Category Archives: Progress

The early days of motocross were technically the same as today: riders racing dirt bikes over humps and around berms, fastest person wins.

After 50 years, it actually looks almost like a different sport.

The motorcycles are faster, more powerful. The riders come from around the globe, are among the fittest athletes in any sport. The tracks feature jumps old-school riders wouldnt have even considered, obstacles that would have been unfathomable.

And the exposure, thanks to TV and social media, has skyrocketed off a dirt-covered launching pad.

Oh, man, thats like watching the 72 Olympic basketball game compared to what we have now with the Dream Team, said Davey Coombs, president of MX Sports Pro Racing, which runs the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. What used to be sort of an Alabama country dirt bike race has turned into a global phenomenon.

The Lucas Oil Motocross Championship kicked off its 50th season in Pala, Calif., moved north to historic Hangtown and will be roaring along the edge of the Rockies outside of Denver this weekend.

On July 23, the eighth round of the championship lands at Washougal MX Park.

Its been quite a ride.

The circuits origins date to 1972, when the pieces of multiple series were cobbled into one. Few people outside diehard fans knew who any of the riders were, the tracks mostly weaved through the natural terrain and the bikes broke down so often organizers opted for three 20-minute motos so there was time for repairs.

The only opportunities to watch live racing was if the circuit came into town or you were willing to take a long drive. Even still photos of the early era are hard to come by, much less video footage.

The sport began to gain traction when marketable stars like Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael and Travis Pastrana started to make noise. Motocross remained a niche sport, but interest in the high-flying, fast-moving races started expanding as some of the best riders in the world flocked to the United States.

Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis won the 450cc title last season and Australian Jett Lawrence took the 250cc title. The series also includes German two-time 450cc champion Ken Roczen, up-and-coming Japanese rider Jo Shimoda and Frenchman Marvin Musquin is a two-time runner-up who only ran Supercross this season.

Were seeing all the best of every other country in ways weve never seen before, Coombs said.

And more people are watching them race.

Before MX Sports Pro Racing took over in 2009, live racing was an afterthought, leaving fans scrambling to figure out when and where to watch the races. A major step was a partnership with NBC, which allowed for mostly live racing with some tape-delay. A deal with MAVTV has allowed the circuit to be televised in its entirety this summer.

The notoriety and awareness of the sport has been huge, said Carmichael, who won seven straight 450cc titles starting in 2000. Its becoming more popular every year.

Social media has thrust it forward.

Motocross has not reached the popularity of UFC, but has seen some of the same social media engagement from some of its athletes.

Roczen has 1.5 million Instagram followers and 201,000 on Twitter. Eli Tomac, currently second in the season standings, has nearly a million on Instagram and 133,000 on Twitter. Three-time champion Ryan Dungey, who returned this season after a five-year retirement, has 800,000 Instagram followers and 213,000 more on Twitter.

Many riders are hyper active on social media, providing fans with what amounts to 24/7 coverage. The races are on Saturdays, but the pregame shows across social platforms play out for days before.

As they prepare for the events, it becomes sort of a symbiotic relationship, Coombs said. Theyre previewing whats going to happen on the weekend and that gives us a chance to show what were doing.

What theyre seeing is a sport with bigger and faster riders than old-school riders could have ever imagined.

In the early days, the motorcycles were essentially trail bikes with a few adjustments. Todays motocross bikes are like two-wheeled Formula 1 cars, finely tuned technological wonders with power that allows riders to clear what was once a quadruple jump with a quick twist of the throttle.

Track designers have tried to keep up, building bigger jumps and more obstacles that make the racing more acrobatic but also keep the bikes from propelling off the track.

Even the riders have changed.

Before Carmichael arrived on the scene, the best riders could win races just by having more talent. Carmichael turned the sport into more of an athletic endeavor, using intense off-track workouts to supplement his formidable talent.

Following Carmichaels example, modern-day riders have become some of the best-conditioned athletes in the world, spending their days working out, watching what they eat, even hiring trainers and nutritionists just to keep up.

The race paces have become so much harder, you cant afford not to have that stuff these days, Dungey said. You have to have all that or its going to show.

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Motocross accelerates through 50 years of progress - The Columbian

STOCKHOLM, June 10 (Reuters) - Sweden seeks to make constructive progress in talks with Turkey on Ankara's objections to the Nordic country's application to join the NATO defence alliance, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Friday.

Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO last month in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but face opposition from Turkey, which accuses them of supporting and harbouring Kurdish militants and other groups it deems terrorists.

The objections caught Finnish, Swedish and many NATO officials by surprise and have dimmed prospects for rapid progress on the membership bids ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid later this month. read more

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"Our application has received broad support among NATO members," Linde said in a foreign policy declaration in the Swedish parliament. "Our ambition is to, in a constructive spirit, make progress on the questions that Turkey has raised."

Linde added that there should be no doubts that Sweden stood together with allies against terrorism.

"We take Turkey's security very seriously and we will as a NATO member contribute to security for all NATO members, Turkey included," she told a news conference later in the day.

Sweden's government survived a no-confidence vote on Tuesday with the help of a lawmaker whose demands for support for Kurds in Northern Syria could complicate its attempts to join NATO, all of whose members must approve any new entrants. read more

Ankara has also hit out at Swedish authorities for halting arms exports to Turkey in 2019 as the country launched a military operation in northern Syria.

While not referring directly to Turkey, Linde said Swedish membership in NATO could "change the conditions for arms exports within our national regulatory framework".

The minister said talks between representatives of Sweden, Finland, Turkey and NATO were being held in a constructive spirit. Asked at the news conference in what way talks were constructive she replied: "They are not called off."

She said she had been very surprised by Turkey's objections, which were first voiced publicly shortly after applications were handed in.

"We had had talks (before) with Turkey where they had said that 'we certainly have views on various things that we can discuss where we aren't of the same opinion, but we welcome Sweden and Finland'," she said.

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Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Niklas Pollard, editing by Terje Solsvik, Simon Johnson and Alex Richardson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Sweden seeks constructive progress with Turkey over NATO bid - Reuters

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Nearly four years after a landmark court ruling said New Mexico was failing to help all students learn, the people who filed the Martinez/Yazzie lawsuit are still concerned about the states response.

The lawsuit focused on Native Americans, English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged children. Together, those groups make up a stunning 70-plus percent of all students.

Wilhelmina Yazzie feels the anger just as intensely as she did nearly a decade ago when she began a journey to be a champion for equity in education.

Its very frustrating, and not just for me, but for all the families, Yazzie said. Were not going to stop fighting.

She is one of the original plaintiffs named in the ongoing lawsuit.

We have accepted such a substandard education system for our children, and especially for our Indigenous children, she said.

Her familys experiences since a judges decision in 2018 have led her to a grim conclusion.

We havent seen a lot of the changes were wanting for our children, Yazzie said. Its more important than ever.

She believes education leaders are not doing enough to find solutions.

Go down, deep down into the communities, to really find out holistically what our children need, Yazzie said.

She believes New Mexico has a long way to go and needs reform and improvement in many areas, including the lack of teachers, textbooks, technology, transportation, tutoring, culturally sensitive curriculum, and getting kids ready for their careers.

Last month, the state released a draft of new plans to meet the demands of the court ruling. It highlights what it sees as successes. Among them are new programs with more funding including for pre-K equity councils and teacher raises.

The plan also lays out goals for the next five years. Those include boosting the graduation rate from the mid-70s to 90%, improving reading and math test scores, and lowering class sizes.

Education Department officials themselves have said theres still a lot of work to do, though the department declined an interview for KOB 4s story, citing an ongoing lawsuit.

Theres a public comment period on the 50-page plan draft for people to offer feedback. Anyone can send comments in an email to draft.actionplan@state.nm.us no later than Friday, June 17, at 5 p.m.

I feel that we are on the right path, I really do, said Dr. Veronica Garcia, a former superintendent and former education secretary.

She was involved early in the formation of the states new plans. She believes there is room for improvement, but that it was never going to happen overnight.

The capacity for school districts to implement everything, they cant necessarily ramp up that quickly, Dr. Garcia said.

For many, waiting is difficult.

The need is still there. Its still great. Were not moving fast enough, said Melissa Candelaria, who represents plaintiffs and works for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.

Its important that the state fix the broken education system immediately. We just cant wait. Its taken nearly four years for this draft to come out, she said. Four years has been too long, and what the court required is immediate steps.

There are more sworn interviews going on right now in the Martinez/Yazzie lawsuit.

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What progress has New Mexico made on education reform? - KOB 4

We will continue dialogue with the parties between now and then, aiming for strong taxpayer protections and a sound agreement, Sheaff added.

