Category Archives: Progress

The Giants' injured players are making slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Cornerback Adoree' Jackson (quad) was the only player on the list unable to practice Thursday. But quarterback Mike Glennon (concussion) and receivers Kenny Golladay (rib) and Kadarius Toney (oblique) were all upgraded to limited participants in practice.

The Giants remain hopeful that Glennon will clear the league's concussion protocol in time for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Jake Fromm is expected to get his first NFL start if he doesn't.

The progress made by Golladay and Toney is promising, as the Giants will want to have s many of their playmakers available as possible, regardless of who's under center.

Golladay, who was banged up in last week's game, and Toney, who has been in and out of the lineup with assorted injuries, provide the Giants with some deep field speed that they haven't been able to cash in on given their respective injury woes.

The rest of the Giants' Thursday injury report remained unchanged from the previous day. Running back Saquon Barkley (ankle), quarterback Daniel Jones (neck), and receiver Sterling Shepard (quad) were all limited. Jones is not expected to play Sunday as he has not yet been cleared for contact.

Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who had finally come off the injury report last week, is back on it this week, listed as having an ankle issue.

Barkley, quarterback Daniel Jones (neck), and receiver Sterling Shepard (quad) were all projected as being limited during the team's Wednesday walk-through practice.

Jones, who doctors have not yet cleared for contact, visited a Los Angeles specialist to evaluate his neck. Head coach Joe Judge continues to say that Jones's injury isn't considered season-ending at this point, but it looks more and more certain that he will miss his second straight game.

Backup quarterback Mike Glennon (concussion), receivers Kenny Golladay (rib) and Kadarius Toney (oblique), and cornerback Adoree' Jackson (quad) would not have practiced, according to the team's projections. Judge did express optimism that Glennon, who is in the league's protocol, might be cleared in time for Sunday's game.

The plan for Glennon was to practice on a limited basis Thursday and then see if he's able to go full throttle Friday. Quarterbacks are non-contact players, so Glennon won't have to worry about being hit.

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Giants Week 14 Injury Report: Making Progress - NYGiantsmaven

Todays mega-threats are systemic and interconnected. The growing demand for energy and meat helps explain the steady rise in carbon and methane emissions. Coal-belching factories and burning forests are in turn speeding up global warming, increasing the frequency of storms, deepening food insecurity, and imperiling flood-prone cities. The interdependent nature of our biggest challenges and most promising solutions is hard to conceive. Maps can help bring clarity to complexity. Whats more, our human brains are hardwired to engage with them. By providing new perspectives, they can also help reframe seemingly intractable problems.

More than ever, our future seems volatile and uncertain.InTerra Incognita: 100 Maps to Survive the Next 100 Years, we use maps to explain the multi-faceted impacts of our modern civilization. In the process, we reveal the footprint of everything from the melting of the glaciers to extractive mining of rare earths. Maps provide areminder of the uneven nature of our progress and thefragility of our planet and its ecosystems.But they do more than this. They can alsoprovide a roadmap for action. Satelliteimages, especially when layered with additional data, offer insight into how we are changing the planet andpaths to a more sustainable future.

Maps reveal the extraordinary progress we have made in extending life expectancy, improving maternal health, and reducing extreme poverty.

One of the most impressive gains is in the area of education. A glance at maps displaying mean years of schooling around the world in 1950 and 2017 highlights remarkable improvements in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. The improvements in education are breathtaking. In 1950, less than half of humanity had a formal education. By 2050, a century later, most of the world will have acquired at least secondary education.

More kids than ever are getting educated: Most people had less than four years of education in 1950. By 2017, the average years of schooling around the world had more than doubled. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

But all is not well. There are still 120 million children out of school and over 600 million youth who cannot read and write. Despite increasing literacy globally, over 770 million adults are still illiterate. Whats more, todays education systems need to be rapidly upgraded for tomorrows job market.

The realities of climate change are becoming terrifyingly apparent by the year. The origins of this change are also clear: more greenhouse gases were emitted in the last 30 years than the previous 130. This is because the world is burning more fossil fuels, cutting down more forests, increasing meat consumption, and using more fertilizers than ever.

