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WASHINGTON -- It's a new year, a new team and a new head coach for the Washington Mystics. But as a new season begins, there's a lot of familiarity between the new boss Eric Thibault and his 2023 squad.

Not only is he taking over a team that he's been an assistant with for 10 seasons, but this version of the team is quite acquainted with the 35-year-old. Of the 17 players entering training camp - which includes new camp signee Emily Engstler - there are 10 who played a game last year in D.C.

The two big off-season additions, Brittney Sykes and Kristi Toliver, already have a rapport with Thibault. Sykes back from when she was in college (Thibault was a graduate assistant at St. John's and she was recruited to play at Syracuse) and Toliver from her first stint with the Mystics (2017-19). That's 11 players, many of which will make up a majority of the opening-day roster, who'll ease the transition into Thibault's first season.

That familiarity has generated confidence up and down the roster to continue the standards that have become synonymous with the Mystics franchise. While many coaching changes come at pivotal times for teams, this coaching move was one to ensure stability and keep the Thibault name at the helm.

"Eric has been here for 10 years. So I know that people are a little fearful or can be doubtful in a lot of senses of the move or the change but he's been a part of every success that this team has had," Natasha Cloud said on media day. "Every single player that is in this locker room has been recruited by him and [general manager Mike Thibault]. So he has had his hands into everything that makes the Mystics what they are."

"The last two, three years, whether we've acknowledged it or not, you guys aren't gonna see it from the media, he runs our practices the last two, three years, he comes into the huddles, he draws up our plays. He's in control of our offense and what it looks like and how it is. So just because we don't speak on those things doesn't mean that those things weren't real. So now this transition is very seamless to us because we've seen it the last two, three years within our practices"

By no means is Eric the master architect of what made the Mystics great in their two-year run to the WNBA Finals and winning the team's first championship in 2019. But you'll be hard-pressed to find someone within the organization who would take that type of credit. Mike Thibault has positioned his former assistants for success in new roles. Eric's development over time has been a natural process and no different than assistants before him.

The locker room is already comfortable with Eric being in charge. And that's because in many ways he already stepped into some head coaching roles prior to this change.

But if you step away for a year or two or three like two-time WNBA champion Toliver did with her second tenure with the Los Angeles Sparks, there are differences you can notice.

"I haven't been here very long but I think the first thing, and I noticed this not even just with [Eric], but with my former teammates and now teammates again, everyone seems so much more mature," Toliver said. "They seem more poised, they seem more in control. Listening to [Eric], it's like he's got his big boy pants on if that makes sense. Like, he's speaking things with his chest, because he's the boss. He's our leader. And now he understands the responsibility and the task at hand."

That task is guiding a team back to the WNBA Finals, which Washington has not done in three seasons. And the pressure will be on him right away to step up. Whether fairly or not, there's a big shadow cast over the role that his father, Mike, held and how Eric holds up.

One, because Mike Thibault is the winningest coach in WNBA history, and the second reason being the criticism that may exist when the former coach's son gets one of 12 coveted coaching positions in the best women's basketball league in the world.

But while Eric tries to live up to the standard set forth (by his dad, the franchise's former head coach and now general manager), he's just going to get his nose dirty and let the work speak for itself.

"I'm going to let other people be the judge of [what I bring as a coach] a little bit," Eric Thibault said. "I'm going to be myself... But we changed things year to year as it was. So to say like I didn't have any hand in anything the past 10 years, I don't want to say that was all on [Mike] and now this is all on me. That's not how we work. So everybody had a voice previously. Everybody on staff will have a voice now and we'll see what what a team looks like. But it won't be an Eric Thibault team. It'll be a Mystics team."

All that's left for Eric is to go out and get the job done. He has the trust of the locker room, the credibility that comes with his career resume and the relationships he has with his players. Monday, he went through his first media day as the head coach. Friday will be his first game, without an interim or placeholder tag, when preseason action kicks off. And soon, he'll have to make his first roster cuts.

"I think he's gonna do a great job," Toliver said. "I think he has a room full of women that are excited and are ready to play for him and, make him look good and he wants to make us look good."