In a statement late Friday, stadium developer Brett Johnson described the contours of the updated proposal: The funding gap would be addressed by $20 million financed by the state and $10 million by the city.

Its not clear how much of the states and citys share of that combined $30 million would actually be additional funding, versus money moved from one portion of a complex and long-term project to another.

Johnsons Fortuitous Partners also said it agreed to pay additional property taxes to the city as part of the deal, and to enter a profit-sharing agreement with the city and state, which Johnson described as almost unprecedented in the United States.

We look forward to continuing to act in good faith, discuss the proposal with the Commerce Board on Tuesday, and ultimately receive a vote to continue the progress and make Tidewater Landing a reality for the residents of the City of Pawtucket and the State of Rhode Island, Johnson said.

In response to that response, Sheaff said: As I said this morning, there is progress being made in moving the Tidewater Project forward. However, we are still in active conversations with the parties to ensure that strong tax payer protections are in place and that the agreement is sound.

The potential breakthrough comes after the City of Pawtucket and the developers of the project asked the state to increase the public funding of the project by $30 million, citing cost inflation. Work on the Tidewater Landing soccer stadium project is already underway, but the developer says that supply chain issues and inflation are driving the costs of raw materials and borrowing higher.

The first phase of the project includes the stadium as well as commercial, retail, and housing space. The cost of the stadium alone recently jumped from about $83 million to $124 million.

The developer is putting in $25 million more in private equity. The original financing announced in February 2021 was said to include about $46 million in public financing between the city and the state. That included about $36 million in tax-increment financing, where the government borrows money to pay for a project and then repays it through tax revenue that the project brings in.

The city and the developer have requested that the Commerce Corporation Board, which McKee chairs, add another $30 million in tax-increment financing through the state.

Backers of the project have been pressing the state Commerce Corporation to act. Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos issued a statement Friday that fell short of criticizing the governor, but still showed evidence of daylight emerging between the two.

Pawtucket already lost the PawSox, Matos said in a series of tweets. Neither the city nor the state can afford to watch another developer and another team walk away before they even get here.

This story has been updated with information from the developer and the state.

Brian Amaral can be reached at brian.amaral@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44.

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McKee administration says there has been progress in Tidewater Landing talks - The Boston Globe

A midseason addition for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, Josh Gordon is looking to put his best foot forward in 2022.

A week after Gordons position coach expressed lofty goals for the veteran wide receiver, Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided an update on the progress that hes seen from the one-time NFL receiving yards leader. Last season didnt end as Gordon or the team probably would have liked, but hes looking much more at home in Kansas City this offseason.

You guys were out there, you could see that hes running better, catching better, Reid told reporters on Thursday. Hes working hard at all of this. Hes a good kid and hes smart, so that helps. Thats the way hes approached this whole thing and hes getting reps, so he can get himself back where he wants to be.

What has changed to help get Gordon back to the type of player he once was? Reid echoed what Chiefs WR Joe Bleymaier mentioned a week ago, explaining that he was really getting a feel for himself and playing the game of football after having not played since 2019.

It was kind of getting back in the flow of playing the game, and then youre throwing a whole new offense in the middle of it all, and he has to pick that up, Reid said. And (he) probably has to work himself into playing shape, just get himself back. It seemed like it was moving fast for him but now its kind of slowed down.

It looks like hes doing better after the catch. When he catches the ball, hes able to maneuver around in space. I think hes lost a little bit of weight. He was pretty big when he got here hes a big guy anyways but I think he dropped a little bit of weight there too.

Gordon has made a few key plays during recent OTA practices, including a long touchdown pass thrown by Patrick Mahomes during Thursdays practice. If Gordon can emerge as a playmaker and recapture some of what made him so great early on in his career, it would be a big development for the Kansas City offense in the post-Tyreek Hill era.

For now, its just a matter of Gordon carrying this positive progress over into training camp later this Summer.

