just 76 yards. Cousins wound up 14 for 23 for 144 yards and one touchdown, but at one point, he was just 8 for 16 for 67yards.

It took a little while, Gruden said. We stuttered and sputtered and missed a few throws.

Cousins and Pryor, his new big target, are still searching for a rhythm. Pryor caught one pass for 11 yards, and he let another go through his hands. Cousins also missed him on what could have been a touchdown, throwing an inaccurate pass to Crowder underneath instead.

Its no shock that Cousins and his receivers arent sharp. Washington is trying to replace two 1,000-yard receivers, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. While the offense still has plenty of talent and Grudens system has been productive over the years, there was bound to be an adjustment. The problem seems even greater because Reed isnt available. If anything, thats the biggest lesson of the preseason thus far: Reeds importance to this offense is at an all-time high. When hes not available, it wont be as easy to turn to the next man up. Washington will suffer more than it ever has without him.

[Redskins-Packers analysis: Team starts slow again but finally finds end zone]

But the passing games early struggles are understandable. It was more discouraging to watch the running game provide nothing. When Cousins was directing the offense, the running backs gained just 10yards on 11 carries. Washington couldnt run on first down, and Reed wasnt on the field to catch those short passes to ignite drives. As a result, the offense had nothing it could bank on during early downs.

Gruden has an interesting task. Eventually, talent will take over, and Washington will move the ball. But the coach may have to be even more clever than usual to put these particular players in the best positions to succeed. Cousins is going to have to develop greater trust in some of his receivers over the next three weeks. And while Grudens system is still very sound, the system alone cant replace the production of Garcon and Jackson. They will be missed. Garcons tough catches and possession-receiving gifts gave the passing game stability. Jacksons speed and threat to score a touchdown at any time created space for everyone in a way that cant be replicated, not even by Pryor.

We all believe weve got a lot of work to do, Cousins said.

So Gruden isnt merely fitting prototypes into his way of doing things. These arent just new pieces for the same puzzle. The skeleton of a good offense remains. But how long will it take for this unit to reach its potential?

That question is growing more urgent every time you catch a glimpse of this Washington football team.

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This Redskins offense remains very much a work in progress - Washington Post