Category Archives: Progress

Josh Funk, Ap Business Writer

Photo: Gene J. Puskar, AP

In this Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, photo, a CSX freight train passes through Homestead, Pa. CSX Corp. reports financial results, Tuesday, July 18, 2017.

In this Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, photo, a CSX freight train passes through Homestead, Pa. CSX Corp. reports financial results, Tuesday, July 18, 2017.

CSX execs defend early progress in restructuring railroad

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) CSX's new chief executive is defending the restructuring progress made in the first four months since he was hired to lead a turnaround of the railroad.

CEO Hunter Harrison, who's previously led turnarounds at three other railroads, says he's pleased with the improvement so far.

"I thought we had a hell of a quarter," Harrison said Wednesday.

The Jacksonville, Florida-based railroad has taken nearly 900 locomotives and 60,000 freight cars out of service and laid off 2,300 people this year. Harrison said those changes haven't all paid off yet.

Changing the operating the model a railroad uses is difficult because everyone who works there is used to operating a certain way. Harrison said the level of resistance is about what he expected.

CSX is working to eliminate infrastructure it doesn't need and consolidate operations. That includes shutting down most of the railroad's 12 railyards to eliminate redundancy.

The railroad will also consolidate all of its dispatching into one central location instead of the current nine early next year.

But Wall Street appeared disappointed with CSX's guidance for the rest of the year, and the railroad's shares fell 5.1 percent, or $2.77, to close at $51.87 Wednesday.

CSX reiterated that it's on track to achieve a forecast 25 percent improvement in earnings per share this year. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had been predicting adjusted annual earnings per share this year of $2.29.

The 72-year-old Harrison was hired by CSX in March after pressure from the Mantle Ridge hedge fund that owns 5 percent of the railroad. Harrison previously led turnarounds of Canadian Pacific, Canadian National and the Illinois Central railroads.

CSX Corp. said Tuesday that its second-quarter net income improved 15 percent to $510 million, or 55 cents per share, as it hauled 2 percent more freight. That's up from $445 million, or 47 cents per, share a year ago.

Coal was somewhat of a bright spot in the quarter with a 7 percent increase the volume CSX hauled. But demand for coal has crumbled over the past several years because natural gas has been so cheap and environmental concerns have been growing

Harrison offered a bleak long-term outlook for the fuel Wednesday and said he wouldn't make any major investments to haul coal.

"Fossil fuels are dead. That's a long-term view," Harrison said. "It's not going to happen overnight. It's not going to be two or three years, but it's going away in my view."

The railroad's quarterly results were weighed down by $122 million in restructuring charges. Without those charges, the railroad said it would have reported earnings per share of 64 cents.

Most of the $122 million restructuring charge in the second quarter was related to Harrison's hiring. CSX agreed to cover $84 million in compensation that Harrison forfeited at Canadian Pacific when he retired early. Shareholders approved those payments last month.

CSX operates more than 21,000 miles of track in 23 Eastern states and two Canadian provinces.

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CSX execs defend early progress in restructuring railroad - SFGate

The Durban FilmMart, the industry development program of the Durban Intl. Film Festival and Durban Film Office, has wrapped its latest edition with an awards ceremony showcasing a range of works-in-progress from across the African continent, includinga documentary that follows the life of one of Kenyas leading political activists, a portrait of three women fighting for the rights of sex workers in South Africa, and an absurdist comedy set in an old-age home on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

Since its 2010 inception, the Durban FilmMart has become an important forum for helping to facilitate or launch film projects in Africa. So far, it has helped facilitate close to 100 African co-productions.

The journey of growing the Durban FilmMart over the past eight years has been remarkable, said Toni Monty, head of the Durban Film Office. What started as an idea to create a business networking hub all those years ago hasbecome an important platform for African filmmakers to connect to the global marketplace.

Recent success stories include The Wound, a South African-German-Dutch-French co-production, which opened the Berlinales Panorama section this year; The Dream of Shahrazad, a South African-French-Egyptian co-production that premiered in the Masters Section of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2014; and The Boda Boda Thieves, a South African-Kenyan-Ugandan-German co-production, which had its world premiere in the Berlinales Forum in 2015.

This year the Durban FilmMart (DFM) hosted 600 delegates from more than 30 countries. Twenty-two official projects in development were presented at the finance forum through the DFMs partnership with CineMart and the Intl. Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam.Four projects were hosted at the DFM by the Realness scriptwriting residency, while Frances Produire au Sud supported the Jumpstart Project, a mentoring program to introduce six emerging filmmakers to the art of the pitch. Two documentary projects were supported by Hot Docs, andsix CineFAM projects were rigorously mentored by Torontos CaribbeanTales.

Along with its finance and co-production forum, the DFM and its partners handed out a number of awardsMondaynight.

