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Ky. communities hard-hit by flooding this year prepare for new flood risk Fox 56 The Link Lonk
Shanna Due, a financial planner with District Capital Management in Washington D.C., says that about 10% of her clients ask about the “Financial Independence, Retire Early”, or FIRE, movement. Most want to retire by 50, she says, or they want financial independence so they’re not tied to any one career.
“They want to have the financial flexibility to follow a new path if they want,” she says.
FIRE strategies typically require a lot of discipline, and they’re not for everyone. Followers save aggressively and live well below their means in hopes of acquiring financial flexibility and retiring years before is typical.
Individuals aiming to retire by 50 might need to accumulate 75% of their current annual income for every year they expect to be retired, Due says. So if a worker has current income of $100,000 a year, and is planning on a 35-year retirement, he or she would need more than $2.6 million by age 50.
The only way you amass so much money is saving heavily from the get-go. A 30-year-old with $50,000 in savings would likely be saving 50% or more of his or her salary over the next 20 years to approach this goal.
Before committing to an aggressive strategy like this, Due warns her clients to consider three factors carefully.
Understand your motivations
A FIRE strategy works best when you have a clearly defined reason for why you want to retire early and achieve financial independence. It’s different for different people. For some, their goal is to travel full time, while others want to leave a job they don’t like while maintaining their current lifestyle. Without clear direction, it may be hard to follow through with the discipline needed to save aggressively and live frugally.
“If you get on a FIRE plan, you have to make sacrifices along the way,” Due says. “Say you’re 25 years old and all your friends want to spend summer backpacking through Europe, if you’ve already set up your reasoning as to why you want to have $1.4 million in the bank by 40, it’s simple to say ‘no’ because you have a clearly defined purpose.”
Know what retirement means to you
Many individuals don’t have a clear idea of what their retirement will look like, and that can make planning difficult. “If your goal is to retire early, then what?” Due asks. “Will you just sit at home all day, or does it mean instead of working at your current engineering firm, you work for Habitat for Humanity building houses?”
Deep reflection on what you want to accomplish can help you determine how aggressively to pursue a FIRE strategy. “For example, I find that most people really just want financial flexibility,” Due says, allowing them to work at jobs they are more passionate about. That doesn’t necessarily require the strict savings and frugality needed to retire decades early. Nailing down your plans can help you understand which FIRE strategies are needed. Once you identify those, you can decide whether they are feasible.
Consider future life changes
When considering a long-term FIRE strategy, it’s important to consider future events—planned and unplanned, Due says.
An emergency fund covering a year or more’s worth of expenses can help cover catastrophic unexpected events like illness or layoff.
But what about other life events? For example, if you have children, or want them in the future, will the expense of childcare or saving for a college education allow you to meet FIRE goals? Similarly, if you plan to care for aging parents, will the cost of care mean postponing early retirement?
“It’s important to remember that without the proper planning you could spend your entire 20s and 30s sacrificing and not actually reap the benefits of it.” Due says. “You have to be strong in your reasoning and make sure you’re clear on what happiness means to you.”
Parents in San Francisco say they can't find COVID tests in time for school to restart after the winter break. The school district is strongly encouraging testing before students return on Monday.
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Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center)
Score: High Point 68, #10 Michigan State 81
Records: High Point (6-7), #10 Michigan State (11-2)
EAST LANSING, Mich.— High Point University men's basketball fell to Michigan State in a hard-fought effort 81-68 on Wednesday afternoon in front of nearly 15,000 inside the Breslin Center. For the second straight game, Jaden House led the Panthers in scoring with 18 points. Zack Austin had 15 points and eight rebounds as the second-highest scoring Panther. Three other Panthers were in double digits as Bryson Childress went 4-5 from three and scored 12 points while Alex Holt and John-Michael Wright each finished with 10 points. Five Panthers finished in double digits, three starters in House, Austin, and Wright then two off the bench in Childress and Holt.
Tubby Smith: If you are going to lose to somebody, Tom Izzo is certainly a worthy foe. I have lost to him a number of times. I know he was shorthanded today, but I was impressed with our kids. We kept our composure for the most part and did a good job. Hauser gave us some real problems and John-Michael struggled shooting a little bit and in a game like this, you need your best player to shoot well. We played hard, we did not always play as smart as I would have liked but we played hard. I just want to say I appreciate Tom he moved this game so we could play at Kentucky. We already had this game scheduled but he graciously moved it.
??????#OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/gVDNBaLfzA
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
Panther Particulars
After three scoreless minutes to start the game, House put the Panthers on the board first with a three-pointer.
