EXPLAINER: The tech behind Tokyo Olympics' fast track - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

TOKYO – The Jamaican sprinter and her Olympic-record time captured everyone's attention. What's under foot, though, might have been a factor when Elaine Thompson-Herah broke a 33-year-old Olympic record in the women's 100 meters.

It's shaping up as a fast track surface at Olympic Stadium. Runners are certainly on track to setting personal, Olympic and possibly even world-record times over the next week at the Tokyo Games.

The brick-red track is made by Mondo, a company that's been around since 1948 and has been the supplier for 12 Olympic Games. This particular surface, according to the company, features “three-dimensional rubber granules specifically designed with a selected polymeric system that are integrated in the top layer of MONDOTRACK WS that are added to the semi-vulcanized compound. The vulcanization process guarantees the molecular bond between the granules and the surrounding matter, creating a compact layer."

Translation: It's speedy.

“Feels like I’m walking on clouds,” U.S. 100-meter sprinter Ronnie Baker explained of the surface. “It’s really smooth out there. It’s a beautiful track. One of the nicest I’ve run on.”

IS IT REALLY THAT FAST?

Maybe. Sometimes, it's just fast runners in tip-top shape who make it look fast. Only time will really tell. The track also has been baking in the Tokyo sun with little use, making it extra firm.

“Oh, it’s fast,” American 800-meter runner Clayton Murphy said. “Might take world records to win.”

WHEN WAS THE TRACK INSTALLED?

The track went in over four months, from August to November 2019. It hasn’t seen much action since the surface was put in. The athletes are breaking it in with style.

“You just feel it, man, you just feel it,” South African sprinter Akani Simbine said. “You know what fast tracks feel like. And for us, this track feels really quick and I am looking forward to running quick on it.”

WHY SO BOUNCY?

Mondo says on its website that the main objective was to “maximize the speed of athletes and improve their performance.” The top layer is vulcanized rubber to help with elasticity. There are also “air-filled cavities” in the lower layer, which assist with “shock absorption, energy storage and immediate kinetic response.”

More to the point: It helps racers fly down the track.

“Some tracks absorb your motion and your force,” American 400-meter hurdler and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin said. “This one regenerates it and gives it back to you. You can definitely feel it.”

SO WHAT WORLD RECORDS MAY FALL?

Keep close watch on the men’s and women’s 400 hurdles. McLaughlin set the mark (51.90 seconds) on June 27 at the U.S. Olympic trials, breaking the record that had belonged to teammate Dalilah Muhammad. They will be the gold-medal favorites Wednesday — and may break the mark again.

Karsten Warholm of Norway recently broke the men's 400 hurdles mark when he went 46.70. He eclipsed a record that had stood since 1992. Can he break it again?

“Maybe someone else will do it,” Warholm cracked. "I’ve done my job.”

GOTTA BE THE SHOES, TOO?

The other factor in these records could be the technological advances in the spikes. Nike’s Vaporfly model of shoe shook up the world of distance running a few years ago, with carbon-plated technology credited for helping runners shave minutes off their times. That sort of technology is moving its way into the spikes for sprinters.

Thompson-Herah also has a theory on fast times after running 10.61 seconds to break the Olympic mark of the late Florence Griffith Joyner. “My training,” she said. "Doesn’t matter the track or the shoes.”

___

More AP Olympics: https://ift.tt/3iHTMmY and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Fast times and false starts: What's going on at the Olympic track meet? - National Post

The sprinting name we know best in Canada today, Andre De Grasse, has already seen his performance in Tokyo influenced by two we might not, Mondo and Omega.

Author of the article:

Dan Barnes

Aveni Miguel of Angola reacts to a false start leading to his disqualification REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Photo by FABRIZIO BENSCH /REUTERS

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The sprinting name we know best in Canada today, Andre De Grasse, has already seen his performance in Tokyo influenced by two we might not, Mondo and Omega.

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The latest generation MondoTrack WS surface almost assuredly helped De Grasse to a blazing fast 9.91-second heat five victory in qualifying for the men’s 100-metres on Saturday, while Omega, the official timekeeper of the Olympics, made sure he did it legally.

Athlete reaction to the track has been universally positive. And why not? Six women beat the 11-second barrier in the 100-metre final and the gold medal winner, Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, went 10.61 to erase the 33-year-old Olympic record set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Public reaction to the illegal reaction times being measured by Omega’s smart blocks, on the other hand, has been somewhat less positive. But who is going to say anything nice about false starts and disqualifications?

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Not Divine Oduduru, the Nigerian sprinter who was in heat five with De Grasse on Saturday. For awhile, anyway.

Divine Oduduru of Team Nigeria talks with a track official after receiving a disqualification in the Men’s 100m Round 1 heats on day eight of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Patrick Smith /Getty Images

Omega’s smart blocks are equipped with accelerometers capable of measuring the athlete’s force against the takeoff pad at least 4,000 times per second. If the system detects a reaction within .10 seconds of the electronic starting gun going off, that’s usually a false start under World Athletics rule 167.2. Usually.

