Latest news with #Vianello
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Expert speaks out on 'perfect solution' to federal hiring issues creating national security concerns
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Digital sat down with SkillStorm CEO Justin Vianello, who addressed issues the federal government faces hiring workers, sometimes raising national security concerns, and explained what his company is doing to streamline that process. The federal government has struggled for decades with staffing issues in key roles like cybersecurity, tech and other high-skill areas, an issue flagged as far back as 2001, according to the Government Accountability Office. Vianello discussed how SkillStorm is attempting to solve those issues. "If we look at the procurement process and the way it's been structured, there's significant delays," Vianello told Fox News Digital. "So, it can take years to actually get to a point where a solicitation is actually awarded. And then, ironically or paradoxically, post that award, the agency will expect … the particular company to be able to deliver a team in 10 days. So, this process is inefficient and somewhat outdated." Vianello explained that the current hiring process is "lengthy" and "laborious," sometimes taking years rather than months and creating delays that teams need to properly mobilize and deploy. Maga Group Fights To Undo Carter-era Ban On Merit-based Federal Hiring "One of the solutions to that issue is to actually allow for an on-ramp time where people can spend between two to four months to custom build teams that have the right skills, that have (the) right certifications that are based in the right locations to rapidly deploy teams and to accelerate IT transformation and automation. And that's really where the SkillStorm model comes in," Vianello said. Read On The Fox News App Vianello says the company has spent millions of dollars in recent years building a Performance Acceleration Center for Excellence that is essentially a learning management training system with a customized curriculum and content along with a "stable of trainers" in a position to "rapidly upskill and deploy people." "How do we leverage that infrastructure to build out a solution for the federal government?" Vianello said. "Well, what we do is we leverage that infrastructure to accelerate and train teams. And the way the model works is we both bring people into our program. We train them for anywhere between 10 and 16 weeks. We pay them while we're training them. We help them achieve their certification, and then we deploy them. And we recover the investment that we make by billing them hourly." Flashback: Top Five Wildest Moments From Elon Musk's Doge Tenure As It Comes To An End That system, Vianello explained, means SkillStorm takes "all the risk up front" and recovers it by billing hourly to the client. "Now this is the perfect solution to being able to custom-build tech teams, create net new talent for the ecosystem and being able deploy these people over time. But the government is gonna have to change the procurement system to not require people to be deployed within 10 days but allow companies to build these teams over two, three, four months." Another issue, Vianello told Fox News Digital, is the current hiring process can get tied up with security clearances and become a national security risk. "That's absolutely part of it, but I think there's a bigger issue here if you look more generally at our model and some of the issues that are facing the market," Vianello said. "Well, if you look at SkillStorm's model, SkillStorm has an innovative cost-effective solution to custom-build U.S.-based tech teams for rapid deployment. "Now, we have a student debt crisis in this country, and, at the same time, what are we doing? We're offshoring our children's roles to other countries, and we're using visa holders to take up the place of entry-level tech roles. Now, if we don't invest in programs like SkillStorm, if we do invest in these outcome-driven, apprenticeship-type programs, where's the next generation of cybersecurity experts going to come from? "Where's the new generation of AI innovators going to come from? This is a national security issue that is essential in driving innovation. Right now, there are 500,000 open cybersecurity roles as of January 2025. We are the domestic models, like these apprenticeship models, that can support that gap to make sure that we're protecting national security." Former General Services Administration (GSA) head Emily Murphy, who previously spoke to Fox News Digital about the GSA's work to streamline government in the era of DOGE, said she has "seen firsthand how outdated federal systems have become one of the most serious yet least discussed threats to national security. "Agencies charged with safeguarding cybersecurity and digital infrastructure are losing the talent battle to the private sector, and the slow, outdated process for onboarding cleared workers doesn't match the urgency of today's threats." Murphy explained that the federal government needs a "new pipeline" that "delivers clearance-eligible, project-ready professionals trained on mission-specific tools." "SkillStorm is doing exactly that, deploying "Stormers," technologists trained on specific tech platforms, at a significant discount. It's a smarter, faster way to secure the talent our government urgently needs. Vianello told Fox News Digital SkillStorm and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have similar goals in making government more efficient. "I think DOGE is really focused on IT automation and IT transformation and doing it on an efficient and cost-effective basis," Vianello said. "We believe, going forward, there's probably going to be more of a push to less full-time employees and more of a push towards efficient contractors coming in and accelerating project delivery. So, again, this really does come back in our belief. "To the solicitation process, how do we tighten it up? How do we make sure that once an award is made and that technology is implemented, it's not outdated? Because, if that continues to happen, how are you going to continue to attract technologists, young technologists who want to be part of the change?"Original article source: Expert speaks out on 'perfect solution' to federal hiring issues creating national security concerns
Chicago Tribune
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Arianna Vianello isn't ‘trying to be perfect' anymore. Without that pressure, she delivers for Whiting.