The Intl. Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) chose Lobola: A Brides True Price, produced by Sarah Basyouny and directed by Sihle Hlophe, as the most promising documentary project. The duo will have the opportunity to attend Novembers IDFA Forum, one of Europes top gatherings for documentary filmmakers, producers, commissioning editors, funds and private financiers.

AfriDocs, the broadcast stream that screens African and other international documentaries across sub-Saharan Africa, awarded a 3,000 ($3,460) grant to the Kenyan doc Uasi, produced by Matrid Nyagah and Linda Ogeda, and directed by Sam Soko. The projects creators will also have an opportunity to pitch the film at the Srfond Pitching Forum in Oslo later this year.

The CineMart Award, sponsored by the co-production market of the Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam, went to the South African feature Miles from Nowhere, produced by Bongiwe Selane and directed by Samantha Nell. The pair are invited to attend the Rotterdam Lab, a five-day training and networking event for producers from around the world.

Miles from Nowhere was also recognized by Produire au Sud, of the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, which has invited Selane and Nell to take part in its developmental workshop program.

Videovision Entertainment named The Dabulaphu (The Short Cut) the Best South African Film Project. Producers Zikethiwe Ngcobo and David Max Brown and director Norman Maake received a prize of R75,000 ($5,805), which guarantees the films release once its completed. The prize also includes marketing and distribution support from Videovision.

Publicity consultants Versfeld & Associates announced that they will develop publicity material and advise on publicity profiling through the development of two South African projects, Womxn: Working, produced by Tiny Mungwe and directed by Shanelle Jewnarain, and Richard Was Here, produced by Akona Matyila and directed by Jack Chiang.

The CineFAM-Africa Incubator Accelerator Programme award to pitch at the CaribbeanTales Film Festival in Toronto went to Mary Ann Mandishona for Mamba Kazi African Warrior Queens.

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Durban FilmMart Recognizes Works in Progress From Across Africa ... - Variety

While its still just a skeleton, the beachfront Embassy Suites at A1A Beach Boulevard is far enough along to see its great potential in one of the most scenic spots in the entire county.

The leaders of the hotel project, which is right next to the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier, were at the property Tuesday morning for the topping off ceremony. It was an opportunity to showcase the progress of the construction at a time when there was enough work done to give visitors a vision of what its going to be.

Speaking on what will be the floor of a meeting/ballroom looking out onto the ocean, St. Augustine Beach Embassy Suites general manager Justin Nels is clear about what he thinks the hotel will become once it opens in the first quarter of 2018.

This will be the nicest Embassy Suites in America, Nels said. I think people have been trying over the years to build something like this.

I think the owners had the foresight to say hey there was a hotel here before lets buy that land and build this beautiful resort. When you look up and down the coast, theres nothing like this.

Indeed, there is no beachfront hotel south of the Ponte Vedra Beach area that will be able to match the scale of the new hotel, which will contain 175 rooms and have 7,500 square feet of indoor meeting space as well as 10,000 square feet of outdoor meeting space.

Right in the heart of St. Augustine Beach, the Embassy Suites will replace the old Beachfront Hotel, which suffered from flooding damage and neglect. It was very poorly rated by travelers at the end of its lifespan and was demolished in 2014. The hotel started as a Sheraton Inn in 1974.

Replacing that unpopular hotel was not without some controversy, though. Some residents were upset that the St. Augustine Beach Planning and Zoning Board approved the hotel with a height of 53 feet, above the general guideline of a 35-foot height limit in the city.

Building officials argued that because the building must be elevated for flood insurance purposes, the starting point for measuring the 35 feet should be set at the first floor of habitable space rather than the ground.

But Diego Ardid, president of Key International, the company that bought the property, said hes heard mostly positive comments from the community.

I think its going to good for everybody, he said. I think its going to be an amenity that the city can enjoy.

Ardid also expects it to be extremely successful for his company. Hes been part of deals like the $350 million acquisition of the Eden Roc Miami Beach, and the company has also developed smaller hotels in places like Gainesville and New Smyrna Beach.

But the opportunity to build a new beachfront hotel in a market that has nothing like what the new Embassy Suites will be was a no brainer decision for Ardid.

Every time we come up here, we felt like it was lacking a great resort on the beach, he said. We had the opportunity that this property came up for sale and we didnt think twice. We said, Wow, what an opportunity. We moved on this and we couldnt be happier to be here.

A property of this scale in Florida, toes in the sand, is almost impossible to find.

The hotel will also be a boon for the Embassy Suites brand, said Alan Roberts, the vice president and global head of Embassy Suites by Hilton.

Roberts said the St. Augustine Beach property will be one of just five beachfront resorts in the brands portfolio of 234 current hotels.

You have to have these sexy resort beachfront places for people to want to (visit) to give your hotel brand the diversity that guests expect and want, he said. Im thrilled to see where this hotel is. You dont get locations like where this is every day.