British runner Reece Prescod was let off the hook Saturday after his reaction time was measured at .093 seconds. The field instead was shown a green card, representing a technical problem with the start. When Oduduru then twitched at the line, he was shown the black and red card and was done. Five years of training gone in a controversial flicker. Pfft. There were disqualifications in qualifying for the women’s 400-metre hurdles too.

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   Scott Stinson: At yet another Olympics, the farce of Russia's doping 'ban' is plain to see

It’s no surprise then that rule 167.2 is unpopular. Immediate disqualification seems unduly harsh, and Oduduru paid a terrible price, just as Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt did prior to the 100-metre final at the 2011 worlds.

That naturally sparked an uproar so World Athletics, then known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, defended itself by releasing a study of false starts from three recent major meets held under the previous incarnation of the rule. The IAAF reported 26 false starts at the 2007 worlds, 33 at the 2008 Olympics and 25 at the 2009 worlds. Conversely, with its zero tolerance rule in place, they reported only 10 false starts at the 2011 worlds.

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And that previous incarnation, in place from 2003 to 2010, wasn’t popular either; the first false start charged to the field, the second resulting in disqualification, regardless of the offender. American Jon Drummond fell victim at the 2003 worlds in Paris, and wouldn’t go quietly. Delaying the race for almost an hour with his complaints and antics, Drummond at times laid down on his back in lane four.

America’s Jon Drummond protests his disqualification in the mens 100 m’s in the quarter at the Stade de France in Paris during the World Track and Field Championships, Sunday. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post jpg

And before that? Well, TV didn’t like the endless delays as sprinter after sprinter used up his or her one free false start. How ironic.

But back to that track surface. Hard to say which of its technological features is the sexiest. Athletes love its “three-dimensional net of pre-vulcanized granules with a controlled composition and elasticity in the surface layer,” and the “non-directional Tessellation” that improves grip and “elongated honeycomb backing” that returns energy to the athlete.

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OK, most of them probably haven’t read the company’s website to get the proprietary goods on Mondotrack WS, a 13-mm surface that was developed specifically for these Olympics.

But they know it’s smooth.

“It feels like I’m walking on a cloud, it’s really smooth out there,” said American sprinter Ronnie Baker. “It’s a beautiful track, one of the nicest I’ve run on.”

They know it’s fast.

“Oh, it is fast,” said American 800-metre runner Clayton Murphy. “It is hard, clean. It has been baking here for two years. It is fast.”

It might be so fast that it will take world and Olympic records to win gold medals.

“Oh, 100 per cent,” said American 400-metre hurdler Kenneth Selmon. “I think it’ll be broken on Tuesday and it’s going to take that to win, that’s for sure.”

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They also know it’s bouncy.

“You can feel the bounce,” said American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin. “Some tracks just absorb your bounce and your motion, this one regenerates it and gives it back to you.”

Sydney McLaughlin of Team United States competes in round one of the Women’s 400m hurdles heats on day eight of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo by Cameron Spencer /Getty Images

It took Mondo two months in the spring of 2019 to make the track at their factory in Alba, Italy. They shipped it — 1,875 rolls weighing a total of 420 tonnes — in sea cans to Tokyo, where a team of 12 specialists took four months to install it in both the main stadium and in the warm-up area, in plenty of time for what would have been a 2020 Olympics in 2020. The company said it’s an improved version of the one they laid down for Rio 2016.

Through the first few days of the athletics meet, that’s hard to argue. The false starts, on the other hand, will likely be the subject of debate throughout the meet.

dbarnes@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/sportsdanbarnes

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Athletics-100m favourite Bromell sneaks through as fast loser - Reuters

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 100m - Round 1 - OLS - Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - July 31, 2021. Trayvon Bromell of the United States reacts after competing in Heat 2 REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

TOKYO, July 31 (Reuters) - Trayvon Bromell, the fastest in the world this year and favourite to win the Olympic men's 100 metres gold, sneaked through the first-round heats as a fastest loser on Saturday, pouring even more intrigue into Sunday's final.

The American posted 9.77 seconds last month and, in the absence of banned world champion Christian Coleman, arrived as the man most likely to regain the blue riband title for the United States for the first time since 2004.

But he got a terrible start in the second heat and was labouring to make ground behind winner Enoch Adegoke of Nigeria (9.98 seconds). Bromell finished a ragged fourth in 10.05 seconds - with only the first three progressing automatically.

He faced an anxious wait through the remaining five heats but went through safely as the quickest of the three fastest losers.

With the retirement of triple champion Usain Bolt, the U.S. are desperate to regain the most prestigious title of the Olympics, having last triumphed via Justin Gatlin in Athens.

Ronnie Baker, who posted 10.03 in the opening heat, and Fred Kerley, 9.97, both looked good, while Canada's Andre de Grasse, bronze medallist in 2016, was the fastest qualifier with 9.91 seconds.