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Andy Reid gives progress report on Chiefs second-year WR Josh Gordon - Chiefs Wire

Global energy and climate leaders meeting at the IEAs Global Conference on Energy Efficiency have agreed on actions to accelerate improvements in energy efficiency that can reduce energy bills, ease dependence on imported fuels and speed up reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

At the end of the three-day Global Conference in Snderborg, Denmark, on 7-9 June, ministers and other senior representatives from 24 countries including France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Senegal and the United States and the African and European Unions issued a joint statement stressing the importance of energy efficiency for addressing many of todays critical challenges, including the energy crisis, inflationary pressures and rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy efficiency and demand side action have a particularly important role to play now as global energy prices are high and volatile, hurting households, industries and entire economies, the joint statement said. Energy efficiency offers immediate opportunities to reduce energy costs and reduce reliance on imported fuels. The statement also welcomed the new IEA research highlighting the significant environmental, economic and social benefits of early action on energy efficiency.

The governments said they intended to continue to seek opportunities for exchange and collaboration towards better policy making and implementation of energy efficiency actions. They asked the IEA to continue to facilitate and support these actions and called on all governments, industry, enterprises and stakeholders to strengthen their action on energy efficiency.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said: The IEA started the Global Conference on Energy Efficiency seven years ago in order to drive a high-level worldwide discussion on an area that we saw was not getting the policy attention it deserved. This weeks conference has shown the value of these efforts, not just in bringing together energy and climate leaders from around the world but also in increasing ambition and action on efficiency to help tackle the global energy crisis. I believe we will look back at this conference as a key moment for bolstering international progress on energy efficiency, resulting in reduced energy bills for citizens, enhanced energy security for countries and lower emissions for our planet.

The Global Conference was co-hosted by Denmarks Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jrgensen, who said: This is a global recognition of energy efficiency and its importance for our climate as well as our push for energy independence. If we work together, share our knowledge and showcase our different technologies, as we have shown ours here in Denmark, we can increase our global efforts for energy efficiency.

Ministers in attendance included those from Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Senegal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Participants also included the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Amani Abou-Zeid and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko addressed the Conference live via video link.

Over the three days, participants discussed issues such as buildings of the future, the role of consumer behaviour, and how to unlock financing for efficiency measures. The final day today included a unique closed-door session where Ministers shared best practices on how to put intentions into action.

According to the new IEA analysis, doubling the current global rate of energy intensity improvement to 4% a year has the potential to avoid 95 exajoules a year of final energy consumption by the end of this decade compared with a pathway based on todays policy settings. This is equivalent to the current annual energy use of China. That level of savings would reduce global CO2 emissions by an additional 5 billion tonnes a year by 2030, about a third of the total emissions reduction efforts needed this decade to move the world onto a pathway to net zero emissions by mid-century, as laid out in the Net Zero Roadmap the IEA published last year.

These extra efforts on efficiency and related areas would cut global spending on energy. For example, households alone could save at least USD 650 billion a year on energy bills by the end of the decade compared with what they would have spent in a pathway based on todays policies. The quantity of natural gas the world would avoid using is equal to four times what Europe imported from Russia last year, while the reduced oil consumption would be almost 30 million barrels of oil per day, about triple Russias average production in 2021. This global efficiency effort would help create 10 million additional jobs in fields ranging from building retrofits to manufacturing and transport infrastructure.

The new IEA analysis shows the significant opportunities for rapid energy efficiency gains in all sectors of the global economy. Most of these opportunities involve readily available technologies and would fully pay for themselves through lower running costs, especially at todays steep energy prices. By 2030, around a third of the avoided energy demand comes from deploying more efficient equipment, ranging from air conditioners to cars. About a fifth comes from electrification, such as switching to heat pumps or electric cars. Digitalisation and use of more efficient materials in industry provide much of the rest.

Continued here:

Ministers from around the world agree to speed up energy efficiency progress to help tackle global energy crisis - News - IEA

There are no limitations on the quarterbacks and what we are going to ask them to do, Ragone said. Were going to try to grow with them and evolve with what we think makes the most sense.

Mariota and Ridder will have some input.

Well get the feedback from them and more importantly, when you watch the film, seeing where they are most comfortable, Ragone said. Obviously, thats what well do.

The Falcons used their OTAs to experiment with the offensive attack. That will continue during the mandatory minicamp, which is set for Tuesday through Thursday.

I think what is important in this OTA process is getting a feel for what we do well, Mariota said. What we like and want we dont like. We are kind of doing everything.

One of the issues early in Mariotas career in Tennessee was how much shotgun formation to use. He played that style in college and was successful. Hes been seen under center and in the shotgun during the open OTAs.

We get to go out here and do a bunch of stuff, Mariota said. I dont think there is something specific we are working on. We are just trying to get a feel for what the scheme can fit and where its going to allow our guys to go out there and play well.