The last five years were the hottest on record: Around the world, 2020 was the hottest year on record. Overall, Earths average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1880s. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Maps show how just ahandful of countries are responsible for most emissions. In the 1980s, the US and Western Europe were the biggest culprits. Today, China releases more greenhouse gases than the US, EU, and Russia combined. There are other culprits too, including Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, just 100 companies extract, process, sell, and use the fossil fuels behind roughly 70 percent of global emissions.

If theres any green lining, its that the world appears to be on the cusp of a climate action tipping point.While COP26 did not go nearly far enough, there are signs of real action on achieving zero carbon and zero deforestation in the coming decades. There is also growing pressure on governments to be more ambitious.Civic movements such as Friday for Futures and the Extinction Rebellion areadvocating for real change.Investor and consumeractivism is also increasing, with notable recent victories against Exxon, Chevron, and Shell. Investors with assets of trillionsare demanding that governments speed up action on decarbonization, and not a moment too soon.

Massive urbanization is another global trend featured in Terra Incognita. The sheer dimensions of todays cities are unlike anything weve ever witnessed. In 1950, there were just three cities with ten million residents or more. Today, there are over 30 and another 500 cities with one million people or more. These cities are key nodes in the global financial architecture and pivotal to the functioning of supply chains. Just a few hundred of them account for over two thirds of global GDP.

Global cities rising: In 1900, there were 13 cities with 1 million inhabitants or more. Today there are more than 500 cities with populations exceeding 1 million people, including at least 34 megacities. These cities are central nodes in international financial networks and global supply chains. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

The rapid expansion of cities, especially in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, is a forcing function for the international system. When fully recognized nation states emerged in the 17th century, less than one percent of the world lived in a city. Today, more than 55 percent of people are urban, and by 2050, the proportion will rise to almost 70 percent. Cities are exerting diplomatic overtures and forging alliancesover 300 of themto channel their interests.

Chinas urban boom: Today, more than 58 per cent of its 1.4 billion citizens live in cities, compared to just 18 percent in 1980. There are officially 662 Chinese cities, at least 160 of which have a million people or more. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Cities, companies, and citizens are also increasingly digitized. Today, there are over 4.6 billion active internet users, up from 3.9 billion in 2019. Over 60 percent of all inhabitants on Earth are connected to some digital device. The Covid-19 pandemic underlined the critical importance of connectivity and the fact that data, more than ever, is the most important strategic asset of the 21st century.

The extraordinarily rapid spread globally of the benefits of the digital revolution is depicted in the maps. But so too is the growing digital divide. For all its promise, this technological revolution can deepen inequality, increase gender biases, and much more. The need to leapfrog and harness digital transformation is evident, as is the need to spread the benefits of other technologies, including vaccines and clean energy.

Internet penetration is leading to digital transformation: The internet is the worlds digital nervous system: download and upload speeds have increased tenfold every five years since the early 1990s. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Several maps featured in Terra Incognita illustrate the material form of our increasingly digital world. The internet, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G aregiving rise to highly integrated networks and connected systems crisscrossing the planet. And with billions of new devices being added to these systems a yearsome 75 billion in total by 2022maps can also help remind us how the attack surface is expanding exponentially.

Our maps depicting automationespecially jobs at risk from robotsraise troubling questions about the future of work. They show how some parts of the world, especially poorer countries, could be hardest hit, as automation removes the middle rungs of the development ladder. There are competing views about how the acceleration of technological change and digitalization will affect employment. Some studies suggest the impacts will be low while others suggest that almost half of jobs in the US and up to two thirds of jobs in some developing countries could be automated in the coming decades.

Will robots take your jobs: Over 2.5 million industrial robots operate around the world, with about 30 percent in auto, 25 percent in electronics, and the remainder in a wide range of factories, warehouses, and other sites. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

The highly differential impact of technological change on different groups of workers has been revealed and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. While some of us have been able to work securely from our homes, others have had to travel to their essential jobs, at times risking their lives, and many have become unemployed.