HOUS3!@jhondo_ #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/snm2UQEMcq
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
With 11:41 to go in the first, Brock Williams was able to find Alex Holt on the inside who finished in the paint to make it a three-point game (11-8).
Holt on the inside! It's a three point game!@TheAlexHolt1 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/UjCi6UqUfz
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
With the shot clock winding down, Childress pulled up well beyond the hash mark and nailed his first shot of the day to tie the game at 13 after his three with 10:03 left to play in the first half.
CHILDRESS TIES IT FROM DEEP!@BrysonChildres3 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/U5aHr52kGC
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
Austin delivered one of the plays of the day with 7:55 to go in the first as he received a cross-court pass from Holt then slammed it over top of a Spartan defender to pull the Panthers within two. (17-15)
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
As MSU looked to pull away in the first half High Point answered right back with another three from House to drop the Spartan lead to four (24-20).
HOUS3 X2@jhondo_ #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/JprW8YCfiz
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
With 4:35 to go in the first half, JMW fed Austin who drilled a three to pull HPU within one of the Spartans. (26-25)
. @johnwright_11 ?? @ZackAust11 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/xbMNgh8UV5
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
Childress came up big again for HPU in the latter parts of the first half, hitting a three with 3:33 to in the first half to tie the game at 30.
BCHILL! @BrysonChildres3 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/flJ4OLLlh8
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
House pulled up and hit a deep three with less than a minute to play in the first half to give High Point a 35-34 lead #10 Michigan State at the half. It marked the third Power-5 contest for HPU this season where the Panthers either led or trailed by a point at the half.
HOUS3 X3 @jhondo_ puts HPU up one at the half!#OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/VgTfy1JPgZ
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
Holt found JMW to start the second half, Wright scored on the inside to make it 39-37 with 16:45 to go in the game.
Holt finds @johnwright_11 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/z2witvPJJy
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
Holt threw down a monster two-handed jam with 13:56 left to play to bring the Spartan lead down to four. (47-43)
Throw it down!@TheAlexHolt1 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/2KTDva5CdX
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
An Austin three-pointer gave High Point the lead, 50-49 with 12:02 remaining.
For 3?@ZackAust11 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/flleOtOG8Q
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
With 10:06 to play Childress scored another three-pointer to bring his Panthers within one of Michigan State (54-53).
With 8:58 to go, HPU swung the ball into the corner and found an open Childress. As Childress caught the ball the Breslin Center let out a collective groan, their worries proved right as Childress hit his fourth three of the day and tied the game at 56.
No big deal just 4? for 4? from 3?in the Breslin Center for @BrysonChildres3 #OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/GG6Vt6QyT5
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
Austin showed off the range again and hit a three to bring the score to 65-61 as HPU was within four with 6:55 to play.
6:55 left here in East Lansing
MSU 65
— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) December 29, 2021
HPU 61#OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/TLp11qJRT5
House drove hard to the basket with just under five minutes to play in the game and finished amongst contact to make it 70-63 with 4:55 to play.
The Spartans used an 11-5 run in the final five minutes to close out the game and pick up the win 81-68.
UP NEXT
HPU heads to Lexington to face #18 the University of Kentucky on New Year's Eve in HPU's final non-conference game of the season. Prior to the game, the University of Kentucky will honor its 1998 national championship coach Tubby Smith. Coach Smith will become just the fourth coach to have his name displayed on a banner in the rafters of Rupp Arena joining Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, and Rick Pitino.
#OurCityOurUniversity x #GoHPU
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There’s no getting around it: 2021 has been a tough year. As with 2020, many of us are glad to see its back end. Do let the door hit you on the way out.
Yet, there is more than just Sen. Joe Manchin’s coal and Omicron fears in our stockings this holiday season. There are some reasons to be hopeful, too.
The first reason to be hopeful is — us. We the people.
Social movements, struggling families, activists, and advocates are crushed that Republicans and Senator Manchin have set back the Build Back Better Act. But these movements have done worlds to make long-hoped-for improvements in our economy possible — and they aren’t going anywhere.
You “can’t just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive,” a defiant Manchin said in a recent interview. Well, he’s right on that point. That’s why so many struggling West Virginian families are protesting outside of his yacht, his Maserati, and his offices in West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
They’re calling on Manchin to renew the Child Tax Credit payments that have helped 93% of West Virginian families and 65 million children and families across the country.
They’re calling on him to support the Build Back Better programs for job training and better wages as the coal industry continues to decline in West Virginia. And they’re calling on Manchin to support the plan’s provisions for child and elder care, cheaper prescription drugs, and hearing, dental, and vision care for seniors.
Second, there are still opportunities to get federal legislation that will help to reduce poverty. They won’t have the sweeping positive impacts that the Build Back Better Act would have, but there are still possibilities that can happen with a simple majority through the budget process.
