Category Archives: Progress

Forward progress has been stopped on a vegetation fire that started between Ukiah and Hopland Friday afternoon, Hopland Fire Chief Mitch Franklin reported.

Firefighters were dispatched to the 11000 block of Valley View Drive near the McNab Ranch around 3:40 p.m. for a report of a wildland fire, and personnel from both Cal Fire and the Hopland Fire Protection District responded.

Cal Fire tankers 90 and 91 responded from the Ukiah Air Attack Base, where they returned to as of June 1, and made at least two drops of fire retardant on the flames, quickly boxing them in.

They have retardant all around the fire, and forward progress has stopped, Franklin reported shortly after 4 p.m. June 10, adding that he could not yet provide an estimate of the acreage burned.

Personnel from the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office as well as the California Highway Patrol also responded.

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Forward progress reportedly stopped on vegetation fire near Hopland - Ukiah Daily Journal

SALISBURY When the Rowan Economic Development Council held its annual meeting in July of 2019, the organizations staff had no way of anticipating what would come next.

Little did we know at that time just a (months) later that there would be a national emergency declared over the coronavirus, and it changed our world completely even within the EDC, said Rod Crider, president of the Rowan EDC.

No one expected that it would be nearly three years before the Rowan EDC would hold another annual meeting. That was on Thursday, when local leaders gathered at City Tavern to recognize and celebrate the economic progress made during the last few years.

The Rowan EDC reports that new and existing businesses generated more than 1,000 new jobs with capital investments exceeding $127 million in 2020 and 2021 combined. Companies who have expanded include Henkel, Hexagon Agility and Innospec.

The Rowan EDC also reports having raised $1.4 million through a brand new public-private partnership model called Forward Rowan. Those funds will be used to attract and retain more businesses and to bolster the areas workforce.

More than 15 million square feet of new development is currently being planned or under construction across Rowan County. Crider said there are plans in place for new development at every exit on I-85, except for the interchange at Innes Street thats already completely developed.

Overall, weve had really tremendous success despite the challenges from COVID that I talked about at the beginning and were positioned to see even greater success in the future, Crider said.

Keynote speaker Jay Garner, president and founder of an economic development and site location consulting practice headquartered in Atlanta, commended the Rowan EDC for the progress its made. Most of Garners presentation titled So, you want to keep winning those projects? centered on ways the organization can continue to succeed.

Youve had some recent great success, some mega success and gotten some national attention, Garner said. Congratulations on that. Rowan rocks. So, now what? What do you do now?

The first step to continuing that success, Garner said, is for economic leaders to stay in the game and avoid complacency. Its also critical, he said, to have an adequate inventory of existing buildings for businesses who may be interested in expanding into Rowan County. His practice even has a trademarked phrase for that: no product, no project.

If you come to fruition on that 15 million plus square feet of (speculative) space, youre going to be significantly in the game, Garner said.

Garner also advised focusing on talent attraction, which includes putting an emphasis on infusing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts into workforce development.

Do you have an inclusive enough community where people will want to move there? Garner asked.

With companies across Rowan County and the country facing worker shortages, the Rowan EDC recently hired RoleCall, a talent attraction agency, to help develop a talent attraction strategy. RoleCall delivered a report noting the areas strengths and weaknesses and has worked with the Rowan EDC and Miller Davis to establish Choose Rowan, a talent attraction hub that provides a look into what life would be like in Rowan to prospective residents.

Garner offered a number of other bits of advice during his presentation, encouraging local leaders to act quickly on impending economic development deals and focus on keeping downtown vibrant and avoiding vacant storefronts. At the end of his presentation, Garner offered a positive outlook on Rowan Countys economic future.

I think, from what Ive seen, and weve studied your county for project activity, you are on the cusp of greatness, Garner said. And your destiny is in your hands. Thats an awesome responsibility. I cant wait to see what the future holds for all of you.

The Rowan EDC also distributed several awards during the meeting.

Denise Hallett, manager of government and community relations for Vulcan Materials, was recognized as a Rowan Rockstar for serving as chair of the Rowan EDCs Board of Directors for 18 months during the pandemic. Dan Peters was recognized with a similar award for his service as a former director of the Rowan EDC and treasurer. Bryan Overcash, co-founder and COO of Global Contact Services, was recognized as the Rowan Rockstar of the Year, receiving an electric guitar to commemorate the honor.

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'On the cusp of greatness': Rowan EDC recaps progress, looks toward future at annual meeting - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

The claim at the outset from new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy built hope.

The Bears would assemble their offense to suit the strength of their players, although the blocking in the run game would definitely be the popular wide zone scheme so important in attacks like those run by the 49ers and Packers.

With OTAs and one minicamp done, and a final mandatory minicamp coming Tuesday through Thursday, tight end Cole Kmet said it's becoming more apparent how Getsy is forming the attack.

"I think you kind of see that in practice, so I think within the last two months we've been doing this," Kmet said. "I get more this route, more that route, you get a feel for what guys are good at and putting them in situations like, 'Let's see this again, let's do it again.'