Inequality within countries and globally has increased as the wealth of the top one percent has soared, while nearly 125 million people around the world have fallen into extreme poverty (having to live with incomes of below $1.90 per day). Maps reveal the extent of these inequalities. The images of the sky at night compares the luminescence of the US and Europe to that of Africa, providing a stark reflection of the fact that New York state alone consumes more energy than 48 countries in Africa.

An unequal world: Lights from space can help illuminate inequality. Lagos, the biggest city in Africa, has over 20 million people. New York state, with just under 20 million people, is about the same size. New York consumes 392 gigawatts of electricity a day compared to just 5 gigawatts for all of Nigeria, a country of 200 million. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

One of the most unheralded achievements is that humans are living longer lives than ever before. For about 150,000 years, average human life expectancy averaged between 20 and 25 years. Then something extraordinary happened. Between the 19th and 21st centuries, life expectancy almost quadrupled. This is due to better diets, medicine, reproductive health, and education. But as the pandemic painfully reminds us, we cannot take this progress for granted.

We are living longer than ever: Life expectancy more than doubled over the past century. Average life expectancy was around 50 in 1960 and is closer to 71.5 today. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

Bacteria and viruses are still our greatest enemy. Humanity started winning the war on bacteria and viruses about 100 years ago with the rise of antibiotics and penicillin. But we are overusing them, giving rise to antibiotic resistance. Specialists fear we are approaching a post-antibiotic era, and this would be terrifying, costing hundreds of millions of lives and trillions of dollars in losses. The rise of the anti-vax movement is a more dangerous threat than many fully appreciate. These and other risks are a reminder that global cooperation is more important than ever.

Digital and wireless technologies are reconfiguring and rewiring our politics, economics, and sense of belonging. At the same time, maps are a reminder of the continued influence of geography in shaping our lives and political destiny. Mountain chains, vast oceans, sprawling deserts, and dense forests still continue to exert a powerful influence on the fate of nations.

Maps of global infrastructure reveal the underwater cables, terrestrial pipelines, and transportation networks that connect us. They highlight dense areas of connectivity, but also dark areas that are figuratively and literally off the grid. They also show how our politics remains trapped in a bygone era and has failed to keep pace with the growing complexity and connectivity of all global systems and people.

The maps reveal the multipolar character of our international relations and expose the global reach of certain countries. For example, the map on the US military footprint includes over 800 bases and 200,000 active personnel in over 177 countries. Meanwhile, the map on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative shows the terrestrial and marine investments that include over 2,600 projects spanning over 100 countries. As another map shows, economic power and influence is steadily moving eastward over the past 75 years after 2,000 years of drifting west.

Go east my son: The center of economic gravity can be estimated by weighting locations by GDP in three dimensions and then projecting to the nearest point on earth. The center shifted west between 1000 and 1950 and is now moving (back) east through to 2025. Credit: Muggah and Goldin (2020)

The future cannot be predicted with certainty, but it can be shaped. Climate change, the spread of AI, and nuclear weapons are all critical existential threats that could doom us all.

Using maps, our aim is to improve the understanding of the forces that shape the present and how this may evolve catastrophically in the decades to come. By harvesting the progress and addressing the critical challenges, history has taught us that we can change our fate. Our urgent challenge is to engage more actively to contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable world.

Banner Image Credit: NASA

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These Maps Reveal the Profound Progress and Peril of Modern Civilization - Singularity Hub

by D. Howard Kass Dec 12, 2021

How important is implementing a Zero Trust security framework to organizations?Its important but not enough yet for most organizations to move forward with it, according to a newly released study.

Although three in four organizations consider Zero Trust critically or very important in their security armada, only one in seven have fully implemented the architecture, according to research results issued by One Identity, an Aliso Viejo, California-based unified identity security solution provider. Of the 1,000 survey professionals surveyed, 99 percent pegged Zero Trust overall as important. Still, about one in three organizations dont understand how they can implement Zero Trust within their environments and only 20 percent of stakeholders believe that their organizations fully comprehend Zero Trust.