Richard Goldman, president and CEO of the St. Johns County visitors and convention bureau, said having an upscale hotel like the Embassy Suites will help the area draw more affluent visitors.

He added that visitors here tend to come from households with incomes of $100,000 or more, and 65 percent of them have a college degree. With that level of income and education, those visitors tend to be discerning and are looking for the kind of classy hotel experience the new Embassy Suites is expected to offer.

As our visitors have become increasingly sophisticated, their expectations for unique experiences delivered dependably and with quality have risen accordingly, Goldman said.

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Embassy Suites celebrates its progress on St. Augustine Beach hotel - St. Augustine Record

Coach Brian Agler and the Sparks won eight consecutive games from June 10 through July 2.

Alana Beard had never experienced the elation and satisfaction of winning a championship until last October, but after more than a dozen years in professional basketball, she understood the reality.

At some point, after the celebration dies down, you have to get your team together and try to do it again.

The Los Angeles Sparks, who improved to 14-5 with Monday's home victory over the Indiana Fever, host the Chicago Sky on Thursday in their final contest before Saturday's All-Star Game in Seattle (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). As the midseason break approaches, Los Angeles has a solid grip on the No. 2 spot in the standings behind the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (15-2). The Sparks have hit a couple of rough patches -- a pair of two-game losing streaks, one early in the season and another earlier this month -- but are largely playing good, steady basketball on a path toward the playoffs.

The core of last year's championship team returned with Candace Parker, 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike, Beard and Jantel Lavender primed again for significant roles. But there was also substantial change: Point guard Kristi Toliver left for Washington and was replaced in the starting lineup by Chelsea Gray, a starter for the first time in her career; Riquna Williams, who missed 2016 with an injury, and talented, young guard Odyssey Sims were brought in.

No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft, 2012 WNBA rookie of the year, three-time WNBA All-Star, 2016 MVP and president of the WNBA Players' Association. This summer, Nneka Ogwumike adds another line to her resume: 2017 Body Issue athlete.

Brittney Griner is expected to miss a month. Tayler Hill is out for the season. And Elena Delle Donne missed Sunday's game and will be reevaluated this week. How will Phoenix and Washington cope while their stars recuperate?

Sue Bird of the Storm and five former MVPs headline the WNBA All-Star Game starters who will play in Seattle on July 22.

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Sparks coach Brian Agler admits he knew more about his team last year at this point than he does this season. But that is not a bad thing.

"We are moving in the right direction," he said. "It's a puzzle. Even though we had a lot of people back, we had several new people, and it's been an ongoing process to put it all together. But I didn't expect any different."

Neither did Beard.

"If you didn't understand that we were going to be a different team this season, you were not living in reality," Beard said. "But I don't mind not knowing, I'm confident about where we are."

Ogwumike said the Sparks have been going through a "spring cleaning" during the first half of the WNBA season.

"We are working on ourselves, focusing on what we can do better as a team and what individual people can do to contribute," Ogwumike said. "There are definitely some things that are a work in progress for us, but we are building off last year in our own way. In some cases, that requires starting from scratch."

Beard, who led Duke to consecutive Final Fours in 2002 and 2003, said she came into the season with an open mind and a big smile after winning the first title of her career. And with the awareness that it guarantees nothing going forward. If the Sparks want to become the first team in the WNBA to win back-to-back titles since Los Angeles did it in 2000 and 2001, they are going to need some of the same things that got them there last time -- and quite a few different ones. It is a message Agler has been preaching since training camp and continues to emphasize.

"Coach Agler talked to us just today again about the things that we can pull from last season," Beard said. "That knowing that we know how to win a title, there's no excuse for not getting things done. If they don't get done, it's because we choose not to do it. I feel like this team is 10 times better than last year, but there is so much more room for improvement."

Ogwumike said she had no expectations at the start of the season.

"It's been hard work to re-identify ourselves," she said. "I think we are playing well, we just need to be consistent. We really need that."

"If you didn't understand that we were going to be a different team this season, you were not living in reality. But I don't mind not knowing, I'm confident about where we are."

The Sparks are averaging 84.2 points a game, fourth in the league behind Minnesota, the Connecticut Sun and the Dallas Wings, and better than last season's 83.0 scoring average. L.A. ranks second in opponents' scoring average (77.8 PPG) behind the Lynx, a little behind last season's 75.9 points a game.

Gray has emerged as one of the league's most improved players and a very capable floor leader and scorer. Williams, who averaged more than 15.0 points a game for the Tulsa Shock in 2015, has scored in double figures in five of the past eight games. Sims, after opening the season with 20 points against Seattle, has struggled to find her role in the offense, averaging 5.5 points per game off the bench.