For instance, Manchin is in favor of universal pre-kindergarten. He has also signaled he is in favor of extending the 2021 subsidies to help people afford health care through the Affordable Care Act. He supports some child care assistance, and something most likely will be done to keep some of the enhancements of the Child Tax Credit. Manchin also has indicated that he is for more taxation on the rich.
Manchin could also conceivably get to yes with a different comprehensive bill. Perhaps it will be the Better Than Nothing bill, but will still be aptly named.
Third, the entire Democratic party, including Manchin, is in favor of some kind of voting rights legislation in 2022. Unfortunately, they aren’t united on going around the filibuster to get it — Manchin and fellow conservative Democrat Sen. Krysten Sinema have opposed that route.
But that brings us back to social movements and hard-working families around the nation.
If we want the economy to move forward equitably, to meet the challenges of increasing climate disasters, to care for our children, to fairly reward hard work, and a robust safety net for times of pandemic and hardship, we need to fight for the right to vote for those who will accomplish those things.
Because of egregious GOP gerrymandering and the explosion of voter-suppression bills in Republican-controlled states, the foundation of our democracy — the right to vote, no matter where we live or what we look like — hangs in the balance. We must and can fight for this.
We won’t be submissive either. Even when things feel hard, this much remains: We are the hope we are hoping for.
Karen Dolan directs the Criminalization of Race and Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
This past year, we leaders learned how to grow and scale our businesses during some really difficult challenges. We struggled with supply issues and we dealt with long lead times and increased prices. Most of all, we learned just how difficult hiring and retaining good talent can be.
I have spoken with many business owners over this past year who have had to learn lessons about hiring, often the hard way. So I wanted to share some of the lessons that many leaders learned (or at least should have) this past year in the hopes to do better in the upcoming year.
In the past, many business owners got away with hiring and filling positions at the last minute. A team member might put in their two weeks notice and staff usually got around to listing the position a week or more after that team member left the company. They may have given little thought to what the job listing would include and still got flooded with resumes and applicants.
This year, it became a little more difficult. The resumes slowed a bit, and the lead time to find the right candidate took a bit longer than we were used to. Many companies learned to keep an updated job description of the positions on their team so that when a spot opened up they could fill it in a more structured and intelligent way. Leaders got better at doing interviews by asking procedural questions instead of hypotheticals, to get a good feel for how a job applicant would do in the day-to-day. "Practice makes perfect" was the motto and leaders got some hands-on experience in hiring more strategically.
To do even better in 2022, consider creating relationships and keeping in touch with candidates that didn't make the cut during the hiring process the first go-round. After all, you never know when you may have another position open and need their expertise and the timing or position may be a better fit in the future.
The second lesson we all learned the hard way this year is that if hiring is difficult, retention is even harder. This past year has been a stressful one and employees are feeling that pressure. They may be dealing with long lead times and out-of-stock products and having to deal with upset customers who want their orders quickly. Or maybe you experienced a lot of growth this year, and employees are experiencing a lot of the growing pains that come with it.
Whatever the reason, we are all tired and stressed. And this year, it has been imperative that leaders connect with team members and do everything they can to help make jobs easier and even enjoyable. Leaders learned how to celebrate victories together and learned to praise team members for a job well done. And for that, many are better employers because of it.
To do even better in 2022, make it a point from day one to connect with your new hires. Touch base regularly to see how they are fitting in with the culture and their job responsibilities and make sure that they feel comfortable coming to you or your key team members should difficulties arise.
As we move into the new year, I'm not exactly sure what the hiring landscape will look like. But I can be sure that the lessons we leaders learned this year will serve us well when it comes time for our next hire. Taking your time to find the right candidate, focusing on proper onboarding procedures, and taking time to get to know your team and how best to support their growth and development will always have you a step ahead of your competition.
When I needed a coronavirus test after an exposure about ten days before Christmas, it was easy: I went to the CVS down the road and grabbed two boxes, containing three tests total.
It was still that simple two days later, when I threw two more boxes of tests into my shopping cart, alongside a cut of prime rib and some potatoes for mashing, so I could take a rapid test before a family party.
And then, five days before Christmas, when a friend asked where he could find a test, they were gone. In-person appointments, over-the-counter test kits on pharmacy shelves — all just gone.
The story was the same for thousands of other New Jersey residents who were trying to find a rapid test after Christmas, either after having been exposed or as a screening tool. Across the state, residents complained about overly long lines, empty shelves, and even took to Facebook groups to buy over-the-counter tests from each other. Meanwhile, some counties and towns were scrambling to increase testing capacities with additional hours and locations.