Despite the hesitation surrounding Zero Trust, there is much wind at its back generated by the federal government. On the heels of President Bidens executive order in May 2021 covering the nations cybersecurity profile, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in September released a draft strategy to move the government towards a Zero Trust architecture. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) simultaneously released its Cloud Security Technical Reference Architecture and Zero Trust Maturity Model to guide and assist agencies in their implementation planning.

Neither of these steps are incidental to Zero Trusts expansion across the enterprise. Heres reason for the optimism:

What factors are holding organizations back from implementing Zero Trust?

How is Zero Trust progressing in the enterprise?

Organizations recognize that the traditional perimeter is no longer enough and that they will be best served by prioritizing identity security and taking steps to ensure bad actors are limited once they gain access, said Bhagwat Swaroop, One Identity president and general manager. Zero Trust is fast becoming an enterprise imperative because it eliminates vulnerable permissions and excessive access by delivering a continuum of different rights across the organization to ultimately limit attack surfaces if they are breached.

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Zero Trust Security: Progress Report and One Identity Research Findings - MSSP Alert

Geneva, Switzerland, December 10, 2021 Ahead of officials meeting on 14-15 December to take stock of progress towards the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns of dire gaps in international support for refugees and the communities that host them.

A recent report from the IRC, in collaboration with Danish Refugee Council and Norwegian Refugee Council, shows that in the three years since the United Nations General Assembly agreed the Compact:

In addition, the IRC remains concerned that forcibly displaced women and girls are being left behind in the global effort towards the ambitions of the Compact. The IRC and the Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security today published a briefing highlighting the disadvantages they face in terms of their justice, inclusion and safety and calling for targeted support. It shows that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, displaced women generally faced much higher risks than host community women of violence at home, were consistently less likely to be financially included, and often experienced less freedom of movement. Households headed by displaced women were also more likely to be poor than those headed by displaced men. The pandemic has only compounded these disadvantages, but despite the growing needs of displaced women, UNHCRs own progress report on the Compact provides very limited gender-disaggregated data and none on economic inclusion indicators.

Farida Bena, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the IRC, said: Time is running out to get the Global Compact for Refugees back on track, and the pandemic has only made the need for progress more urgent -- especially for women and girls.

The IRC is calling on the international community to rapidly reprioritise and recommit to global responsibility sharing, increase resettlement levels and the number of resettlement countries. More and better funding from a variety of actors, including multilateral development banks beyond the World Bank, is needed to meet the ambitions of the Compact.

Across all of these efforts, the international community must prioritise commitments to empower and protect displaced women and girls. That means implementing commitments on self-reliance, financial inclusion and protection from violence, and explicitly monitoring progress for women when collecting data on progress toward the Compacts objectives.

About the IRC

The International Rescue Committee responds to the worlds worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and over 20 U.S. citieshelping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities.Learn more at http://www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.

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IRC warns progress towards the commitments of the Global Compact on Refugees is alarmingly off-track - International Rescue Committee

Detroit Let's turn back the clock to two yearsago, and recall where the Red Wings' status.

They had just lost to Pittsburgh, 5-3, and had fallen to a record of 7-21-3, anugly .258 win percentage.

The Wings were the last place team in the NHL standings as well asmany team statistical categories. It was a terrible start, and didn't get any better before the coronavirus put a quicker end to the campaign than expected.

The rebuild of the Wings' organization is far from complete. There are many more prospects to filter into the lineup.

More:Back from COVID-19 protocol list, Red Wings' Danny DeKeyser eager to join the 'fun'

But looking at Tuesday's NHL standings, the Wings have a 13-9-3 record, a win percentage of .580and are in the throes of a five-game win streak. Pretty remarkable progress.

"This year has been a total reversal from that so far," defenseman Danny DeKeyser said.

That Wings' roster had been a mix of young players learning the NHL, older players on expiring contracts past their prime and a handful of players in-between, below NHL caliber.

The team was overmatched nearly every game, and the standings reflected that.

"That was a tough season," DeKeyser said ."It seemed like every night, it felt like we didn't have a chance to win. It was tough to go through, and obviously tough in the locker room on the players.

"This year has been a total reversaland we just want to keep that going."