Beard, meanwhile, is having perhaps the best all-around season of her career, putting up her highest scoring average since 2009 at 12.6 points per game. And Parker and Ogwumike are still the most athletic, dynamic frontcourt tandem in the league. Ogwumike is tied for second in the WNBA in scoring (20.1 PPG), and Parker ranks among the top 15 scorers at 15.8 PPG.

Through the first half of the season, Minnesota might have taken back the mantle as title favorite, with MVP frontrunner Sylvia Fowles and the best start in franchise history. But Agler's arrival in 2015 -- he coached the Seattle Storm from 2008 to 2014 -- established a culture in Los Angeles, Beard said. The 2016 championship didn't define it as much as it cemented that the Sparks are doing the right thing.

"Championship teams are not about talent or players, they are about the leaders you have in your system and they are about culture," Beard said. "He built the foundation, and the rest is up to us."

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Defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks remain a work in ... - ESPN

HUNTSVILLE English Language Learners in Decatur City Schools have made progress, but significant challenges remain and this is why administrators spent the second day of their administrative retreat Tuesday receiving training.

For almost 90 minutes, a group from the University of Alabama Huntsvilles College of Education talked with school officials about simplifying messages and using fewer words to deliver the same message.

Eudoxia Tsimika Chronis opened the retreat at Burritt on the Mountain talking to administrators in Greek. The point: She wanted principals to know what ELL students may be experiencing on the first day of school.

The result: We got the message, Brookhaven Middle School Principal Anita Clarke said. We get at least one student to enroll each week that speaks no English. The student and parent just stand there and stare.

Decatur has been aware of issues ELL students face, and last year the school system opened the EXCEL Center at Austin High. The site serves students who are not proficient in English and helps immigrant students who speak no English transition to their new schools, administrator Ressa Chittam said.

The center served about 170 students, and Chittam said 87 percent of the high school students had gains on the ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State) test, while 84 percent of middle school students had gains.

ACCESS is a proficiency test designed to measure ELL students' social academic proficiency and to monitor their progress in mastering the English language.

While public attention has been directed toward Decaturs Hispanic student population because it increased from 1 percent in 1996 to about 25 percent last year, school leaders said the center is helping students from seven countries who speak various levels of English.

Spanish-speaking students receive the majority of the help, but the center has students from Japan, Vietnam, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Honduras and Yemen.

DCS testing coordinator Wanda Davis said students who have not reached proficiency on ACCESS have problems reaching proficiency on standardized state tests.

Its not that they can't do; we just have the language issues, she said.

Regardless of the language barriers, students who are not proficient in English are exempt for only one year from taking the states standardized test, which is why DCS, instead of having ELL teachers in every school, opened the EXCEL Center, Chittam said.

UAH professor Andrea Word said ELL students may not have access to academic content because of gaps in language. She told DCS administrators that they and teachers can use simple language without losing the message.

When Chronis was speaking in Greek, for example, she said: Good morning everyone. Welcome to our presentation.

Word said a simpler way to deliver the same message is to say: Good morning. Welcome.

ELL challenges for Decatur, however, go beyond the classroom, said DCS Director of Operations and Safety Dwight Satterfield. This is why the district went to centralized enrollment last year.

Satterfield said it was impossible for the school system to put interpreters in each school, so they send students to the central office to enroll if they come after school starts. Before school starts, students either enroll online or at the Central for Alternative Programs near Banks-Caddell Elementary.

If students check that they speak any language other than English, Satterfield said, the district does a home-language survey to determine which language is spoken in the home. Once the district knows this, he said, material is sent home in the native language.

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Decatur ELL students showing progress on state test - The Decatur Daily

One year ago this month, members of Congress put aside party politics and took action to support millions living in extreme poverty.

The Global Food Security Act, a bill sponsored by Sens. Johnny IsaksonJohnny IsaksonLets not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security Senate Dems to Trump official: Don't give compounds to Russia in meeting next week Tillerson: Trump and Putin had 'positive chemistry' MORE (R-Ga.) and Bob CaseyBob CaseyDem leaders amp up calls for bipartisan ObamaCare fixes Lets not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security Vulnerable senators raise big money ahead of 2018 MORE (D-Pa.) and Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), passed on July 6, 2016 and was sent to the presidents desk for signature. The legislation authorized an agriculture development initiative to help alleviate global poverty and hunger in developing countries. The Act called for a comprehensive whole-of-government approach to global food and nutrition security, prioritized transparency and accountability in all programs, and recognized the critical role that women play in agriculture, nutrition and household food security.

Significantly, resilience was elevated to a full objective of the program to help ensure that unforeseen events do not derail progress toward reaching a world without hunger. With the new strategy in place, USAID has welcomed civil society to input into the selection of performance monitoring indicators. The country selection process is expected to be finalized soon.

