Updated look at Cowboys potential 2023 free agents, their performance - Cowboys Wire

When the season was just a few weeks old, the opening week of October brought our first real look at the Cowboys’ pending free agency class. Dak Prescott had missed three contests, but the Cowboys found themselves a surprising 3-1 at the time. The backup quarterback laid the foundation of a change of perspective. Just three weeks prior, pessimistic Dallas fans were preparing for the worst season in recent memory. Since that point, dreams of what the 2022 season could be have only expanded, with the club having a realistic shot of the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Almost two months later seems like a great time to check back in on the free agent class to see how their seasons have developed. Have any of the players improved their prospects of a sizable contract? Who might be less expensive to try and retain? Here’s a look at the shifts in market for the Cowboys’ pending free agency class of 2023, starting with RB Tony Pollard.

RB Tony Pollard

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pollard has always been considered a dangerous weapon, but in 2022 he’s ascended in production and reputation. After four weeks, the question was consistency. In Weeks 1 and 4, Pollard totaled 30 yards on 19 focuses (rushes + targets), an average of 1.58 yards. In between, he had 203 yards on 30 focuses, an average of 6.8 yards, with a score.

Since, Pollard has been the focus of a play 120 times for 773 yards and seven more scores. During that stretch, Pollard plays average 6.4 yards.

Looking at the 2023 RB landscape, there are several big-name players. The questions are whether the NFL as a whole are smarter about giving out big contracts to free agents from other teams at this position, and how much they will weigh the ability to be a bell-cow back against prior wear and tear.

Here’s a look at the other top running backs set to hit the free-agency market:

		Stats Through Week 12
Running Back	Age	Carries	Targets	Total Yards	Total TDs	Yards per Focus	TDs per Focus
Tony Pollard	25	136	33	1005	8	5.95	0.05
Josh Jacobs	24	216	48	1484	9	5.62	0.03
Miles Sanders	25	177	18	960	8	4.92	0.04
David Montgomery	25	146	25	818	3	4.78	0.02
Raheem Mostert	30	118	26	662	4	4.60	0.03
Saquon Barkley	25	224	47	1215	7	4.48	0.03
Kareem Hunt	27	93	28	516	4	4.26	0.03
Jamaal Williams	27	177	12	791	13	4.19	0.07

Pollard is tops, by a healthy margin, in yards per focus. He’s second in TDs per focus. He has far less career mileage than any of these other options.

All of these things will likely mean at least one team is going to throw the bag at Pollard; he’ll be worth more to them than Dallas. The question will likely be what Pollard wants for himself.

TE Dalton Schultz

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries derailed Schultz’ start of the season, as he missed two of the first six games, had two games with zero catches and a fifth with just two for 18 yards. Since getting right, he’s returned to his 2021 pace. In Weeks 1 and 7 through 12, all games with Dak Prescott under center, Schultz has 31 catches for 292 yards and three scores. Over 17 games that’s a pace of 88 catches, 827 yards and eight or nine touchdowns.

That’s a repeat performance of his 2021 stats (78, 808, 8 TDs).

He and Prescott are simpatico, indicating what many already know that Schultz is a product of his environment and likely won’t perform at similar levels on a lesser team. But there will be good offenses looking for a tight end and Schultz will certainly have a market.

Safety Donovan Wilson

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

The least heralded of Dallas’ three-safety weave, Wilson has probably been the best out of the bunch this far this season. Showing the ability to be an enforcer in the box and tackling, he’s also in the past proven to have a good first step and range in tracking the ball.

Wilson leads Dallas in solo tackles (53), is tied for fourth in QB Hits (4) and seventh in TFLs. He’s top-5 in sacks and pass deflections. Talk of a Pro Bowl appearance have cooled, but he’s playing top-notch at the position and will draw interest on the open market if Dallas lets him get there.

QB Cooper Rush

There are two factors at play here. Dallas doesn’t want to spend on a backup QB again and they likely think Will Grier will be good enough to support Dak Prescott next season. Still, Rush has been by Prescott’s side for the better part of his career.

But people aren’t going to miss the fact that, with a top offense surrounding him, Rush would seem like the perfect bridge QB for a team that plans to draft a late-first or second-round QB in April.

He will 100% be priced out of Dallas’ market come the spring, but at least that will mean a compensatory pick in 2024.

WR Noah Brown

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Brown gave the Cowboys what they needed in the first quarter of the season. With Michael Gallup not yet ready to roll or take a major role, Brown was the No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb. In Weeks 1 through 4, Brown never had under 50 yards receiving and averaged 15.2 yards per reception.

Since, he’s never had over 50 yards receiving and has averaged 11.0 yards a catch. He went from 274 yards in the first four games to 110 in the last seven, including being shut out in Thursday’s win over the Giants. His star has definitely diminished as Gallup has found his footing, but he’s shown to be a great insurance policy yet again.

Kicker Brett Maher

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Maher was a huge success story through four weeks and nothing has changed. He’s made 7 of 9 kicks from beyond 50 yards, including a 60 yarder he had to make twice to count. His only miss from less than 50 yards came last week, so that will be something to monitor with how fickle kicker confidence can be.

He’s also a touchback machine on kickoffs and if the season keeps at this pace for him, a nice kicker payday awaits in the offseason.

LB Leighton Vander Esch

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Vander Esch is getting a lot of volume and has acquitted himself well even though it has been in non-spectacular fashion. The coverage linebacker, he’s done well in that regard, but isn’t asked to make splash plays often. He is just two tackles shy (75) of his total from last season and has a sack and a forced fumble. He’ll definitely have a market but it’s not in anyway something that is going to rock a pocketbook.