On more than one occasion, coach Jeff Blashill has mentioned how the 2019-20 season was the most difficult of his professional career.

As challenging a time as I ever had professionally, andIm sure it was the same for our players, Blashill said. Its fun to go into games with the expectation that you should win the hockey game. When you're down like we were two years ago, there were games you might be hoping to win the hockey game and now you feel you should win if you execute at a high level.

"That's not to disrespect anybody and not we're not here to say we're the 1986 Edmonton Oilers. But we believe when we go out and play our best hockey, we put ourselves in position to win. Certainly it's more fun to be in that spot than going out and feeling like you're hoping to win."

Blashill and many playersthink the Wings took a major step forward last season. Other than in January, when the Wings lost key regulars to COVID-19 protocol, the team was competitive throughthe shortened season.

Blashill felt the Wings committed to playing well defensively, and it has carried over this season.

There was an understanding of the importance of defending well, how it keeps you in games and you can find ways to win games," Blashill said. "I would say on this current stretch its been similar. Weve competed hard, and when you do that, youre in the mix to win games.

"Then its about making a play at a critical moment, and weve done that more this year than we did a year ago. Weve taken a step 25 games in, but weve got a big five-game segmentahead of us and a whole lot of games ahead.

The Wings recalled defenseman Luke Witkowski and forward Kyle Criscuolo from minor-league affiliate Grand Rapids.

With defensemeaMarc Staal (COVID-19 protocol), defenseman Gustav Lindstrom (upper body) and forward Tyler Bertuzzi (COVID-19 protocol) all unavailable, the Wings needed reinforcements.

DeKeyser returned to the lineup Tuesday after being on the protocol list. Forward Joe Veleno returned Saturday after missing three games.

"We're in a spot here between injuries and COVID that we have to make sure we have enough manpower," Blashill said.

Monday, the Wings recalled defenseman Dan Renouf.

With the Griffins not in action until later this week, the Wings were able to pluck Witkowski and Renouf.

Witkowski, 31, a Hollandnative,has shuttled between the NHL and AHL having played with the Wings for 65 games over two previous seasons.

"We'll see when and if we use him," Blashill said. "It would be a determination as we move forward."

There's little update on forward Jakub Vrana (shoulder surgery), who was hurt his first on-ice practice in training camp. He has yet to play this season.

"It's a long timetable and he's doing goodin his progress," Blashill said. "Certainly no steps back. But, honestly, it's going to take time."

... DeKeyser was expected to be paired with rookie Moritz Seider on Tuesday.

Danny is a guy who is really smart, as is Moritz, Blashill said. Danny'snot afraid to get on a rush, but hes also not afraid to stay back and let Moritz get on a rush. The more Moritz is playing here, the more hes in attack mode. So youve got to make sure that the other guy is smart enough to read that and make sure hes back.

"Certainly, Danny is that.

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tkulfan

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Red Wings' progress is evident, thanks to growing defensive identity - The Detroit News

Gauging the Longhorns progress through the first seven games isnt easy. Texas pummeled those well below their weight class but took a few licks from heavyweight Gonzaga.

The human pollsters think Texas is the seventh-best team in the country. The NCAAs computer algorithm, which produces what is known as the NET rankings, hasthe Horns lower at No. 16.

Neither of those things truly matter at the moment since its still early December. Conference play doesnt begin until January.

How to watch: Texas clashes with Seton Hall in Big 12/Big East Challenge

But thats why Thursdays game at Seton Hall is so fascinating. Texas (6-1) will face a team thats somewhat moving step for step along the same journey. The Pirates (7-1) are No. 23in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 25 in the NET rankings.

Its something of an equal-weighted matchup in the Big 12/Big East Battle at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

We had a team meeting (Saturday night) in one of our rooms just to come together collectively about what we need to do moving forward, how we need to approach this game, how we need to approach these next couple of days of practice, UT guard Andrew Jones said before the Horns left Austin.

If we really want to be the team that we say we are and contend for championships, Jones added, we have to lock in and put on a better performance against high-major teams.

