New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to reporters about legislation passed during a special legislative session in the Red Room at the state Capitol, Friday, July 1, 2022, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York is prepping for a potential fall surge in COVID-19 cases when schools reopen by stockpiling tests and keeping mask mandates on the table, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
“We need to be cognizant of what could be our future,” the governor said during a Manhattan press conference. “If anything, this pandemic, COVID, has taught us that preparations are the key to, literally, survival.”
Hospitalizations and infections are already on the rise in the Empire State thanks to the the BA.5 subvariant of omicron, which has proven to be particularly good at evading protections from vaccinations and prior infections.
The state has stockpiled more than 20 million at-home tests that are ready to be distributed as needed when students begin returning to classrooms, and Hochul said that mask mandates could also return if infections surge.
“We don’t currently, based on today’s numbers, anticipate the need for masks in classrooms, but I’m going to reserve the right to return to this policy if the numbers change, the circumstances change,” she said.
Indoor mask rules, including schools, were suspended earlier this year following a winter spike in coronavirus cases.
The state will be sending out about 3 million test kits to districts ahead of start of the school year
Health officials encouraged anyone over 50 to get a COVID booster shot if they have yet to receive one this year to help protect them against infection.
New York is also soliciting proposals for a pandemic policy review to study how the state handled the COVID crisis, something that critics have long called for and Hochul promised would happen shortly after she took office last year.
The review will focus on state policies that affected schools and businesses, as well as controversial rules that impacted nursing homes and prisons, during the peak of the pandemic.
“I want to make sure we are very intentional about this, have a broad scope to what we are doing and have a real blueprint so that it is useful to us,” Hochul said.
A request for proposals for the “After-Action Review Board” will be issued soon and Hochul said she expects initial findings to be completed in six months and a completed review will be ready some time next year.
New York’s pandemic response has faced wide criticism, particularly related to rules that related to nursing homes under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo that many say led to unnecessary deaths.
A review by Attorney General Letitia James released last year found the state significantly undercounted nursing home deaths during the height of the pandemic.
State Homeland Security Commissioner Jackie Bray will help oversee the soon-to-begin independent review, Hochul said.
The governor also shot down concerns about recent reports about campaign donations made by a family that runs a company that received a no-bid contract for COVID tests.
“I was not aware of that this was a company that had been supportive of me I don’t keep track of that,” she said.
Seventy-nine high school students from across the state and one international student participated in the Hispanic Student College Institute at Montclair in mid-July.
Eva Cordero first visited and fell in love with Montclair State University when she was a tween. She was on campus for a pool party at the Student Recreation Center and remembers thinking that college was “cool.” She visited campus again, this time for a performance at the Alexander Kasser Theater, with her seventh-grade choir group. It was then she decided Montclair was the place for her.
In mid-July, the 16-year-old Wood-Ridge High School rising senior was back at the University for the Hispanic Student College Institute (HSCI), a three-day immersive program for high school rising juniors and seniors of Hispanic/Latinx descent designed to help them navigate the college admissions process and set them up for academic success. Cordero, who learned about the Institute after visiting the University’s website, was one of 79 students. Despite her love of Montclair and attending the University’s Open House with her parents, at first she was uneasy about being away from the comfort and familiarity of home for the first time.
“I was a little nervous. I didn’t know if I would like it. Was I going to make friends?” she says. “I gave it a chance. Now, I wish it were longer.”
Students compare notes during the HSCI college fair, where they learned about Montclair’s majors and degree programs. Every summer HSCI welcomes Latinx students and helps them navigate routes to college.
Now in its sixth year, HSCI provides students with a preview of the college experience, while helping them learn about everything from financial aid and the college essay and application process to learning about majors and internship opportunities. They also get to network with academic and professional mentors. HSCI, which is free to students, is supported by State Farm Insurance.
Montclair Trustee Mary Comito of State Farm Insurance (in red) and University President Jonathan Koppell visit with students during the HSCI networking event.
Throughout the program, students also work closely with peer mentors, mostly Montclair students who emphasize the ongoing support that helped them achieve their personal, educational and professional goals. Montclair has ranked among the Top 100 Colleges for Hispanics for the past 19 years by Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine.
Associate Provost for Hispanic Initiatives and International Programs Katia Paz Goldfarb says HSCI uses access and equity as a guiding framework.
“We provide access to information, human and financial resources, and mentors because we know what is crucial for a successful college application process and a smooth transition from high school to college,” she says. “Additionally, this program intentionally serves our future Hispanic students and reflects the work Montclair State University is doing as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and the commitment of our institution to serve our communities.”
Associate Provost for Hispanic Initiatives and International Programs Katia Paz Goldfarb welcomes students to the HSCI networking event.