LB Anthony Barr

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Even before his recent hamstring injury, Barr hasn’t been much of a standout player. He’s been solid, but he’s playing like a guy that no one broke the bank for to bring off the street until midway through training camp. Now that Damone Clark has filled in for him and provided uncanny speed (with reckless abandon, admittedly), Barr will likely be in a timeshare. That doesn’t bode well for hitting paydirt in the offseason.

DE Dante Fowler, Jr.

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Fowler has had way too many bone-headed penalties, but he’s shown that while the attention is elsewhere he can still deliver in one-on-one pass rush opportunities. He’s currently fourth on the team with five sacks on just 153 pass-rush snaps.

Adblock test (Why?)

Updated look at Cowboys potential 2023 free agents, their performance - Cowboys Wire
Read More

Pending amendments could be coming to New Jersey's plastic bag ban - WPVI-TV

TRENTON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- It could be a flip-flop in New Jersey over the state's single-use bag ban.

Lawmakers are considering amending it to allow paper bags when it comes to online deliveries.

Senator Bob Smith sponsored the bag ban legislation and has introduced a new bill that would amend the law when it comes to third-party deliveries, focusing on options for online grocery orders, including using cardboard boxes or bringing back paper bags.

The discussion is not about bringing back paper bags to big grocery stores because of their environmental impact.

"The success is unbelievable. Every month we're literally saving millions, something like 14 million paper bags going into the environment, and something like 600 million single-use plastic bags," said Smith.

Smith said he's looking to add four amendments to the bill, S-3114.

"The amendments are to provide new alternatives for people," said Smith. "The first alternative that any of these third-party delivery services and the customers agree on what's going to happen. And the customer has the right to say, 'I want you to take the bags back.' And then the third party delivery service should either then reuse it, recycle or donate it to a food bank."

For the second choice, Smith said, "Allow the third party delivery service to deliver in paper bags, and amazingly even though this is 2 percent of New Jersey's grocery delivery, there's been a lot of pushback, saying we got rid of the bags. We don't want to go back to bags."

The third choice would be the "Costco model."

"The Costco model you know when you go to Costco you know you don't get a container to take stuff home, you use one of their empty boxes. So in fact you're recycling," said Smith.

For the fourth choice, he said, "We used to have a system where the milkman would deliver milk, cream, butter to your back porch. He had a little container, it had a little insulation, and if the customers want to have that, they would be allowed to get their groceries with no container whatsoever. The delivery person would just put it into that container."

Smith said the amended proposals to the bill were put up on the Senate agenda last week and other senators had some other issues they wanted to bring up. Smith said the amended bill would have to get out of the Senate and then go to the New Jersey General Assembly.

Smith said there may be no need for legislation if everything works out on its own between the delivery services working with the grocery stores. He said while the law has been in effect for about six months, the governor's office and the DEP said they may want to give the law more time to work out some of these issues. So it could be worth it to wait another six months to give the law a year.

It's possible the law could be amended by the end of the year, according to Smith. It's going to require the agreement of the DEP and the governor's office.

He added when the amended bill is sent over to the New Jersey General Assembly, it's possible additional amendments could be made.

At Rastelli Market Fresh in Marlton, you have to buy or bring a reusable bag to shop in the store. And if you order online, all your groceries are delivered in a reusable bag.

"People that are actually at home shopping curbside pickup, they can't bring their bags in so we're giving bags. So what we need to do is just get that segment fixed and I think it will take a lot of stress off a lot of shoppers," said Chris Mentzer, director of operations at Rastelli Market Fresh.

The pending bill could bring back the paper bag option for online shopping at larger grocery stores like Rastelli Market Fresh.

"It's a little bit of a hiccup in the system because the customers that actually don't need the bags that are at home are getting tons of reusable bags. And every time they order, if it's two or three times a day, they continually get the same amount of bags every single time," said Mentzer.

A food delivery driver said he's in favor of bringing back paper bags because he said he sees the reusable bags pile up in people's homes.

"They have a stockpile of like hundreds of them at home from constantly doing it, but there's no current way for us to take them back so they're just losing out on the money they spent," said food delivery driver Joseph Eisenbaugh.

Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Adblock test (Why?)

Pending amendments could be coming to New Jersey's plastic bag ban - WPVI-TV
Read More

Business Meeting To Consider Pending Nominations - U.S. Senate Committee on Ener... - US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

The business meeting will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., immediately preceding the previously scheduled hearing in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

The purpose of the business meeting is to consider the nominations of:

• David Crane to be Under Secretary of Energy (Infrastructure);
• Jeffrey M. Marootian to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy); and
• Gene Rodrigues to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability).

The business meeting will be webcast live on the committee’s website, and an archived video will be available shortly after the business meeting concludes.

Adblock test (Why?)

Business Meeting To Consider Pending Nominations - U.S. Senate Committee on Ener... - US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Read More

Statement on Pending Retirement of Cal Maritime President Thomas A. Cropper - Cal Maritime

The following statement can be attributed to CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester:

“Throughout his tenure leading the California State University Maritime Academy, President Thomas A. Cropper has done exceptional work to integrate our most unique institution into the California State University system and the Vallejo community, while enhancing the academic excellence of the university.

In his decade-long service, President Cropper has consistently demonstrated a commitment to student success and to improving the student experience. He spearheaded facilities improvements across campus and helped to secure funding for a new training ship. Under his leadership, the university has undertaken a series of meaningful actions to advance diversity, equity and inclusion and to serve as a national model for maritime academies.

Cal Maritime cadets graduate with critical leadership skills and a global perspective that allow them to make immediate and positive impacts in the maritime industry and in their communities.
I applaud President Cropper’s long and distinguished career of service to the CSU and to the maritime industry.”

On November 28, 2022, Cal Maritime President Thomas A. Cropper announced that he would retire from his role on August 1, 2023.