Laws like the Global Food Security Act are strong examples of bipartisan efforts to help modernize Americas foreign assistance programs. But, these efforts to make government more efficient could be nullified should the draconian cuts to foreign assistance proposed by the White House this May be enacted.

In budget recommendations submitted to Congress, the White House called for 32 percent cuts to foreign assistance. Cuts of this nature would have a devastating impact on programs like Feed the Future that help to address global agricultural development. The initiative has helped nearly 7 million smallholder farmers and producers to improve their crop yields since being launched in 2009. The program has reached 12.5 million children with nutrition programs. The initiative has seen particularly strong results in Rwanda, Senegal and Malawi.

The White House has frequently made the case that other countries should take on the burden of global development and humanitarian response. Earlier this month, leaders from the twenty most powerful countries in the world attended the 2017 G20 meetings in Hamburg, Germany. Though 20 million people in Yemen, north-east Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan are facing starvation due to conflict and drought, food and nutrition security was not on the G20 agenda in any meaningful way. The imminent need for famine response and increased investment in food security initiatives that can promote resilience and prevent future disasters is profoundly clear. Yet the G20 hasnt had the political will to tackle this issue.

As one of the largest national donors to global food security initiatives, the United States must continue to lead. Rejecting President Trumps cuts to foreign aid is a critical first step. From Des Moines to Dallas, advocates in all parts of the country have taken 283,054 actions to demonstrate to policymakers that foreign assistance saves lives, builds economies, and keeps us safe here at home. Now, it is time for Congress to heed their call.

Judith Rowland is U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager atGlobal Citizen

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Let's not roll back bipartisan progress on global food security - The Hill (blog)

Commuters walk across London Bridge against a backdrop of Tower Bridge during sunrise in London.

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Brexit negotiators acknowledged frustration on both sidesover the U.Ks divorce from the European Union, due to entrenched early positions. But signs of progress are also emerging.

The second day of the monthly negotiations in Brussels saw officials delve into the details of the main issues they want to make headway on before an October summit of leaders. Several hours weredevoted to how to keep a soft Irish border after Brexit, as well as the rights of European nationals in the U.K.

The past two days show that Britains divorce payment to the EU remains one of the biggest sticking points, people familiar with the talks said. Both sides are barely going further than trying to understand each others positions, quizzing each other as they seek to tease out common ground, according to people familiar with the discussions speaking on condition of anonymity.

With Theresa Mays government embroiled in infighting in London, nearly 100 civil servants are in the Belgian capital working to reach a deal by the end of next year with time on the side of the bloc. The risk for the U.K. is crashing out of the union in 2019 with tariffs awaiting and businesses fleeing.

Accused by EU negotiator Michel Barnier of wasting time, the U.K. has sought to regain some of the initiative this week by spelling out its stance on key issues.

British officials believe the government took a significant step last week when it acknowledged in writing for the first time that it owed the EU money. Analysts have said the amount, based on past commitments, could stretch to 100 billion euros ($115 billion). Yet the U.K. is unlikely to agree to a figure until the last minute, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

The EU has said it must be persuaded of sufficient progress in the negotiations on the U.K. payment, citizens rights and the Irish border before it will allow talks to move toward the crucial issue of future trade -- something both sides want to do in October.

If all goes well, the U.K. and EU will sign an agreement by the end of 2018 to allow ratification by the European Parliament, before Britain leaves the bloc the following March.

The U.K. governments latest position is that if it can convince EU negotiators that it has signed up to the principles of a financial settlement and that Britain wont go back on its word, that will be enough, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

But as the U.K. seeks to maintain leverage as long as possible, it wont make any legally binding commitment until an overarching Brexit agreement is signed, the people said.

Talks in Brussels are scheduled to last until Thursday, when U.K. negotiators will return to London, leaving the European Commission to brief officials from the 27 countries on progress. A third round of negotiations is planned for the final week of August.

Earlier in the day, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas denied that it was a problem that Brexit Secretary David Davis only stayed a few hours on Monday before leaving the talks. We are not concerned about it, chief negotiators do not have to be present all the time, he told reporters in Brussels.

And on the U.K. having a team twice as large as that of the EU? His response: We dont feel that we have been invaded.

Although the negotiators are focused on the task at hand, both sides are making efforts to get along. On Tuesday, many of them spent their lunch hour together eating salad served in the European Commission. An issue over a lack of coffee for the two teams on Monday was rectified 24 hours later -- with the help of some chocolate biscuits.

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Brexit Talks Reveal Dashes of Frustration and a Hint of Progress - Bloomberg

How do you measure progress? Thats great question. In the fight to reduce standardized testing and return decision-making to classroom teachers, some critics say New York is moving too slowly.

They say: Theres too much testing! Let teachers teach!

In response to that fierce criticism, the Board of Regents took an important step recently to address the widespread belief by parents and educators that New York State tests students far too much.