This rush on testing could have been anticipated, two public health experts told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. Or, as Dr. Stephanie Silvera, a professor of public health at Montclair State University, put it: “rapid tests are the new toilet paper.”
Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens are even putting limits on how many tests you can buy — if you can find them.
Some of the rapid test shortages can be chalked up to basic supply and demand. Tests are flying off the shelves in the Garden State, but other states — like Florida — are able to make them readily available at county library events.
Demand for testing in New Jersey hit an all-time high on Dec. 22, when more than 100,000 tests were administered. Daily new cases have skyrocketed as well, topping 15,000 cases reported in a single day for the first time ever last week. (Cases were likely higher during the start of the pandemic, but it was nearly impossible to find a test at that point, Silvera noted.)
But it’s not just that more tests catch more cases. There was a 21% positivity rate for all tests administered on Dec. 23, the most recent day data was available. The last time it was that high? May 2, 2020.
But some usages of the rapid tests go above and beyond what should be happening, public health experts say.
Not only are people testing in response to symptoms or to sniff-out infections before seeing high-risk individuals, but tests are now being used as a way to justify risky behavior — and that’s not what the system is designed for, Dr. Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, told NJ Advance Media.
“They’re using the testing to legitimize their bad behavior, and that’s the biggest problem on the system,” Halkitis said.
What about my Christmas morning at-home rapid? Was that a fair use of a test?
Yes, Halkitis said, particularly if there were going to be older or higher-risk people at Christmas dinner (there were). But if I had taken the test just to go clubbing? No, that wouldn’t have been the best use within the system as it’s designed, he said.
But with the arrival of the omicron variant and colder weather, even well-meaning fully vaccinated people want to take precautions as scientists learn new information about the transmission of the omicron variant.
“I think on an individual level if somebody is vaccinated and boosted, they should be showing a healthy level of concern,” Silvera said.
It’s a different story for unvaccinated people.
“If you are not vaccinated right now, you should be very anxious,” Halkitis said. As of Dec. 6, only 1.16% of vaccinated residents — 68,913 people — experienced a breakthrough case this year, the state reported. And even fewer, 1,513 people, had to be hospitalized.
Given the difficulty in finding at-home tests, or the lack of affordability for some, government-run sites began to see long waits before Christmas, a trend that only continues into this week. At CURE Arena in Trenton, the line was cut off at 2 p.m. on Monday after the site reached capacity and ran out of time and counties around the state are racing to open more centers.
Unlike in previous waves when PCR tests were most easily found, testing sites are now able to quickly switch gears to match the type of tests each community wants, Shawn Baxley, vice president of field operations for Vault Health, told NJ Advance Media. Most sites have seen high demand for rapid tests, while the Somerset County location that opened on Tuesday was the first site to want more PCR testing.
Despite that flexibility, there are still multi-hour lines to get tested and those waits can be difficult, if not impossible, for older or disabled people. Although the CURE arena is wheelchair accessible, those who are not physically able to wait in line should utilize another site or request a free at-home test, Julie Willmot, the Mercer County spokeswoman, said. But while CURE Arena is offering rapid tests, the at-home tests are only PCR.
People line up around the block outside the arena. Covid-19 testing at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton. Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Trenton, N.J. Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media
People line up around the block outside the arena. Covid-19 testing at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton. Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Trenton, N.J. Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media
A woman gives a saliva sample for a saliva PCR test. Covid-19 testing at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton. Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Trenton, N.J. Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media
Long lines are also not an option for many lower-income residents, who may not be able to leave work during the day, Silvera said.
So you can’t find a rapid test in stores, and you don’t have the time to wait in a long line. What can you do?
New Jersey residents can order at-home PCR tests that will be overnighted to them and can be shipped back to the Vault lab through UPS. The state was one of the first to offer it, along with Washington and New Hampshire.
The mail-order test system is not perfect: tests must be taken on a Zoom video call between certain times, must be brought to a UPS store or drop box, and the total time from requesting a test to getting results can take several days, particularly if you’re trying to test over the weekend.
A similar mail-delivery system for rapid tests would likely be more useful for reducing transmission and using testing as a screening tool, Silvera said. (The rapid tests Vault uses on-site must be administered by a physician, so they can’t be mailed home, Baxley said.)
Testing is an important tool in fighting the coronavirus. But if you’re worried enough to want to rapid test constantly, just stay home, Halkitis said.
“People want to excuse it, to do what they want, to party, to go on their vacation — stop. Take a break. If you’re that panicked, if you’re that worried about COVID and about getting infected, then the best solution to that is to ... stay isolated in your home,” Halkitis said.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
The Link Lonk
Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was a man of his word.