An interim president will be appointed to lead the university, and the CSU will launch a national search to identify Cropper’s successor. Under university policy, the chair of the CSU Board of Trustees, Wenda Fong, and Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester will select a committee comprised of campus and community stakeholders who will be publicly announced at a later date. Thereafter, campus and community input will be sought in an open forum held on the Cal Maritime campus.

###

read the message from president thomas a. cropper here

Adblock test (Why?)

Statement on Pending Retirement of Cal Maritime President Thomas A. Cropper - Cal Maritime
Read More

Kentucky Football: Update on pending assistant coach staff shakeup - A Sea Of Blue

Now that regular-season play has concluded, the Kentucky Wildcats football program is facing a very important month of December, even before they learn what bowl they’ll play in.

That’s because it’s widely expected that there will be multiple assistant coaching change in a potential ‘reckoning,’ and it’s not out of the realm of possibility we see three new coordinators in 2023.

Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello is on the hot seat following a dismal debut season with Kentucky.

Defensive coordinator Brad White will likely be a strong head-coaching candidate and could be hired away.

Finally, Kentucky will almost certainly hire a true special teams coordinator after that unit struggled far too often this season.

On top of this, we’ll probably see a few changes with position coaches.

Ahead of what should be some busy weeks in Lexington, KSR’s Matt Jones gave this brief update on Kentucky’s potential assistant changes.

I think there will be a number of changes to the UK Football coaching staff…at least 2 and maybe more

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 27, 2022

As far as the Offensive Coordinator, I don’t expect a decision for at least a few days

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 27, 2022

Kentucky is looking at a number of QBs in the portal but I don’t think any of them are planning a quick decision, which is in part why the OC decision may take a little time as well

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 27, 2022

The early signing period begins December 21st, so Kentucky will have to make some tough decisions very soon if they want to get a transfer QB signed in the coming weeks. It’s becoming pretty clear that there’s a scenario where Scangarello keeps his job if he attracts a good option in the portal.

Saying this, is it still worth keeping him after what we just watched for a full season?

Regardless of what happens with Scangarello, expect there to be a staff shakeup following what many will call the most underperforming season of the Mark Stoops era.

Personally, I’m betting on at least three assistant coaching changes, not counting the special teams coordinator hire since there really isn’t one currently.

But as of now, my educated guess is Scangarello gets one more season to prove if he can get it done here (let us know your opinion here).

Adblock test (Why?)

Kentucky Football: Update on pending assistant coach staff shakeup - A Sea Of Blue
Read More

Work resumes Monday at landfill; other projects pending - Bristol Herald Courier

David McGee

BRISTOL, Va. — Work at the Bristol Virginia landfill is set to resume Monday following a pause for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Contractor Connelly & Associates is expected to resume installing a system to measure temperatures deep inside the waste. The contractor has completed five borehole drillings that will allow installation of the thermocouple system in the landfill, according to a statement from the city.

Probes in the five wells have been set at 165, 155, 218, 200 and 202 feet deep.

Five drillings represents more than half of the work outlined in the contract. Work began Oct. 26 and is expected to be completed by the Dec. 31 deadline established in an order by U.S. District Judge James P. Jones that is part of a preliminary injunction in Bristol Tennessee’s lawsuit over the landfill.

The drilling may play a role in increased recent reports of strong odors due to landfill gases.

People are also reading…

“I don’t think we’re seeing more reports of odors. I think what you’re seeing is the temperature inversion that is occurring. It’s colder and that is keeping the gases down closer to the ground,” City Manager Randy Eads said Tuesday. “I’m sure there is some odor coming from the boring that we’re doing. But every evening, after they are through boring the holes, that hole is capped and covered to prevent gases from escaping.”

This week residents on each side of the state line are scheduled to receive a two-page informational mailer from the city detailing the work that has been completed, the schedule for ongoing work and the proposed schedule for future projects to be completed in 2023.

Next up is the development and installation of a sidewall odor mitigation system. At its Nov. 22 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved allowing SCS Field Services to bid on that work. Parent firm SCS Engineers serves as the city’s consultants on the landfill work and prepared the specifications for the sidewall work.

“On Nov. 7, 2022, the city issued an ITB [invitation to bid] on a sidewall odor mitigation system that is required by the expert panel report to mitigate odors associated with the landfill … No potential bidders attended a pre-bid conference,” Eads told the council.

State law allows the council to permit its paid consultant to participate if their exclusion would “limit the number of potential qualified bidders in a manner contrary to the best interest of the public body,” Eads said.

Through its preliminary injunction in federal court, the city has a June 14, 2023 deadline, to complete installation of the sidewall odor mitigation system. The bid invitation requires its completion in 180 days after being awarded, Eads said.

“I do anticipate using state funds — the money from DEQ — to help pay for this project. We haven’t received that money yet, but I do anticipate state money will be used for this,” Eads said.

Construction of the sidewall system is expected to begin in December with the initial 220 feet in place by Dec. 31.

“The first 220 feet will be a trial section to determine if any tweaks will have to be made in order to make it work as efficiently as possible. If it works we will replicate that around the entire landfill — about 4,800 feet.”

There is no indication yet how much this project will cost, Eads said, but it will require more than $2 million worth of dirt to fill in all the way around the quarry landfill.

At the same time, leachate extraction, monitoring and analysis is to begin Dec. 1.

Yet another project is on the immediate horizon.

A gas collection system with a minimum of five new wells will be put out for bid in December with an expected completion date of June 20, 2023.

A separate gas collection system around the perimeter of the landfill, near the sidewalls, is expected to begin in March.

Also at its Nov. 22 meeting, the City Council approved nearly $600,000 in additional landfill expenses, paying $233,600 for landfill gas extraction leachate monitoring and reporting and $366,000 for a new monthly operation and maintenance agreement for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-23.