Whiting's Arianna Vianello saw the bigger picture. By taking a step back, the senior catcher took steps forward. 'This year, it's just my mentality,' Vianello said. 'I really got my head in order. Previous years, I was always trying to be perfect, and I always wanted to be perfect. This year, it's my last season, I don't plan to go further with softball, so I wanted to make the best of what I had left.' Indeed, in her fourth season as a starter, Vianello has delivered her most productive one yet. She's hitting .465 with four doubles, a triple, two homers, 23 RBIs and 20 runs scored, leading the Oilers in four of those categories. She has helped Whiting (6-9, 4-6), which will play either Andrean or Boone Grove in the semifinals of the Class 2A Boone Grove Sectional on May 27, double its total victories from last season and eclipse its wins in the Greater South Shore Conference. 'Ari's playing with a lot less pressure, and she's having fun and she's enjoying herself,' Whiting coach Kelly Morando said. 'This team has a very good team dynamic and camaraderie, and she feeds off of that, and all the girls feed off of that. 'She's been a great captain. Overall, she just doesn't have that pressure, and she wants to go out having fun, and it's showing.' Sophomore shortstop Lily Morando also noted Vianello's leadership skills for a team that includes Vianello's cousin Aliyah, a freshman. 'She really brings a voice to the team,' Lily Morando said. 'As one of the captains, you expect that. But it's more than that, and she really shows it on the field. She tells us not to get in our heads. She'll be the one still cheering in the dugout even if we're down by 10. She's just really a voice for us.' Vianello isn't anchored behind the plate. She has seen some time in the outfield this season, and she played mostly at third base as a freshman. 'I can count on her wherever we need her,' Kelly Morando said. 'She's going to track down the ball. She's going to get the ball in. She's going to be a solid position for us wherever she's needed. 'Even this year, she's flopped between catching and outfield here and there. She gives us some speed in the outfield.' Vianello prepares for any situation. 'I keep my mind super focused,' she said. 'When I go up to bat, I always keep my mechanics on the top of my head. When I'm behind the plate, I'm always thinking. I'm always thinking about what's coming next.' What's coming next for Vianello, who spends the first half of her school days studying cosmetology at the Hammond Area Career Center and works at a salon on the weekends as part of the program, is studying medical diagnostic sonography at IU Indianapolis. She received inquiries from multiple colleges about the possibility of playing, but she said, 'I think I'm done with softball.' She also played basketball and cheered throughout high school. She even played volleyball as a freshman. As the time remaining on this season dwindles, Vianello, who already was named the softball team's most valuable player as a sophomore and junior, is determined to continue maximizing it. 'It's definitely been my best year throughout my entire career of softball,' she said. 'Not even just our skill and playing-wise, but just our attitudes and our relationships together. 'As long as we keep our attitudes up and keep working as a team together, we can really accomplish anything.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Richard Torrez maintains undefeated streak with unanimous decision win in Las Vegas
This time there are no knockouts for Tulare's Richard Torrez. But his undefeated streak continues after an unanimous decision win over a taller Guido Vianello in a 10-round heavyweight main event in Las Vegas on Saturday night, capturing the NABF, NABO and IBF North American titles at the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort. 'I was trying to set up my feints and my body shots,' Torrez said. 'Then, my body shots started landing more and more. From there, other shots started landing like my hooks. That was the plan that we had.' The judges ruled the fight 98-91 2x and 97-92. According to Compubox, the 6-foot-2 Torrez (13-0, 11 KOs) jumped out to a 23-14 lead in punches landed. Vianello (13-3-1, 11 KOs) had been penalized a point in the second round for excessive holding. Vianello, listed at 6-6, had a 46-33 advantage over rounds four through seven. Torrez connected on a counter left hook, stunning Vianello in the last minute of the eighth round. Torrez landed 40% of his power punches while Vianello connected on 31%. It's not known when Torrez will fight again but he's ready for any opponent that comes his way. 'I don't say no to fights,' he said. 'I want that to be clear. I want that to be known. Whoever you guys give me, I'm going to say yes to.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Richard Torrez Jr. outpoints Guido Vianello in first career decision; Abdullah Mason destroys Carlos Ornelas