After hitting rock bottom in a 3-for-15 shooting effort this month against the Heat in Miami, a frustrated Vucevic sat at the interview table and promised to work even harder on his game.
That’s not to say he wasn’t working hard up to that point; that just always has been his mindset. That’s all Vucevic knows.
‘‘I got here by working my way up to it,’’ Vucevic said that night. ‘‘Talent is part of it, but I worked my way to the level that I am. And now that I’m going through a tough time, the only way I know is to work myself out of it.’’
In his four games since that dismal performance in the Bulls’ blowout loss to the Heat, Vucevic has shot 50% from the field (32-for-64), including 44% from three-point range, and averaged 19.3 points and 12.8 rebounds. He also has 15 assists and nine blocks during that span.
Yes, getting in extra work while the Bulls were battling COVID-19 and game postponements was huge, but give an assist to coach Billy Donovan, too.
Vucevic sure did.
‘‘I took advantage of the time that we didn’t have games to put the work in, extra work on my game all around,’’ Vucevic said of his turnaround. ‘‘I also took time to look at a lot of game tape, see things that I was doing well and if there were things I could improve on.
‘‘One thing when I spoke to Billy that has stuck out and helped me is he knew I was frustrated with shooting the ball. Obviously, as a player, you want to shoot the ball well, but his main thing was I shouldn’t let that affect the rest of my game.’’
That was apparent in the loss to the Heat. Not only did Vucevic carry his offensive frustrations to the defensive end, but he seemed uninterested in rebounding that night.
‘‘When I looked at that [Heat] game, I really felt that was the biggest thing,’’ Vucevic said. ‘‘Obviously, I didn’t shoot the ball well, but I wasn’t doing whatever else I had to do as a player on the court. I let that affect the rest of my game, and I’m too good of a player to do that. I’ve been in this league too long to let a bad shooting night . . . affect my whole game in general.
‘‘I think I was able to regroup and come back and focus on playing well, doing the things that I could control and letting the rest follow through.’’
In the first half of the Bulls’ victory Monday against the Hawks in Atlanta, Vucevic had five points on 2-for-6 shooting but also had six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Then with the Hawks making a run, Vucevic scored 13 points, made three three-pointers and grabbed five rebounds in the fourth quarter to help the Bulls hold on.
‘‘I didn’t get going much until the second half, but I was able to do other things that kept me in the game, kept me in a rhythm,’’ Vucevic said.
His teammates weren’t the least bit surprised.
‘‘I know how hard [Vucevic] works,’’ forward DeMar DeRozan said. ‘‘I would never let a period of time of him struggling depict who he is as a player. He’s a dominant force at his position, one of the most skilled big men inside and out that we have in this league. His career speaks for it. It was only a matter of time.’’
The Link LonkNikola Vucevic was a man of his word.
After hitting rock bottom in an early season of several low points, the Bulls big man sat visibly frustrated at the interview table in Miami, and promised a commitment of putting his head down and working even harder on his game.
Not because he wasn’t working hard up to that point, but that’s just always been his mindset. That’s all Vucevic knows.
“I got here by working my way up to it,’’ Vucevic said that night. “Talent is part of it, but I worked my way to the level that I am, and now that I’m going through a tough time the only way I know is to work myself out of it.’’
In his four games since that dismal 3-for-15, 10-point performance in the blowout loss to the Heat?
How about 32-for-64 (50%) from the field, 44% from three, 19.3 points per game, as well as 12.8 rebounds per contest. Impressed? Oh by the way, over that span 15 total assists and nine blocks.
Yes, getting back in the lab and getting in extra work while the Bulls were battling with postponements was huge, but give an assist to coach Billy Donovan.
Vucevic sure did.
“I took advantage of the time that we didn’t have games to put the work in, extra work on my game all around,’’ Vucevic said of his turnaround. “I also took time to look at a lot of game tape, see things that I was doing well and if there were things I could improve on.
“One thing that when I spoke to Billy that has stuck out and helped me is he knew I was frustrated with shooting the ball and he was like obviously as a player you want to shoot the ball well, but his main thing was I shouldn’t let that affect the rest of my game.’’
An issue that was on full display in the Miami loss.
Not only did he carry his offensive frustrations to the defensive end, but even seemed disinterested in rebounding that night.
“When I looked at that [Heat] game I really felt that was the biggest thing,’’ Vucevic continued. “Obviously I didn’t shoot the ball well, but I wasn’t doing whatever else I had to do as a player on the court. I let that affect the rest of my game and I’m too good of a player to do that. I’ve been in this league too long to let a bad shooting night — or even if it was a couple of games it shouldn’t matter — affect my whole game in general.