Because those expenses were not part of the city’s fiscal budget, the monies are coming from the unassigned fund balance, a city reserve fund, Eads said.

dmcgee@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @DMcGeeBHC

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!

Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Adblock test (Why?)

Work resumes Monday at landfill; other projects pending - Bristol Herald Courier
Read More

Services pending | News, Sports, Jobs - Warren Tribune Chronicle

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Services pending | News, Sports, Jobs  Warren Tribune Chronicle
Services pending | News, Sports, Jobs - Warren Tribune Chronicle
Read More

Argentina's pending debt is the effective investigation and prevention of all unlawful deaths: UN expert - OHCHR

BUENOS AIRES/GENEVA (25 November 2022) – Argentina’s exemplary democratic and human rights achievements are in contrast to persistent – and mostly invisible – institutional violence resulting in deaths, a UN expert said today.

“I urge the Government of Argentina to step up efforts to prevent and investigate unlawful deaths and towards this end, I offer the full support of my mandate,” said UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz at the conclusion of a 11-day visit to the country.

The Special Rapporteur examined the phenomenon of institutional violence resulting in death, deaths in custody and sexual and gender-based violence in Argentina, and focused on effective investigation and prevention. “Victims often belong to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the population, rendering the phenomenon largely invisible, while those responsible enjoy impunity,” the expert said.

“The Argentinian State must urgently eradicate these practices by implementing specific measures, including the effective investigation of all potentially unlawful deaths, the punishment of perpetrators and the protection of victims,” Tidball-Binz said.

In a statement issued at the end of the visit, the UN expert recalled that the mandate of the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions was established in 1982, largely owing to Argentina’s human rights movement driven by victims and their families.

"In 40 years of uninterrupted democratic governance, Argentina has consolidated a solid human rights institutional framework and culture. This is reflected in its exemplary achievements in terms of truth, justice and reparation for past crimes, as well as in its current presidency of the UN Human Rights Council,” Tidball-Binz said.

The UN expert met with representatives from State agencies, all branches of Government, autonomous agencies, academia and civil society and family members of victims of institutional violence, including those who died in custody and as a result of gender-based violence.

“These families often face major challenges to achieve truth and justice, including discrimination, barriers in investigations, and harassment and threats from alleged perpetrators themselves, who frequently benefit from impunity,” Tidball-Binz said.

The UN expert also expressed grave concern about gender-based violence resulting in the death of women and girls. Argentina registered 231 femicides in 2021, including a disproportionate number of these crimes committed by law enforcement officials using their service weapons while off duty.

He urged authorities to bring all those responsible for unlawful deaths to justice, guarantee legal assistance and provide protection to victims. Law enforcement personnel should be provided adequate training to ensure their actions comply with relevant standards, including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials; and the United Nations Human Rights Guidance on the Use of Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement, the expert said.

Tidball-Binz urged Argentina to approve the Comprehensive Bill Against Institutional Violence, currently pending before the country’s Congress. The draft law aims to establish a broader framework to document and prevent institutional violence and provide reparation to victims.

During his visit, the Special Rapporteur travelled to Buenos Aires, La Plata, Cordoba, Corrientes and Resistencia.

He paid tribute to civil society actors, particularly victims and their families in Argentina for their contribution to consolidating human rights in the country, through their demands for justice and accountabilty.

“I recognise the extraordinary contribution of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, for being pioneers in the development and use of scientific methods to investigate human rights violations and identify victims,” Tidball-Binz said.

The expert said the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team had pioneered forensic genetics and anthropology and contributed to the development of universal standards and investigation models for unlawful deaths and enforced disappearances, such as the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016).

“Today, the Protocol is universally considered the gold standard for the investigation of potentially unlawful deaths”, the UN expert said.

The Special Rapporteur will present a report on his visit to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2023.

Adblock test (Why?)

Argentina's pending debt is the effective investigation and prevention of all unlawful deaths: UN expert - OHCHR
Read More

4-17's Pending Closure Marks A Big Loss for Florida Racing - Racing America

USA International Speedway. Orlando Speedworld. Hialeah Speedway. Golden Gate Speedway. St. Augustine Speedway. Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway. And soon, 4-17 Southern Speedway. A few decades ago, this list of tracks would have made a must-see short track racing touring circuit. Now they live on solely in “Memories” groups on social media.

HOW TO WATCH BILL BIGLEY MEMORIAL AT 4-17

I try to not get too worried about track closures. While many tracks have closed in recent years, a decent amount have been built too. Some of the most historic tracks that seemed destined for the chopping block - Nashville Fairgrounds and North Wilkesboro coming most to mind - seem to have new futures. And, while I know this is not a popular opinion, I believe it is better to have handfuls of well-maintained and well-promoted facilities spread across states rather than a hodgepodge of tracks that - to put it mildly - are not in good shape and only add to negative stereotypes while cannibalizing crowds.

That said, this is from a national viewpoint. It’s hard to ignore some regions are hurting worse than others, and no region has been hurt worse than the Florida asphalt racing scene. If 4-17’s closure and demolition proceeds, there will be five regularly active asphalt short tracks in Florida - Five Flags (Pensacola), Auburndale, Citrus County (Inverness), New Smyrna (which had to close early this year because of hurricane damage) and Showtime (Pinellas Park). Freedom Factory - most commonly known as DeSoto - and Bronson appear to be mostly idle save special events.

And it’s going to be hard to correct this trend - There is simply no getting around that Florida today is different from Florida 40 years ago. Population growth is mind-boggling and the price of land is going with it. It’s hard to picture any place in the state that would be particularly fertile (and cheap) ground to build a new asphalt facility at the moment.

As we face an uncertain future, I certainly urge all Florida short track fans to send 417 a fond farewell and turn out for the last race. In honor of its history - this track that started off known as Charlotte County Speedway in 1990 - let’s look back at five of the biggest moments the track has had.