"So, you're starting to see guys form into that role. You definitely see that and that's definitely encouraging going into training camp where we're going to keep building on it."

Building plays for a bigger receiver like Velus Jones, Byron Pringle or Equanimeous St. Brown will look different than for Darnell Mooney. The same is true at tight end.

"I think you see how it's worked across the league, this type of offense," Kmet said. "I mentioned it before, in San Francisco, Minnesota, and there's different ways to kind of go about it, and how friendly it can be really for everybody across the board from offensive line to running backs, tight ends and receivers.

"Across the board it can be really friendly and I think everyone's kind of seeing that right now."

The Bears won't run wide zone all the time on running plays because it's not as easy to coordinator it with run-pass option plays, and one of Getsy's strengths while he was offensive coordinator one year at Mississippi State was said to have been blending in RPO.

The Bears do have a running back who should be better at inside zone and RPO in David Montgomery. However, when they said they were building the offense to suit their players' strengths they were also referring to offensive linemen as well, and not just the backs.

Ryan Poles did not bring in a bunch of offensive linemen in the draft who weigh 310 pounds or less because Getsy wants to run inside zone plays. The lighter, athletic blockers are for wide zone scheme and they'll run this. Montgomery will simply need to adapt, and he's a versatile enough runner to find the holes in the wide zone.

This is difficult to see now, however.

"For sure, like I said, it's hard to really do the run game how you want to do it and how it should be looking in a game right now without pads on, but you can see where this run game can go with the outside zone and things along that nature," Kmet said. "And the running backs we've got with David, Khalil (Herbert) and all the other kids that we brought in, you can see where it can go and we're all excited to get to camp so we can really put the run game to the test and start really building upon it."

Considering the Bears offense has been 21st or worse in yards and in scoring seven of the last eight seasons, there will be plenty of curiousity over what the attack will eventually look like.

No doubt it's barely going to be visible at training camp because no NFL team does real hitting then, even if they are wearing pads. In preseason, they rarely present their best stufff.The real change in blocking the running game will be apparent early in some preseason games and then finally regular season.

The change in passing to suit the talent available will depend on who's actually available.

There's much to decide on that end as there is still plenty of work for coaches to do in seven weeks before the start of camp.

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Gauging the Progress in Building New Bears Offense - Yardbarker

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that the progress LGBTQ people have made in equality over the past decades is now at risk of being overturned by the Supreme Court.

The congressman pointed to Justice Samuel Alitos leaked draft opinion last month that would effectively overturn Roe v. Wade, in which the justice references decisions that expanded LGBTQ rights, such as marriage equality.

Jones told The Hills Julia Manchester during the Americas Unfinished Business: An LGBTQ Summit, hosted by The Hill for Pride Month, that if the court does overturn abortion, it wont stop there.

Because of the filibuster and the lack of political courage of a number of my Republican colleagues over the past couple of decades, it has been the Supreme Court of the United States that the LGBTQ community has turned to for the protection and the recognition of its rights, Jones said.

And we are, unfortunately, seeing that at risk, all that progress at risk of being rolled back because of this extreme majority.

Jones, who was one of the first openly gay Black men elected to Congress alongside Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) in 2020, called for the filibuster to be reformed or eliminated to protect LGBTQ rights.

Across the country, many states have introduced and passed dozens of laws to restrict LGBTQ rights, such as limiting discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity in schools or barring transgender youth from competing in school sports.

This patchwork system of protections is one reason not to rely on individual states and instead pass federal laws, Jones said, though he recognized that many organizations are fighting against more progressive policies.

Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization for LGBTQ people and those living with HIV, told CW33 contributor Ron Corning at Thursdays summit that LGBTQ+ youth face increased rates of suicide, dropping out of school and substance abuse.

He said these trends have only been exacerbated as states pass discriminatory legislation.

Its a logical reaction to being taught every day that your life is literally worth less because of who you are, Jennings said.

While some politicians continue to push anti-LGBTQ legislation, Jennings said Lambda Legal remains on the ground as a last line of defense as legislation in Congress remains stalled.

But Jones and Jennings both said relying on litigation to achieve public policy, which has been the case for many victories for LGBTQ Americans, is flawed because those decisions can be overturned.

Jones pointed out multiple priorities Congress could and should tackle to support the LGBTQ community, in addition to pushing forward the Equality Act, which is stalled in the 50-50 Senate.

Those policies include Medicare for All, expanding access to the medication PrEP for HIV prevention and student debt cancellation, which Jones called an issue of LGBTQ+ justice because those youth are less likely to have familial support for college.

Progress must be fought for and protected. That is my commitment, and I know that is the commitment of my colleagues, Jones said.

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Mondaire Jones says LGBTQ progress at risk of being rolled back - The Hill

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COMEA making progress on low barrier shelter | Local News | wyomingnews.com - Wyoming Tribune

The most hardcore of "Warzone" players that have now been playing the game for over 2 years throughout a cycle that has lasted 6 seasons thus far. When breaking that down, that is tons of content, achievements, and skins that players have unlocked since picking up the game. With some players having that much equity built into "Warzone," many would want that kind of immense progress to carry over to "Warzone 2.0" when it does eventually release. Unfortunately, this will not be an option for them.