Not only did Cordero make new friends, she says she found the sessions chock full of information. She plans to major in Family Science and Human Development and minor in Business to reach her goal of becoming a social worker and school guidance counselor for children with special needs.
She says the Business minor will come in handy because ultimately, she wants to open her own day care center for special needs children. “I want people to work for me,” she says. “I am trying to think ahead and set myself up for success. I want to do it for me and to make my parents proud because without them I would not be where I am.”
Two students listen attentively to advice.
The importance of family, culture and giving back to one’s community were common themes among this summer’s HSCI participants.
Shantal Proano, a Montclair peer mentor and senior Medical Humanities major, grew emotional when she shared with HSCI participants that when she’s feeling burned out, “I think about my [immigrant] parents and their struggle because they didn’t come here for nothing.” Her comment drew applause from HSCI participants, many of whom relate and will be first-generation college students.
Keynote speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez ’07, shared some thoughts about his father, a Cuban immigrant, with the students, noting: “My dad is about greatness. He worked two jobs, came home and never complained.”
The motivational speaker and founder of Hope + Future Youth Center in West New York, New Jersey, urged students to be “All In” when it comes to being of service to others rather than chasing fame or fortune. “Fame is what you do for yourself but greatness is what you do for others,” said Gonzalez, who gave up a career in the NBA to become a ninth-grade world history teacher in Union City. “Fame is about self-preservation; how good can you look. Greatness is about self-sacrifice; how good can you make someone else look?”
Goldfarb says: “The family component is extremely important. Many of our participants are going to be the first in their families to go to college. Families also need access to information and resources so they can best support their children.” She notes that peer mentors will continue supporting families and participants through the year.
Building community with people who understand your experience also is important. Stephanie De Dios, a peer mentor, told students that seeing Hispanics among Montclair’s students, staff and faculty weighed into her decision on where to enroll. “For those who don’t know, Montclair is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and seeing other Hispanics on campus is something I looked for and was a deciding factor for me in attending MSU,” she told the students. “I like the diversity. It feels welcoming, and you feel less out of place.”
A student listens to speakers during HSCI’s networking event, one of many opportunities held over the three-day program.
This year, HSCI had one international student. Moira Mejia, a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is in New Jersey visiting a friend of her mother’s. Mejia learned about the program from her mother’s friend, whose daughters attended HSCI. She decided to attend after reading up on it. Mejia, who is interested in studying acting or fashion, says she doesn’t know if she will come to college in the U.S. but would consider Montclair.
“From what I’ve heard, it’s really good here, and they help you a lot, which is good,” she says, adding, “It’s great. I love it. I never thought I would be here.”
Gabriel Galloza, 16, a rising junior from Morristown High School, attended not just for himself but for students in his Immigrant Resource Group. Galloza, who was born in the United States to immigrant parents, likes to assist immigrant students and English Language Learners navigate student life. More than half of his high school’s student population is minority, mostly Hispanic, and about 20% are ELL students.
Peer mentor Arianna Robaina (center) smiles alongside Gabriel Galloza of Morristown High School and Moira Mejia of Colegio Padre Fortin in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
While Galloza hopes to pursue his dream of going to Harvard, which he visited this summer, he wanted to learn all he could at HSCI. “My main goal is to learn specifically what the college process looks like for undocumented students in New Jersey to give them hope,” he says. “So many of these students have told me they want to be a doctor or they want to study astronomy, they want to study business, study so many things but they have no idea how they’re going to get it done. So that’s what I want to get from this program.”
Marco Cordova, Director of Summer Programs for the Office for Hispanic Initiatives, interacts with HSCI students who, over the course of three days, explore a path to college.
Cordero is already sold. “I’m so set on coming here. In my head, I’m already committed,” she says, adding that she applied for and was accepted to the University’s Early Bird Junior Admit Program. “I have a spot but I still need to reapply in September. I’m really excited about that.”
Photo Gallery
HSCI students enjoy a moment with Rocky.Peer mentors respond to students’ questions about attending Montclair.Students were led by peer mentors, Montclair students who could share their college experience with them.Representatives from the College of Education and Human Services answer students’ questions during the HSCI college fair.Biology Professor Sandra Adams interacts with students during HSCI’s college fair.HSCI students make their way to the Feliciano School of Business during one of three days of learning all about college life.HSCI students learn about one of the many fields of study available at Montclair.HSCI students mingle with Montclair faculty and staff during a networking event.Associate Vice President for Development Lisa Hoyt captivates a group of HSCI students.Katia Paz Goldfarb poses with HSCI participants, including students and peer mentors.The sign says it all.
As I get everything ready for my daughter (Olivia) to embark on her elementary school journey, I can’t help but wonder if I am equipping her with everything she needs to be successful. Even more so, post pandemic. I have been teaching for 8 years, yet have never been on the parent side of things until now.