February 11, 1991 - The track’s first major event was a rare occasion - the winged All Star Sprints on asphalt. While the ASCoC group dipped their toe further into asphalt than WoO ever did, the total of “official” races held by the big sprint sanctioning bodies can still be counted in a few hands. Kenny Jacobs won this event, as far as we can find the only win on asphalt for the National Sprint Car Hall of Famer.

February 10, 1992 - WoO actually partnered with ASCoC to come back the next year, running two shows with Dave Blaney winning both. Names like Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, and Andy Hillenburg made their only appearances in Charlotte County. This event was particularly notable for immediately following the SunCoast Dome debacle, which more or less left a bad taste in the mouths of all the competitors at the track that weekend who were still waiting to get paid from the previous events.

March 22, 2003 - Wayne Anderson has won at 15 tracks in the state of Florida, but to our records this is the only time he conquered Punta Gorda (at least in a touring series). Anderson dominated the Florida Pro Series season opener, starting 5th, taking the lead on lap 4 and never looking back to the 100-lapper victory.

February 25, 2017 - The final victory in the career of Florida’s greatest sprint car racer, Dave Steele. Steele would tragically die at the start of a sprint race at DeSoto exactly one month later, but this day he would be unchallenged en route to the victory. Once the old Tampa Bay Auto Racing Association group folded, the new series - The Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series - would start fresh in 2016. This marked Steele’s 14th win in 15 starts with the group.

November 27, 2021 - The sixth annual Bill Bigley Memorial race was the most wild one thus far. Steve Dorer and Nick Neri wrecked coming to the white flag and then proceeded to make matters worse off track. While those fireworks were going on, Michael Atwell muscled his way by Rich Bickle for the victory. The biggest win of Atwell’s career, it was also the one that got away for Bickle. While his career would end a week later at the Snowball Derby, Bickle’s Snowball appearance was more ceremonial than competitive while the hard-nosed Bigley ending would serve as the last time he was truly in contention for the win.

Adblock test (Why?)

4-17's Pending Closure Marks A Big Loss for Florida Racing - Racing America
Read More

Pending Finnish and Swedish NATO Membership and the Future Relevance of ASFR and CHOD - The Arctic Institute

Back to Publications

Special address by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the 2022 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: NATO

Much has been written on the looming prospect of Finnish and Swedish NATO membership with the overwhelming majority of analysis singling out the hawkish turn in Moscow and, in case of Sweden, under-investment in defense industrial base as the key factors behind the two Nordic nations’ decision to lodge an application with the Alliance. Nor has there been a shortage of discussions on the potential costs and benefits of the Finnish and Swedish membership. Given their technological resources, naval and aerial capabilities, and their democratic political systems, their membership has been viewed positively although some have cautioned against potential threats by highlighting their geographical proximity to Russia.

However, scant attention has been paid to the implications of the duo’s expected membership for the Arctic governance in general and deliberations on defense and security related issues in particular. As seven out of eight Arctic states will soon be NATO allies, put otherwise, the future utility of non-treaty entities like The Arctic Security Forces Roundtable (ASFR) and The Arctic Chiefs of Defense (CHOD) can no longer be taken for granted; that is, it may very well be the case that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will be a more qualified venue for holding high level Arctic related talks on a wide range of defense and security topics including climate change, technological development, deterrence, and maritime security.

ASFR and CHOD: A Short Overview

Established in 2011 to “build dialogue and agree on tangible actions that could lead to peaceful progress and stability in the region”, ASFR is a non-treaty entity that brings together the general officers from the Arctic eight as well as the UK, France and the Netherland each year. In doing so, it seeks to facilitate talks and promote common understanding amongst the high-ranking officials from the Arctic eight armed forces and their British, Dutch and French counterparts. CHOD, on the other hand, represents yet another informal but more exclusive strategic forum that provides an opportunity for the Arctic states’ Chiefs of Defense to exchange notes and ideas on key security issues and/or trends once a year. In an important sense, both ASFR and CHOD, one could argue, contribute to the Arctic governance by compensating for the Arctic Council, the premier regional institution, inability to discuss hard security topics.

Finnish-Swedish NATO Bid and the Future Relevance of ASFR/CHOD

Given the pending Finnish and Swedish NATO membership, however, it is hard to see what purpose(s) the ASFR and CHOD serve when participating members can utilize their common NATO membership in order to develop a consensus-based approach towards the Arctic. Opponents of a more prominent role for NATO in the Arctic affairs argue that a more active NATO presence in the region would simply add fuel to the fire and exacerbate Russia’s strategic anxieties, undermine the Arctic states desire for retaining a high degree of exclusivity in regional governance, and expose the non-arctic members of the Alliance to the security dynamics of the region. Such concerns, however, come across as problematic and poorly thought through for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, these accounts are blind to the fact that NATO has had a longstanding presence in the Arctic and that there is historical precedent for its renewed engagement with the region. What is more, and in the light of expected Swedish and Finnish membership, seven of the eight Arctic states will be NATO members, and hence the alliance’s relevance to the region as well as its status as a legitimate Arctic actor can no longer be disputed. Nor the argument with regard to heightened Russia anxiety holds simply because relations between Russia and the West are already at their lowest point since the Cold War. In the context of the Arctic, one needs to be mindful of the facts that Russia has been de-facto boycotted at the Arctic Council and, more importantly, it has been suspended from both ASFR and CHOD meetings since 2014. Its absence from future NATO level meetings, therefore, amounts to nothing but the continuation of the status-quo.