According to an Activision blog post, players will not be able to carry over their "Warzone" progress to "Warzone 2.0"due to the latter featuring "brand-new progression and inventories" to coincide with "Modern Warfare 2." The blog post clarifies that "Warzone 2.0" will act as a separate experience from its predecessor. This news might be disappointing for longtime "Warzone" veterans that wish to see years' worth of hard work acknowledged and carried over to a future title, but may also be a relief to gamers newer to the "Warzone" experience.

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Will Warzone Progress Carry Over To Warzone 2? - Looper

Criminal Accountability Long Overdue, Country Representative Says, Calling for All Evidence to Be Submitted, National Justice Efforts Supported

Significant investigative progress in the collection of evidence has been made into the financing, use of chemical weapons and crimes committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh, the head of the United Nations team investigating that groups crimes told the Security Council today, as speakers welcomed the Teams use of technology to facilitate prosecution and stressed the need to address the groups continuing proliferation across other regions.

Christian Ritscher, Special Advisor and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD), briefed the Council on that bodys eighth report (document S/2022/434) and the progress made over the past six months. Its evidence collection has surged as working modalities have returned to normal, including the Teams preservation and conversion of over 4.5million hard-copy pages of documentary evidence from courts across Iraq into digital format. That undertaking done in close cooperation with the Iraqi judiciary and Government will enable efficient legal proceedings and preserve the historical record of the crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh.

Investigation into Bayt al Mal ISIL/Daeshs so-called House of Money has progressed significantly, along with investigations into the groups development and use of chemical and biological weapons, he reported. Further, UNITADs investigations have helped produce dedicated case files and identify those responsible for crimes, including those targeting the Yazidi community and the personnel of Tikrit Air Academy. He noted that the Team also ensures that sexual and gender-based crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh form part of each investigation, and that UNITADs victim- and survivor-centric approach means that each and every affected person matters.

While UNITADs pursuit of justice and accountability is slow and painstaking akin to the restoration of cultural heritage sites the Team is committed to its work, he stressed. Extrabudgetary contributions from Member States to the UNITAD Trust Fund have proven vital to its operations, such as the Teams support for ongoing domestic proceedings within several Member States in consultation with the Government of Iraq. The most notable case was the 2021 conviction of the ISIL/Daesh member Taha Al-J in Germany for the crime of genocide. In addition, UNITAD also supported the Swedish Prosecutorial Authority during its trial of a woman convicted of war crimes for having enlisted her child as an ISIL/Daesh soldier.

In the ensuing debate, many Council members welcomed the close cooperation between UNITAD and the Iraqi authorities. Some speakers also highlighted Iraqs primary responsibility for ensuring accountability for crimes committed within its territory and called on UNITAD to ensure that the Teams support is complementary in nature.

The representative of China pointed out that UNITAD is an interim, transitional arrangement to support Iraqs efforts towards ensuring accountability in accordance with domestic law. Therefore, it should not become a permanent body. He urged UNITAD to assist the Government with digitization measures, noting that the application of new technologies in counter-terrorism efforts can provide an important point of reference for the use of technology in other fields.

The representative of the United Arab Emirates, also underlining UNITADs provision of expertise and technical support, highlighted technologys important role in maintaining international peace and security. Because supporting victims includes rebuilding of Iraqs deeply rooted cultural heritage destroyed by ISIL/Daesh in an attempt to erase the identity and history of Iraqi communities, his country, along with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was involved with restoring several religious sites.

Similarly, Albanias representative, Council President for June, spoke in his national capacity, commending authorities for their work in rebuilding the cultural heritage damaged or destroyed by ISIL/Daesh. However, he stressed that while the caliphate no longer exists dormant cells and affiliate groups still pose an imminent, global threat in different regions, with the spread of ISIL/Daesh in Africa of utmost concern.

Kenyas representative detailed that threat, spotlighting affiliates in Somalia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, West Africa and the Sahel. Further, in East Africa, Al-Shabaab an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group is the premier peace and security threat, drawing much influence from foreign terrorist fighters joining the group from ISIL/Daesh and its affiliates. Against that backdrop, he called for the full application of counter-terrorism sanctions regimes on all terrorist groups in equal measure.

The representative of Iraq, commending UNITADs progress, stressed that criminal accountability is long overdue in Iraq. The major challenge facing the Team now is to submit all its evidence to the Iraqi Government and support national efforts to deliver justice, he said, stressing that the Teams mission is not complete if it stops at merely gathering and storing evidence. Noting that the Teams sixth report contemplated holding trials by the end of 2021 or 2022, he urged the international community to adopt swift measures to submit evidence to the Iraqi Government, particularly in light of mounting pressure from the Iraqi people.

Also speaking were representatives of the United Kingdom, Gabon, Mexico, Russian Federation, United States, Norway, Ghana, Ireland, Brazil, India and France.