Jamaica's slim-looking hopes of continuing their streak are now resting on former world champion Yohan Blake (10.06) and Oblique Seville, who ran an equal personal best of 10.04, after trials winner Tyquendo Tracey did not make the start line.

Lamont Marcel Jacobs had an explosive start en route to an Italian record of 9.94 while Australian Rohan Browning ran a personal best to win the final heat in 10.01.

Kenya's Mark Otieno was pulled from the heats hours before the start after a positive doping test. That left Ferdinand Omanyala as the lone contender for Kenya - he also served a 14 month doping ban from 2017 - and he advanced by tying his own national record of 10.01.

Nigerian Divine Oduduru, who has a personal best of 9.86, was disqualified after a false start.

The semi-finals and finals both take place on Sunday evening, local time, in Tokyo.

Reporting by Mitch Phillips, and Editing by Ed Osmond

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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MacKeeper Can Keep An Apple Mac Secure, Fast And Lean - Forbes

A side job for fast typists: transcription - Los Angeles Times

Tips For Selling Your Home Fast | Branded Voices | Advertise - nativenewsonline.net

Details

Finally, you have decided to sell your home. That’s good. It’s your investment and you should get the right amount from the sale. However, there are several homes for sale online. This makes it challenging to get the right deal. However, that shouldn’t scare you. With the following tips and tricks, you can sell your home fast and make real money.

Understanding The Basics

It’s important to understand all the mechanics involved in selling the house. This includes the process and how to get clients for your home. The speed of selling your home is dependent on several factors. They include location, neighborhood, security, etc. Thus, it’s important to understand these factors. It’s also important to consider the market forces. Understand how to sell a house that needs major repairs. Understanding these fundamentals will help you kick off the process of selling your home.

Sell It to A Wholesaler

Most real estate transactions are carried via cash.  This means that the involvement of banks is minimal. However, if you want the process to be smoother, think about doing it through a wholesaler. With a wholesaler, you have a party that can middle man the process, giving you a humble time to focus on other matters. They understand the process of selling the house and how to fast-track it. Plus, they have ready-to-buy buyers. Thus, you can easily get a better deal for your house. Also, it will make the process fast.

Work With a Good Agent

You can also sell your house through a real estate agent. Thus, consider hiring the best agent in town. Choose a real estate agent who understands the real estate dynamics in your area. A good real estate agent has the experience to list your house, find the best buyer, and make the process quick. However, you should define your working relationship. In particular, you should draft an elaborate contract.

Reduce The Price

The location of your home cannot be changed. However, the price can be changed. That’s why you need to look at the price of your house if you want to sell your house fast. Depending on the market dynamics, changing the price can bring in quick buyers and get you a quick deal.

Mortgage Transfer

Consider doing a mortgage transfer if you want to sell your house quickly. That person should fully assume your mortgage. However, you must do your research before opting for this process. Read the terms of the mortgage. Don’t do things in a hurry. Consult your lawyer first.

Key Takeaway

Selling your home shouldn’t be stressful. With the right steps, you can sell your home fast and move out. One of the best ways to sell your home is through an agent.

The Bottom-Line

Sell your house without much hassle. Use the above tips and tricks to sell that house of yours without any issues. These are the tips and tricks you need to sell that home of yours fast and efficiently.

Native Perspective.  Native Voices.  Native News. 

We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers.  We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.

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Riga: Kitchen robot cooks up new future for fast food - Euronews

In Latvia's capital, a pasta order comes in and a robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery. Within 5 minutes, a piping hot plate is ready. Roboeatz was set up in January 2018 and aims to revolutionise the fast food industry with its innovative use of technology.

A pasta order comes in and the robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery in Riga. After five minutes of gyrations, a piping hot plate is ready.

The Riga cafe, located under a crumbling concrete bridge, is designed in such a way that customers can observe the robotic arm at work.

It also has a seating area, although most customers prefer take away since vaccination certificates are required to be able to eat indoors in Latvia.

A Roboeatz app allows customers to order and pay for their dish before picking it up at the cafe.

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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for July 31, 2021 - CTV Edmonton

OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.

Fast Facts:

• Masks will remain mandatory in Ontario when province lifts restrictions after Step 3
• Ottawa sees highest COVID-19 daily case count in 26 days
• Canada is heading towards a 'Delta-driven' fourth wave, Tam says

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):

• New COVID-19 cases: 10 new cases on Friday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 27,811
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 3.5
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 0.5 per cent (seven day average)
• Reproduction Number: 1.12 (seven day average)

Testing:

Who should get a test?