The Regents reduced standardized testing in English Language Arts and Math from six days to four days a 33 percent decrease that will re-capture two additional days next year for teaching and learning. I applauded that move as a positive step.

However, the State Education Department also placed a gag order on teachers that prohibited them from discussing Regents exams.

NYSUT the union I lead jumped in on behalf of teachers. Teachers are professionals who must be free to speak out if they believe test questions are unfair or contain errors that would hurt their students. We insisted on transparency in testing and the Department quickly responded to our concerns. The gag order was rescinded and now teachers can communicate about the exams after they are fully administered.

I see both of these as signs of slow, steady progress.

Teachers and parents, working together, are in the process of banishing the test-and-punish agenda to the ash heap of history.

Under pressure from parents, teachers and teachers unions, New York has shortened both the number of questions on state tests and now the number of days devoted to standardized testing.

Under pressure from teachers and parents, the Common Core is gone. Good riddance!

Instead, New York is in the process of adopting Next Generation standards.

Together, weve won a moratorium on the use of invalid and inaccurate Common Core tests. These flawed tests cant be used to hurt students or educators a decision that came because of the powerful opt-out movement led by parents and teachers.

Whether this progress is too slow about right or downright quick, Ill leave to others. But I will say the progress we made this year is real and is having a positive impact on the classroom. Teaching and learning is winning out over testing. Little by little, a little is becoming a lot.

In the fall, the state will turn its attention to how teachers should be evaluated. Thats the next battle, and it is going to be a difficult one. Teachers want their evaluations to be fair and meaningful.

They want evaluations to be decided locally by their own communities. To borrow a clich one size does not fit all. And, they dont want to be judged by how their students perform on a standardized test of dubious value.

I know that teachers and parents are going to press just as strongly. And, Im confident that we will not only make progress, but we will prevail.

Andy Pallotta is president of the 600,000-plus member New York State United Teachers.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

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Measuring Progress On Testing - WAMC

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[Editors Note: Because Splatoon 2 depends on servers for matchmaking, and because Nintendos Switch mobile app will launch alongside it on July 21, this review is in progress until shortly after its released to the public. Read on for our full impressions of Splatoon 2 as it exists in its pre-release state.]

It feels as if the paint had just begun to dry on Splatoon after its release on the Wii U in 2015 when Nintendo applied a fresh coat and relaunched it with Splatoon 2 on the Switch. That may be why this sequel feels less like a whole new game than a new version of the first one that rolls up the best post-launch updates to the colorful and adorably non-violent team-based shooter and adds some new toys. Of course, considering the first game is a lot of fun, thats not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you missed it for lack of a Wii U. And despite some questionable choices that can leave you trapped in matchmaking purgatory, the addition of a standout and clever take on a co-op horde mode provides some seriously addicting fun that has me coming back for more.

Like its predecessor, Splatoon 2s emphasis on using vibrant, ink-based weapons to splatter both enemies and the ground alike in your team color to control territory makes it a distinctive kind of visually rewarding fun. Controlling the ground is more than just a way of keeping score, though youre far more mobile in your own territory, creating lots of opportunity for strategies around creating a highway to an objective and cutting off your opponents, and also setting up areas to submerge into the ink and replenish your ammo. The key to victory on the eight distinct and symmetrical maps currently in rotation often lies in being aware of terrain, ink management, and the oppositions plans.

Between the original arsenal, the guns added in post-launch updates, and the new ones introduced in Splatoon 2, theres plenty of ink-based weaponry to choose from, and yet each type has distinct uses. Theres the fast and furious Inkbrush that covers ground quickly, contrasted with the Slosher that manages to turn a literal bucket of ink into a deadly close-range weapon. One of my favorites of the new batch is the Dualies, dual-pistol style weapons that have a great rate of fire and also let you quickly dodge-roll when firing to strafe enemies and release a concentrated burst of ink. Theres also a brand-new array of special weapon powerups, many of which work well with proper coordination to break stalemates. The protective Ink Armor shields your entire team from harm, while the Tenta Missiles can lock onto and fire a salvo of ink strikes on multiple enemies.

Obtaining new gear is a smoother process than in the first game.

Going hand in hand with Splatoon 2s wealth of weapons is a set of gear that provides both style and bonuses in combat, with the added twist of over 20 random secondary abilities that unlock after youve battled with them equipped enough times. These range from practical effects, like increasing ink recovery rates, to highly specialized abilities that can track the enemy who last splatted you or players youve recently hit. Obtaining new gear is a smoother process than in the first game, too you can now order any gear youve seen on other people in-game using currency earned from battle, though the abilities attached to yours might not be the same due to random generation. Paying to scrub unwanted extra traits to make room for new ones leaves chunks of those abilities behind to apply to other gear, letting you mix and match from your inventory, or you can try your luck at unlocking different bonuses to replace the old ones that better align with your playstyle. This is a good way get value out of gear you earned but dont plan to wear: by scrubbing enough ammo-conserving bonuses from gear I wasnt using, I was then able to apply that trait to my favorite jersey (for a hefty price). Offering the chance to craft the perfect gear for your playstyle to give you a better edge in the more competitive Ranked Battles has kept me more invested than I was in the first Splatoon.