As for exclusivity and exposure of other members to the security risks in the Arctic, finally, suffice to say that ASFR has already challenged the notion of exclusivity by counting three non-Arctic nations as participants while the fast accelerating trajectory of expanding non-Arctic states (commercial) presence in the region will eventually render appeals for exclusivity irrational and counterproductive. The exposure argument, on the other hand, is simply based on thin reasoning. With rights comes responsibility and in the context of NATO that translates to collective defense in return for guaranteed support at times of conflict. As such, any rejection of NATO’s political role in the Arctic based on individual risk assessments of the member states defies the very essence of NATO membership, and hence ought not be given any weight.

NATO’s Opportunity

Lack of formal institutional settings for comprehensive discussions on defence and security matters in the Arctic could be boost NATO’s efforts in revitalising its political role provided that it begins to position itself as the venue for such deliberations amongst members and third parties. NATO should utilise the North Atlantic Council as a forum where all Arctic related issues could be debated and discussed amongst allies. Doing so has the added advantage of contributing to the Organisation’s border drive to engage Beijing on a more formal and/or institutional footing and, at the same time, restart dialogue with Moscow when conditions allow.

Contrary to the commonly held assumption about Moscow’s unease with any NATO-led initiative in the Arctic, one must keep in mind that such apprehensions only arise when/if Moscow is excluded from discussions. The fact the Russia has participated in both ASFR and CHOD signals a high degree of pragmatism on the side of Russian leadership which is itself born out of a need to keep tensions on the low in the Arctic. At a time when Russia’s Foreign Minister has openly called for resumption of defense and security talks with the other Arctic states and as ASFR and CHOD become an extension of NATO, hence, one should not write off the prospect of a renewed NATO-Russia engagement.

Conclusion

Still, strengthening NATO’s political role in the Arctic and seeking to become the premium forum for strategic deliberations would prove a challenging task given that the nature and scope of the Alliance’s Arctic strategy is yet to be finalised. This is a work in progress that may prove more difficult than it might appear in the first instance given that each member state has its own unique sets of priorities in the Arctic which tend to vary depending on a number of factors including geographical proximity to Russia as well as the extent of their vulnerability to climate change. Equally significant is the considerable conceptual divergences amongst the Arctic member states with regard to NATO’s role in the region. However, decision making in NATO has always been marred with diplomatic jockeying aimed at reducing perceptual gaps amongst allies; that is, the NATO leadership is no stranger to consensus building efforts. It can therefore benefit from the current show of unity amongst the member states and try to use the momentum to its advantage by encouraging members to prioritize the greater good of the Alliance as a whole and agree on a common NATO approach towards the Arctic.

Adblock test (Why?)

Pending Finnish and Swedish NATO Membership and the Future Relevance of ASFR and CHOD - The Arctic Institute
Read More

Pending homes sales dip in OKC, reflecting national trend - Journal Record

A precipitous 31.1% drop in pending home sales nationwide in October was the largest year-over-year decline recorded since at least 2013, according to Redfin.  (File photo)

Pending home sales in Oklahoma City fell by 16.6% in October, according to data collected by online brokerage Redfin.

The local dip reflected a much steeper decline in pending sales nationwide, as rising interest rates, uncertainties over the economy and other influences factored into a widescale slowdown of the real estate industry.

In fact, Redfin said a 31.1% falloff in pending sales nationwide in October was the largest year-over-year decline recorded since it started tracking data in 2013.

Home price cuts also hit record highs, it said.

Nearly 60,000 home-purchase agreements fell through last month. Nearly a quarter – 23.9% – of people selling homes made decisions to reduce asking prices. That was double the rate of a year earlier, Redfin reported.

Some would-be sellers have opted to change plans altogether and keep homes off the market. Redfin noted a 24% drop in year-over-year new listings nationwide.

The average 30-year-fixed mortgage was 6.9% in October, up 3.83 percentage points from a year earlier. That represented the largest year-over-year increase in any month since 1981.

“The Fed’s actions to curb inflation are causing the housing market to slow at a pace not seen since the financial crisis,” said Redfin Economics Research Lead Chen Zhao. “There are already early but promising signs that inflation is cooling, which caused mortgage rates to drop last week. If that progress continues, buyers who recently backed out of deals may return to the market and sellers may be less inclined to slash their prices.”

The median U.S. home sale price declined 1.4% month-over-month in October, but prices were still up by 4.9% from a year earlier.

Prices may further ease as listings linger and competition slows, Zhao said. Homes that sold in October were on the market for a median of 35 days, up from 21 days a year earlier, and less than half (44.6%) of home offers written by Redfin agents faced competition. That compared with more than two-thirds (67.3%) that faced competition in October 2021.

In terms of days spent on market prior to sale, the fastest market last month was Rochester, New York, where half of all homes reached pending status within 10 days. Other fast markets included Omaha, Nebraska; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Columbia, South Carolina; and Buffalo, New York.

Slowest markets were Chicago, with 61 median days on market, followed by Honolulu; West Palm Beach, Florida; and New York City.

Adblock test (Why?)

Pending homes sales dip in OKC, reflecting national trend - Journal Record
Read More

This Bengals player is considered one of the 10 best pending free agents - Stripe Hype

This offseason provided plenty of drama between Jessie Bates and the Cincinnati Bengals, as the long-time safety vowed that he would not play for the stripes on the franchise tag after they slapped him with it early in free agency.

While Bates came around and agreed to play on the tag, fans haven't been the happiest with him this season. He hasn't looked like his dominant self from the 2018 to 2020 seasons and it's made Bengals fans realize how fortunate they were not to sign him to a long-term deal.

Even with Bates' not-as-impressive season, he's still listed as one of the best pending free agents, per Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus.

"While his 71.1 PFF grade through Week 10 is only 27th-best at the position, his 80.9 run-defense grade is a top-10 mark. Bates is also on track to play his fifth 900-plus-snap season in five years as an NFL player, pairing his above-average skill set with remarkable reliability. He ranks behind only Kevin Byard in regular-season snaps played among safeties since 2018."