Here are a few things I am doing to ensure Olivia is ready for kindergarten that might be useful for parents sending off their children to school for the first time ever or for the first time since the pandemic.
Lunch / Snack independence. Students get approximately 20 minutes to eat (this varies on the school) and every minute counts! Does your child know how to open the packaging of their snacks or lunches? This is the time to ensure they can do something as simple as open and place their straw in their juice box without help! Teachers are available to assist, however, if your child can do it, they don’t have to wait for help and can spend all of their time eating.
Bathroom procedures. This is one that requires some practice and a good place to do it is in a public restroom when you’re out and about! Ensure your child can close the stall on their own (and lock and unlock it), wipe themselves, flush, and wash their hands using soap! The soap dispenser and hand dryers can be tricky to navigate, but the more exposure they get to doing it independently, the better they will get at it!
Fastening shoes. Shoes with laces can look so cute on your 5-year-old. But, can they tie them independently? Again, this is a task that teachers are happy to assist with. However, it may be easier for your child to get shoes with velcro so that they can fasten them themselves. This independence can also boost their confidence.
Label their supplies and make sure they know which are theirs. Teachers handle many school supplies the first days and it is difficult for them to remember what parents brought what. Simplify this process by labeling the supplies that are meant for individual use (water bottle, pencil box, etc.) and also ensure your child recognizes that it belongs to them! That way, they are able to speak up if a teacher can’t locate the label or know who an item belongs to.
Go over typical classroom routines. School is familiar to us, but we often forget that this is brand new to them! Especially if they have never been in a classroom setting before for pre-k. Kindergarten teachers are amazingly patient and will go over all of the procedures, but it doesn’t hurt to talk to your child about some basics. Let them know they can ask for help or the bathroom by raising their hand, that they need to share classroom supplies when the teacher instructs them to, and that they need to stay quiet and focused when the teacher is talking. These little pep talks will help your child feel much more ready and confident!
What are some ways you’re prepping your child to start school?
About the author
Marissa Will is the mother of two toddlers, Olivia (4) and Logan (2). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent the past eight years teaching third grade with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.
Today I was outside washing and drying my lambs. I spent my time giving them a bath, so they look nice and clean. I used a brush to go over the extra dirty spots. You really have to scrub to get it all out.
I think the lambs really enjoyed the bath since it was hot out. I have to say thank you to my mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, and to my brother and sister for their help, everybody got a little wet today, HAHA!
It will be easier to shear the lambs when their wool is clean. I’m getting my showbox ready for the fair and finishing up the rest of my projects.
By far the most intimidating fear for me since discovering Prepping has been a lack of water. I’ve learned how to make a pantry but water remains one of my personal bugbears. I’ve read countless pieces on drought, weather anomalies and pollution. There are very real effect these factors are causing with traditional farming which spills over into other sectors too.
Over the summer, kids can lose some of the knowledge they gained during the school year. It’s known as the “Summer Slip” and our guest today shares how to prevent it from happening to your child.
Mary Miele is an education consultant and CEO of Evolved Education Company, where she advises kids from nursery school to college.
Miele says that students lose about 30% of learning during the summertime.
For younger students, they tend to lose skills like reading, writing, and mathematics. For older students it’s more about the content (ex. chemistry or algebra) that gets lost. Some even need to review “independence skills,” like how to accomplish tasks.
The good news is that you don’t need to do much to have an impact. Ten minutes a day or an hour a week, helps prevent the “Summer Slip.” Keep things simple with flashcards or workbooks. Ask your older kids how they would like to help solve the problem of the “Summer Slip.”
Miele says that research shows that without some review over the summer, the next school year could be more difficult for the kids.
NVIDIA is reportedly prepping a new price cut for its high-end GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards which will be hitting retailers this week. The report comes from Benchlife (via Videocardz) who have managed to get a list of the new MSRPs for the top-tier Ampere lineup.
NVIDIA Might Be Issuing A Price Cut On Its High-End GeForce RTX 30 Graphics Card Including RTX 3090 Ti, 3090, 3080 Ti & 3080
The huge price drop comes as a reaction to the crypto crash which has resulted in a huge amount of used GPUs flooding the market and also the fact that the next-gen graphics cards from both manufacturers are going to launch in the coming months and AMD & NVIDIA don’t want to sit on stockpiles of current-gen inventory which won’t easily sell once the new generation of cards enters the market. That is unless NVIDIA and AMD can get rid of the majority of this inventory right now by offering price cuts and promotions such as game bundles, etc.
NVIDIA, to make room for their high-end GeForce RTX 40 series graphics card lineup, is reportedly planning on cutting the prices of various high-end GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards. The new prices are expected to be lower than the original MSRPs which these cards never sold at in their 2 years lifespan since launch and only happen to be selling now when the new generation is on the verge of launching.