More: Chris Beards halftime talk motivated Horns, Vaqueros were rattled, panic, scared, disjointed

Seton Hall already has an impressive road win at then-No. 4 Michigan. This veteran bunch also lost to Ohio State by three points. Coach Kevin Willards team also had big, easy wins over Fairleigh Dickinson, Yale and Wagner.

I think there's a handful of teams in the country each year as the season goes on that are real contenders. Seton Hall's definitely in that neighborhood, coach Chris Beard said. Theyre literally a basket away from being a top five or six team right now.

Texas had no problem beating up lesser competition. Beards team has beaten only two teams ranked in the NETs top 200 Northern Colorado (No. 140) and California Baptist (No. 161). Houston Baptist, San Jose State, Sam Houston State and Texas-Rio Grande Valley all rank 233rd or lower.

Theres nothing wrong with playing lesser competition in nonconference play. In addition to facing Seton Hall, Texas has a date with Stanford (No. 158) on Dec. 19. Three more nonconference games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (No. 338), Incarnate Word (No. 349) and Rice (No. 196) may not tell us any more than we already know.

If nothing else, Thursdays game is the Horns first chance to go back on the road and aim for 40 rugged minutes of basketball. Texas started slow defensively the first six minutes against Gonzaga and fell into a hole out in Spokane, Wash. A furious second-half comeback couldnt stave off an 86-74 loss.

The Pirates will have the height advantage, too. They're a big team, tall team, large team, whatever you want to call it, Beard said. Their identity is kind of their size.

Playing well on the road is going to be critical when Big 12 play starts. Texas travels to Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Iowa State all in the first half of January.

Weve just got to make sure that what we do at home travels, Jones said. We had that first pop of that early in the season. We just need to execute the game plan defensively and offensively and don't worry about our opponent and just be us.

Texas made a similar trip under similar circumstances 17 years ago. Then-coach Rick Barnes took a team to East Rutherford, N.J., to face Seton Hall. There was plenty of hope with lanky freshman LaMarcus Aldridge, then just a highly-touted recruit from Seagoville.

He's the one guy we can all look at and know, as the season goes on, hes gonna get better, Barnes said in early December 2004.

The Horns wanted to know where they stood then, too.

Texas would shoot 39.3%, but its defense saved the day. The Pirates were held to 36.8% shooting and made just three of 23 3-point shots. The Horns won 70-62 on Dec. 4, 2004.

Not much has changed. The Texas coach is still preaching defense and the Horns find themselves in high-profile, nonconference matchups.

Beard took the team a day early so the Horns could visit New York, see a Broadway show and visit the top of the Empire State building.

These guys work so hard and make so many sacrifices, to take a trip like this where we can enjoy the trip, I don't apologize for anybody, Beard said. We understand its a business trip. Nobody understands that more than I do.

Contact Brian Davis by phone or text at 512-445-3957. Email bdavis@statesman.com or @BDavisAAS.

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Texas meets Seton Hall in Thursday matchup that lets the Longhorns gauge their progress - Hookem.com

By Lora Lavigne, WRAL Durham reporter

Durham, N.C. Data shows more juveniles are committing serious offenses involving weapons, robberies, thefts and assaults in Durham.

Prior to Dec. 1, 2019, the juvenile crime rate was defined as the rate of delinquent offenses per 1,000 people ages 6 through 15. Starting in 2020, the juvenile crime rate measured the rate of delinquent offenses per 1,000 people ages 6 through 17.

An increase was expected when state expanded the age range for those who can be classified as juveniles from 15 to 17.

Durham and Durham County leaders are working to buckle down on this issue, however, and prevent more teens from going down that path.

Tackling violent crime among young people has become a priority for leaders in Durham, and the pandemic only heightened their concerns.

A factor in the increase in crime committed by young people could be the fact that youth in Durham face higher rates of mental health and substance abuse problems compared to other counties, according to a survey.

I think these factors have led to possibly an increase in crime, especially among our young youth and especially among our gang-involved youth, said Jim Stuit, Durhams gang reduction strategy manager.

He explains the 2020 data which shows Durham juveniles are four times more likely to be in a gang or in association compared to their statewide peers.