The meeting began at 3:02 p.m. and ended at 4:36 p.m.

Briefing

CHRISTIAN RITSCHER, Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD), outlined that bodys eighth report (document S/2022/434) noting that over the past six months, the Team continued to make great progress in its investigative work. After more than two years of restrictions and preventive measures, UNITAD is back to its full capacity and, with its growing presence in [Iraq], stronger than ever, he said. Its evidence collection has surged as working modalities returned to normal, for example in the excavation of mass graves and other field-based activities.

During the reporting period, the Team preserved and converted over 4.5million hard copy pages of documentary evidence from courts across Iraq to digital formats, in close cooperation with the Iraqi judiciary and the Government of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Regional Government, he said. That undertaking, which reduced database searches from days to minutes, is vital to enable efficient and fair legal proceedings, and critical to preserving the historical record of the crimes by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh. Noting that UNITADs work is in full compliance with international legal standards and applicable policies of the United Nations, he went on to describe its witness interviews, evidence analysis, case file drafting and other efforts.

Citing several particular cases, he said investigations into Bayt al Mal or ISIL/Daeshs so-called House of Money, which was crucial to the organizations daily functioning have progressed significantly. Investigations into the development and use of chemical and biological weapons by ISIL/Daesh are also ongoing and have revealed new information since his briefing. The Team collected and preserved testimonials and evidence pertaining to the manufacture and use of chemical and biological weapons and now plans to examine the procurement system for those weapons and related financial flows.

Meanwhile, UNITADs investigations have helped to produce dedicated case files and identify those responsible for crimes, including those committed against the Yazidi community and the personnel of Tikrit Air Academy, which revealed the systematic targeting of people not aligned with ISIL/Daeshs ideology, he said. Together with the Permanent Missions of Iraq and Finland in New York, UNITAD will organize a special public event on the massacre of the personnel of Tikrit Air Academy on 10June. Investigations into the mass execution of approximately 600 Badush Prison detainees on 10June2014 also continues to advance, thanks in large part to the excavation of the Badush Valley mass grave conducted by the Iraqi Mass Grave Directorate, with technical and operational support provided by UNITAD.

The Team ensures that sexual and gender-based crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh form part of each investigation, he continued, citing ongoing interviews of Yazidi women and girls, survivors of sexual enslavement and others able to provide information. UNITADs victim- and survivor-centric approach means that each and every affected person matters and all international crimes committed by ISIL members will be thoroughly investigated. Expressing his gratitude to the Government of Iraq, the Iraqi judiciary and the authorities of the Kurdistan Regional Government for their support, he said they all stand together in working towards accountability for crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh and in support of evidence-based trials and in accordance with due process and international fair trial standards. There are also ongoing discussions in Iraq to adopt the necessary legal framework to deal with such crimes before Iraqi national courts, he added.

Describing UNITADs pursuit of accountability and justice as slow and painstaking akin to the restoration of cultural heritage sites he nevertheless underlined the Teams staunch commitment to its work. Extrabudgetary contributions from Member States to the UNITAD Trust Fund have proven vital to its operations, he said, noting that 15 States have provided such contributions and calling on more countries to add their support.

As part of the work funded by those donations, he said, UNITAD supports ongoing domestic proceedings within several Member States, in consultation with the Government of Iraq. The most notable such case was the 2021 landmark conviction of the ISIL/Daesh member Taha Al-J in Germany for the crime of genocide, and another was support provided to the Swedish Prosecutorial Authority during its trial of a woman who was ultimately convicted of war crimes for having enlisted her child as an ISIL/Daesh soldier. UNITAD also supports the Joint Investigation Team launched by Sweden and France to adjudicate core international crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh against the Yazidi community in 2015, he said.

Statements

FERGUS JOHN ECKERSLEY (United Kingdom), stressing that States must not be distracted as other global threats emerge, called for collective determination to ensure accountability for the activities of ISIL/Da'esh. Noting his countrys strong support for UNITADs efforts to support the domestic prosecution of ISIL/Daesh members in 15 Member States, including prosecutions in Sweden and Germany, he welcomed the Teams thorough efforts to investigate the financing of ISIL/Daeshs crimes and called for efforts to strengthen the Iraqi judiciarys capacity. Applauding UNITADs focus on the welfare and experiences of survivors, he stressed that ensuring those experiences to be documented safely and effectively particularly in regard to women and girls from the Yazidi community is the first step towards achieving justice and accountability for these crimes. Highlighting UNITADs contribution to the development of the Murad Code, a global code of conduct for gathering information from survivors, he noted that the Team deserves full support from the Security Council.