Ottawa Public Health says you can get a COVID-19 test at an assessment centre, care clinic, or community testing site if any of the following apply to you:

• You are showing COVID-19 symptoms;
• You have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by Ottawa Public Health or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app;
• You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health;
• You are a resident, a worker or a visitor to long-term care, retirement homes, homeless shelters or other congregate settings (for example: group homes, community supported living, disability-specific communities or congregate settings, short-term rehab, hospices and other shelters);
• You are a person who identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis;
• You are a person travelling to work in a remote First Nations, Inuit or Métis community;
• You received a preliminary positive result through rapid testing;
• You are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
• You are a farm worker;
• You are an educator who cannot access pharmacy-testing; or
• You are in a targeted testing group as outlined in guidance from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Long-term care staff, caregivers, volunteers and visitors who are fully immunized against COVID-19 are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering or visiting a long-term care home.

Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:

There are several sites for COVID-19 testing in Ottawa. To book an appointment, visit https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/shared-content/assessment-centres.aspx

• The Brewer Ottawa Hospital/CHEO Assessment Centre: Open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Centretown Community Health Centre: Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sandy Hill Community Health Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 pm.
• Somerset West Community Health Centre: Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for summer camp children and staff. All campers and staff must complete the COVID-19 School and Childcare screening tool daily.

Symptoms:

Classic Symptoms: fever, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath

Other symptoms: sore throat, difficulty swallowing, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pneumonia, new or unexplained runny nose or nasal congestion

Less common symptoms: unexplained fatigue, muscle aches, headache, delirium, chills, red/inflamed eyes, croup

The Ontario government has outlined what restrictions will look like once the province exits the three step Roadmap to Reopen plan.

“Upon exiting the Roadmap, the vast majority of public health measures, including capacity limits, will be lifted. Only a small number of measures will remain in place, including the requirement for passive screening, such as posting a sign, and businesses requiring a safety plan,” a spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott said Friday.

Face coverings and masks will be required in indoor public settings due to the risk of the Delta variant, said the province.

On Thursday, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said she recommended masks remain mandatory in Ontario into the fall.

Ottawa Public Health reported 10 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, the first time Ottawa has seen a double-digit daily case increase in more than three weeks.

No new deaths were reported in Ottawa.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 27,811 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 593 deaths.

The last time Ottawa Public Health reported double-digit case numbers on a single day was on July 4, when 14 cases were reported.

New national modelling data released on Friday shows Canada is headed towards a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, but how severe of a resurgence it'll be depends on how many people are fully vaccinated.

“The updated longer-range forecast shows how the epidemic trajectory may evolve through early September," said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer.

"It suggests that we are at the start of the Delta-driven fourth wave, but that the trajectory will depend on ongoing increases in fully vaccinated coverage, and the timing, pace and extent of reopening."

After weeks of sustained decline in new cases, the Public Health Agency of Canada is warning that if community-wide contact rates increase too quickly with ongoing reopening efforts, the long-term forecast indicates Canada could experience a “stronger resurgence” of the virus.

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Kitchen robot in Riga cooks up new future for fast food - FRANCE 24

Issued on: 31/07/2021 - 07:20

Riga (AFP)

A pasta order comes in and the robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery in Riga. After five minutes of gyrations, a piping hot plate is ready.

The Riga cafe, located under a crumbling concrete bridge, is designed in such a way that customers can observe the robotic arm at work.

It also has a seating area, although most customers prefer take away since vaccination certificates are required to be able to eat indoors in Latvia.

A Roboeatz app allows customers to order and pay for their dish before picking it up at the cafe.

"The food tasted better than I expected!" said customer Iveta Ratinika, a teacher and a member of the Latvian capital's education board.

Ratinika said she would encourage schoolchildren to come and observe the robotic arm in action and mused that there could be robots working at the school cafeteria within "a few years".

- Kitchen design is 'real challenge' -

Roboeatz was set up in January 2018 by Konstantins Korcjomkins and Janis Poruks, who have been running the Woki Toki fast food chain in Latvia since 2009.

Their aim? To revolutionise the fast food industry.

#photo1

"This robot replaces four to six human employees, reducing labour costs significantly," said Poruks, who has a background in engineering.

But he stressed that the introduction of such robots would not push up unemployment rates since "people are not lining up to flip burgers".

"The robot will not replace people who are willing to have a career in restaurants and catering, becoming chefs or other food celebrities. The robot will take those low-paid jobs which most people already do not want," he said.

Automated kitchen technology has been gaining interest in recent years, and that has been accelerated by the pandemic.

At a newly opened eatery in Paris, customers can watch robots build, bake and box up pizzas at a rate of up to 80 an hour.

In the US, a robot named "Sally" belonging to the startup Chowbotics can whip up salads sold through a vending machine.

And, for the ultimate household luxury, a UK-based company last year unveiled a fully robotic kitchen that will set customers back a minimum of £248,000 (291,000 euros, $347,000).

The designers of Roboeatz say it is designed to take over some of the food prep tasks while improving food safety and eliminating the infection risks of crowded kitchens.

During a visit by AFP this week, the robotic arm was programmed to make three different pasta dishes.