When Ryan had a passing pocket that he could step up into, the Falcons generally went to the playoffs. Ryan was sacked at least 40 times over the past four seasons.

Theres a school of thought that a mobile quarterback should help the Falcons offensive line and eliminate some of the sacks.

I havent thought of it that way, Ragone said. To me, when you play quarterback, there are certain things you are responsible for, one of them in understanding the timing with which a ball needs to be thrown. Also, understanding that you have to put yourself in the best play possible.

If Mariota and Ridder are under duress, perhaps they could scramble into a positive play. There definitely will be some run-pass-option (RPOs) and possibly some designed runs for the quarterback.

Or to tuck it and run or throw a ball away, Ragone said. Obviously, the negative plays, the sacks, the interceptions, were trying to avoid those and limit those. But to me, regardless of if he runs a 4.4 or doesnt, I dont subscribe to if that helps certain positions or not.

The Falcons will lean on their rushing attack to set things up.

Regardless of whos playing quarterback or at what level, it helps when youre efficient in (the run game), Ragone said. I think (over) the course of our offseason and from what we did last year realizing there were really good things on film and some things we need to clean up.

The Falcons didnt overhaul the offensive line this offseason.

You can just feel it out there, guys are playing with more confidence, Ragone said. They know what we are asking. Second-year, again, I think (their) confidence has grown at each position, but more importantly for the offensive line.

With so many wide receivers and tight ends, the Falcons are monitoring Mariota and Ridders offseason throws while backup quarterback Feleipe Franks is spending time working with the tight ends.

When you look at it in terms of the quarterbacks for live periods of practice, there is not a taxing amount of periods where the ball is being thrown, Ragone said. Well be (mindful) as we watch the quarterbacks over the offseason and training camp. Its obviously one of the things well monitor.

The Falcons drafted wide receiver Drake London, whos listed at 6-foot-5 to go with tight end Kyle Pitts (6-6) and wide receiver/running back Cordarrelle Patterson (6-2).

The overall average height has definitely changed (among receivers) a little bit, Falcons wide receiver coach T.J. Yates said. But we got a healthy mix of smaller guys, too. We have some big guys and guys who are real physical. Theres a lot of versatility in the room.

The Falcons plan to be physical on offense.

Well play inside the (yard-line) numbers, Yates said. Going inside the numbers, especially in this day in age, where the game is now, going over the middle youve got to be strong. Youve got to be physical.

You need guys with good ball skills. Guys who can catch and run. A lot of things that we look for in players size and physicality is one of those things that helps them.

The receivers also will be required to help with the blocking in the run game.

Its huge, and especially the way the game that Arthur has brought to us is obviously a heavy-run, a heavy play-pass game, Yates said. The more that those guys can sell the blocking game and running game and how those match up, the better that we can be. That physicality doesnt just come in the passing game, it comes in the run game as well.

Mariota, who as with Smith in Tennessee from 2015-19, believe their reunion can be fruitful. After watching from a backup role the past two seasons with the Raiders, has given Mariota a new perspective.

Those experiences have allowed me to just come out here and use those as tools, Mariota said. To be around Art, where hes had a similar situation, where hes learned. Hes been a head coach for just a year. Take those experiences where weve both learned. That has really allow us to come out here and play better, play -- quote unquote -- free.

-Staff writer Gabriel Burns contributed to this article.

Falcons quarterbacks Marcus Mariota, left, and Desmond Ridder are shown during OTAs at the Falcons training facility Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Falcons quarterbacks Marcus Mariota, left, and Desmond Ridder are shown during OTAs at the Falcons training facility Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

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Revamped Falcons' offense is a work in progress - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

OTTAWA, ON, June 10, 2022 /CNW/ - The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, issued this statementtoday to provide an update on progress being made by the Government of Canada and industry partners to reduce wait times at Canadian airports:

"The Government of Canada recognizes the impact that significant wait times at some Canadian airports are having on travellers. We continue to work with airports, airlines, baggage handlers, and other partners to implement solutions to reduce delays as we approach the summer peak season.

"Our efforts are having a positive impact. Current traveller wait times at major Canadian airports are decreasing.

"Today, the Government of Canada is also announcing that Mandatory randomized testing will be temporarily suspended at all airports between Saturday, June 11 and Thursday, June 30, 2022. Unvaccinated travellers will still be tested on-site. As of July 1, all testing, including for unvaccinated travellers, will be performed off-site.