Richard Torrez Jr. preserved his unbeaten professional record Saturday against Guido Vianello. () (Ian Maule via Getty Images) Richard Torrez Jr. showed some new wrinkles in his game as he went to the scorecards for the first time as a pro. The 2020 Olympic silver medalist went all 10 rounds in a well-earned unanimous decision victory over Guido Vianello. Torrez overcame a four-inch height disadvantage and a cut over his right eyelid to win by scores of 97-92, 98-91 and 98-91 in their Saturday headliner at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Advertisement 'Tonight taught me they don't all go down,' Torrez said after his first distance win. 'He's a strong fighter, he's resilient.' The crossroads bout was a battle of Olympians at vastly different stages of their career. Torrez, a 25-year-old southpaw from Tulare, California, is a well-educated heavyweight on the rise. Vianello, who represented Italy in the 2016 Rio Olympics, has quickly reached win-or-go-home status at age 30 after already suffering multiple professional defeats. It was Torrez (13-0, 11 KOs) who fought with the greater sense of urgency right from the opening bell, though not always to his advantage. The 6-foot-2 southpaw pushed the action and fought through Vianello's constant clinches. Vianello, a 6-foot-6 heavyweight from Rome, enjoyed select moments of success with his straight right hand against an onrushing Torrez. Advertisement Vianello (13-3-1, 11 KOs) was warned by referee Thomas Taylor early in the second round to adjust his clinch-first approach to the fight. The advice didn't take, as he suffered a point deduction less than five minutes into the main event for repeated offenses of the infraction. Torrez enjoyed a sizable lead through two rounds but failed to make Vianello further pay. Action was stop-and-start in the third, but the best moments were enjoyed by Vianello, who landed several straight rights and an uppercut as Torrez was caught rushing inside. An accidental clash of heads left Torrez with a cut over his left eye in the fourth. Both fighters were warned for their constant holding, while the crowd also voiced its displeasure over the lack of sustained action. Torrez drew far more favorable reviews when he landed a right hook over the top near the end of the round. Advertisement Both men picked up the pace considerably in the fifth round. Vianello slammed home a right hand but was rocked moments later by a Torrez right hook. Another exchange near the final 30 seconds of the round saw Vianello connect to the body and Torrez again respond with a counter right hook upstairs. Vianello grew tired of the shorter Torrez leading with his head and repeatedly attempted to offset it with a forearm nudge. The tactic drew a warning from the referee, though he adjusted and clipped Torrez with body shots from the outside. Torrez connected with a right hook and left hand later in the frame. Guido Vianello suffered his third professional loss Saturday in Las Vegas. () (Al Bello via Getty Images) Both fighters made better use of their respective jabs in the seventh round. Vianello used his stick to capitalize on his considerable height and reach advantage for the first time in the fight. Torrez flicked his right jab as means to set up power shots, though not very often to the desired effect. Advertisement The lone other time that Torrez saw the eighth round of a fight ended with his deepest career stoppage to date when he halted Curtis Harper with just 57 seconds to go in their December 2023 clash. He sought a similar outcome as he landed a right hook to hurt Vianello in the first minute of the eighth. It was a much-needed momentum shift for Torrez as the fight tightened up on the scorecards. Torrez later connected with an overhand left, which badly buzzed Vianello. The visiting Italian barely survived the round but was unstable on his way back to the corner. Torrez entered uncharted territory as the bell sounded to start the ninth. He went on the attack but a headbutt left him with a cut above his right eyelid. Vianello couldn't find a way to leverage the situation, as he was still mindful of his heavy-handed foe, other than a one-two down the middle toward the final minute of the round. Torrez closed the frame with a pair of overhand lefts. Vianello fought the 10th round like a man who trailed on the scorecards. He threw right hands with purpose, which prompted Torrez to box more and offer just enough movement to lessen the incoming impact. Advertisement Torrez slammed home a right hook to draw a rise of the crowd with just over a minute left in the fight. A body shot had Vianello hurt but Torrez could not put together that final combination to avoid his first career distance fight. 'He's an Olympian, I have nothing but respect for him,' Torrez said of Vianello. 