Its creators say it can be programmed to make hundreds of recipes, taking into account the owner's favourites and food allergies.

"The robotic arm actually makes the least trouble of all, we just programme it to do what we need," said Korcjomkins.

"The real challenge is to design and invent an entire kitchen around the robot, which should contain all the food ingredients, spices, sauces, rotating pots for boiling and frying," he said.

- 'As popular as electric cars' -

The co-founders said the robotic arm would pay for itself within two years at most.

"On average in the European Union, one employee in the kitchen costs the company around 16 euros ($19) an hour, which includes salary, taxes, insurance, training and everything else," said Poruks.

#photo2

"The robot does not need health insurance, its kids cannot get sick, it does not go on vacation or maternity leave, it does not complain and it cannot bring Covid from home to work," he said.

The company has big expansion plans with sales offices in Canada and the United States and a technical team in Riga to programme the robots.

The technology was shown off earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in the US.

The co-founders said they were unconcerned about competition from similar robots, such as the pizza-making one in France.

"Our robot is designed to do more tasks and jobs than just make pizza. Our goal is to create a robot that can be useful for many kinds of foods, cuisines and dishes," said Korcjomkins.

"Hopefully a robot in kitchen will become as popular as electric cars!"

© 2021 AFP

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Biden administration resumes fast-track deportation flights - POLITICO

In this Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 file photo, a migrant family wearing face masks crosses the border into El Paso, Texas, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. | AP Photo/Christian Chavez

The Biden administration on Friday resumed fast-track deportation flights to Central America following another spike in families crossing the border into the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

The administration announced plans to resume the expedited removals on Monday, responding to building pressure on the White House to increase enforcement at the Southern border as the Covid Delta variant spreads in Texas and across the U.S.

“Families apprehended by Customs and Border Protection were removed via U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Air Operations to their home countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras,” a statement from the Department of Homeland Security said. “The expedited removal process is a lawful means to securely manage our border, and it is a step toward our broader aim to realize safe and orderly immigration processing.”

The Biden administration has continued to use the public health order, known as Title 42, which was invoked by former President Donald Trump at the start of the pandemic to expel migrants without allowing them to seek asylum. Biden has declined to use Title 42 to deport minors crossing into the U.S.

The administration was expected to start phasing out its use of Title 42 this summer, beginning with allowing migrant families to seek asylum. But as the U.S. enters the next uncertain phase of the pandemic and returns to mitigation measures such as masks, the administration has delayed lifting the restrictions.

Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates have called on the Biden administration to ditch the Trump-era policy, saying its use is unlawful, inhumane and not justified by public health. The groups say migrants could instead be tested for Covid and isolated upon entering the U.S. to prevent the spread of the virus.

The White House's announcement Monday that it planned to speed up deportations for families that could not be expelled under Title 42 infuriated advocates. Expedited removal has been used by Republican and Democratic administrations to allow border officials to expel migrants without a hearing before an immigration judge.

The administration’s move comes as Republican lawmakers criticized the White House’s handling of the border, with many blaming the Texas Covid surge on increased border crossings from Mexico.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order this week designed to restrict border entries in Texas. His order directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to stop and reroute “any vehicle upon reasonable suspicion of such violation.”

“The dramatic rise in unlawful border crossings has also led to a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases among unlawful migrants who have made their way into our state, and we must do more to protect Texans from this virus and reduce the burden on our communities,” Abbott said in a statement Wednesday.

Border apprehensions for the fiscal year surpassed 1 million in June, according to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures. In June alone, more than 188,000 were apprehended at the border — a 21-year high.

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Spurred By The Pandemic, Industry 4.0 Is Now Scaling Fast - Forbes

Chile Central Bank Says Investors' Rate Hike Bets Are Too Fast - BNN

(Bloomberg) -- Chile central bank board members said market expectations for interest rate hikes were too fast given medium-term risks, reaffirming their plans for gradual reduction in monetary stimulus.

Trends in the labor and credit markets need to be better understood, policy makers wrote in the minutes to their July rate-setting meeting published on Friday. In that context, the interest rate will remain below neutral over “the complete” two-year policy horizon, bank board members wrote.

“Several board members highlighted that at the time of the meeting, market prices had tended to internalize a process of monetary policy adjustment faster than was considered appropriate,” they wrote. The bank lifted borrowing costs to 0.75% this month after holding them steady at a record low for over a year.

Chile’s central bank is paring back stimulus as activity leaps and inflation runs above the 3% target. The government is pumping billions of dollars into the economy through cash transfers and subsidies. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases have plunged, prompting officials to loosen rules affecting everything from international travel to the number of people in stores and restaurants.

Read more: Chile Eases Foreign Travel Restrictions as Covid-19 Wave Recedes

Annual inflation reached 3.8% in June mainly due to fuel prices, according to the minutes. In contrast, food costs now represent less of a driver to cost of living increases.