“I think I was able to regroup and come back and focus on playing well, doing the things that I could control, and letting the rest follow through.’’
That was the model in the Atlanta win on Monday night.
Vucevic was 2-for-6 with five points at the half against the Hawks, but had six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. With Atlanta making a run in the fourth, Vucevic balled out, scoring 13 points in that final stanza, as well as hitting three threes and grabbing five more rebounds.
He saved his best for last.
“I didn’t get going much until the second half, but I was able to do other things that kept me in the game, kept me in a rhythm,’’ Vucevic said.
Not that Vucevic’s teammates were the least bit surprised.
“I know how hard Vooch works,’’ veteran forward DeMar DeRozan said. “I would never let a period of time of him struggling depict who he is as a player. He’s a dominant force at his position, one of the most skilled big men inside and out that we have in this league. His career speaks for it. It was only a matter of time.’’
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To Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich, it was just a matter of time before his team would be adding a few players to the NFL's COVID-19 list.
The Colts placed safety Jahleel Addae, cornerback T.J. Carrie, linebacker Malik Jefferson, running back Marlon Mack and tackle Braden Smith on the list Monday. Smith has been a key member of the offensive line that has helped Jonathan Taylor lead the league in rushing. Cornerback Chris Wilcox went on the practice squad COVID-19 list.
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"It’s interesting that since we had more unvaxxed players than the average around the league that we were one of the last teams to (test) positive," Reich said. "You kind of feel like it’s going to catch up with you at some point just because the virus is so rampant. But this is what you prepare for, hitting adversity you don’t expect, although this is something we probably could have expected to hit us at some point."
As for changes in operations this week, Reich said: "There are going to be some elements that are virtual this week. It could be all meetings are virtual and guys just come in for practice."
The NFL mandated that all media covering playoff teams and games, and the Super Bowl, must have received a COVID-19 booster by Jan. 12. Exceptions are for:
— An individual who is not eligible for a booster pursuant to the CDC definition;
— An individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days;
— An individual who received monoclonal antibodies within the immediately preceding 90 days.
Also:
— The Carolina Panthers sent all of their players home from Bank of America Stadium after six more players tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
That brings the total number of Carolina players on the COVID-19 list to 13.
Defensive end Brian Burns, linebacker Shaq Thompson, defensive end Marquis Haynes, defensive tackle Phil Hoskins, center Matt Paradis and defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon all tested positive on Monday. Paradis and Nixon were already on injured reserve.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule said the decision to send players home was made "to stem the tide" and get things under control. The team will conduct its meetings virtually until then, and Rhule is hoping to have players back in the building for practice on Wednesday.
The Panthers lost 32-6 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and have been eliminated from playoff contention. They visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
— The Jacksonville Jaguars placed 10 players on the COVID-19 list Monday, including five defensive linemen and two starting offensive linemen.
Because left guard Andrew Norwell is unvaccinated, he will be out at least 10 days under NFL protocols and will miss Sunday’s game at New England. The other nine players are vaccinated and have a chance to play against the Patriots.
The Jaguars already ruled out pass rusher Josh Allen, who also is unvaccinated and won’t be cleared in time to play. He tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday along with receiver Laviska Shenault and right guard Ben Bartch.
— The Tennessee Titans got left guard Rodger Saffold and rookie defensive back Elijah Molden back from the COVID-19 list. They still have two other offensive linemen still on the list, and they also put four players — including three starters — on the list, including outside linebacker Bud Dupree, wide receiver Julio Jones, defensive back Buster Skrine and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. They also put cornerback Caleb Farley, who’s on injured reserve, on the list.
Tennessee can clinch the AFC South for a second straight year with one victory or an Indianapolis loss. The Titans host Miami on Sunday.
— The Cleveland Browns, who have been hit as hard as any team by COVID-19 the past few weeks, activated eight players, including defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and running back Kareem Hunt.
Clowney has missed the past two games -- both losses -- and his return will help a pass rush that hasn’t been the same without him. Starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is also back. He’s been replaced the last two games by left guard Joel Bitoni, who can slide back to his usual spot.
— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hard hit by injuries on offense, put star wideout Mike Evans on the COVID-19 list, but activated wide receiver Breshad Perriman from it. Evans missed Sunday’s game with an injury. Wide receivers coach Kevin Garver also went on the list.
— The Green Bay Packers placed G Ben Braden, LB Tipa Galeai, WR Amari Rodgers and LB Ty Summers on the list, and placed defensive lineman RJ McIntosh on the practice squad COVID-19 list.
— The Houston Texans added RB David Johnson, LB Neville Hewitt and practice squad fullback Paul Quessenberry to the list.