'I knew it would come out today.' Torrez made up for Vianello's greater activity with precision punching. The squat heavyweight landed 92 of 245 total punches (37.6%), compared to 88 of 318 (27.7%) for Vianello, who has now lost three of his past six fights. Torrez only had one other fight not end in a stoppage throughout his more than five years as a professional. Joey Dawejko avoided that fate, though only because he was disqualified in the fifth round of their clash this past September at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Advertisement There were moments of adversity presented Saturday night, something which Torrez called for as he makes his way toward the contender stage. 'My shortcomings and my doubts, they push me in the gym,' insisted Torrez. 'I have to follow my coaches' advice.' The question now is who Top Rank — Torrez's career-long promoter — next puts in front of him. Whatever decision is made will be just fine with Saturday's victor. 'I don't say no to fights,' Torrez said. 'Whoever you guys give me, I'm going to say yes.' Delgado edges Rodriguez via majority decision The meeting of two of boxing's most brilliant minds — Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and former IBF junior lightweight titlist Robert Garcia — saw a physically tactical battle come down to the final round. Advertisement In the end, it was the Garcia-trained Lindolfo Delgado who edged Roach-trained Elvis Rodriguez via majority decision. Delgado (23-0, 16 KOs), who represented Mexico in the 2016 Rio Olympics, won by scores of 96-94 and 96-94 to overrule a 95-95 tally in their 10-round junior welterweight contest. The matchup never really caught fire despite the suggestion for a fun action battle on-paper. The slow pace worked to the advantage of Delgado early on, as he patiently poked his jab against the defensively responsible Rodriguez (17-2-1, 13 KOs). Lindolfo Delgado stayed unbeaten as a pro Saturday with his win over Elvis Rodriguez. () (Michael Owens via Getty Images) Action picked up in the fourth round when Rodriguez chose to increase his punch output. The Dominican southpaw felt a sense of urgency as swelling developed around his left eye. Delgado briefly lost his balance after Rodriguez landed a left hand around the Mexican's high guard. Advertisement Rodriguez was the busier fighter in the fifth, after which he held a 42-to-29 edge over Delgado in total landed punches. It came as swelling began to form under his right eye as well. Delgado adjusted and connected with combinations in the sixth, during moments where Rodriguez attempted to load up on his lead hand. Both fighters exchanged one-twos in the seventh round. Delgado landed the more telling of the two but was later forced to absorb a straight left hand on the chin. He responded with a left hook later in the round but left his guard down long enough to take a straight left and a right hook from Rodriguez. Delgado paid the price for looking for one big shot in the eighth. Rodriguez was the busier fighter and punctuated the round with a body shot and right hook over the top. Advertisement Rodriguez missed out on a huge moment late in the ninth, as Delgado boxed and moved before a straight left hand put him on wobbly legs along the ropes. There was an argument to be made that the ropes broke Delgado's fall, which should've resulted in a knockdown. The lack of a follow-up by Rodriguez, however, allowed Delgado to fully recover and resume control of the action by round's end. Rodriguez's Hall of Fame trainer Roach suggested pre-fight that his charge would close the show with a right hook. That moment never came close to materializing. Conversely, it was Delgado who hurt a fatigued Rodriguez inside the last minute of the 10th and final round. A pair of left hooks to the body by Delgado closed out the fight as both fighters sweated out the final scorecards. In the end, the judges liked Delgado's accuracy (89 of 300; 29.7%) over Rodriguez's greater punch output (94 of 408; 23.0%). Rodriguez snapped a six-fight win streak as a result, while Deglado remained unbeaten just days ahead of his eighth full year as a pro. Delgado vs. Rodriguez was previously budgeted to serve as an IBF title eliminator for the No. 2 position at junior welterweight. Sanctioning was removed, however, since the bout was only scheduled for 10 rounds; the IBF requires 12-rounds for its elimination contests. Mason stops Ornelas after six rounds There was no place Abdullah Mason wanted to be on his 21st birthday other than in a boxing ring. Advertisement The fast-rising lightweight celebrated his transition to adulthood with a one-sided stoppage of late replacement Carlos Ornelas. Mason (18-0, 16 KOs) scored three knockdowns — all courtesy of left hands which caused Ornelas to take a knee in delayed reaction — to force the stoppage prior to the start of the seventh round. Mexico's Ornelas (28-5, 15 KOs) hadn't fought in 16 months prior to Saturday but agreed to replace an unavailable Giovanni Cabrera on barely one month's notice. His body language during each knockdown suggested that he quickly ran out of answers. Mason — a Bedford, Ohio native who has now stopped each of his past eight opponents — entered his first scheduled 10-round affair. It was clear