Pockets of weakness as well as a significant degree of uncertainty remain in Chile’s economy, policy makers wrote in the minutes. In that context, stimulus is still needed, though with lesser intensity than before, they wrote.

Recent indicators show that consumption and retail are driving the country’s economic rebound. In-store sales in the Santiago metropolitan region surged 65% year-on-year in June, according to the National Chamber of Commerce.

Indeed, more Chileans are venturing out as the pandemic recedes. Test positivity levels are around 2%, the lowest on record, while the seven-day rolling average for cases has plunged to 1,300 from over 7,300 in early June.

The central bank expects gross domestic product to expand 8.5%-9.5% this year, while annual inflation reaches 4.4% in December, according to forecasts published last month.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for July 30, 2021 - CTV Edmonton

OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.

Fast Facts:

• Ottawa Public Health reported eight new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday.
• Ontario reached one of its benchmarks for moving out of Step 3 on Thursday.
• Ottawa's medical officer of health wants the province to maintain a mask mandate in the fall.
• Breaking down barriers will be necessary to reach 90 per cent vaccine coverage in Ottawa, Dr. Vera Etches says.

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):

• New COVID-19 cases: Eight new cases on Thursday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 27,801
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 3.9
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 0.7 per cent (seven day average)
• Reproduction Number: 1.02 (seven day average)

Testing:

Who should get a test?

• Ottawa Public Health says you can get a COVID-19 test at an assessment centre, care clinic, or community testing site if any of the following apply to you:
• You are showing COVID-19 symptoms;
• You have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by Ottawa Public Health or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app;
• You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health;
• You are a resident, a worker or a visitor to long-term care, retirement homes, homeless shelters or other congregate settings (for example: group homes, community supported living, disability-specific communities or congregate settings, short-term rehab, hospices and other shelters);
• You are a person who identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis;
• You are a person travelling to work in a remote First Nations, Inuit or Métis community;
• You received a preliminary positive result through rapid testing;
• You are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
• You are a farm worker;
• You are an educator who cannot access pharmacy-testing; or
• You are in a targeted testing group as outlined in guidance from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:

There are several sites for COVID-19 testing in Ottawa. To book an appointment, visit https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/shared-content/assessment-centres.aspx

• The Brewer Ottawa Hospital/CHEO Assessment Centre: Open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Centretown Community Health Centre: Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sandy Hill Community Health Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 pm.
• Somerset West Community Health Centre: Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for summer camp children and staff. All campers and staff must complete the COVID-19 School and Childcare screening tool daily.

Symptoms:

Classic Symptoms: fever, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath

Other symptoms: sore throat, difficulty swallowing, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pneumonia, new or unexplained runny nose or nasal congestion

Less common symptoms: unexplained fatigue, muscle aches, headache, delirium, chills, red/inflamed eyes, croup

Ottawa Public Health said Thursday that eight more people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19 and there is one more COVID-19 patient in the hospital.

To date, Ottawa has seen 27,801 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. No new deaths were reported Thursday, marking two straight weeks of zero COVID-19 deaths in capital. A total of 593 residents of Ottawa have died due to COVID-19.

The number of known active cases is above 50 again after reaching a low of 21 active cases earlier this month.

There are zero active COVID-19 outbreaks in the city.

Ontario has reached one of the benchmarks the provincial government set for moving beyond Step 3 of reopening, leading to a further shedding of public health restrictions.

According to Health Minister Christine Elliott, 80 per cent of the eligible population has now received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

There are three other main points to reach: 75 per cent of the population must have two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, no public health unit can have less than 70 per cent of their eligible population vaccinated, and hospitalizations and case counts must be stable.

So far, just under 70 per cent of all adults in the province have had both doses.

The earliest Ontario can move out of Step 3, according to the provincial framework, is Aug. 6. 

Ottawa's medical officer of health says she wants to see mask mandates remain in effect across Ontario even after the province moves out of Step 3 of its reopening plan.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Dr. Vera Etches said she has spoken with Ontario's chief medical officer of health. Dr. Kieran Moore, about maintaining a province-wide mask mandate come fall.

"What I expect, going into the fall, is that (Ottawa) will continue to operate under provincial regulations and I'm speaking with our chief medical officer of health about continuing to include mask requirements for crowds," she said.

"My recommendation would be to have a province-wide approach," she added. "We're all connected and travel is increasing as people have that protection (from vaccines). It's one of those things that is under active conversation and consideration for the next step."

Ottawa has a local mandatory mask bylaw that covers mask use in public places, but city staff say it will expire on Aug. 26, as local authorities have been following the provincial guidelines. The temporary mandatory mask bylaw was first enacted when there were no provincial regulations regarding mask use as a public health measure.

Despite the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in the capital slowing down, Ottawa's medical officer of health says the goal of reaching 90 per cent of the eligible population is within reach, but there are barriers to overcome.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Dr. Vera Etches said Ottawa's COVID-19 vaccine uptake is strong, but there are still many people in the city who have yet to be vaccinated.