MOHAMED ISSA ABUSHAHAB (United Arab Emirates) underscored the need for UNITAD to continue its investigations, including those against the Yazidi community. He also expressed his support for the Team to complete its search for mass graves in Sinjar and Tal Afar, among others. All evidence must be made available to the relevant Iraqi authorities and used in courts to hold ISIL/Da'esh members accountable and ensure justice. UNITADs provision of expertise and technical support, including the use of advanced technology and applications to facilitate investigations, highlights the important role that technology plays in maintaining international peace and security. His country also has provided financial support for the specialized unit investigating crimes committed against women and children, including crimes of sexual and gender-based violence. Supporting victims includes the restoration and rebuilding of Iraqs deeply rooted cultural heritage, which ISIL/Daesh attempted to destroy in order to completely erase the identity and history of Iraqi communities. To that end, his country is currently contributing to rebuilding the Al-Tahera and Al-Saaa churches as well as the Al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

ANNETTE ANDRE ONANGA (Gabon) welcomed ongoing cooperation between UNITAD and Iraqi authorities and called for the same to be strengthened so that all perpetrators can be held to account. She also spotlighted UNITADs support to Iraqi judges and investigators in putting together cases for prosecution, particularly for crimes committed against Christians such as sexual enslavement and forced religious conversion. Further, UNITADs practical approach centred on survivors with an integrated gender perspective allows for reaching survivors of sexual and gender-based violence despite difficult social conditions. Pointing out that efforts to ensure accountability for crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh concerns the international community due to the transborder nature of the groups activities, she stressed that all measures towards this end must respect Iraqs sovereignty and jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory. She also underscored the need to create conditions for reparatory justice for damage done to the Iraqi people using an inclusive approach to the collection of information.

PABLO ADRIN ARROCHA OLABUENAGA (Mexico) voiced his support of UNITADs decision to prioritize the investigation of crimes committed by ISIL/Daesh involving the use of chemical weapons. The international community cannot allow these crimes to go unpunished, he stressed, adding that: If we do so, we run the risk of State and non-State actors in other latitudes testing our collective determination to ensure accountability. Noting the volume of evidence gathered by UNITAD, he also emphasized the need to move from the investigative to the prosecutorial stage, urging the international community not to lose sight of the ultimate goal of national and international prosecution of those responsible for the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by ISIL/Daesh in Iraq. The success of UNITADs work is based mainly on cooperation with Iraqi authorities, and this years excavation of three mass graves in Sinjar demonstrates progress on this front, he said.

GENNADY V. KUZMIN (Russian Federation), noting that the latest UNITAD report shows that the use of chemical weapons was encouraged by the ISIL/Daesh high command, suggested that such weapons could have easily been used by terrorist groups next door in Syria. In such a case, Western pretexts that the Syrian Government was responsible for chemical attacks against its own people would be wrong and those Governments numerous attacks against Damascus would have been wholly unjustified. Welcoming UNITADs investigation of crimes committed against religious minorities in Iraq as well as such ethnic minority communities as the Yazidis he emphasized that the Teams mission is to provide support to the Iraqi authorities, as explicitly indicated in resolution 2379(2017). The sooner that support is provided, the better, he added.

MICHAEL KIBOINO (Kenya), recognizing the Teams support of domestic efforts to hold ISIL/Da'esh accountable for its crimes in Iraq, also voiced support for its investigative initiatives to unearth key terrorist financial facilitators. He commended the ongoing information-sharing efforts among security agencies and the justice system to ensure the prosecution of ISIL/Da'esh operatives. ISIL/Da'eshs development and deployment of chemical weapons, exploitation of financial systems, as well as the use of foreign terrorist fighters, has enabled it to expand. In that regard, he spotlighted affiliates in Africa, including in Somalia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, West Africa and the Sahel. In East Africa, Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, is the premier peace and security threat. This group draws much influence from foreign terrorist fighters joining the group from ISIL/Daesh and its affiliates. He further called for the full application of the counter-terrorism sanction regimes including 1267 on all terrorist groups in equal measure and without favouritism.

RICHARD M. MILLS (United States) welcomed progress made recently by UNITAD, including in uncovering how ISIL/Daesh used funds to carry out its crimes and on the methods it used to deploy and optimize dangerous chemical weapons. He also welcomed the innovative data harvesting and storage solutions developed by the Team to organize the vast troves of digital content being collected, as well as UNITADs growing collaboration with the Governments of Iraq and third countries. In light of the Teams increasing capabilities, he urged all relevant countries to repatriate, rehabilitate and reintegrate their nationals who are still detained in Iraq. Meanwhile, the identification and return of human remains to family members can provide closure and community healing, he said, adding that ISIL/Daesh though diminished remains intent on restoring its power. Ensuring accountability for crimes committed will help prevent it from achieving that goal, he said.

TRINE SKARBOEVIK HEIMERBACK (Norway) stressed that accountability for ISIL/Da'eshs crimes in Iraq is a prerequisite for the rule of law and sustainable peace in the country. Welcoming reported progress in the investigations on crimes committed against Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities, she applauded UNITADs focus on a survivor-centred and age- and gender-sensitive approach across its work. With regards to the investigation of the use of chemical and biological weapons, she said she would have welcomed additional information on the gendered dimension in the present report, as the previous report described under-reported gender-related harms suffered by those targeted by such weapons. Acknowledging the partnership with the Iraqi authorities, including on a wide range of capacity-building and technical assistance, she said she looked forward to learning more about UNITADs efforts to support Iraq in the adoption of national legislation allowing for the prosecution of international crimes, which is a prerequisite for the fulfilment of the Investigation Teams mandate.