- Brad Spielberger, PFF

While the Bengals probably aren't going to sign Bates to a long-term deal, he shouldn't have a problem finding a team that'll be willing to lock him up on a large contract. As Spielberger noted, Bates is great against the run and he's durable. Teams are going to be interested in adding a player who can help them slow down the run and stay healthy throughout the year.

Next. Top 15 Draft Picks in Bengals History. dark

It's disappointing that Bates hasn't been as clutch this season but he had a similar look during last year's regular season and then turned it on during the playoffs. Who's to say he can't do that again this year?

Adblock test (Why?)

This Bengals player is considered one of the 10 best pending free agents - Stripe Hype
Read More

Heather Mack seeks release from custody pending summer murder trial - FOX 32 Chicago

Heather Mack: Trial set for Chicago area woman who spent years in prison overseas for murdering her mom

Heather Mack, the Chicago area woman who spent seven years in prison overseas for the murder of her mother, is now set to face charges in the United States.

CHICAGO - Heather Mack’s attorneys asked a federal judge to release her from jail while she awaits a summer trial on charges she conspired to kill her mother in what was dubbed the "Bali suitcase murder."

The motion filed Monday with Judge Matthew Kennelly says Mack has been jailed in "extremely difficult COVID conditions." The attorneys wrote she poses no flight risk, has no passport and no desire to travel. Mack volunteered to return to the U.S. to face the new charges upon finishing a "lengthy" seven-year sentence in Bali, her attorneys wrote.

Mack should also be released because she is not a threat, her attorneys said.

"Apart from the long-standing conflict that Ms. Mack had with her mother prior to her mother’s death, Ms. Mack had absolutely no record of presenting any danger to anyone," her attorneys wrote.

Mack has remained in federal custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago since she arrived at O’Hare airport in November 2021, under indictment for conspiring to kill her mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, in 2014. Her body was discovered in a suitcase outside the St. Regis Bali Resort.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE FOX 32 YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Tommy Schaefer, with whom Mack had a child, is serving an Indonesian prison sentence for von Wiese-Mack’s murder.

The motion filed Monday could complicate the custody battle for Mack’s 7-year-old daughter. Last week, a Cook County judge ordered Mack’s daughter, Estelle Schaefer, into the temporary care of a maternal cousin of Mack from Colorado. The order was against Mack’s own wishes. She had asked for her daughter to be cared for by her grandmother in the Rockford area.

Mack is set to go to trial in federal court in Chicago on July 31.

Adblock test (Why?)

Heather Mack seeks release from custody pending summer murder trial - FOX 32 Chicago
Read More

Pending home sales post record drop as deals die and price cuts soar - Inman

New markets require new approaches and tactics. More than 250 experts and industry leaders will take the stage at Inman Connect New York in January to help you navigate the market shift — and prepare for success in 2023. Register today and get a special offer $1099 ticket price.

Despite nearly a quarter of homesellers slashing their asking prices amid a market slowdown, homebuyers still canceled purchase contracts at a record rate in October, according to Redfin on Monday.

Pending sales declined a record 32.1 percent in October, the highest rate of decline since Redfin began tracking market activity in 2013. More than 17 percent — or 60,000 — deals fell through, as rising mortgage rates and inflation pushed homebuyers back to the sidelines in hopes of more friendly market conditions in the coming year.

“The Fed’s actions to curb inflation are causing the housing market to slow at a pace not seen since the financial crisis,” Redfin Economics Research Lead Chen Zhao said in a prepared statement.

Allentown, Penn. (-54.9 percent), Greensboro, NC (-50.4 percent), Honolulu (-47.3 percent), Salt Lake City (-46 percent) and Jacksonville (-45.9 percent) took the biggest hit in annual pending home sales, with Jacksonville, Fla. experiencing the highest share of home-purchase cancellations (30.6 percent).

Tampa (26.7 percent), San Antonio (26.6 percent), Atlanta (25.2 percent) and Las Vegas (25.1 percent) also experienced double-digit cancellations, with at least a fourth of buyers pulling the plug on their purchases in October.

Affordable secondary markets seemed to escape the worst of buyers’ fall fallback, with pending sales declining the least in McAllen, TX (-6.6 percent), Rochester, NY (-14.2 percent), Detroit (-14.4 percent), Buffalo, NY (-15.1 percent) and El Paso (-15.8 percent).

Meanwhile, buyers in pricier markets took advantage of widespread price cuts with less than a tenth of buyers in San Francisco (6 percent), followed by San Jose (8 percent), Nassau County, NY (8.2 percent), Montgomery County, PA (9.3 percent) New York (10.5 percent) canceling deals.

Redfin’s October market overview.

In response to waning demand, the number of new and active listings took a sizeable hit.

New listings fell the most in Cape Coral (-50.8 percent), followed by Boise (-49.8 percent), Greensboro (-46.3 percent), Allentown (-42.1 percent) and Baton Rouge (-39.3 percent), and fell the least in McAllen (-0.4 percent), New Orleans (-3.2 percent), Detroit (-6.3 percent) and Rochester (-7.8 percent).

Only one market —El Paso, TX—experienced a 3.3 percent increase in new listings.

The number of active listings (e.g. the total number of homes for sale) fell the most in Hartford, CT (-32.6 percent), Milwaukee (-29.3 percent), Greensboro (-27.8 percent), Bridgeport, CT (-27.6 percent) and Allentown (-25.8 percent) while active listings experienced the biggest leap in North Port (46.9 percent), Austin (42.3 percent), Nashville (40 percent), Tampa (33.2 percent) and Phoenix (32.9 percent).

As with other market metrics, the average days on market and share of homes sold above asking price varied wildly.