"This expanded measure builds upon action currently underway by the Government of Canada and the air industry, including:

Regular meetings of Transport Canada (TC), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), and key industry partners to find solutions to address bottlenecks at pre-board security screening and pre-clearance departure checkpoints, and customs halls.

Hiring of CATSA screening officers continues. Since April, 865 CATSA screening officers have been hired across Canada. CBSA is also maximizing officer availability and additional Student Border Services Officers are now at work.

Prioritizing the issuance of Transportation Security Clearances and Restricted Area Identity Cards for CATSA screening officers to expedite the hiring process and build immediate capacity.

CBSA and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority are making available additional kiosks at Toronto Pearson International Airport customs hall areas.

Increasing communication with travellers and stakeholders through social media, signage and multimedia screens to better prepare them for the pre-boarding screening and arrival processing requirements and facilitate a smoother passage in and out of airports.

Story continues

"Travellers are reminded that the use of ArriveCAN before coming to the airport helps remove unnecessary delays. PHAC is adding additional staff on select days at airports to verify that travellers have completed their ArriveCAN submissions on arrival and further inform air travellers about the importance of the mandatory requirements. PHAC staff will assist travellers in completing ArriveCAN if they were unable to do so.

"We recognize that there is still work to be done, particularly for international arrivals at our largest airports, and we will continue to work with all orders of governments and partners to reduce the delays in the travel system."

Transport Canada is online at http://www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.

SOURCE Transport Canada

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Statement - Government of Canada and airport and airline partners making progress on reducing traveller wait times at Canada's major airports - Yahoo...

As journalists, we try not to get emotionally involved in the subjects we write about. But youll have to forgive us for being a little excited about plans for Suffolk Festival Park. That ones personal.

A surprise tornado that cut a path through downtown and Riverview in 2020 did a lot of damage, including to our longtime office on South Saratoga Street. Fortunately, it occurred late enough that all of our employees had gone home, but the storm tore through the front window, traveled vertically the length of the long rectangular building and blew out the back door.

Enough of a shell was left to accommodate upscale apartments that will soon be complete. Just up the road, more progress is coming: a first-rate outdoor park and event venue at Saratoga and West Washington, stretching to the former Brandon House furniture store.

We were pleased to see the project take an important step forward Thursday when the citys Historic Landmarks Commission unanimously approved a certificate of appropriateness. All signs point to City Council approval of a conditional use permit, the final regulatory hurdle for a venue city officials project could draw more than 100,000 additional people downtown yearly.

As reporter Jimmy LaRoue writes on todays front page, that will be a big boost for downtown retailers, restaurants and service providers.

The city has already set aside $150,000 for the park in the current fiscal year through its capital improvements program. Thats a big statement of intent to get it done, even though an additional $550,000 will be needed in the next two years.

The hope is to have the park ready to host the 2023 TGIF summer concert series, one of Suffolks signature summer events. Festival Park could also be home to the Suffolk Farmers Market, which will benefit from more accessible, spacious digs.

Throw in plans for a new library further west on Washington Street and that part of downtown is set for major revitalization in the years ahead.

As a longtime occupant of the neighborhood, we couldnt be happier.

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From the ruins, festive progress - The Suffolk News-Herald - Suffolk News-Herald

Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen has made responsible gaming a key pillar of the company's business ... [+] model.

Shortly before Entain plc appointed Jette Nygaard-Andersen as its CEO last January, the European gaming giant reached a crossroads of sorts.

Entain, one of the worlds largest online gaming companies, entered a 50/50 joint venture with MGM Resorts MGM in 2018 to form BetMGM, a North American online sports betting and iGaming enterprise. While MGM Resorts provided the imprimatur with a recognizable brand known to bettors across the continent, Entain supplied a sophisticated tech stack known for its scale and efficiency.

But MGM Resorts made a power play to gain full control of BetMGM with an $11 billion takeover bid of Entain that the London-headquartered conglomerate dismissed out of hand, claiming that it substantially undervalued the company. Days later, former Entain CEO Shay Segev left the position while asserting that MGMs offer had no bearing on his decision. By last October, DraftKings entered the fray with a $22 billion acquisition attempt of Entain that underscored the value of the platform throughout industry circles.