CAROLYN ABENA ANIMA OPPONG-NTIRI (Ghana) said that maintaining momentum is necessary to hold accountable all those who believe that they can maintain impunity for parochial ideological and religious gain. While acknowledging UNITADs progress, she emphasized that more can be done to enhance cooperation and information-sharing between the Team and competent Iraqi authorities. To this end, the Team must not seek to replace or act as an alternative to the Iraqi judicial system. Rather, it must provide complementary institutional support and resources to assist Iraqi judges and investigators with evidence gathering and preservation. She also encouraged Iraqi authorities to scale-up efforts to cut through bureaucracy in order to create the necessary conditions and environment to support UNITAD. Underlining that international cooperation and multilateralism are vital components of any meaningful effort to degrade the capabilities of terrorist groups, she stressed that joint action among all stakeholders is the only way to dismantle such groups opaque, clandestine operations.

SUN ZHIQIANG (China) welcomed UNITADs progress in investigating terrorist financing and the use of chemical and biological weapons. Stressing that Iraq bears the primary responsibility for ensuring justice in its territory, he called on the international community to respect this and support the Governments pursuit of accountability in accordance with domestic law. Further, UNITAD should continue to maintain good relations with the Government and assist with the gathering of evidence, capacity-building and digitization measures. On that point, he said that the application of new technologies in counter-terrorism efforts can provide an important point of reference for the use of technology in other fields. He went on to emphasize that UNITAD is an interim, transitional arrangement to support Iraqs efforts and, therefore, should not become a permanent body. He also urged the international community to support Iraqs efforts to fight terrorism, to expedite repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters in that country and avoid politicizing counter-terrorism efforts.

ANNE-MARIE OSULLIVAN (Ireland), welcoming the progress achieved by UNITAD across all investigative lines of inquiry, recognized the cooperation afforded by the Iraqi Government. Regarding investigation into sexual and gender-based violence, she pointed to interviews with older Yazidi women, which demonstrate the value and importance of both gender and age-sensitive investigative approaches. Also acknowledging progress in the investigation of crimes against the LGBTQI community, she stressed the importance of ensuring accountability and compensation as well as psychosocial supports for victims and survivors. Observing that the investigative priorities have pivoted towards the identification of perpetrators most responsible for atrocity crimes, she called for continued efforts to develop legislation enabling the domestic prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity and genocide. She also called for the relevant parties to form a Government in order to progress such legislation as a matter of priority.

PAULA AGUIAR BARBOZA, (Brazil) stressed that promoting accountability for ISIL/Da'esh crimes in Iraq is key to long-term stability in the country. To that end, she welcomed the new stage of developing case files to hold ISIL/Da'esh perpetrators accountable for their crimes. UNITAD must be impartial and independent and act consistently with the Charter of the United Nations and other relevant norms of international law. She also stressed the importance of respecting Iraqi sovereignty in the pursuit of accountability for crimes committed in their territory, including in the sharing of information by the Team with third countries. The mandate to support domestic prosecutions has Iraqi authorities as its primary intended recipient, she said, commending the collaboration between UNITAD and the Iraqi Government, in terms of evidence collecting, storage and analysis. She also acknowledged the Teams efforts to build capacity in Iraqs judicial system.

RAVINDRA RAGUTTAHALLI (India) said the implementation of UNITADs mandate will contribute to ensuring accountability for serious crimes and fighting impunity. The ongoing investigations on attacks against the Christian, Sunni, Kakai, Shabak and Shia Turkmen communities and the strengthening of the initial case-briefs in the attacks against the Yazidi community will also support the Government of Iraqs efforts aimed at national reconciliation and delivering justice. Noting Indias financial support to UNITAD, he said that a terrorist group which deployed deadly weapons by misusing the States educational, financial and commercial infrastructure was deeply concerning. The international community needs to pay closer attention to this issue, as such a template could be replicated by other terrorists. Commending the Teams joint work with the Iraqi judiciary and its various assistance projects, he said justice must be delivered to the victims of ISILs crimes and their families, adding: [This] cannot happen until those responsible for the atrocities are held accountable.

DIARRA DIME LABILLE (France) said UNITADs work has yielded significant progress, including the conclusion of a first report on the development and use of chemical weapons and efforts to uncover ISIL/Daeshs sources of funding. Because evidence-gathering is at the heart of UNITADs mandate, she encouraged the Team to press forward with the critical digitalization of its work and collect previous witness statements. In addition, as cooperation is essential for combating impunity, continued efforts in awareness-raising and training for Iraqi judicial authorities is also crucial. More broadly, she called on interested States to cooperate with UNITAD by providing financial contributions, adding that the fate of victims must remain the global communitys main concern. The support provided to victims is therefore a central pillar to Iraqs reconciliation and recovery. Noting that the threat posed by ISIL/Daesh has not disappeared, she said France stands in solidarity with Iraq in countering terrorism and supports all efforts to prevent the groups resurgence.