Aquatic Ambience

With a world this colorful and fun, its great to see how much better people and places look on the Switch. Characters like the weapons dealer Sheldon and clothing merchant Jelfonzo look better than ever with more detailed models and textures, and the various forms of street art and graffiti scattered around the maps pop. The ink itself shimmers and glints with shiny flecks. Despite it all, Splatoon 2 never failed to maintain a smooth 60 frames per second in battle even with ink flying in all directions in a fully populated eight-player match. In handheld mode, things look great, and the option to set sensitivity for both modes of play helped immensely when switching between handheld and docked mode. I actually ended up swapping between motion and non-motion controls with surprising ease (though not being able to use the control stick to look up and down with motion and controls does take getting used to every time).

Solo Artist

Splatoon 2 brings back a very familiar and simple 32-mission single-player campaign that, with some exceptions, follows the style of its predecessor almost to the letter. Theres a fair amount of hand-holding and will only take six or so hours to run through and find most collectibles, but missions provide some pretty fun ideas to play around with. There are places to stylishly grind on ink-rails like a squid version of Tony Hawk, and elsewhere you can lure giant, ink-vacuuming Squee-G robots into your enemies path. Spraying ink to activate expanding sponges or moving platforms gives it a light Super Mario Sunshine feel, but it rarely challenges you the way co-op and multiplayer do. The most significant improvement over Splatoon is that the sequels campaign lets you try out each of the weapon types, which is a great way to learn about their potential and how they can be used in multiplayer before jumping online. This focus on weapon research greatly extends replay value, as you can head back into levels youve already conquered to discover new challenges based on the weapons strengths and limitations.

Heading into Splatoon 2s main lobby lets you queue up for an engaging variety of online modes. Each mode automatically drops you in one of two maps that change up every two hours, which keeps things feeling fresh and doesnt let a map wear out its welcome as quickly as in other games, where the community often picks a favorite and plays it to death. The standard Turf War mode, which carries over from the original, is welcoming for beginners and veterans alike with the simple yet entertaining concept of competing to ink the most territory in three minutes. No two matches ever feel the same because the battlefield hotspots dictated by the competing colors of ink are constantly changing, and several times being at the right place at the right time was what narrowly pushed our team to victory. This is one case where I actually miss the Wii U gamepad without the second-screen map or an always-on-screen minimap, you have to hold a button to overlay a map to see how things are going or jump to a teammates location. This means youll need to be that much more alert to the status of your team and the terrain, and finding a safe spot to check the map overlay took some getting used to.

Being at the right place at the right time was what narrowly pushed our team to victory.

Besides Turf Wars, Ranked and League Battles are where more precise and objective-based modes await. The king-of-the-hill-inspired Splat Zone, a tug-of-war style payload mode called Tower Control, and a spin on capture-the-flag where you carry a powerful but movement-impeding weapon to the enemy base called Rainmaker. Unfortunately, these modes arent well populated yet, so Ill have to wait until Splatoon 2 goes live before I can effectively test them out.

The only real problems Ive encountered so far are the lobbys matchmaking system and the lack of a between-match loadout screen. Like in most games, once youve picked your mode of choice youll be sent to a room awaiting seven more players to begin. The catch is that nobody can cancel out or do anything else (such as the minigame the first Splatoon gave us to kill the time here) until either the match fills up or the timer runs out a couple of minutes later. Even if your group does fill up fast (which we can assume will be more likely after launch) and you get to play a round, you're still left with the problem of being unable to swap out weapons and gear between matches. I dont mind not being able to switch during a match because that makes you carefully consider your choices and commit to the role your weapon fills, and the matches arent that long to begin with. But after playing with a great group and leveling up, the last thing I want to do is ditch them just so I can put on a new pair of shoes.

Cooperative Calamari

Where Splatoon 2s single-player campaign gently guides you through Octoling enemies, the new Salmon Run mode is an excellent cooperative foil. As hilarious as it is addicting, this mode puts you and up to three other players up against three timed waves of relentless enemies while collecting a quota of golden eggs from boss creatures and depositing them in a basket. Unlike other horde modes, Salmon Run deftly uses Splatoons ink and territory mechanics to ensure youre not only splatting fish but also struggling to maintain control of the ground as enemies try to stifle your movement. The Boss Salmonids you face are some of the most memorable enemies Ive seen in a horde mode since Left 4 Dead, wielding trash as makeshift weapons and armor and shooting beams of ink from atop a tower of pots and pans. Their distinct looks help you assess threats quickly, which is essential because your team must neutralize them before being overwhelmed.