that he wouldn't need that much time to get the job done, though he was tight early and had moments in the fight where he looked for the knockout rather than build toward that moment. Advertisement 'I felt myself loading up trying to get him out of there earlier,' Mason admitted after the fight 'He's a strong guy and I was looking for a perfect shot. You still have to break these guys down.' Mason took that key step late in the second round. A left-hand shot landed on the chin of Ornelas, who stepped back before deciding to take a knee. The same sequence occurred in the closing seconds of the fourth round and again near the end of the sixth. The final knockdown was preceded moments earlier by a left hand which left Ornelas with a cut on the corner of his right eye. An in-ring wellness check conducted by referee Raul Caiz Jr. at the start of the seventh revealed that Ornelas was no longer fit to continue. Mason — Uncrowned's top runner-up for 2024 Prospect of the Year — connected on 94 of 227 total punches (41.4%), compared to just 68 of 229 (29.7%) for Ornelas, according to Compubox statistics. Main card Heavyweight: Richard Torrez Jr. def. Guido Vianello via UD (98-91, 98-91, 97-92) Advertisement Junior welterweight: Lindolfo Delgado def. Elvis Rodriguez via MD (96-94, 96-94, 95-95) Lightweight: Abdullah Mason def. Carlos Ornelas via seventh-round TKO Prelims Junior bantamweight: Steven Navarro def. Juan Esteban Garcia via fourth-round TKO Featherweight: Albert "Chop Chop" Gonzalez def. Dana Coolwell via UD Junior middleweight: Jahi Tucker def. Troy Williamson via UD Junior lightweight: DJ Zamora def. Hugo Castañeda via fourth-round TKO Junior middleweight: Art Barrera Jr. def. Daijohn Gonzalez via second-round TKO Junior welterweight: Samuel Contreras def. Robert Jimenez via first-round TKO
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Is Boxer Richard Torrez Jr. The Next Great American Heavyweight?
It's been a long time — actually a loooong time — since American fighters dominated boxing's heavyweight division. Go back almost 30 years to the mid-1990s when Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe alternated their kingly position atop boxing's most glamorous weight class. But that was so many moons ago. For the past three decades, the non-U.S. heavyweights have ruled — Lennox Lewis (England), Vladimir Klitschko (Ukraine), Anthony Joshua (England) and Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine). A couple Americans — Andy Ruiz and Deontay Wilder — provided nationalistic hope (and some U.S.A. chants) but their legacies mostly fizzled out. Ruiz lost control of his conditioning after his stunning KO of Joshua, and Wilder, once the scariest puncher in the game, ultimately got solved — and destroyed — courtesy of Britain's Tyson Fury. But, as Yoda once said, there is another, and that could be Richard Torrez Jr., a third-generation boxer from Tulare, Calif. who won silver at the 2020 Olympics and is a two-time U.S. National Championships gold medalist. Torrez — a southpaw with dynamite in both hands — has built a sparking 12-0 record with 11 KOs, with most of those wins coming against second-tier or lower competition. On Saturday, Torrez is leveling up to face Italy's Guido Vianello, whose prospect pedigree has faded in recent years but still is considered the biggest challenge of the American's career. The fight will take place in Las Vegas and air on ESPN+ in the U.S. Vianello (13-2-1, 11 KOs) is the perfect test for Torrez. The Italian fighter is a crafty boxer who can swat and is riding high after obliterating fearsome puncher Arslanbek Makhmudov in his most recent fight last August. Vianello's most noteworthy performance actually occurred in a split-decision loss to the hulking Efe Ajagba. It was in that bout that Vianello showcased serious skills and scrappiness. The Torrez-Vianello bout offers a compelling contrast in styles. Torrez has a little Mike Tyson in him — a stocky 6-foot-2 steamroller who bullies his way inside with rib-crunching hooks. Here he is in action: Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 Vianello snaps a long jab and searches for angles to land a potent right hand. He will look to keep Torrez on the outside while also emptying his gas tank. Torrez has fought beyond five rounds just once during his career while Vianello has gone to round seven and beyond in five of his last six fights and stopped Makhmudov in round eight. Torrez, who scored dominant wins over unbeaten Brandon Moore and fringe prospect Isaac Munoz, knows Vianello is no stepping-stone. 'This is something I've been working toward for a long time,' Torrez told legendary boxing scribe Dan Rafael. 'I want to prove that I'm the best heavyweight out there and show what American heavyweights are made of. When they offered me Guido, I didn't hesitate. I'm ready to go.' And if Torrez beats Vianello in sensational fashion, then the buzz may start — that Torrez may just be the next great American heavyweight (finally).