FERIT HOXHA (Albania), Council President for June, spoke in his national capacity to welcome the cooperation between UNITAD and Iraqi authorities, pointing out that sharing information with relevant Member States would enable the prosecution of those responsible for financing, supporting and executing terrorist actions worldwide. He also commended authorities for their work to rebuild cultural heritage damaged or destroyed by ISIL/Daesh. However, while the caliphate no longer exists, dormant cells and affiliate groups still represent an imminent, global threat in different regions, with the spread of ISIL/Daesh in Africa of utmost concern. Stressing the need to move from evidence collection to extradition and national judicial proceedings, he urged Member States to repatriate and prosecute all individuals involved in terrorist activities and facilitate their reintegration into society. He added that, for its part, Albania has successfully repatriated dozens of women and children from detention camps in Syria and Iraq and has provided them the necessary means to start a new life.

MOHAMMED HUSSEIN BAHR ALULOOM (Iraq), recalling Security Council resolution 2597 (2021), said his country looks forward to prosecuting all those who have financed or supported the crimes of ISIL/Daesh. Commending UNITADs progress, he said criminal accountability is long overdue in Iraq; victims and their families are still waiting for justice. The major challenge facing the Team now is to submit all its evidence to the Iraqi Government and support national efforts to deliver justice, he said, stressing that the Teams mission is not complete if it stops at merely gathering and storing evidence.

Indeed, the Teams sixth report explicitly mentioned the possibility of holding such trials by the end of 2021 or 2022, he continued. Urging efforts to adhere to that time commitment, he said the international community should therefore adopt swift measures aimed at submitting evidence to the Iraqi Government and organizing national trials, particularly against the backdrop of mounting pressure from the Iraqi people.

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Significant Progress Being Made in Evidence Collection of ISIL/Da'esh's Crimes in Iraq, Investigating Team Head Tells Security Council | Meetings...

What GAO Found

Compared to a typical school year, teachers reported that more of their students started the 2020-21 school year behind and made less academic progress, according to GAO's generalizable survey of K-12 public school teachers. Teachers also reported that many students ended the year behind grade level expectations (see figure). Educators and parents also shared their insights and experiences about student struggles and learning loss during the year.

Academic Progress during School Year 2020-21

Note: The margin of error for all percentages was less than or equal to +/- 8 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. The survey asked teachers how many of their students were behind grade level or made less academic progress. We did not define behind or academic progress as we wanted to obtain teachers overall observations of their students.

GAO estimated that about half of teachers (52 percent) had more of their students start the 2020-21 school year behind compared to a typical school year, and that this affected younger students more than older students. Further, nearly two-thirds of teachers (64 percent) had more students make less academic progress than in a typical school year. These issues occurred across all grades and instructional models, and were more pronounced in some than others. For example, between 68 and 72 percent of teachers of older students or in virtual or hybrid environments had students who made less progress than is typical, compared to other grades and learning models. Finally, 45 percent of teachers had at least half of their students end the year behind grade level.

Educators and parents did note, however, that some students excelled despite the strain of the pandemic. Factors associated with such success included flexibility to work at their own pace, and strong familial support.

The pandemic continues to take a toll on students' and teachers' well-being. The trauma of the last 2 years has profoundly affected many students and teachers, some of whom lost parents or family members. As our teacher survey, educator and parent discussion groups, and other research has shown, this trauma and pandemic-associated schooling disruptions disproportionately harmed vulnerable students and contributed to growing disparities between student populations. Further, after 2 years of challenging working conditions, teachers are confronting burnout and recent surveys indicate that many are thinking of leaving their jobs.

To help address these ongoing challenges as well as inform thinking about managing future learning disruptions, educators and parents identified strategies such as reducing class sizes or student-teacher ratios to provide more individualized attention to students.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for millions of students, educators, and families. Its effects continue to reverberate across the nation and produce challenges for schools that will likely be felt for years to come. In many respects, the 2020-21 school year offers insights and lessons on the struggles and successes that schools, educators, and parents faced.

The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts. This report, the third in a series of three reports, examines (1) the effect on academic progress, and (2) implications, and strategies and resources identified by educators and parents to address ongoing challenges or future learning disruptions.

To address these objectives, GAO contracted with Gallup to (1) conduct a nationally representative survey of elementary and secondary public school teachers between June 18 and July 9, 2021 and (2) arrange virtual discussion groups with teachers, principals or assistant principals, and parents. The overall response rate was 8.2 percent (using the American Association for Public Opinion Research's response rate 3, which accounts for the estimated eligibility rate of non-respondents). GAO analyzed the resulting survey data and discussion group information. GAO estimated margins of error at the 95 percent confidence level. To view the first two reports, see GAO-22-104487 and GAO-22- 105815.To view the supplement online, click on http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-22-105817.

For more information, contact Jacqueline M. Nowicki at 617-788-0580or nowickij@gao.gov.