There are approximately 284,000 residents of Ottawa who have not had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. About 130,000 of them are children under 12.

Etches says the remaining individuals who have yet to be vaccinated include people who face barriers to vaccination, often the need to find adequate child care to allow for vaccination or a lack of transportation options to community and pop-up clinics.

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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for July 30, 2021 - CTV Edmonton
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Fast day at pool, track on Day 7 of Tokyo Olympics - Toronto Star

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Games got their first swimming individual world record and a fast start to the track competition on Day 7 of the Olympics.

Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa won the women’s 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 18.95 seconds, breaking the mark of 2:19.11 set by Rikke Moller Pedersen of Denmark at the 2013 world championships in Barcelona.

The United States claimed the other two medals. Lilly King set a blistering pace early in the race and held on for a silver in 2:19.92. Annie Lazor grabbed bronze in 2:20.84.

“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” said Schoenmaker, who added to her silver in the 100 breast. ”It couldn’t have been a better race. It still just doesn’t sink in, maybe one day.”

It was the third world record at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with the first two coming in women’s relays.

Track and field is underway at the Olympics, with the women laying down some very fast times in the 100 meters heats.

There were no major surprises in the opening session at the Olympic Stadium, other than those early times in what promises to be a tight women’s 100 battle.

Defending Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah won her heat in 10.82 seconds and fellow Jamaican and favorite Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce cruised home in 10.84 to win hers. Marie-Josée Ta Lou of Ivory Coast laid down the fastest time of the heats in a surprising 10.78 seconds.

“I’m in shock, actually,” Ta Lou said. “But I know I’m ready.”

Six women finished in under 11 seconds. Teahna Daniels of the United States and Dina Asher-Smith of Britain also progressed. The women’s 100 final is Saturday.

Marie-Josee Ta Lou, of the Ivory Coast, wins a heat in the women's 100-meter run at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Russian Evgeny Rylov has completed a backstroke sweep at the Tokyo Olympics. Rylov added the 200-meter backstroke title to his victory in the 100 back, winning with an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 53.29 seconds.

The silver went to American Ryan Murphy in 1:54.15, while Luke Greenbank of Britain grabbed the bronze in 1:54.72.

Murphy was a double-gold medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, extending America’s dominance of the backstroke events that went back to 1992.

Rylov ended the U.S. winning streak with his two golds in Tokyo. Murphy settled for a bronze and silver this time.

STREAKING

A’ja Wilson scored 20 points and Breanna Stewart added 15 to help the U.S. beat Japan 86-69 in the women’s basketball tournament.

The U.S. has now won 51 consecutive games dating back to the bronze medal game in the 1992 Olympics, although the team has looked far from sharp in its first two games at the Saitama Super Arena.

CRASH LANDING

American BMX racer Connor Fields was awake, stable and awaiting further medical evaluation at the hospital after a violent crash on the first lap of his qualifying heat.

The reigning gold medalist slammed into the turn coming off a jump and was hit by two other riders.

Medical personnel raced onto the course to attend to him before carrying him away on a stretcher to an ambulance at Ariake Urban Sports Park.

The 28-year-old from Las Vegas qualified for the finals despite the crash but was not able to race.

KNOCKED OUT

Paula Reto of South Africa has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t play at the Olympic women’s golf competition next week at Kasumigaseki Country Club. She had not yet left for Tokyo.

She is the first female golfer with a positive test. The men’s competition lost Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to positive test results.

Reto has been replaced in the 60-player field by Diksha Dagar of India.

ROW THE BOAT

Canada’s rowing team ended the U.S. run of three consecutive gold medals in the women’s eight and New Zealand claimed three medals, including Emma Twigg’s long-awaited victory in the women’s single sculls and a win in the men’s eight, to dominate the last day of rowing.

With the U.S. finishing fourth in both the women’s and men’s eight, the American rowers leave Japan empty-handed.

Canada toppled the Americans with a commanding start-to-finish win ahead of New Zealand and China. The U.S. boat found itself dropped by the leaders early in the race and was never in medal contention.

Canada won its first gold medal in women’s rowing since 1996.

RECORD BREAKER

U.S. women’s water polo captain Maggie Steffens broke the Olympic scoring record when she scored in the third period against the ROC, as the Russian team is called.

Steffens was all alone in front for her 48th career goal in the Olympics, snapping a tie with Tania Di Mario of Itlay for the top spot. Steffens scored again on the next possession to help the U.S. open a commanding 13-3 lead. The Americans won the match 18-5.

Women’s water polo was first introduced to the Olympic program for the 2000 Sydney Games.

The 28-year-old Steffens is going for her third consecutive gold medal.

ON THE BEACH

Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman have moved on to the Olympic beach volleyball knockout round after having just a little bit of trouble against the Netherlands.