Read more here:
New head coach Eric Thibault starts his first camp with familiar faces - NBC Sports

Story Links Name:Will Harbour

Year:Rising Senior

Position:LB

Height:6-0

Weight:230

Hometown:Frisco, Texas

High School:Rick Reedy

Major:English

What do you want to do after graduation and why? Aviation. I'm still figuring out if I want to fly in the Navy or Marine Corps.

Why did you choose Navy?To be a part of something bigger than myself.

What would you tell somebody that is considering coming to Navy to play football? It's an opportunity like no other. You get to play big time football and win big games.

If you could play another position, what position would you play and why? I would play QB because I would want to control the offense and scoretouchdowns.

If you could choose any opponent for Navy to play that is currently not on the schedule, who would you choose and why? Universityof Texas. I have friend'swho play there.

Favorite class at the Naval Academy and why?Electrical Engineering because of Cmdr. Gamble

Hardest class at the Naval Academy and why? Calculus 3 with Vectors, it has a lot of tough concepts.

Favorite teacher at the Naval Academy and why?Cmdr. Gamble, because he is a good teacher and gives us good life lessons during classes.

Favorite form of social media and why? Twitter, always get a good laugh in

Favorite person to follow on social media and why? SportsCenter, it gives me a bunch of sports highlights and updates.

If you could have dinner with any 4 people at the Naval Academy, who would you choose?: Kip Frankland, Clay Cromwell, Marcus Moore and Kyle Jacob

Favorite sport to follow at the Naval Academy outside of football and why? Baseball, my roommate Eddie Diaz is a baller.

If you didn't play football at Navy, what sport would you play and why? I would play baseball,I enjoy the game.

What song is playing on your headphones in the locker room right before taking the field? Enter Sandman by Metallica

What is your dream vacation?French Alps

How many teams should make the FBS Playoffs? 12

What is the best thing about being in the American Athletic Conference? You play in a lot of big games

Favorite Coach Newberry Saying:Gotta stack days

How would you describe Coach Chesnut's Offense:Explosive

How would you describe Coach Volker's Defense:Tough

One word to describe a Navy Football player:Tough'

Who will be the surprise player on offense in 2023?Alex Texca

Who will be the surprise player on defense in 2023?Justin Reed

Who is the toughest player on the Navy football team? Colin Ramos

What player epitomizes Navy Football? Eavan Gibbons

Who will be the Most Valuable Player on offense in 2023?Daba Fofana

Who will be the Most Valuable Player on defense in 2023?Jacob Busic, he is going to have a year to remember

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?Getting the opportunity to give everything I have with my brothersto the left and right of me

Visit link:
Meet the Mid: Rising Senior Linebacker and Co-Captain Will ... - NavySports.com

With the passage of Bill C-11 on Thursday, the future of the internet in Canada is up in the air.

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Thats not an outrageous statement for anyone who has bothered to read the bill weve just passed into a law a bill that gives incredible control over internet content to the government.

Whats worse, much of that control will come through yet-to-be-developed regulatory measures designed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the broadcast regulator commonly called the CRTC.

Much has been made of the laws ability to regulate user-generated content on social media sites many have called the bill a censorship law, and there is plenty to worry about there. Neither of those concerns, though, deal with the far-reaching ability of the federal government to control everything you see, read, watch or listen to online.

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In the future, you may be listening to an audiobook and find that you need to consume some Canadian content before moving onto the next book. You could be listening to your music playlist, the one you curated, and start hearing a Canadian artist you didnt select coming through the speakers.

This is the kind of control the government has now granted itself.

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Given that radio stations are required to ensure that 35% of the popular music they play is Canadian content, how far-fetched is it that this will be the case for Canadian consumers of Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon? What about a CRTC decree that Netflix or Paramount Plus must stream a certain amount of Canadian content to be allowed to operate here in Canada?

None of this is far-fetched, its the kind of regulations that exist for traditional broadcasters and now the regulator for those broadcasters, the CRTC, will be in charge of the online world. Industry insiders believe this is an unlikely scenario but the law would allow it and lobbyists for certain parts of the cultural sector may demand it.