Starting with the new prices, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti will be sold at $1499.99 US (MSRP – $1999.99 US), RTX 3090 will be sold at $1299.99 US (MSRP – $1499.99 US), RTX 3080 Ti will be sold at $1099 US (MSRP – $1199.99 US), the RTX 3080 12 GB which never got an MSRP will be sold at $799.99 US while the RTX 3080 10 GB will be sold at its MSRP of $699.99 US.
The new MSRPs are strictly for the Founders Edition variants but we have seen various custom models selling for far less than the MSRPs. The recent Amazon Prime Day listings showed many cards listed even below the new MSRPs which is good for users in dire need of a new graphics card but for those who can wait, they may as well save the money and grab an RTX 40 series graphics card when they launch.
At the same time, we don’t want to force anyone away from purchasing these graphics cards since we don’t know how well the supply is going to be for the GeForce RTX 40 series lineup. As we saw with the GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards, NVIDIA had a tough time dealing with scalpers and the same could very well happen at the start of the RTX 40 series launch. Whether NVIDIA and its retail partners have proper precautions in place to deal with scalpers this time remains to be seen. A very important video on the situation is published by JayzTwoCents which you can see below:
All major US retailers such as BestBuy and Newegg have currently listed the high-end GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards at the new NVIDIA MSRPs as you can see below:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics Card Prices at Newegg:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics Card Prices at BestBuy:
In fact, the only place where the new prices aren’t mentioned is NVIDIA’s own Store but it makes sense since NVIDIA hasn’t officially announced the price cuts by themselves and will reportedly do so this week.
Samsung will likely unveil its next-gen foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, early next month. Alongside the two foldables, the company will likely unveil its next flagship TWS earbuds — the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. But these might not be the only new things we see at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event. According to a new leak, Samsung is also prepping a new colorway for its flagship Galaxy S22 series, which could go official at the launch event next month.
The new leak comes from renowned leaker Roland Quandt, and it gives us our first look at the upcoming “Bora Purple” Galaxy S22. As you can see in the attached images, the new colorway for the Galaxy S22 series looks a lot like the special edition BTS versions of the Galaxy devices that Samsung launched last year. But the new variant has a pastel tone, which might attract more buyers than the striking purple finish on the BTS edition devices.
XDA VIDEO OF THE DAY
While the leak only includes images of the Bora Purple Galaxy S22, Quandt claims that Samsung will also offer the Galaxy S22 Plus and the Galaxy S22 Ultra in the same colorway. In addition, the leaker notes that the frame and camera module on the Bora Purple models will be finished in the same hue. That’s quite surprising, given that the frame and camera module on other Galaxy S22 series colorways is finished in a different shade.
It goes without saying that the Bora Purple variants of the Galaxy S22 series will not be any different on the hardware front. The devices will pack the same hardware, but Samsung might limit the new colorway to select RAM/storage variants.
What do you think of the new colorway for the Galaxy S22 series? Do you prefer it over the other color variants? Let us know in the comments section below.
The European Union is already working on the seventh package of sanctions against Russia as it continues to try to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions, according to a Bloomberg update, should be agreed upon over the next few weeks.
So far, the European Union has targeted Russia’s financial and energy sector most pointedly with the sanctions, cutting much of Russia’s banking system from the global SWIFT system and scheduling an oil and fuels embargo for the end of the year. Coal imports have also been targeted.
The EU has also banned Russian vessels from entering EU ports; Russian imports of wood, cement, and seafood; and EU investments in Russia’s energy industry.
However, the bloc remains highly reliant on Russian hydrocarbons, which has made European buyers stock up on both coal and oil ahead of the embargo. Gas remains Europe’s weak spot in its attempts to make Russia suffer for its invasion of Ukraine.
Because of its overwhelming dependence on cheap Russian gas, the European Union is currently scrambling to secure reliable alternatives as it seeks to reduce its intake of Russian gas.
LNG has emerged as the primary alternative despite the fact it is much costlier than pipeline gas. However, LNG supply is also tight globally, which has resulted in the redirection of cargos from Asia to Europe, pushing prices across markets higher and forcing less wealthy importers such as Pakistan to resort to blackouts because of insufficient LNG supply for power generation.
Sanctions, however, are affecting the European Union as well. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the European Commission had prepared a document detailing an aid program for EU companies negatively affected by the anti-Russian sanctions, under which they could apply for up to half a million euros in financial support from the EU.
Reading the movements of securities like contracts, derivatives and securities can indicate how investors are positioning
By Dion Rabouin
A look at the markets shows asset managers are moving money around in ways that suggest they see a recession coming. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains what to look for and why they tell us investors are increasingly pricing in a recession. Illustration: David Fang
