By the middle of this week, however, they were already bickering over the details, underlining the sad truth that an early summit is unlikely, and that it could be years before real progress is made.
The space agency has a responsibility to be a leader in research, Mr. Millis said, and has a very systematic, step-by-step approach to check that progress is made before more money is spent.
The current labor deal expires at the end of June; if no progress is made before then — and there hasn't been much in several months — the league could join the N.F.L. as the second major American sports league whose players (and, of course, fans) are locked out.
"If we provide you with the means and support -- logistical and financial -- would you agree to meet secretly in Switzerland to finalize Taba?" Taba, Egypt, was the site of discussions between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in January 2001 that built on negotiations at Camp David six months before and where progress was made in narrowing differences between the sides.
Jamie Baker, an analyst at J. P. Morgan Chase, said that negotiations with unions for concessions at Delta and Northwest would happen slowly, and that things would probably turn "ugly" before any progress was made.
Though many residents on Sunday said they believed that a deal would be reached before the deadline, little progress was made during contract negotiations over the weekend, said Matt Nerzig, chief spokesman for Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.
Perhaps it was these two brothers in 12th-century France who devised the age-old trick of informing parents of all the great progress being made before making their demands?: To their very dear and respectable parents M. Matre, knight, and M. his wife, M. and S., their sons, send greetings and filial obedience.
If there's a lesson to be learned here it's that we have a long way to go before we can truly talk about progress being made.
Little progress was made on addressing rising impacts before the 2020 pact takes effect.