When we look at court-involved youth in Durham County, we see that about 25% of them are currently are involved in some kind of a gang. That compares with only 7% of the statewide average, he said.

Department of Public Safety data shows that in 2019, 17 Durham juveniles committed violent offenses. In 2020, that number jumped to 148. Durham isn't unique in that though. Juvenile violent crime jumped 66.5% statewide, according to the data.

Of course, any criminal activity is disturbing by anyone, but when we see our children and I stress our children getting involved in these types of activities, were noticing higher caliber weapons on our streets, but also victims and perpetrators are getting younger, said Mark Anthony Middleton, Durham mayor pro tem.

On Thursday, the Durham city council received a breakdown of crimes by age in a quarterly crime report. It shows children as young as 12 are stealing, robbing and being charged with physical assault.

We know that we dont want to lock all of our children up. This is not just a policing situation," Middleton said. "We need to do better in providing opportunities and pathways and access for our young people that will give them options.

The county has several gang intervention and violence prevention programs available.

Stuit said the plan is to continue bringing awareness to those resources. A few indicators show its already making a difference.

Though crime is up, the crime rate among young people remains below the state average at 13.86 per 1,000, significantly lower North Carolina's, which is 18.08 per 1,000.

I think we can say that there has been some success, but obviously weve got a lot more work to do, and weve got a lot of people continuing to work on that, said Stuit.

The Durham Gang Assessment for this year is wrapping up, and that report will be released next year. The city also has several initiatives underway to target at-risk youth in the community.

In a statement, the Durhams District Attorneys Office tells WRAL News:

Research supports that young people who come in contact with the court system are more likely to return as adults. For these reasons, we focus prosecution efforts on serious and violent cases involving juveniles. That said, this is a small number of individuals and a small portion of the overall cases that come to our office.

In 2019, the Durham DAs Office created a Juvenile Team that handles all cases involving people under 18. This helps ensure case resolutions are tailored to the unique needs of juveniles and connects them to treatment and other resources that can help them avoid future offenses. In 2019, it also stopped accepting court referrals for offenses in schools, with exceptions for violent crimes.

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Durham programs show progress in slowing spread of violent crime by children - WRAL.com

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The family of a Dayton teen who was shot at an Alabama Church spoke out Friday.

18-year-old Michaela Fauber, of Dayton, was the victim of a shooting at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Vestiva Hills, Alablama Dec. 3, according to Sgt. Joni Money with the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office.

Deputy Chief David Agee said at a press conference that a man described to be in his mid-20s played a few games of basketball with teens who he did not know in the gymnasium before he began shooting.

Fauber was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

Friday, Saubers family released a statement:

The family of Elder Michael Fauber is overwhelmed with the love and support we are receiving during this difficult time. We are seeing progress and improvement every day in our sons condition as he continues what will be a long recovery. We expect he will remain hospitalized for several more days. He is aware of the many prayers being offered on his behalf and sends his appreciation. Michael has loved his missionary service and loves the people of Alabama. His testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ is strong and his faith in Him gives each of us comfort. Thank you all for your many acts of kindness toward Michael and our family.

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Family of Dayton teen shot in AL sees progress and improvement - WDTN.com

IS progress always a good thing? Watching the progress of womens sport is interesting, particularly if, like me, you have been involved for around 30 years you can definitely compare then and now with confidence.

However, sometimes we have to be careful for we wish for! A case in point is Charlton Ladies or Womens FC, who were taken over in February by Thomas Sandgaard, a Danish-American businessman.

It is reported that the new owner is the one pushing for the change in name from women to ladies, against the wishes of everyone involved in the womens side, as the term is now considered to be derogatory and outdated.

In fact our own Glasgow City FC, who are strong pioneers in the womens game, made a stand many years ago and dropped the word women from their name altogether.

Leadership is about listening to your team, understanding their issues and beliefs and working together towards success. I think there is some listening to be done on the part of Mr Sandgaard, and the sooner the better.

Its also fair to say that immense progress has been made by our national team, who fought their way through to compete at the Womens World Cup in France in 2019, for the first time in their history.