— The Cincinnati Bengals placed backup quarterback Brandon Allen and already-injured cornerback/kick returner Darius Phillips on the list. Phillips (shoulder), who was the Bengals’ primary kick returner, has been on injured reserve since Dec. 9.
Allen has been the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Joe Burrow. The team will likely have to add a quarterback to the roster.
Starting defensive tackle D.J. Reader missed last Sunday’s game after going on the COVID-19 list on Dec. 20, the same day that starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie came off it.
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Cincinnati hosts Kansas City on Sunday.
— The San Francisco 49ers placed punter Mitch Wishnowsky on COVID-19 list.
— The Las Vegas Raiders added CB Casey Hayward, LB Cory Littleton, LB Patrick Onwuasor, LB Denzel Perryman, DT Darius Philon and LB K.J. Wright to the list.
— The Seahawks added defensive end L.J. Collier to the list. Collier played 25 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Bears. Seattle has six players from the 53-man roster on the virus list.
— Minnesota placed guard Olisaemeka Udoh on the list.
— Denver added starting defensive lineman Mike Purcell and outside linebacker Andre Mintze to the list.
The Link Lonk
BNEI BRAK, Israel -- Yossi Levy has repeatedly booked and canceled his coronavirus vaccine appointment. The 45-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jew recovered from the virus earlier this year, as have his eight children and wife. But a combination of lethargy and procrastination has prevented him from following through and getting inoculated.
“It isn't something pressing. I'm not opposed to it. It's just laziness," he said.
Levy is among the hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews who have yet to receive their COVID-19 shots. The group has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country despite being hit hard by the pandemic.
Facing the new coronavirus variant omicron, officials are now scrambling to ramp up vaccination rates in a population that has so far been slow to roll up their sleeves.
“We are going on the offensive with the issue of vaccinations,” said Avraham Rubinstein, the mayor of Bnei Brak, the country’s largest ultra-Orthodox city.
It has been one year since COVID-19 vaccines became available, yet vaccine reluctance persists even as deaths mount and the highly contagious omicron variant spreads around the globe. An unconventional cadre of people has stepped up to promote vaccination with efforts that traditionally have been the realm of public health officials.
Israeli officials have appealed to the community’s prominent rabbis, who serve as arbiters on all matters, to promote vaccination. They are deploying mobile clinics. And they are beating back a wave of lies about the vaccine that has washed over parts of the community.
The vaccination rate is low in part because half of the ultra-Orthodox population is under 16 and only recently made eligible for vaccination. Also, many ultra-Orthodox were already infected or believe they were and don’t think they need the vaccine.
The outreach effort has had mixed success. Officials hope to raise the vaccination rate with a new mobile-clinic campaign at religious schools and a media blitz stepping up pressure on parents to vaccinate children.
Israel was one of the first countries to vaccinate its population late last year and the first to give booster shots. But the campaign has lagged in recent weeks and hundreds of thousands of people remain unvaccinated or without a booster as the specter of an omicron surge looms.
While vaccination rates for the second dose among the general population hover around 63% and the booster at 45%, in the ultra-Orthodox community the number is around half of that. The community's immunity shoots up somewhat when the 300,000 or so of those who are known to have recovered are included, but Israel's Health Ministry recommends those who were infected to get at least one shot if six months have elapsed since the infection.
The low vaccination rate stands in stark contrast to the heavy price the community paid during the pandemic. The ultra-Orthodox were hit hard from the start, with the community's 1.2 million people often leading the country's morbidity rates and losing hundreds to the disease. The ultra-Orthodox make up 13% of Israel's 9.3 million population.
There are societal reasons for the quick community spread. The ultra-Orthodox tend to live in poor, crowded neighborhoods, with large families in small apartments, where sickness can quickly spread. Synagogues, the centerpiece of social life, bring men together to pray and socialize in small spaces.
The particular way of life of the ultra-Orthodox, also known as Haredim, has made driving up vaccination rates a unique challenge for health officials.
The cloistered community has long been separate from mainstream Israeli life, with children studying scripture but very little math and English. The community typically shuns the internet, doesn’t watch secular TV and tends to live separately from non-religious Israelis. It is suspicious of secular state authorities and many of the trappings of modernity.
“For Haredim, there is a double fear: fear of the state and fear of science. There is no basic trust in these entities,” said Gilad Malach, who heads the ultra-Orthodox program at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. He said that skepticism has allowed unfounded claims about the vaccines to spread in the community.
Avi Blumenthal, an adviser to the Health Ministry on the ultra-Orthodox, said vaccine information is disseminated to the ultra-Orthodox public through its local media as well as in biweekly messages posted on community notice boards, known as “pashkevils.” He says these means reach the overwhelming majority of Haredim.