Especially once the online platforms are forced to turn over sensitive data on subscribers and revenue to the CRTC.

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So yes, C-11 has given the government the ability to regulate user content on social media, it has given itself the ability to censor content that it doesnt like, but, more importantly, it has given itself the ability to control every aspect of your online experience. We are potentially moving from the open and rambunctious world wide web to a controlled online experience where we can access what the government allows us to access.

While I dont expect the federal government or CRTC to block access to services, I do expect that the regulations will lead to some services not being offered or launched in Canada. We should also expect that some companies may leave or cut Canadian staff as the cost to comply with the new regulations rises.

We have entered the great unknown for the future of the online world in Canada. All the major platforms that we use each and every day are now regulated by the CRTC.

How that will play out and how that will impact the way we consume content online will now be determined by unelected, unaccountable to the public, bureaucrats in Ottawa. We have to hope they get it right, but history tells us they wont.

Read the rest here:
LILLEY: C-11 is now law and the internet is under government control - Toronto Sun

WASHINGTON Today Congressmembers Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA) and Ken Buck (R-CO) introduced the bipartisan Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act, legislation to safeguard the nuclear command and control process from any future change in policy that allows AI to make nuclear launch decisions. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) is introducing companion legislation in the Senate.

The Department of Defenses 2022 Nuclear Posture Review states that current policy is to maintain a human in the loop for all actions critical to informing and executing decisions by the President to initiate and terminate nuclear weapon employment in all cases. The Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous AI Act would codify the Departments existing policy by ensuring that no federal funds can be used for any launch of any nuclear weapon by an automated system without meaningful human control.

Furthermore, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, established by Congress through the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, recommended in their final report that the U.S. clearly and publicly affirm its policy that only human beings can authorize employment of nuclear weapons. This bill follows through on their recommendation.

Upon introduction, the Members said:

AI technology is developing at an extremely rapid pace, said Congressman Lieu. While we all try to grapple with the pace at which AI is accelerating, the future of AI and its role in society remains unclear. It is our job as Members of Congress to have responsible foresight when it comes to protecting future generations from potentially devastating consequences. Thats why Im pleased to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous AI Act, which will ensure that no matter what happens in the future, a human being has control over the employment of a nuclear weapon not a robot. AI can never be a substitute for human judgment when it comes to launching nuclear weapons. Im grateful to Representatives Beyer and Buck and Senator Markey for their work on this important, forward-thinking legislation.

As we live in an increasingly digital age, we need to ensure that humans hold the power alone to control, command, and launch nuclear weapons not robots, said Senator Markey. That is why I am proud to introduce the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act. We need to keep humans in the loop on making life or death decisions to use deadly force, especially for our most dangerous weapons.

While U.S. military use of AI can be appropriate for enhancing national security purposes, use of AI for deploying nuclear weapons without a human chain of command and control is reckless, dangerous, and should be prohibited, said Congressman Buck. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation to ensure that human beings, not machines, have the final say over the most critical and sensitive military decisions.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

A one-pager on the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act can be found here.

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REPS LIEU, BEYER, BUCK AND SEN MARKEY INTRODUCE ... - Congressman Ted Lieu

Construction of the $5.8 billion Ford Blue Oval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky, is one of the largest economic developments in the history of the Commonwealth. What many dont know, however, is that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville Districts Regulatory Division played a significant role in getting the project off the ground by ensuring the developer met necessary environmental and cultural resource requirements.

The new facility will produce batteries for the next generation of Fords electric vehicles, but even before construction could begin, USACE had to approve Fords permit application to ensure the avoidance, minimization and mitigation of impacts to Waters of the U.S., in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

The mission of our regulatory program is to protect the nations aquatic environment and navigation while allowing for reasonable development through fair and balanced decisions, said Eric Reusch, Chief, Regulatory Division, USACE Louisville District. Our team worked expeditiously through all facets of the permitting process to issue a permit in under 120 days, which allowed this historic project to continue on schedule.

USACE evaluates permit applications for essentially all construction activities that occur in the nations waters, including wetlands. When applicants are planning construction or development that would impact those waters, a permit is often required.