On a busy sports day, the platform has handled about seven times interactions than Amazon AMZN does on a typical Black Friday, according to the company. On Wednesday at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt disclosed that the platform handled 70 million transactions last month in Ontario alone.

Although DraftKings eventually pulled the proposal, the bid demonstrated Entains standing in the global gaming hierarchy for top U.S. gambling operators looking to expand abroad. Now, 16 months later, Nygaard-Andersen has earned plaudits for the companys advances in responsible gaming, corporate sustainability, and diversity under her leadership.

Jette has been the key architect of Entains successful evolution from a worlds leading gambling business into a global entertainment and technology heavyweight, said Martin Lycka, who serves as senior vice president of American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gaming at Entain. She has based her strategy on putting an extremely robust responsible gambling program into the very heart of Entains culture.

Nygaard-Andersen, who celebrated her 500th day at the helm earlier this month, is encouraged by the progress with the companys Advanced Responsibility and Care program, better known as AR AR C. Launched in 2021, the ARC protector model uses artificial intelligence and other advanced analytics for early detection of potential compulsive gambling behavior. The model draws upon nearly 30 behavioral markers that helps the company improve its accuracy in identifying high-risk behavior.

During the first quarter, Entain saw a 30% decline in the number of customers who increased their risk levels, based on the analytics that monitor the markers of protection. The markers, which were developed through Entains partnerships with Harvard Medical School and other leading researchers, run the gamut from spikes in play to chasing losses, as well as increased deposits and irregular betting patterns.

Entain intends to continue the trial program in the U.K before fully rolling out the initiative throughout the British market later this summer. Early results indicate that the models can predict the likelihood that betting activity may rise to harmful play with a near 90% certainty, up from previous estimates of around 80%. As it relates to the U.S., Entain plans to roll out the ARC program internationally after the debut in England.

The proliferation of mobile sports betting has created a dynamic where players can not only bet rapidly, but can race to recover their losses just as quickly. Take for instance, Wednesday nights Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. Before the game, a recreational bettor can hypothetically place a series of 10 microbets for $10 each to whet his gambling juices. The wagers may be as obscure as the first player to hit a field goal, Jayson Tatums steal total, and the number of 3-pointers sunk by Draymond Green. A prop on Andrew Wiggins to hit the games first field goal, parlayed with a Celtics win contained odds of 12/1 at BetMGM. The bet was graded as a loss within seconds when Kevon Looney opened the game with a layup.

With the Warriors down 79-66 at the 7-minute mark of the third quarter, it becomes clear that the majority of the other props will lose, as well. The customer, who has $1,000 in his account, decides to chase the losses with a $100 moneyline bet on the Warriors at 4/1. Then, Golden State heats up.

Klay Thompson drains a 25-footer to cut the lead to 79-69, followed by a Steph Curry runner to place the Warriors within eight. At the click of a mouse, the bettor puts another $100 on the Warriors. Then, with 5:06 left in the quarter, Curry completes a rare four-point play after Al Horford commits a flagrant foul on a made three. All of a sudden, the lead dips to five.

The Warriors even take the lead 83-82 on a Curry three at the 3:45 mark. The bettor doubles down with a $500 moneyline wager on Golden State. It is Golden States only lead of the half. A quick run by the Celtics early in the fourth quarter pushes the Warriors in-game odds to +440. The customer instantly deposits another $1,000 into his account.

When Boston increases the lead to 102-91 with 9:07 left, the odds on the Warriors jump to +960. Panicked, the bettor tries to recoup all his losses with a $200 bet on the road team. He also puts another $700 on the over at a total of 228.5 points.

The outcome is anti-climatic as the Celtics took Game 3 decisively 116-100. But for the bettor, the losses nearly clean out his account. Over the span of four hours, an evening that started out with just $100 on the line turns into a $2,000 night.

The aforementioned scenario can be dismissed as an outlier, a bad night for a customer who is usually prudent on limiting himself to props of $25 or less. But if the bettor continues to chase losses for the remainder of the NBA Finals, there can be cause for concern. The activity may rise to compulsive gambling if the bettor repeats the frenzied activity every night for the next two months.

Nygaard-Andersen emphasized that Entain focused on a small cohort of high-risk U.K. players in the initial trial phase, a group she noted represents less than 2% of all sports bettors in the country. At the same time, Entain has seen an increase of 56% in its base of recreational players over the last several years. Since every bettor has different personality traits, as well as disparate bankrolls, the protections for high-risk bettors cannot be the same as those for customers who limit their betting to $10 straight wins.