The ultra-Orthodox follow a strict interpretation of Judaism and rely on rabbis to guide them in many life decisions. While some rabbis have actively encouraged vaccination, others have taken a less aggressive approach and their followers have been less enthusiastic about getting inoculated.
Blumenthal, who himself is ultra-Orthodox, said the Health Ministry recently held a conference at the country’s largest hospital, inviting prominent rabbis to converse with doctors about the importance of the vaccine. The head of the government’s coronavirus advisory panel has repeatedly met with important religious figures, urging them to spread the word on vaccines.
“We go by the Jewish sages,” said Dvora Ber, 27, a Bnei Brak resident and mother of four who is vaccinated. “What they tell us, we do.”
The Link Lonk(CNN)The Omicron variant of coronavirus is going to make the start of 2022 difficult, experts say, as new infections surge, healthcare resources are strained and government agencies adapt to face changing conditions.
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COVID-19 Issues Continue in NFL; Colts, Panthers Hit Hard U.S. News & World Report The Link LonkStates in the South, such as Georgia, are aggressively wooing electric vehicle makers and suppliers — as they seek to chip away at the auto dominance Michigan has held for more than a century.
A MARTINEZ, HOST:
The future of the auto industry is electric, so when electric vehicle makers look to build new plants, states will go all out to woo them. Sun Belt states such as Georgia see an opening to chip away at the auto dominance Michigan and the Motor City have cemented for over a century. WABE's Sam Gringlas reports from Atlanta.
SAM GRINGLAS, BYLINE: Rivian is one of the hottest electric car startups. And though it's only produced a few hundred pickup trucks so far, the California company is already valued more than Ford. So when Rivian saw bids for a $5 billion plant that would employ 7,500 people, Georgia officials lobbied for it hard.
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BRIAN KEMP: It's a great day to be a Georgian, and it's even a better day to be announcing the largest single economic development project ever in our state's history.
GRINGLAS: And this month, with two of their sleek pickups behind him, Governor Brian Kemp announced Rivian was coming to Georgia. He called his state the economic engine of the Southeast.
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KEMP: And now a world leader in electric vehicles and electric mobility. The fact is we did not get here by accident.
GRINGLAS: So why Georgia? Well, there's money - lots of it. And while details of Rivian's deal with Georgia aren't public yet, these bids typically include tax breaks, cheap shovel-ready mega sites, infrastructure upgrades and workforce training. But that's not everything.
NATHANIEL HORADAM: The growing population and the diverse population and the younger population - that's what the Midwest does not have right now.
GRINGLAS: Nathaniel Horadam is with the Atlanta-based Center for Transportation and the Environment. He says the auto industry has a growing footprint in the Southeast.
HORADAM: Whether that's Kia here in Georgia; whether that is Toyota, Honda, Hyundai in Alabama; BMW, Volvo in South Carolina.
GRINGLAS: In all those states, union strength is pretty low, and that's enticing for lots of companies. Pat Wilson is Georgia's economic development commissioner.
PAT WILSON: That has played a major factor in really the rebirth of manufacturing all across the Southern belt of states.
GRINGLAS: The Sun Belt has attracted lots of new investment in electric vehicles, especially from startups. Tesla is building a huge factory in Texas. Georgia had already landed a big battery plan. And Wilson thinks Rivian will attract more suppliers and more electric car companies to Georgia.
WILSON: There's a whole ecosystem that has to be created in the United States. So every time you form a piece of that ecosystem, it helps with the next one.
GRINGLAS: But here's the thing. Back in September, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer said that ecosystem - it already exists, and it's in Michigan.
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GRETCHEN WHITMER: It's time to put the world on notice that Michigan remains the center of high-tech electric vehicle production in the U.S.
GRINGLAS: Michigan alone still attracted more auto investment in the decade after the Great Recession than all the Southeast states combined, and the state has scored some big electric vehicle projects. But most have been from legacy companies like GM, not the buzzy startups. So this fall, Michigan launched new programs designed to compete for those projects. Kristin Dziczek is with the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan.
KRISTIN DZICZEK: The amount of investment going on in the auto industry right now is off the charts, and every state is trying to be that future capital of electrification.
GRINGLAS: While governors may claim their state will lead the electric vehicle future, Dziczek says it's anyone's game.
DZICZEK: It's not entirely clear who owns this landscape. That's why I'm like, everything's up for grabs.
GRINGLAS: Whatever geographic reshuffling happens could shape the industry for decades to come. This new Rivian plant guarantees Georgia, at least, will be a real player.
For NPR News, I'm Sam Gringlas in Atlanta.
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