When playing online, youll be given one of four random weapons to use for every wave, and I love how it challenged me to adapt and fill new roles on my team: In one wave I was sniping bosses with the Splat Charger, but in the next wave I had to clear a path to the egg basket with the Roller instead. Difficulty can be set when playing locally, and steadily grows when online thanks to the randomized nature of enemy waves and weapon loadouts, boss configurations, and special events like rising water levels or egg-stealing mothership invasions. Those shifting conditions kept me coming back to see what would happen next.

The Boss Salmonids you face are some of the most memorable enemies Ive seen in a horde mode since Left 4 Dead.

Playing locally with friends is a blast my teammates and I frantically screamed out boss names and locations of golden eggs to direct each other to counter problems and capitalize on opportunities. But this also highlights how key communication is to survival, something that doesnt currently translate well in random online matchups, where you can only give basic callouts. Thats something that will hopefully improve with the launch of Nintendos mobile app, which will allow voice communication (one of the things we found lacking with the original Splatoon on the Wii U). Co-op is also the only mode that can only be played online on certain days for specific amounts of time, which is truly frustrating considering just how fun it is. I get that Nintendo wants to ensure full rooms on the days Salmon Run is active, but Id rather have the option to queue up with friends online or have a way to easily back out if nobody is around to play with (going it alone is pretty much a death sentence). Luckily, you earn rewards much faster online; if you choose to play locally you can play as much as you want, but it takes much longer to earn bonuses.

Thats it for now, but check back after Splatoon 2 and the Nintendo mobile app launch on July 21 for the final review. But if I had to score Splatoon now, Id give it an 8.3.

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Review in Progress - IGN

Concerns over the operation of the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater were addressed again by neighborhood individuals and county representatives as the local neighborhood association tries to bring more accountability to the way the venue operates.

The Fairgrounds Neighborhood Association sat down with officials from the county July 13 to discuss progress made regarding the operations of the amphitheater. Although the property is owned by the county, an independent group runs the day-to-day operations.

The neighborhood association has been focused on the amphitheaters operations for about a year, spearheaded by association president Bridget Schwarz. Chief concerns include noise and traffic issues, as both have caused headaches for residents due to perceived improper management at the hands of the venues runners.

Clark County Traffic Engineering and Operations Section Supervisor Matt Griswold admitted that the role of dealing with the amphitheater was something neglected previous to the raising of the recent complaints.

We thought everything was going fine. We hadnt heard any complaints or anything until last July or August, Griswold said.

After being contacted by Schwarz, the issues started to show themselves, specifically regarding traffic signals in the vicinity.

Much like the county, the state Department of Transportation had not been monitoring the situation, Griswold explained, adding that it was discovered that something was, in fact, awry with the traffic signal setup.

Since that discovery, the WSDOT has fixed the signal issues, Griswold said. He added that the county had met with amphitheater operators a few times this year, going over the traffic plan for the then-upcoming Train concert.

The traffic plan is not something set in concrete, its sort of fluid thing because its always changing depending on the size of the crowd, Griswold explained. He made mention of the change in background traffic since the venue started more than a decade ago as well as more recent developments like the extension of 10th Avenue as some of those variables.

Clark County Neighborhood Relations Coordinator Marilee McCall said since the previous June meeting she has spent the majority of time gathering what was available that Schwarz had requested. Schwarz said her three huge questions about noise, traffic and possible changes in the traffic management plan were at that point being addressed by McCall but not necessarily complete.

We still dont have all the information, but were making some progress, Schwarz said.

Actual imposition of fines for non-compliance was another issue, as Schwarz and other association members had mentioned that they were not aware of any time the county actually fined the amphitheater. McCall said there was one instance when the venue was fined $1,000 in 2004 for a concert that ran too late in the night.

Through McCalls data mining, she uncovered a previous record of complaints, much the same as is current, including a point-by-point plan the county drafted to deal with said issues.

As to why there had been relative silence regarding the amphitheater, Griswold said it was likely due to turnover at the county. An individual who had once been the liaison with the venue had left and nobody replaced the role, he reasoned.

Now that the county is aware of the issue and appears to be actively doing something about it, progress can be made, though Griswold said whatever happened would not be a solution to every problem.

We all know that its never going to be perfect. At the night of an event you are not going to come down 179th Street and not be delayed for some time. Griswold said. When you are going to bring four or five thousand people, or 10,000 people depending on the size of the event, into one spot and one interchange, its going to back things up.

Following the associations break from a formal meeting in August, Schwarz said that at either the September or October meeting, representatives from the venue could be present.

Read more:

Group talks progress on amphitheater concerns - The Reflector