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Pandemic Learning: Less Academic Progress Overall, Student and Teacher Strain, and Implications for the Future - Government Accountability Office

A Minneapolis City Council committee heard firsthand Wednesday how an effort to stop violence before it happens has developed over the past year.

Sasha Cotton, director of the Minneapolis Office of Violence Prevention, laid out a progress report on the citys violence interrupter initiative, which consists of 151 people across seven nonprofit groups that patrol crime hot spots.

Through the first six months of our model, from May through December of 2021, our violence interrupters had more than 8,900 contacts with the public, said Cotton. And they mediated more than 1,500 incidents before they became violent.

RELATED: Violence interrupters making a difference, Office of Violence Prevention head says

One of those violence interrupters, Connie Rhodes with Restoration, Inc., told the Public Health and Safety Committee that she has witnessed multiple occasions where violence interrupters have been successful in defusing a bad situation.

He was getting ready to shoot. He had two guns. Two guns. Not one. Two. And he was getting ready to shoot another young man over a dispute, Rhodes said. And our violence interrupters stepped in right then and they talked him down. They were able to deescalate him.

Trahern Pollard, Director at We Push for Peace, told City Council members the rise in violent crime is a very personal issue for him after his son was killed and he urged them to stay the course.

Again, it takes time. And what weve been able to show you in just a matter of six months six months is extraordinary, Pollard said. I dont care how you look at it. Its extraordinary.

Minneapolis has budgeted $3.9 million for the violence interrupter program for 2021 and 2022.

RELATED: City approves millions more for violence interrupters amid questions of transparency, accountability

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Minneapolis violence interrupters report on 1st year of progress - KSTP

Swiss food giant Nestl is targeting net zero emissions by 2050, with the aim of halving its GHG footprint by 2030. To achieve this, it will also need to transition to net zero dairy production.

Milk and dairy ingredients are used in Nestls dairy and infant nutrition products, ice cream, beverages and confectionery. Dairy is the groups largest raw material input and also the biggest source of GHG emissions. Nestl's dairy and livestock supply chains accounted for 34.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2018.

Our actions on dairy are very important to achieve Nestls ambition of reaching net zero emissions, stressed Mayank Trivedi, Head of the Dairy Strategic Business Unit at Nestl.

The group is working with its supply chain to develop net zero reference farms, testing new solutions that could be upscaled globally.

The company currently operates over 100 pilot projects with partners worldwide, including 20 farms it says are already on a path to hitting net zero emissions in the near future. Nestl has committed to sharing its learnings as it scales up these efforts to support wider industry transformation.

"We believe it is possible to step up sustainability in dairy and even go to net zero. We will take a leadership role in advancing positive change with all those working along with us in the dairy supply chain, Trivedi noted.

Nestls pilot projects are scattered around the world, recognising that the geographical and environmental diversity of global milk production means that a centralised research approach has limitations. Across the world, we are implementing full-scale projects and pilots in partnership with farmers and suppliers to help us scale up solutions aiming at lowering our environmental footprint, Trivedi noted.

Key reduction and mitigation efforts range from projects linked to feed and herd management, to re-thinking farm energy sources, boosting efficiency and better manure management.

Nestls pilot farms are also implementing practices that can help sequester carbon in the soils as part of the KitKat-to-Carnation makers regenerative agriculture push.

The firm has committed to investing CHF1.2 billion over the next five years to spark regenerative agriculture adoption across the its supply chain.Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health, biodiversity and water preservation, with practices typically including efforts like cover cropping, no till methods, crop rotation, mixed farming, and hedgerows to support biodiversity.

In the context of its dairy pilots, Nestl called out acting on soil health and grazing as well as tree planting. Nestl is working in partnership with farmers and suppliers as they adapt their agricultural practices. These include using multi-species pasture, silvopasture and crop rotation, as well as cover crops and minimizing tillage, the company said.

Alongside environmental sustainability, Nestl is focusing on two further pillars: 'families' and communities.

The company stressed that its work in dairy is part of its responsibility to ensure nutrition, quality and traceability remain front and centre for its consumers, the families it supplies.

"We believe in the goodness of milk. It provides essential nutrients, Heike Steiling, Head of Nestl's R&D centre for dairy, stressed.

Dairy also contributes to the economic livelihoods of many farmers, Steiling continued. The Swiss food giant wants to put dairy farming communities at the heart of its carbon reduction initiatives, including training on farm management, empowering women and developing young farmers.

In order to achieve this, Nestl said it will leverage its R&D might, which ranges from agricultural sciences, nutrition, food safety, analytics through to product development. The depth and breadth of the groups expertise give it an inbuilt advantage on discovering solutions that help to achieve dairy sustainability goals, Nestl claimed.

To help reduce dairy emissions, we leverage our scientific expertise and analytical capabilities, in collaboration with external partners to screen new science and technology solutions and assess their impact on the nutritional and sensorial quality of milk, Steiling explained.

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Nestl driving progress on dairy emissions: 'We believe in the goodness of milk' - FoodNavigator-USA.com