The construction project, which sits on 1,500 acres in Hardin County, Kentucky, disturbs approximately 728 acres, including streams and wetlands. To mitigate for impacts to those streams and wetlands, the permittee paid for compensatory mitigation credits at a cost of approximately $20 million dollars.

The districts regulatory team was also involved with ensuring compliance of Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Those are areas of the regulatory program that most people arent as familiar with, said Sarah Atherton, a project manager in the Louisville Districts Regulatory Division. As part of any Department of the Army permit, we determine whether or not the project would have an adverse effect on endangered species or historic properties. If it would cause an adverse effect, we must work with the resource agency and the applicant to mitigate for these impacts through a Biological Opinion or a Memorandum of Agreement.

During the permit process, USACE coordinates with federal, state and local agencies, interest groups, and the public.Our archaeologist, Leiellen Atz, who was assisting with the review, found that a family cemetery was located within the proposed footprint of the facility. Three marked graves had been relocated in 2003, however it was recommended at the time that additional survey work be conducted, said Atherton. Therefore, the Corps requested the applicant (Ford) work with a qualified archaeological consultant to determine if additional graves were indeed present in the indicated location.

During the consultants fieldwork, 19 additional unmarked graves were identified in March 2022.

There was a significant amount of public interest in the unmarked graves, but in a situation like this our primary concern is that we are being respectful of the family and ensuring that the situation is handled with the utmost care and respect, said Leiellen Atz, Archaeologist, USACE Louisville District. Once the graves were discovered, the district hosted a virtual press conference to ensure accurate information was being shared.

Because we were easily able to identify the descendants, all partiesto include the State Historic Preservation Office and the Kentucky Heritage Council (KHC) were able to quickly come together to agree on a path forward, said Atz. The site ultimately did not meet requirements to be registered on the National Register of Historic Places, but we needed to ensure that all human remains and associated burial items were appropriately relocated to another cemetery.

We held an in-person meeting with descendants of the individuals in the cemetery and representatives from the KHC to discuss the relocation plan prepared by Fords archaeological consultant to ensure that the family felt it was appropriate, said Atz.

The cemetery relocation, performed by Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc. (CRA), began on May 18, 2022. The graves, dating back to 1840-1900s, were relocated to an adjacent property owned by one of the descendants.

Representatives from the Louisville District visited the site while excavation was ongoing and observed that CRA was conducting the excavations with respect and care to ensure that all remains, and associated items were removed.

A special condition was included in the permit prohibiting Ford from working near the cemetery until archaeological excavation and removal of all interments was completed, Atherton noted. This coordination allowed the applicant to proceed with their aggressive timeline.

Atherton said the scale and complexity of this project is a testament to the breadth and depth of the Corps Regulatory Program.

We were also evaluating the permit application under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Threatened and endangered species listed as potentially present in the project area included the gray bat, Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and snuffbox mussel. Tree clearing was proposed onsite which would remove potential roosting and foraging habitat for the listed bat species, said Atherton.

In instances like this, when a project is likely to have an adverse effect on the listed bat species through tree clearing, the USACE, in conjunction with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, requires the permittee to perform mitigation through adherence with an existing intra-service Biological Opinion. The applicant made a voluntary contribution to the Imperiled Bat Conservation Fund to ensure the proposed tree clearing would not jeopardize the continued existence of the listed bat in accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, said Atherton.

USACE issued a permit for the Ford Oval SK Battery Park on May 20, 2022, after all environmental and cultural consultations were completed and all permit conditions were met.

However, issuing a permit isnt the end of the story for the districts regulatory team.

After a permit is issued the regulatory team follows up with compliance checks to ensure the applicant is adhering to the permit conditions.

We go out and visit the site to see if they are building what was authorized and ensure they are not causing additional impacts to waters, said Atherton. For example, are sediment/erosion control measures being implemented, is the permittee in compliance with other requirements in the permit, those types of things.

The compliance and enforcement of permit decisions is an integral part of the process and ensures continued protection of the nations aquatic resources even after construction is complete, said Atherton.

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Regulatory Division permits crucial in construction of Kentucky's ... - lrl.usace.army.mil