Starting in a drizzle and finishing in a downpour, the No. 2 seeded Americans lost the opening set of the match 22-20. It was the first set they have lost in the Tokyo Games. They trailed 12-9 in the second before scoring four straight points and seven of the next eight to make it 21-17.

In the tiebreaking set, they pulled away to beat the winless Dutch pair of Sanne Keizer and Madelein Meppelink 15-5.

___

More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Fast day at pool, track on Day 7 of Tokyo Olympics - Toronto Star
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Penny Oleksiak just missed podium in blazing fast 100-meter freestyle final - National Post

'I really tried to bring it home and I did my best bringing it home, and if I got fourth I got fourth.'

Author of the article:

Scott Stinson

Penny Oleksiak of Team Canada reacts after competing in the first Semifinal of the Women's 100m Freestyle, July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Maddie Meyer /Getty Images

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TOKYO • Penny Oleksiak finished fourth in her signature event on Friday morning at Tokyo 2020, pushing back her quest to break the Canadian record for career Olympic medals.

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Oleksiak finished in a time of 52.59 in the 100-metre freestyle, just seventh hundredths of a second behind Australia’s Cate Campbell for the bronze medal. Emma McKeon of Australia won gold and Siobahn Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong took the silver. Oleksiak’s time set a new personal best and Canadian record.

Olesksiak said she was disappointed to miss the podium, but has to be happy with a swim that was the fourth-fastest time ever. She was a little slow off the start and in the opening stretch, and had too much ground to close despite her usual finishing kick.

“I knew on my turn, it wasn’t my best turn, and I was a little bit frustrated with that, but I really tried to bring it home and I did my best bringing it home, and if I got fourth I got fourth,” she said. “That’s still fourth in the world, so I’m not really complaining.”

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She also noted the field was blazing fast: “It just shows that the women in the 100 free are really moving forward, and it’s getting a lot faster out here, and it makes me excited to race in ‘24 and just kind of figure out the race a little bit more, see how I can get into the 51s, because in ‘24 the whole final could be 51s for all we know.

Oleksiak was swimming for her third medal at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, coming after a relay silver medal on Monday and a bronze medal in the 200-metre freestyle on Wednesday, which would have pushed her past of the six career medals of speedskater Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes, who was a medallist in both cycling and speedskating.

Canada’s Penny Oleksiak reacts after swimming to take the bronze medal in the women’s 200m freestyle final event during the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Photo by Frank Gunn /The Canadian Press

Penny Oleksiak, Kayla Sanchez, Rebecca Smith and Maggie Mac Neil pose on the podium after winning silver the final of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 25, 2021. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) Photo by ODD ANDERSEN /AFP via Getty Images

Gold medal winning swimmer Penny Oleksiak arrives at Pearson on a flight from Rio on Tuesday August 23, 2016. Michael Peake/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network Photo by Michael Peake /Michael Peake/Toronto Sun

The 21-year-old from Toronto was the breakout star of Rio 2016, where she won four medals in the pool including a gold in the 100-metre freestyle at just 16 years old.

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Oleksiak said the possibility of becoming the first Canadian to earn seven Olympic medals was “in the back of her mind,” but it has not been something she feels considerable pressure over.

“I don’t know, I have six Olympic medals. There’s only three people in Canada who can say that,” she said. “So I’m not too concerned. If I have six Olympic medals, I have six Olympic medals. Whatever.”

Oleksiak’s performance in Rio surprised even her coaches and trainers at Swimming Canada, who expected her to be on track to be a medallist in Japan, not Brazil. The sudden success came with its challenges, and Oleksiak’s formed dipped in between Olympics. She switched coaches and spent more than a year away from the national swim program and did not approach her times from Rio despite reaching what is generally a more competitive age.

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Her success was “something no one was really expecting and it was weird to deal with for the first time,” she told Postmedia’s Rob Longley before Tokyo. “I guess I am mentally strong enough because here I am now. But it was definitely a really tough time over the last five years.”

1. 

   'Poised to do something really extraordinary;' Canadian women seek podium finish at Olympic 4x400m relay

2. 

   Team Canada is dominating in the pool at these Olympics so far. It's not by accident

Team Canada’s medal total remains at 11 for Tokyo 2020, with the women’s eight rowers collecting a gold earlier on Friday. The team has won at least one medal on every day of competition so far, other than the first day they were handed out, last Saturday. It’s a sharp turn from the summer Games of the distant past at which Team Canada often went several days without putting a medal on the board.

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Honestly, this is gonna make the comeback more fun hehehehe

— Penny Oleksiak (@OleksiakPenny) July 30, 2021

Oleksiak and her swim teammates have medal chances still to come, including in Sunday’s relays.

She said the busy schedule this week, with heats and races almost every day, had not worn her out, and she credited the physio team for getting her ready to go again.

“I definitely think I had an optimal recovery, and I think it’s just a matter of figuring out the race and figuring out what I could have done better,” she said.

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Penny Oleksiak just missed podium in blazing fast 100-meter freestyle final - National Post
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