We missed out on the European Championship being held in England in 2022 but the team are currently on the road to qualification for the 2023 World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.

Their most recent result against Spain was a dent in their progress, losing 8-0 to a well disciplined and talented squad, but dont let this blip in our progress stop you from supporting the team for the rest of the games.

Remember, you do make a difference, so put April 12, 2022, in your diary and head to Hampden for the home match against the Spanish.

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'Progress' was a real step backwards for women's team - The National

Ron Hextall has been in charge of the Pittsburgh Penguins for a little less than a year and so far has lived up to his reputation for being a patient general manager. Moves have been few-and-far between and he has been the exact opposite of what we became used to with Jim Rutherford, and even to an extent Ray Shero.

There have been no panic moves.

There have been no dramatic overhauls of the roster.

There has been no real major blockbuster trade.

Just carefully planned moves that have made varying degrees of impact.

Lets take a look at them and the progress with them so far.

Hextalls first major move came at the deadline this past season, and so far it has been the most impactful deal.

Not only was the cost minimal (two mid-round picks), but the Kings ate a portion of Carters salary and left the Penguins on the hook for only a $2.65 million salary cap hit.

All Carter has done since joining the team is score goals. Even this year he is still on a 25-goal pace per 82 games and has really helped solidify the teams depth. He has been a great fit as a second-line center this season in Evgeni Malkins absence, and should be perfect for the third-line role when Malkin returns. Sidney Crosby, Malkin, Carter, and Teddy Blueger is as good of a center quartet as you will find in the NHL right now as long as everybody is healthy and in the lineup.

The Penguins spent years and countless assets trying to fill that third-line center void after Nick Bonino left in free agency, and they may have finally found it in Carter.

Current trade grade: A

With an expansion draft this offseason everybody knew the Penguins were going to lose at least player, and given the salary cap situation, maybe more. Before the expansion draft they traded McCann to Toronto for a late draft pick and to get back prospect Filip Hallander, who was originally traded to the Maple Leafs in the Kasperi kapanen trade.

It was not a move that I liked at the time, and hindsight has not been any kinder to it.

McCann already has 10 goals in 20 games for Seattle, is still in a prime age, affordable under the salary cap, and has the versatility to play center or wing and help on the power play.

The Penguins could use him.

It is doubtful that Hallander ever comes close to being the player that McCann already is.

On top of that, they still lost Brandon Tanev in the expansion draft and essentially lost two players because of the expansion draft.

Current trade grade: D

This was a move that I had relatively low expectations for. Heinen had shown some flashes of being a productive player earlier in his career, but struggled to consistently produce the past couple of years on some bad Anaheim Ducks teams. But for $1.1 million on a one-year deal the price seemed right to hope for a rebound.

The Penguins seem to be getting that rebound performance.

Heinen already has seven goals this season and has posted strong underlying numbers, looking like a really useful player in a lot of different roles to help solidify the depth.

It was a low-risk, reasonably high reward signing that has worked out about as well as could have been expected.

Current signing grade: B+

When Seattle took Tanev it cleared one fourth-liner on a long-term deal, and the Penguins used that newfound salary cap space on another fourth-liner on a long-term deal.

Am a little unsure of this one.

For one, fourth-liners probably should not be signed to long-term deals even if they are useful in the short-term. And McGinn has definitely been useful. There is no denying he has made an impact on what has been a historically good penalty kill, and he has chipped in a little bit of offense at times. But could that salary cap space have been used in a more meaningful way?

Current signing grade: C+

This was one of those filler signings close to the start of the season. The center depth looked thin due to injuries, and Boyle was somebody that not only gave them NHL experience but also the size Hextall and Brian Burke kept talking about in the offseason.

Given his status as a tryout player and the small contract he ended up signing there is literally zero risk long-term or short-term.

If he works out, it is a bonus. If not, you are not really out anything as long as he does not get overused. That has not happened, either.

Tough to have any real strong opinions on this move one way or another.

Current signing grade: C

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Progress report: Looking back at Ron Hextalls early moves with the Penguins - PensBurgh