Rochester (10 days), Omaha (11 days), Grand Rapids (11 days) Columbia, SC (12 days) and Buffalo (12 days) had the quickest median days on market, with homes in Chicago (61 days) Honolulu (59), West Palm Beach, FL (58), New York (57) and Lake County (56) staying on market for nearly two months before going under contract.

Unsurprisingly, Rochester had the highest share of homes sold above asking price (65.4 percent), followed by Buffalo (60.1 percent), Hartford (58.5 percent), Worcester (52.1 percent) and Camden, NJ (50.9 percent). Meanwhile, barely a fourth of listings in North Port (12.9 percent), Cape Coral (13.5 percent), Phoenix (13.6 percent), West Palm Beach (13.9 percent) and Boise (14 percent) sold above asking price.

Looking forward, Zhao said improving inflation and mortgage rates could encourage homebuyers to return to the market in early 2023; however, they may not have as much negotiating power.

“There are already early but promising signs that inflation is cooling, which caused mortgage rates to drop last week,” he said. “If that progress continues, buyers who recently backed out of deals may return to the market and sellers may be less inclined to slash their prices.”

Email Marian McPherson

Adblock test (Why?)

Pending home sales post record drop as deals die and price cuts soar - Inman
Read More

As GlobalFoundries warns of pending job cuts, employees express frustration - vtdigger.org

By the end of September, things were looking up for GlobalFoundries as it closed out the quarter with a 22% gain in revenues over the previous year. In October, the company received more good news. At a press conference outside its massive plant in Essex Junction attended by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the company announced $30 million in federal funding to develop advanced chips. Ten days later, it received state approval to form its own public utility to save on electricity costs.  

Then, less than two weeks ago, a sudden lurch in market forces resulted in the global company announcing to its roughly 14,000 employees that layoffs were in the making.

The volatility of the market, and GlobalFoundries’ unexpected announcement, has Vermont employees of the chipmaker wondering if their jobs are on the line. The uncertainty comes as soaring interest rates appear to be impacting the labor market. Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a slight increase in Vermont’s unemployment rate in October, from 2.1% to 2.3%. It marked the first increase since January 2021.

GlobalFoundries’ chief executive officer, Thomas Caulfield, said in a video distributed to employees on Nov. 11 that the company would provide a more complete and comprehensive plan in a company-wide online meeting at the end of the month. Two employees have told VTDigger that the meeting is scheduled for Dec. 1.

Employees received the video just days after Caulfield, in a call with Wall Street analysts, touted the company’s stellar performance in the third quarter. In that call, he also warned that the company would have to begin cutting costs as demand for semiconductors slowed.

The mixed messages were not lost on the company’s workers in Vermont.

“My coworkers and I are frustrated and annoyed that the company has been bragging about profits for the last two years, and at the first downturn has to slash jobs,” said one employee of the Essex Junction plant. 

That employee and one other spoke to VTDigger on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution for speaking about their employer.

“Can none of those massive profits be used as a bridge to keep knowledgeable employees on the payroll?” the first employee asked. “It seems like an incredibly shortsighted decision and feels insulting after so much talk of big money.”

GlobalFoundries President and CEO Thomas Caulfield speaks during an announcement that the company has secured federal funding to produce state-of-the-art microchips at its plant in Essex Junction on Oct. 17. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

In the four-and-a-half minute video obtained by VTDigger, Caulfield delivered what he called “an important and sobering message,” describing the economic forces that have shaped the company’s plans for job cuts.

The global company with headquarters in Malta, New York, and a large plant in Essex Junction has yet to describe the scope of those job cuts or how they might affect the size of the Vermont workforce.

The company confirmed its plans in response to an inquiry from VTDigger last week. When asked to address the employees’ concerns, GlobalFoundries spokesperson Gina DeRossi declined to comment further. 

In the video, Caulfield told employees that in the previous four to six weeks, “we have seen an unprecedented shift in the near-term outlook for semiconductor demand.” 

An analyst who follows GlobalFoundries said that the demand for semiconductors from data centers had been strong until recently.

“I think that that is beginning to fall off,” said Matt Bryson, senior vice president for research at Wedbush Securities. “Maybe that’s why you’re seeing this incremental dip in demand.” 

GlobalFoundries in Essex Junction on Oct. 17. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

In addition, as companies that sell consumer electronics worry about a slowdown in the economy, they are deciding to draw down their inventories rather than place new orders, which could also explain the sudden drop, Bryson said.

Caulfield said GlobalFoundries customers “are seeing their customers significantly slowing orders with them.”

As a result of the downturn in demand for semiconductors, Caulfield told employees, the company needs to address its largest cost: labor. 

The company had already instituted a hiring freeze, Caulfield said, but based on the depth and duration of the coming downturn, it will have to “selectively reduce staffing in key areas” of the business. 

Caulfield did not indicate where staff would be reduced or whether the Essex Junction plant, which includes more than 2,000 employees and 800 contractors, would be affected. GlobalFoundries has other factories in New York, Germany and Singapore. 

“In line with our company values, we are going to do our very best to treat those leaving with the respect they deserve and provide them with the right support to ease this transition,” Caulfield said. 

The first employee criticized the timing of the announcement, just before the holiday season. 

“How are you going to announce this and say there will be layoffs, but we’re not going to tell you anything for three weeks, and have people go over Thanksgiving with that?” the employee asked.

The second employee expressed the frustration more succinctly.

“I feel betrayed,” the worker said.

GlobalFoundries

Do you work at GlobalFoundries? If so, we would like to talk to you about potential layoffs. Please fill out the form below. (Anonymous entries are welcome, and we will not share your name without your permission.)

Want to stay on top of the latest business news? Sign up here to get a weekly email on all of VTDigger's reporting on local companies and economic trends. And check out our new Business section here.

Adblock test (Why?)

As GlobalFoundries warns of pending job cuts, employees express frustration - vtdigger.org
Read More