Eventually, Entain could broaden the program to moderately-risked players as the initiative expands.

The fundamental vision here is that we want to personalize this, Nygaard-Andersen said in an interview inside a drawing room in lower Manhattans Crosby Street Hotel. We dont want to have the same framework in place for everyone, thats not healthy business and its not a great experience for a casual player who wants to place a bet on their favorite team.

Entain uses other behavioral markers in its machine learning-based assessment. The algorithms literally train on millions of data points that inform the company on the proper course of action based on a customers activity. A player could be placing bets at odd times of the night when his wife falls asleep, Nygaard-Andersen points out. The customer could also be betting above his means by placing deposits with multiple credit cards. Customers who spend hours on end on a mobile betting app might receive a warning to take a break. If the warnings are ignored, a player may be restricted from using the app for the next several hours.

If you don't take a break, we basically force you to take a break and then you can come back the day after and play again, Nygaard-Andersen said. That has proven to be extremely powerful.

Last month, author Alan Shipnuck reported in his unauthorized biography on Phil Mickelson that the golfer rang up losses of more than $40 million in gambling losses over a five-year period through 2014. Before this weeks debut of the LIV Golf Series in London, Mickelson acknowledged that his gambling devolved to a point where it became reckless and embarrassing. He has addressed it with hours of therapy.

In numerous European countries, when a compulsive gambler registers for a self-exclusion list, sportsbook operators have an obligation to not accept their bets. A number of U.S. states have self-exclusion plans in place, with robust safeguards in at least three Northeast states: Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Entain also has affordability thresholds for bettors; in some cases if the thresholds are exceeded the company will suspend a customers account.

Brianne Doura-Schawohl, former vice president of U.S. Policy and Strategic Development at EPIC Risk Management, now runs her own boutique gaming consultancy firm in Reston, Virginia. Moving public health approaches to proactive prevention has long been sought after in the online gambling space, she noted.

Sophisticated technology such as this is an absolute game changer for the industry, Doura-Schawohl said. Ultimately adoption of technology will lead to a more robust understanding of early warning signs, proper engagements and effective methodologies of interaction and interventions that will result in a healthier player base.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) applauds efforts from operators to use A.I. and machine learning techniques as a mechanism for potential risk mitigation. Still, detecting a problem gambling issue in a customer is massively complex, one that cannot be solved solely through cutting-edge technology, according to the council.

We want to be careful that this technology is not being overpromised, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the NCPG. Its really important to note it is more about detecting potential markers of harm, making appropriate interventions, and reducing risk to improve responsible gambling, rather than decreasing the rate of gambling addiction. At some point, when someone with potential problems is identified, problem gambling experts need to be actively involved in these interventions.

The sentiments are echoed by U.K. based Gambling Integrity, a presenter at this week at the NCPGs National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gamblings digital symposium.

From our point of view, the interesting question is not whether A.I. is any good at spotting risky play, but what happens next? How do you reach out successfully to a player? How best to actually change behavior? Theres not much point in spending millions on technology, if you can't communicate effectively with the player base, said Sarah Ramanauskas, partner at Gambling Integrity.

Entain may counter that its plan will be a critical first step. Entain is making interaction a point of emphasis, with not only interactions with customers online, but interactions in real time. NCPG research indicates that those who bet using mobile devices have higher rates of problem gambling. Moreover, in-play betting decreases the lag time between a bet and the reward, which increases the speed and frequency of gambling that in turn creates a higher risk of problematic behavior, according to the council.

Entain projects that the ARC program could have an overall EBITDA impact of 40 million, with about half from the closure of markets that arent regulating in the immediate near future.

Nygaard-Andersen holds the distinction of being one of the only female CEOs on FTSE 1000, a compilation of the U.K.s top businesses.

I can honestly say that I don't wake up in the morning and think about myself as a female leader, she said. I really hope we'll reach a point also in this industry where it's not about gender, it's just about great leaders.

I think we need more female CEOs that can show the way and can show that there are no glass ceilings. In order to do that, though, we need all of us, so men and women join up with that effort.

Excerpt from:

Entain Encouraged By Progress With A.I. Platform On Responsible Gaming As CEO Celebrates 500th Day At Helm - Forbes